Coventry has two sets of charts.
There’s the Coventry music retro charts that have been going some five years and are chosen by Coventry Music Museum visitors.
Then we have the current top 50 from Hillz FM that gives us an amazing insight into the local music scene as it happens. The DJ behind it is Paul Sanders.
I asked Paul how it came about. He replied: “In January of last year, I was going with a friend who wanted to sing at open mics, and while I took her to these nights I realised just how good these musicians were.
“I thought, ‘why don’t they have their own chart? Why don’t we hear much of their music on local radio? Let’s give these musicians the chance to be heard’.
“So in March of last year, I started a Local Chart which started slowly as expected and worked via a voting system on Facebook. But after a few months it seemed to catch people’s attention and the charts became a talking point in certain areas.
“It was around October that we at Hillz realised musicians were beginning to want to collaborate with each other and the networking began. Different genres, different cultures all wanting the same thing make music and get it heard.
“Because of the chart, it seems other stations have begun to play much more local music and upped the game to give each of these musicians a chance to be heard on a much larger scale”.
I asked Paul: ‘What we should be looking out for at the moment?’
“Taylor-Louise is the only artist to have been in the chart since week 1 and now we enter week 65.
“Her music has been an inspiration to a lot of people.
“Matt Cattell was the first number 1 during week 1. We have followed his music journey and with his new album Bedroom Demos, a story of his battle with mental health and how he has overcome his struggles where music helped him. We have made him our artist of the month of June.”
‘Has the chart thrown up any curios?’
“Well, Shadow CV6 holds the record for consecutive weeks at number 1 with 16 weeks. Abz Winter is the current number one being the longest reigning female act 8 weeks at number 1 and also the youngest singer aged 16.
“Courthouse were 8 weeks at number 1 but not consecutively but they do have a record amount of singles 7 entering the charts. Man Made Moon is the longest reigning band with 63 weeks and Louie Forde has the longest reigning song Maisie’s Song that has been in for 63 weeks”.
‘Is it a very eclectic chart?’
“Absolutely. We have had Angelo Cardone from Italy, Cov Kozaks from Ukraine, Mia Drewniak from Poland and CVBE from Portugal living in Coventry also enter. Also, Coventry Jaguar Land Rover Brass Band have entered as the only Instrumental act.
“We have now had 124 local musicians including bands in the charts and we at Hillz FM are incredibly proud of this. We want this to become bigger in the near future and hope that the chart continues its success with its new venture on the Website www.hillzfm.co.uk
“We want to support all local musicians of any genre and be number 1 in doing so. We have the only Official Local Chart and we are proud and passionate to showcase this the best way we can for the supporters of local music and the musicians themselves.
“Also with City Of Culture on the horizon, what perfect time to showcase each and every one of them no matter what age or creed. We would like to put events on throughout the city called Hillz Presents, showing these musicians at their very best to a new audience.”
We at the Coventry Music Museum are also featuring these very important local music charts.
