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Breakout star’s sheer delight Ed Sheeran has become the first act to have played at MusicWeek’s Breakout night to secure a Top 10 hit, with his debut Asylum/Atlantic release The A Team charting at number three.

The track sold 57,607 copies last week, according to the OCC, putting it behind only Example’s Changed The Way You Kiss Me and Calvin Harris feat. Kelis’ Bounce. It was one of several tracks in the singles Top 10 this week to have been released to radio weeks before it went on sale.

Sheeran, who played Breakout in March, said he never expected the single to do so well. “I was expecting Top 20,” he said.

Sheeran signed to Asylum/Atlantic in February, after the success of five selfreleased EPs, the last of which, No. 5 Collaborations, made number two in the iTunes charts and 46 in the OCC singles chart, selling 11,000 copies.

The next Breakout takes place on July 13, with Lonsdale Boys Club, I Am Harlequin, Jack Savoretti and The Violet May playing the main stage.

DAY AND DATE REBELS SET TO MAKE THE TOP 10 – AFTER WEEKS AT RADIO

Chart hits slip through the on air/on sale net

RELEASES ■ BY PAUL WILLIAMS

THE EARLY PROMISE OF A record industry commitment to on air/on sale appears to be coming under increasing pressure, as a number of high-profile releases are going to radio weeks before fans can buy them.

The issue is particularly highlighted in the new OCC UK singles chart announced yesterday (Sunday) where four of the top five sellers had not been subject to day and date.

They comprised Ministry of Sound act Example, whose Changed The Way You Kiss Me (pictured) debuted at number one a week ago, and new entries from Sony act Calvin Harris, breakthrough Warner artist Ed Sheeran and a Universal/All Around The World pairing of Tinchy Stryder and Dappy.

The four tracks will be joined in the chart in the coming weeks by a number of other high-profile releases which have already been at radio for several weeks but are not yet available to buy. They include the brand new singles from Universal act The Wanted and Sony boy band JLS.

A previous in-depth study by Music Week (07.05.11 issue) of on air/on sale, which was publicly backed by Universal and Sony in January as a way of trying to tackle online piracy, revealed most brand new tracks were subject to the strategy.

However, Music Managers Forum chief executive Jon Webster, whose organisation has long championed day and date, suggested “cracks” were now appearing.

But Universal commercial division managing director Brian Rose dismissed these fears and said his company remained fully committed to on air/on sale. paul@musicweek.com

»See page 5 for more about the on air/on sale issue

INDIES IN RECORDBREAKING US CHART CHARGE

THE INDEPENDENTS’ EXCELLENT albums chart run in the UK is being more than matched in the US, where six of the current Billboard Top 20 are by non-major acts.

Mumford & Sons, who go through independent Glassnote in the US, country star Jason Aldean and My Morning Jacket were joined in the Top 20 last week by new entries from rapper Tech N9ne and British acts the Arctic Monkeys and Def Leppard, whose new album Mirrorball: Live & More is released through American singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett’s Mailboat Records in North America.

That takes up to 32 the number of indie albums under Billboard’s definition of an independent release that have made the Top 20 of the US albums chart in 2011, a new high at this stage of a calendar year. Just five years ago only six independent releases had managed to reach the Top 20 of the main Billboard 200 chart at the same point in the year.

The American Association of Independent Music’s vice president Jim Mahoney cited the changing structure of the US albums market, including the growth of digital and labels’ ability to target fans directly online, as one of the reasons why independents were doing so well.

“When you remove the barriers to our fans and you can get the music out to fans, independents always do much better,” he said. ■ TURN TO PAGE 4 FOR MORE

INSIDE »

06SONY REACTS TO GLEE’S CHANNEL SHIFT Record company looks to preserve revenue following Sky switch

10SONGKICK SEEKS TO STEER STRATEGY Live music discovery service says live industry must grasp digital opportunities

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