Hans Breukhoven and Lex Harding celebrating a printed edition of the Dutch Top 40 in 2005

The Dutch Top 40 (Dutch: Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the pirate radio channel was forced to stop. Joost den Draaijer was the initiator of the top 40 in the Netherlands. The chart is similar to the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.

[edit] History

On January 2, 1965, the first Top 40 was compiled, with "I Feel Fine" by The Beatles becoming the first #1 hit in the Netherlands. Due to its huge success, many similar charts as the Nationale Hitparade ("National Hitparade"), Mega Top 100 and the Hilversum Top 30 were created. In 1974, the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 bought the Top 40 and named it De Nederlandse Top 40.

Currently, Radio 538 is airing the Dutch Top 40 on radio. Jeroen Nieuwenhuize is presenting the program every Friday afternoon from 14.00 until 18.00. The Dutch Top 40 is the 'most-listened-to' program on Dutch radio during its timeslot.

[edit] Compilation

[edit] Stip

Every song that moves up 3 or more places than it was before, gets a stip ('dot'). When a song is noted in the top 10 and moves up 5 or more places, it gets a superstip ('super dot'). Also when a song enters the chart higher than the #25 positions or moves up more than 10 places in the chart, it gets a superstip.

Examples:

• A song enters the chart at #30 up and till at #26: stip.
• A song enters the chart at #25 or higher: superstip.

• A song moves from #25 to #9: superstip.
• A song moves from #15 to #10: superstip
• A song moves from #35 to #25: superstip.
• A song moves from #40 to #25: superstip.

• A song moves from #15 to #11: stip.
• A song moves from #25 to #17: stip.
• A song moves from #40 to #26: stip.
• A song moves from #40 to #30: stip.
• Any move between #40 and #31: nothing happens.

• A song enters the chart at #34: nothing happens. Entering below 30: nothing happens.
• A song moves from #15 to #14: nothing happens. Outside the top 10, a song must at least move three places to get stip and 10 to get superstip. This is only the case when a song moves to #25 or higher -or when it's already above #25- and it then moves 10 places.

• A song moves from #11 to #10: stip. Any move to and within the top 10 makes at least stip.

[edit] Composition

Like the Mega Top 50, the chart is a combination of single sales and airplay. The more often a song gets played on the radio, the higher its place in the Top 40. As of 2003, digital downloads are also counted.

For year end chart positions: #1 position gets 40 points, #2 position gets 39 points .... #40 position get one point. This way you just count up all numbers and sort them from most points till least points.

[edit] Rules

There is a set of rules, of which some have existed since 1972, that are still maintained. Because of these rules the Top 40 has been criticised.

• Singles must remain minimal two weeks in the chart. If a single officially no longer belongs in the top 40, these are placed on #40.

• Example: Missy Elliott's "Lose Control": Remained two weeks on #40 in the chart, because it did not sell enough and also wasn't played enough on the radio.

• Singles noted with the superstip, may not fall down in chart position the following week. If a single in fact was to drop, it remains on the position it ended, so the following week it drops hard in chart positions.

• Recent example: Guus Meeuwis' "Ik Wil Dat Ons Land Juicht": The song entered the chart at #11 (superstip), rose up to #5 (superstip again) in its second week. The following week it was meant to drop in chart position, but remained on the #5 position. The following two weeks, it went from #5 to #39.

• Re-entry only takes place when the single re-enters within the top 30, if differently, these re-entried singles are ignored.

• Example: Racoon recently re-entered the Dutch Top 40 at #31 though with the song "Love You More".

• Singles with double A-side are noted separately in the top 40; due the (possible) different number of airplay the two songs get.

• Example: Robbie Williams' first single off his 2005 album Intensive Care was Tripping with the B-side being Make Me Pure. While "Tripping" topped the chart by peaking at #1, "Make Me Pure" peaked at #15 in the Top 40.

[edit] Records in the Dutch Top 40

Most successful single-artists Artist weeks points Madonna 470 11827 Rolling Stones 448 11649 The Beatles 312 9222 Golden Earring 365 9001 Michael Jackson 336 8305 BZN 373 8275 The Cats 335 8036 Bee Gees 326 7591 Queen 323 7577 ABBA 247 6657

Most hit singles in the Top 40 Artist singles BZN 55 Madonna 53 Rolling Stones 49 Golden Earring 46 Normaal 42 Bee Gees 41 U2 39 Michael Jackson 38 Queen 38 The Cats 36 Update on July 15, 2008.

Best selling artists (combined Single top 40 and Album top 100) Artist weeks points BZN 1106 60375 The Rolling Stones 1117 57200 Madonna 1107 53994 Golden Earring 1039 53833 Queen 1014 53647 André Hazes 972 49412 ABBA 761 46439 U2 906 45913 Michael Jackson 873 44240 Celine Dion 775 43119 Updated on January 1, 2004.

[edit] See also

• MegaCharts
• Mega Top 50
• Mega Single Top 100

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• (Dutch) Dutch Top 40 website (contains archive from 1965 onwards)
• (Dutch) Direct link to the charts(contains archive from 1965 onwards)