As announced earlier this year, UK TV talent show The X Factor is selling downloads of the contestants' performances every week on iTunes, just after they air. However, the downloads – which are being heavily plugged on-air – will NOT be chart-eligible. Why? To “protect the integrity” of the contest, apparently. Which may be a polite way of saying The X Factor doesn't want the various contestants' popularity to be obvious from their chart positions. However, as Music Week points out, the first live episode has already sent the original versions of several songs covered by contestants into the chart, including Mad World.
The full article is available to our subscribers only.
If you're a subscriber, you can login here
You can subscribe here (where there are options for monthly, twice-yearly, annual and trial subscriptions)
