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Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.^[1][2]

Ultratop charts and regional versions[link]

The music charts produced by Ultratop are separated along regional-language boundaries, an unusual division that is justified by the cultural differences in Belgium. So it is that the Dutch-speaking Flanders region has one set of charts of record activity there, while the French-speaking Wallonia region has another set to measure popularity in those provinces. All of the charts generated by Ultratop are published in three different languages: Dutch, primarily for the Flemish inhabitants of Flanders; French, primarily for the Walloons in Wallonia; and English.

In Flanders the most important charts are the Ultratop 50 singles and the Ultratop 50 albums. In Wallonia the most important charts are the Ultratop 40 singles and the Ultratop 50 albums (the two versions of Ultratop 50 albums are separate). The rankings in all of these charts are based on record sales. The charts are broadcast on several Belgian radio stations, and on TV stations TMF in Flanders and Plug TV in Wallonia.^[1] In addition to the Ultratop charts, Ultratop also produces singles charts named "Ultratip"; these, too, are produced separately for the Flanders and Wallonia regions.

Ultratip[link]

Ultratip (also referred to as "Tipparade") is a Top 50 chart of commercially-available singles, with chart positions based on a combination of sales and airplay (i.e., the number of times a song is played on the radio or television, combined with the calculated audience size for a station, region or language).^[1] It differs from the Ultratop charts which are based on sales only, however a song cannot chart on the Ultratip chart on airplay alone.^[3]

Records[link]

These records are noted from the Ultratop records made from their starting date in April 1995 until April 2005, as has been written in the databook Ultratop 1995-2005 by Sam Jaspers. Some have been updated, but not all.

In Flanders[link]

Singles[link]

• Most Top 50 singles: K3 has the record with 33 singles in the top 50.^[4] Milk Inc. has 30 entries, Britney Spears has 29 entries, Madonna and Rihanna have 26 entries, Clouseau has 25 entries, Robbie Williams has 24 entries, David Guetta has 23 entries, Sylver has 22 entries, U2, Celine Dion and Marco Borsato have 21 top 50 entries; Helmut Lotti, Belle Perez, Jennifer Lopez and Eminem have 20 entries. Beyoncé Knowles has 14 entries with Destiny's Child and 17 under her own name, or a total of 31 entries. Regi Penxten had 10 entries in the Ultratop as Regi, and 30 as a member of Milk Inc, or a total of 40.
• Kvraagetaan by Fixkes held on the longest at the first place - 16 weeks. Las Ketchup with "The Ketchup Song" and Crazy Frog with "Axel F" both held out 12 weeks. "This Is the Life" of Amy Macdonald held the first spot for 11 weeks. "Barbie Girl" from Aqua, Wild Dances of Ruslana, Con te Partiro of Andrea Bocelli and Last Thing On My Mind of Steps each held out 10 weeks on first spot.
• Longest noted single is The Black Eyed Peas with "I Gotta Feeling". It was present in the Ultratop 50 for 69 weeks. "Rolling In The Deep" from Adele charted 56 weeks and Kings Of Leon with "Sex On Fire" 54 weeks.
• Shortest noted Number 1 hit was for Artist for Haiti with "We are The World". It left the Ultratop 50 after 6 weeks.
• Biggest leap to the number 1 position was for Elton John with "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight". It jumped from the 46th position, directly to the number 1 spot in September 1997.
• From nowhere to number 1 is not all that rare in Flanders, apparently. At least 4 singles have already achieved that: Peter Evrard with "For You", Xandee with "1 Life", Joeri Fransen with "Ya bout to Find Out" and Artiesten voor Tsunami 12-12 with "Geef een teken" achieved it in the last 10 years. Also Belle Perez with El Mundo Bailando, Andy Sieren with "Mijn Leven", Britney Spears with "Hold It Against Me", Natalia with "Hallelujah" (with Gabriel Rios), Jennifer Lopez with "On The Floor" and Idols 2011 finalists with "More to Me" did it.
• Milk Inc. holds the record of most top-ten hits by an artist ever (25), followed by Britney Spears.
• Natalia holds the record of most songs in the top 100 at the same moment. In June 2007 she charted with 10 songs.

Albums[link]

• Most top 50 albums:
  • The Beatles: 25
  • André Rieu: 24
  • Will Tura: 23
  • Celine Dion: 20
  • Helmut Lotti: 17
  • Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam: 16
  • Andrea Bocelli: 15

• Most #1 albums:
  • Helmut Lotti and Clouseau: 8
  • K3 and Marco Borsato: 7
  • U2, Michael Jackson and Samson & Gert: 6
  • Celine Dion and Madonna: 5

• Longest stay in the charts:
  • Marco Borsato, Onderweg: 184 weeks
  • Coldplay, A Rush Of Blood To The Head: 168 weeks
  • Norah Jones, Come Away With Me: 144 weeks
  • Queen, The Platinum Collection - Greatest Hits I, II & III, 135 weeks
  • Amy Winehouse, Back to Black: 123 weeks
  • St. Germain, Tourist: 122 weeks
  • Gabriel Rios, Ghostboy: 118 weeks
  • Foo Fighters, Greatest Hits, 111 weeks
  • Milow, The Bigger Picture: 110 weeks
  • Hooverphonic, The Magnificent Tree: 107 weeks
  • Lady Linn And Her Magnificent Seven, Here We Go Again: 106 weeks
  • Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More: 102 weeks
  • The Black Box Revelation, Set Your Head On Fire: 102 weeks
  • K3, MaMaSé!: 102 weeks

In Wallonia[link]

• Las Ketchup with "The Ketchup Song" held on 5 weeks longer on first spot than in Flanders, namely 17 weeks. "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" of Céline Dion held on for 15 weeks at that first spot.
• "Con te partirò" of Andrea Bocelli held on 52 weeks in the chart and thus holds the Belgian Record of longest noted number. "Obsesión" from Aventura stayed in the charts for 48 weeks.
• "Ensemble" of Solidarité Asie Tsunami 12-12 was the number 1-hit, which was kicked out of the chart the fastest, after 8 weeks. The hit held on for 2 weeks on the first place.
• Songs that entered at number 1: Elton John with "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997", Star Academy (France) with "La musique (Angelica)", Mario Barravecchia with "On se Ressemble" and Britney Spears with "Hold It Against Me" (2011).
• The strongest riser in the chart to the number one position were Phil Barney and Marlène Duval with "Un enfant de toi". They rose from the 20th place to the first.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Web site for Walloon charts (French, but English version available)
• Official Web site for Flemish charts (Dutch, but English version available)