Frog ringtone beats Coldplay to No 1
Hugh Muir
Monday May 30, 2005
The Guardian
It probably never occurred to Coldplay that they might be bested in the UK charts by a mobile phone ringtone on their route to fame and chart success.
And yet today the group's new single Speed of Sound sits at No 2 in the charts, eclipsed by the Crazy Frog, the ringtone which has delighted half of the nation while leaving the other half profoundly irritated.
It marks a significant event in British musical history - the first ringtone-inspired tune to rise to the top of the charts.
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It became clear during the week that the Crazy Frog ringtone, immersed within a German disco mix, had been outselling Coldplay's long-awaited release by four to one. Sales have been boosted by heavy television advertising, particularly on music and cable channels.
The ringtone was originally the idea of Daniel Malmedahl, a computer salesman from Gothenburg, whose impersonation of a two-stroke motor scooter reduced his friends to tears of laughter. It was posted on a website where it was discovered by another Swede, Erik Wernquist, a 3D graphics designer, who drew a cartoon to match the sound.
His blue frog with prominent belly button and 1950s-style crash helmet was picked up by ringtone company Jamster and heavily promoted by the company across all mediums. Jamster has made more than £10m from people downloading Crazy Frog ringtones.
Its march into mainstream culture was further assisted by the German dance act Bass Bumpers, who combined Mr Malmedahl's invention with Axel F, the theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop.
Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for the HMV retailing chain, said the the fact that Crazy Frog was outselling Coldplay "shouldn't come as that much of a surprise when you consider its huge novelty appeal and the massive amount of exposure it is getting. Kids obviously find it cute and cool, but students and office workers seem to be drawn to its rather kitsch, ironic appeal".
Sociologist Peter Webb, from the University of Birmingham, said the frog's success reflected a trend for children to spend more money on mobile phones and computer games than music.
He said: "This is the situation the music industry has to contend with in a climate of decreasing sales - especially within the singles market - significant free downloading practices and many demands on time, resources and creative practice of consumers in general."
The phenomenon has excited strong emotions. In recent weeks, 400 people have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority about the Crazy Frog commercial, forcing the ringtone company to cover up the animated frog's genitalia.
But complaints about the frequency of the ads fall outside the authority's remit.
Novelty records have a long history and German firms are already busy promoting a successor. Prepare for Sweety der Küken or Sweety the Chick.
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