Now we’ve got your attention, you’ll be pleased to hear ‘what is the point’ isn’t some announcement of calling it a day, questioning our existence or anything like that. We’re very much staying put, thank you kindly, and we’re 14 years not out. Not that we’re any less amateur than we were then, admittedly.

Once upon a time, the chart countdown on the radio was essential listening.

It was the weekly announcement of the verdict of those buying their tapes, CDs or vinyl from record stores and other outlets on an album and it often made or broke not only how that album was perceived success wise, but potentially the future career of the artist.

It wasn’t uncommon, particularly in the surge of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s pop music acts for one bad record being enough to see the latest manufactured pop sensation relegated to being an afterthought while forever bearing the title of a one hit wonder.

Even some band we consider as something of national treasures or part of the musical elite today almost fell foul of the cut-throat deathtrap of chart sales. The Manic Street Preachers, for example, almost never made it to record Everything Must Go, and for a reason unrelated to the disappearance of Richey Edwards.

Their 1994 album, The Holy Bible, now widely lauded as a critical masterpiece did not sell well, not aided with the fact it was about as radio friendly as a sledgehammer is as friendly to a soft piece of wood.

It almost cost them their record deal, with the band citing on many occasions, particularly when looking back at that album retrospectively that it was the intervention of their A&R man and now senior Sony exec, Rob Stringer that saved the band’s career. I suppose a bleak album with themes ranging from prostitution to the holocaust was never going to catch the mainstream audience.

But when you look at the charts today, maybe perhaps with the exception of the album chart and vinyl, for example, what is the point? Nowadays, the single chart is pretty much whatever is being streamed, and that’s. fine, but it no longer bears any relation to what people are buying, especially when you consider its contrast to the album chart.

There should absolutely be a streaming chart, but you could make an argument that a singles chart should comprise paid-for downloads and physical sales with streaming as a separate chart.

Because not only is it distorting, it could provide an accurate picture of what people are actually buying as opposed to listening to. It’s one thing spending your hard earned money on a song or an album you really like, but the singles chart won’t bear any relation because its dominated by those listening on Spotify et al, which is the musical equivalent of an all you can eat buffet – for the price of an album, you’ve got access to a musical universe.

But then again, is there any point to the charts anymore? What even is number one these days?