1 MBD - Efshar LetakenHere are the "Top 20 in Jewish Music" (Lifestyles version):
2 Shalsheles Junior
3 Lipa Schmeltzer - Keinanahara
4 Dovid Gabay - L'gabay
5 Matisyahu - Youth
6 TEK-NOY
7 Shwekey - B'hissorerus
8 L'chaim Tish
9 Lev Tahor 4
10 Yeshiva Boys Choir Live
11 Ari Boiangiu - Rosh Ashmurot
12 London Girl's Choir - Silver Lining
13 Simply Tsfat - Never Give Up
14 Pi Shnayim
15 Uncle Moishy - Mezuzah
16 Eli Gerstner - A Chassidishe Kopelya
17 Shira Chadasha Boys Choir
18 J-Walking II
19 Malkie Giniger - Camp Ranenu
20 Tzvi
1 MBD - Efshar LetakenNow, you may be wondering how these lists could be so different. How could one artist, Shimon Kugel, be #3 on one list and not even place on the other? For that matter, you might wonder how Eli Gerstner's new release could be on Country Yossi's list at all, since at press time it isn't in stores? Fortunately, we here at Blog in Dm are glad to help answer such important questions by providing insider info to y'all.
2 Lipa Schmeltzer - Keinanahara
3 Shimon Kugel - Shiru Lashem
4 Dovid Gabay - L'gabay
5 Shalsheles Junior
6 Shwekey - B'hissorerus
7 Dachs/Levine - Songs of Yesterday
8 Lev Tahor 4
9 Yeshiva Boys Choir Live
10 Gershon Veroba - Variations 4
11 TEK-NOY
12 Uncle Moishy - Mezuzah
13 Ari Boiangiu - Rosh Ashmurot
14 HASC 18
15 Malkie Giniger - Camp Ranenu
16 Chaim Yisrael - Words of Prayer
17 Shira Chadasha Boys Choir
18 Miami Boys Choir - Revach
19 Yeshiva Boys Choir 2
20 J-Walking II
According to Country Yossi: "Ratings are based on information supplied by wholesale distributors and major retail outlets in the greater NY metropolitan area." Left unexplained is the reporting system used by these distributors and retail outlets.
Using the latest in modern forensic accounting, we are pleased to inform our readers that we have reverse-engineered the reporting system and can now with full confidence report on how this is done. Distributors report sales by purchasing ads in these magazines. An ad buy tells the magazine publisher that the album is selling well. Gerstner's CD may not be in stores, but it was the cover ad, excuse me, story of last month's Country Yossi mag. Ergo, it must be doing well. Since it's not in stores, though, it only ranks at #16.
Similarly, Shimon Kugel demonstrated sales to Lifestyles magazine by placing a feature ad, whoops, article and TWO full page ads. An artist who has two full page ads in one issue must be selling well indeed, hence that album's #3 placement.
Hayotze mikol zeh...
It seems that there is a flaw in the reporting system, whereby some artists/distributors are inexplicably reporting sales to only one of these publications. We'd like to advise these folks to ensure their rightful place on ALL top twenty lists, by remembering to report their sales to Country Yossi, Lifestyles, and Jewish Entertainment Magazine. [/sarcasm]
Update:
Several readers have emailed that Lifestyles magazine is owned and published by the Kugel family. So we've amended our theory to refer to ad placement instead of ad purchases.
