TheMedia Research Information Bureau (MRIB) was amusic chart research company that operated in theUnited Kingdom from 1981 to 2008. It was best known for compiling the chart data forThe Network Chart Show which was broadcast by many TV and radio shows, as well as being published in many music newspapers and magazines.[1] MRIB also compiled other genre charts for the United Kingdom.[2]
MRIB was founded in 1981,[3] by Luke Crampton,[4] and Dafydd Rees.[5][6] In December 1984, data from MRIB showed thatpirate radio stationLaser 558 had an audience of nearly five million people.[7]
MRIB'sNetwork Chart was a rival competitor to the "official" UK chart that was compiled byGallup and that is now published by theOfficial Charts Company (OCC).[8][9] MRIB'sNetwork Chart was broadcast by more than 40commercial andIndependent Local Radio stations. It was reported in March 1991 that theNetwork Chart compiled by MRIB had a radio audience size that was gaining on theBBC Radio 1 chart show which broadcast the chart that was compiled by Gallup for the OCC (then CIN).[10] Later that monthMusic & Media magazine reported that they were switching to publishing the MRIB charts for the UK which they would also use to compile theEuropean Hot 100 Singles andEuropean Top 100 Albums charts.[11] There were sometimes public disputes over accuracy between Gallup and MRIB such as when the former placedWhitney Houston's single "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at number 10 while the latter placed it at number 2 in the same week.[12] MRIB'sNetwork Chart was published in music publicationsNME,Melody Maker,[13] andSounds,[14] as well as onITV'sTeletext service.[13] MRIB'sNetwork Chart used sales data starting from different days of the week from those Gallup used for its Radio 1 chart.[15] However, in July 1993 it was announced that the Top 10 of theNetwork Chart would use the same sales data as Gallup's chart for CIN and Radio 1, whenPepsi took over sponsorship fromNescafé, but that the lower 11-40 positions would still combine sales with radio airplay data. This newNetwork Chart was compiled bySpotlight Publications who beat MRIB to the contract.[16] Although MRIB's chart was no longer broadcast on commercial and independent radio, it was still used in publications such asNME andMelody Maker.[17][18][19][20]
MRIB also compiled theUK Independent Singles and Albums Charts that were published in many newspapers and magazines such asMelody Maker.[21] Alongside the Network Chart, they also compiled regional charts forILR stations such as the London chart used onAlan Freeman'sPick of the Pops Take Two onCapital Radio and theNorth East England chart used onMetro Radio and published in theNewcastle Evening Chronicle.[22] In the 1980s MRIB compiled thedisco charts for the UK that were published inRecord Business (which was later absorbed intoMusic Week and published as the Disco and Dance chart).[23][24][25] From 1982 through the 1990s the UK rock charts that were published inKerrang! magazine were also compiled by MRIB.[26][27][28] In the early 90s, MRIB compiledBSkyb's UK Top 40 chart which was shown onSky One.[29] Although MRIB'sNetwork Chart was a direct rival to the chart that was compiled by Gallup for CIN/OCC and broadcast by BBC Radio 1, the same radio station announced in 1995 that it was launching the 1FM Artist Chart that combined album and singles sales and would be compiled by MRIB. This had apparently disappointed CIN,[30] and theBritish Phonographic Industry as reported byMusic Week on 14 January 1995.[31] However, it was later reported on 29 April 1995 that CIN would be taking over compiling the chart from MRIB.[32] From 1998 to 2001, MRIB also compiled the World Beat album chart show forCNN International.[4][33] In 2002,Emap announced that they would be launching their ownSmash Hits chart for itsFM radio stations such asKiss and that it would be compiled using sales data from MRIB.[34]
MRIB closed in 2008,[3] but theNetwork Chart was taken over by other companies and re-branded a number of times, until it was relaunched in January, 2019 asThe Official Big Top 40, again as a rival to BBC Radio 1'sThe Official Chart that is compiled by OCC.
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Compiled by MRIB, who also put together the Network Chart - the rival to the Gallup list
MRIB's new panel represents more than 10% of the UK record retail market. But the Network Chart has yet to respond to the changed timing of the rival Gallup chart which has been brought forward two days
Compiled by MRIB
Charts compiled by MRIB
Compiled for Record Business by MRIB
Compiled by MRIB
Charts compiled by MRIB. (The first chart to be published in Kerrang!, dated July 10, 1982)
Charts compiled by MRIB
Charts compiled by MRIB
