NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kent Music Report

The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by a music enthusiast, David Kent from the early 1970s through to 1998. After 1988, the Australian Recording Industry Association, who had been using the report under license for a number of years, chose to produce their own charts as the 'ARIA Charts'. October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ... The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. ...

Background

Kent had spent a number of years previously working in the music industry at both EMI and Phonogram records and had developed the report initially as a hobby. The 'Kent Music Report' was first released on a commercial basis in July 1974 and was offered for subscription. The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... Manufacturers put records inside protective and decorative cardboard jackets and an inner paper sleeve to protect the grooves from dust and scratches. ...

The report data was initially based solely on radio station charts from around the country which were then amalgamated using a points based ranking system which Kent had developed. As such, early Reports and rankings were formulated based on radio airplay rather than actual sales data. Airplay is a technical term used in the radio industry to state how frequently a song is being played on a radio station. ...

In 1976, as funding from subscriptions grew, Kent started collecting sales data from retail stores to supplement the radio station charts. His operation grew and staff were employed to assist with research. Within a year or so, the major record companies started using the Report for their own marketing programs and it had established itself as the leading national chart publication.

From 1982 retail sales data was used exclusively and radio station charts were dropped from the primary tabulations. Some radio station chart data was provided as supplemental information however.

At about the same time, the Australian Recording Industry Association was established by the major record companies, being EMI, Festival Records, CBS (now known as Sony Music), RCA (now known as BMG), WEA (now known as Warner Music) and Polygram (now known as Universal). From 1983 until 1988 ARIA had a licensing arrangement with Kent to use the Report under their own banner. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... In 1958, Herb Abramson leaves Atlantic Records. ... ... BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) is one of the six divisions of Bertelsmann. ... Warner Music Group is one of the Big Four record labels. ... PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. ...

The Kent Report continued however and in 1987 was rebadged as the 'Australian Music Report' (AMR). In 1988 the arrangement with ARIA ended and the ARIA Charts were produced in-house by the Association. The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. ...

The AMR charts ceased publishing at the end of 1998, leaving the ARIA charts as the only nationally recognised chart publication.

Reference

Daniel Lowe. Australian Chart History.

Reference

Further reading