The Sky VIP Official Big Top 40 from Global is a radio chart show broadcast every Sunday from 4 to 7pm on Global's Capital and Heart networks, presented by Will Manning. It started on June 14th 2009. "When Love Takes Over" by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland became the show's first number 1. There are 353 number one songs as of 8th October 2023 with the current being "Strangers" by Kenya Grace.
Format
The Sky VIP Official Big Top 40 from Global begins with a recap of the previous week's Top 10 songs, followed by a countdown of the 40 biggest songs from the last seven days. A recap is broadcast after every 10 songs, apart from the top 10 which they recap after every 9 songs. Interviews with the artists making that particular week's chart, competitions, calls with listeners and advertisements make up the remaining airtime. The number 1 song is announced just before 7pm.
The chart is compiled based on iTunes Music downloads, Apple Music Streaming, and radio airplay from the stations that broadcast the show. It is the only UK chart which includes radio airplay, much like the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. The algorithm differs to that of the Official UK Singles Chart, which includes physical sales, as well as downloads and streaming from all sourcesbut does not take radio airplay into account.
Will Manning is the programme's current host. He started on the show in January 2019. The show is produced by Luke Prior and broadcast from Global's studios in Leicester Square, London.
That week's chart gets published on its website after the show for fans to read.
History
It launched as The Big Top 40 Show on 14 June 2009. Between 2010 and 2018, the programme was sponsored by Vodafone, becoming The Vodafone Freebees Big Top 40 (later The Vodafone Big Top 40 and The Official Vodafone Big Top 40). For the first time, listeners could change the chart during the show by downloading tracks on iTunes. Songs 40 to 11 are played before the new Top 10 is finalised at 6:10pm, with iTunes sales during the show taken into account. This made it the first real-time chart show broadcast on UK radio.
In September 2018, Bauer announced that their Hits Radio Network would stop carrying the show after the expiration of its contract at the end of 2018. Global, which produced the show, made the decision to withdraw the programme from syndication to the wider commercial radio network. The final show across the commercial radio network aired on 30 December 2018. The relaunched show, The Official Big Top 40, started in January 2019 and is widely available on Capital and Heart.
In March 2022, the show gained a new sponsor and was renamed The Sky VIP Official Big Top 40.
Presenters
Previous presenters
Kat Shoob (2009-2018) Marvin Humes (2014-2018) Sian Welby (cover, 2019)
Radio stations
List of radio stations that broadcast The Sky VIP Official Big Top 40.
National
Capital UK
Heart UK
Scotland
Capital Scotland
Heart Scotland
Wales
Capital Cymru
Capital North West and North Wales
Capital South Wales
Heart North and Mid Wales
Heart South Wales
East Midlands
Capital Midlands
East of England
Heart East
Heart Hertfordshire
Greater London
Capital London
Heart London
North East England
Capital North East
Heart North East
North West England
Capital Liverpool
Capital Manchester and Lancashire
Capital North West and North Wales
Heart North West
South East England
Capital South
Heart South
South West England
Heart West
West Midlands
Capital Mid-Counties
Capital Midlands
Heart West Midlands
Yorkshire and the Humber
Capital Yorkshire
Heart Yorkshire
List of non-Global radio stations that also broadcast the show in 2018.