The Small no. of record stores and stations

[torcan]

I just found it interesting that on the 8/8/1970 show run this past weekend, Casey stated how Billboard tabulated the Hot 100. He said that they take information from over 100 record stores and 54 of the major radio stations.

When you think about it, it doesn't seem like a lot does it? I'm surprised that's all the data they used to compile the chart back then. Breaking it down, it's like 2 record stores and 1 radio station per state. Some big cities (like New York) probably have close to 100 record stores!

I know that by the early '80s, around 150 radio stations were reporting to the Hot 100. I'm not sure how many record stores they surveyed. You'd still figure it should have been more.

Maybe Billboard figured it out like the Neilsen people for TV ratings - for many years they took just 1200 homes and projected it for 300 million people.

[lasvegaskid]

It was probably due to technology. The "data processing computer" he mentioned was probably a bean counter with a rudimentary adding machine. Pretty amazing they were able to do what they did 52 times a year with the tools they had to work with.

[quatermass]

Yes, young people find it amazing that we actually got things done quickly and on time without computers and cell phones and worthless things like UPS and Fed Ex.
Ahh the good old days!!

[lasvegaskid]

I still remember hanging out at my local record store Monday afternoons, waiting for the mailman to drop off Billboard so I could pester the manager to look at it, hoping the mail wasn't late. No getting the charts online in those days.

Sometimes if I couldn't wait, I'd call my local radio station because they could pull the top 20 off the newswire the prior Friday. And occasionally, if I was really lucky, the newspaper would publish the top 20 in their Sunday entertainment page.