CHART WATCH

Samantha Jade debuted at No.1 on last week’s ARIA singles chart, with a gold accreditation to boot. The good news for her this week? She’s gone platinum. The bad news? She’s no longer No.1. The news is much better for Guy Sebastian over on the albums chart. Welcome to the first Chart Watch of December.

SINGLES
Yes, Samantha has been prised from her top spot after just one week, but only falls to No.2 as US performer Macklemore edges to No.1 with his single ‘Thrift Shop’. As mentioned in the opening blurb, however, Samantha can take some consolation in the fact that she’s gone platinum in little over a week.
With Taylor Swift on the ground in Australia, her latest single ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ gains ground, moving up four places to No.4, with Guy Sebastian’s single ‘Get Along’ (steady at No.5) gaining a gold accreditation.
The week’s highest new entry comes courtesy of ‘The X Factor’ third place getters The Collective, whose single ‘Surrender’ enters the countdown at a respectable No.6. An EP from the band is reportedly due later this month.
Of Monsters And Men’s ‘Little Talks’ edges back into the top ten at No.10 (up from No.12).
One Direction’s ‘Little Things’ drops two; goes gold. Ke$ha’s ‘Die Young’ is now double platinum. Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Beauty And A Beat’ goes platinum.
Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’ belatedly springs into the top 20 (up to No.18) and top 20 chart success for British singer Olly Murs, whose new track ‘Troublemaker’ (featuring Flo Rida) debuts at No.19.
Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ improves with the movie it’s taken from now in cinemas (up from No.34 to No.24), while Pitbull’s ‘Don’t Stop The Party’ is now platinum, but down to No.25.
Debuting at No.32 this week is the will.i.am/Britney Spears collaboration ‘Scream & Shout’, Labrinth’s ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ is into the top 50 at No.36 (up from No.56), Jason Owen’s ‘X Factor’ winners single ‘Make It Last’ debuts at No.47 and Kristina Train’s ‘Dark Black’, which was used in promos for the season closer of ‘Winners & Losers’, is up from its No.96 debut last week to No.50.
Fun.’s ‘Some Nights’ drops out of the top 50 but achieves four times platinum (280,000 copies), a debut for girl band Little Mix and their single ‘DNA’ (No.60), Coldplay’s back catalogue tracks slide after their Aussie visit and The Temper Trap’s ‘Trembling Hands’ rises from No.99 to No.78.
Samantha Jade’s version of ‘Heartless’, however, is heading in entirely the opposite direction. It’s down from No.29 last week to No.79 this week. ‘Turn Around’ also slides – from No.53 to No.85.
British boyband The Wanted debuts at No.89 with ‘I Found You’ and Otto Knows’ ‘Million Voices’ is in at No.92.

ALBUMS
It’s not just Samantha Jade losing her No.1 mantle this week… One Direction too has slid from their No.1 position, also dropping to No.2. They’ve been replaced by Australia’s favourite guy, Guy Sebastian and his album ‘Armageddon’, which improves from No.4 to No.1. Not only has the LP improved three places and hit the top spot for the very first time (in the process becoming his first No.1 album since his 2003 debut ‘Just As I Am’), the album has this week been certified platinum for sales of 70,000 copies.
Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’ is up from No.5 to No.3, Michael Buble’s ‘Christmas’ set is up from No.10 to No.5 and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Celebration Day’ drops three but achieves gold.
The week’s highest new entry comes courtesy of girl group Little Mix, whose album ‘DNA’ premieres at a very respectable No.10, ahead of Alicia Keys’ ‘Girl On Fire’ (No.12). Ed Sheeran’s ‘+’ benefits from the repackage, improving seven spots to No.13 and Delta’s ‘Child Of The Universe rebounds from No.24 to No.15.
New at No.17 is San Cisco’s self-titled set, The Bee Gees’ ‘Mythology’ is up from No.29 to No.18 and the Kelly Clarkson best-of ‘Greatest Hits – Chapter One’ debuts at No.20.
The Seekers’ ‘Golden Jubilee Album’ is in at No.31, Tame Impala’s ‘Lonerism’ improves from No.67 to No.33 on the back of their Triple J win and Nickelback’s ‘Here And Now’ is up from No.56 to No.39 due to their Australian tour.
New at No.40 is Example’s album ‘The Evolution Of Man’.
Re-entering the countdown this week (albeit outside the top 50) is Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday… Roman Reloaded’ in its new Re-Up guise.
There are debuts at Nos.59 and 60 for Il Divo (‘The Greatest Hits’) and Tina Arena (‘Symphony Of Life’), but the news isn’t so good for Christina Aguilera’s ‘Lotus’, which after blooming at No.19 last week, has wilted terribly to No.61 this week.
The new Best Of Whitney Houston compilation gets a chart debut (No.74) thanks in part to the Channel 7 screening of her tribute concert earlier this week.
Deftones’ ‘Koi No Yokan’ is down again in week No.3 – from No.54 to No.90; so too Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Kiss’ (No.60 to No.92) and Timomatic’s ‘Timomatic’ (No.58 to No.93).

For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the new-look ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE each and every Sunday from 6:30pm AEDT.

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