The
UK Singles Chart is a
record chart compiled on behalf of the British record industry. During the 1990s, the chart was compiled by
The Chart Information Network (CIN) based entirely on sales of physical singles from retail outlets – airplay statistics are not used in compiling the official UK Singles Chart. The chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday, and the Top 40 was first revealed on
BBC Radio 1 on a Sunday. Record companies began making singles available to radio stations much further in advance of their release dates and making greater use of direct marketing techniques in the 1990s. As a result, the number of singles that entered the charts at number one increased dramatically, and it became commonplace for singles to enter the charts at the top and then plummet down the listing soon after.