Irish Singles Chart

History

The charts were first broadcast on RTÉ on 1 October 1962. Before this charts had been printed in the Evening Herald newspaper, but it is debated as to whether they are official or not. Up until 1972 the Irish Chart was based on telephone sales received from record retailers based on over the counter sales to the public. The compilers of the chart changed several times and in January 1972 the chart changed to one based on sales from manufacturers to retailers. From October 1975 to February 1977 the chart was compiled from votes from readers in the Evening Herald newspaper. There was a separate Irish and International artists chart for a time during this period. From 1977 the chart once again became based on sales from retailers to the public but during the early 1980s this again changed and was once more based on sales from manufacturers to retailers. RTÉ 2fm broadcasts the top 30 of the chart every Friday night from 8pm to 10pm.

In 1992, the singles chart became based on consumer sales after IFPI and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) granted a contract to Gallup, a market research company. Gallup installed Epson PX-4 devices in sixty record stores to collect singles sales data. In 1996, Chart-Track was formed as a result of a management buy-out from Gallup. Also in 1996, with the development of technology, EPOS systems were installed in multiple music retail stores. The EPOS systems allowed for the collection of more accurate sales information. Chart-Track collects data daily from major record stores such as HMV and Tower Records, as well as over forty Independent retailers. In total, data from over four-hundred and ninety stores are collected each week. The singles chart is compiled over seven days and released every Friday at noon by the IRMA, while Midweek Charts are produced daily, but only released to IRMA members.

It was announced that from 1 July 2006, downloads would be counted in the charts. They would also feature in their own chart in addition to being counted for the overall chart. Data was initially collected from iTunes, Vodafone, eircom, Sony Connect, Wippit and Bleep.com. Although IRMA estimated the size of the download market to amount to only 14% of the total market in 2006, this has increased in more recent years.

In 2014, the Irish charts first included music streaming data and in 2018, music video streaming data was included for the first time.

Chart achievements

:All information is from 1962 to the present and does not include charts printed in the Evening Herald newspaper.

First Irish artist to debut at number one

Dickie Rock & the Miami Showband with "Every Step of the Way" (1965)

Artists with the most number one hits

Source:

Songs with the most weeks at number one

Note: Songs denoted with an asterisk () spent non-consecutive weeks at number one*.

Source:

Acts to occupy the top two simultaneously

• Lady Gaga — "Just Dance" (with Colby O'Donis) and "Poker Face" (two weeks in February 2009).
• Pharrell Williams — "Get Lucky" (with Daft Punk) and "Blurred Lines" (with Robin Thicke & T.I.) (one week in May 2013); "Blurred Lines" (with Robin Thicke & T.I.) and "Get Lucky" (with Daft Punk) (six weeks in May and June 2013).
• Justin Bieber
  • "Sorry" and "Love Yourself" (one week in December 2015); "Love Yourself" and "Sorry" (seven weeks in December 2015 and January 2016).
  • "Cold Water" (with Major Lazer & MØ) and "Let Me Love You" (with DJ Snake) (two weeks in August 2016).
  • "Despacito" (with Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee) and "I'm the One" (with DJ Khaled, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne) (five weeks in May and June 2017).
• Ed Sheeran
  • "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill" (seven weeks in January, February and March 2017).
  • "Galway Girl" and "Shape of You" (seven weeks in March and April 2017).
  • "Perfect" and "River" (with Eminem) (four non-consecutive weeks in December 2017 and January 2018).
• Ariana Grande — "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" and "7 Rings" (one week in February 2019); "7 Rings" and "Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored" (one week in February 2019).
• Dermot Kennedy — "Giants" and "Paradise" (with Meduza) (four weeks in December 2020).
• Olivia Rodrigo — "Good 4 U" and "Deja Vu" (three weeks in May and June 2021).
• Taylor Swift
  • "Anti-Hero" and "Lavender Haze" (one week in October 2022).
  • "The Fate of Ophelia" and "Opalite" (one week in October 2025).
• Sabrina Carpenter — "Please Please Please" and "Espresso" (four weeks in June and July 2024); "Taste" and "Please Please Please" (one week in August 2024).
• Zach Bryan — "Nine Ball" and "Revival" (one week in June 2025).

In addition, in the fifth and seventh week that Justin Bieber was at #1 and #2 with "Love Yourself" and "Sorry", "What Do You Mean" was at #3. For the sixth week that Ed Sheeran was at #1 and #2 with "Galway Girl" and "Shape of You", he also occupied #3 to #16 with the remaining tracks from "÷". In the second week, "Castle on the Hill", "Nancy Mulligan" and "New Man" occupied #3, #4 and #5 respectively and "Castle on the Hill" remained at #3 for the third week. For the first two weeks that Olivia Rodrigo occupied the top two spots with "Good 4 U" and "Deja Vu", "Traitor" was also at #3.

Artists with the most top fifty hits

Notes

References

References

1. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 6 February 2026". [[Official Charts Company]].
2. "News on addition of downloads".
3. (19 July 2018). "The history of the Official Irish Charts".
4. Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd.. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie.
5. Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd.. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie.
6. (24 December 2021). "Ed Sheeran and Elton John's Merry Christmas claims Ireland's 2021 Christmas Number 1". [[Official Charts Company]].
7. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 6 April 2023". Official Charts Company.
8. (30 October 2020). "Acts with the most Number 1 singles in Ireland". [[Official Charts Company]].
9. (16 February 2024). "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 16 February 2024". [[Official Charts Company]].
10. (14 March 2025). "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50 for the Week Ending 20 March 2025". [[Official Charts Company]].
11. (10 September 2021). "Ed Sheeran fends off The Kid Laroi and Drake for 11th week at Number 1 on the Official Irish Singles Chart with Bad Habits". [[Official Charts Company]].
12. (28 November 2018). "The longest reigning Number 1s on the Official Irish Singles Chart". [[Official Charts Company]].
13. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 16 October 2025". [[Official Charts Company]].
14. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 5 July 2024". Official Charts Company.
15. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 30 August 2024". Official Charts Company.
16. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 27 June 2025". Official Charts Company.
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19. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". IRMA.
20. "Discography Justin Bieber".
21. "Justin Bieber's Official Irish Singles Chart history - the numbers behind his success in Ireland". Official Charts Company.
22. "Discography Ed Sheeran".
23. "Discography Eminem".
24. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 24 October 2025". Official Charts Company.
25. "Discography Eminem".
26. "Discography Rihanna".
27. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 29 August 2025". Official Charts Company.
28. "Discography Ariana Grande".
29. "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 5 December 2025". Official Charts Company.
30. "Discography Post Malone".
31. "Discography Beyoncé".
32. "Discography Calvin Harris".
33. "Discography The Weeknd".
34. "Discography Ariana Grande".
35. "Discography P!nk".
36. "Discography Westlife".
37. "Discography The Beatles".
38. "Discography Lady Gaga".
39. "Discography Coldplay".
40. "Discography Dermot Kennedy".
41. "Dermot Kennedy songs". Official Charts Company.
42. "Picture This songs". Official Charts Company.
43. "Bruno Mars songs". Official Charts Company.