Dave McAleer

David James McAleer (born 4 February 1945) is a prominent figure in music history, known for his contributions to music charts and record industry roles. He has authored or co-authored over forty books, including *The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles*, *The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums*, and *The Virgin Book of Top 40 Charts*. McAleer served as the sole Music Consultant for the Guinness World Records from 1998 to 2011 and is currently the Oldies Chart Consultant (OCC) to the Official Charts Company. He was also the Chief Consultant/Contributor for *Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums* for nine years. McAleer began his career as one of the UK's first club DJs in 1963 before entering the record industry, where he worked in A&R roles for labels including RCA Records, Pye Records, DJM Records, Stax Records, Chess Records, Sugarhill, and others. He was Managing Director of Barry White's label, 20th Century Records, and is credited with introducing disco, Northern soul, rap, and hip-hop to the UK music scene. Notably, he produced the first UK rap hit, *Rapper's Delight* by the Sugarhill Gang. McAleer managed the RAH Band and provided early production opportunities for notable DJs Paul Oakenfold and Ian Levine. In 1976, he organized the first UK music industry pop quiz. Beyond his chart work, McAleer has written sleeve notes for over 1,500 albums and co-authored books such as *The NME Rock ’n’ Roll Years* and *Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music*. His extensive career spans decades, solidifying ...