CHART WATCH

It’s all steady atop both the ARIA singles and albums charts this week, but there’s plenty going on below the top spots, so let’s not waste your valuable time… here’s this week’s Chart Watch.

SINGLES
We don’t know what happiness is to you, but we presume that for Pharrell Williams, it’s seeing his global smash ‘Happy’ riding happily in the No.1 position again this week in Australia. The single continues to outperform all others and this week it’s certified four times platinum for sales of more than 280,000 copies.
But could his lead be under threat? 5 Seconds Of Summer’s ‘She Looks So Perfect’ shot straight to the top of the iTunes chart on its release yesterday and Clean Bandit’s single ‘Rather Be’ is also challenging strongly; the latter moving from No.15 to No.3 on this week’s singles chart, held out of the No.2 position by A Great Big World’s platinum-selling smash ‘Say Something’.
John Legend’s ‘All Of Me’ also hits the four times platinum mark this week (No.3), while Sara Bareilles’ mid-2013 single ‘Brave’ becomes a big 2014 hit, swanning into the top ten after rising from No.17 to No.8.
Swedish popster Kim Cesarion, who’ll be in Australia this week for a promotional visit, sees his single ‘Undressed’ rise from No.13 to No.9 and although Rudimental’s single ‘Free’ drops from No.6 to No.10, its accreditation is finally updated to double platinum.
Channel 7’s INXS series ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ pays further dividends for the INXS single of the same name; it’s up from No.16 to No.11. Rihanna’s ‘Jump’ is down seven, American Authors’ ‘Best Day Of My Life’ rises five and the new Lily Allen single ‘Air Balloon’ scores the highest debut of the week at No.15.
Aloe Blacc’s ‘The Man’ is softer (No.11 to No.16), but achieves gold, Jason Derulo’s single ‘Trumpets’ – a former No.1 which has been in the charts for three months – finally gets an accreditation (triple platinum), but Magic!’s carpet ‘Rude’ is seemingly over, with the single dropping from No.9 to No.18.
The new Will Sparks single ‘Catch’ lands at No.22 on debut, Chet Faker’s ‘Talk Is Cheap’ rockets up the hundred from No.82 on debut to No.34, with Katy Perry’s ‘Unconditionally’ improving ten spots not far behind (No.46 to No.36) and Neon Jungle’s ‘Braveheart’ up from No.80 to No.39 in its second week. Peking Duk’s ‘High’ follows immediately after with a No.40 debut.
Demi Lovato’s version of ‘Let It Go’ (from the ‘Frozen’ soundtrack) hits gold just one week after the Idina Menzel version did the same, but Miley Cyrus… it would appear that we don’t ‘Adore You’ quite as much this time around; your latest single is down from No.37 to No.49.
On the other side of the top 50 wall, INXS’ ‘By My Side’ improves from No.67 to No.53 to be side by side with ‘New Sensation’ (No.54). The band’s other singles are in the following positions; ‘Original Sin’ (No.57), ‘Don’t Change’ (No.59), ‘Beautiful Girl’ (No.67), ‘Mystify’ (No.81 on debut) and ‘What You Need’ (No.95).
Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ eases from No.48 to No.64, Zendaya’s ‘Replay’ enters the countdown at No.66 and Ball Park Music’s ‘She Only Loves Me When I’m There’ premieres at No.70.
A slightly more optimistic week for Kylie’s single ‘Into The Blue’, which is saved from chart oblivion by last week’s release of the remixes (No.96 to No.74). Major Lazer’s ‘Aerosol Can’ sprays the No.79 position with its first week colour.
One Direction wraps up the top 100 debuts with ‘Midnight Memories’ at No.97. Last week’s debuts from Afrojack, Zedd and U2 are gone from the top 100.

ALBUMS
On the albums side of the ARIA chart action this week, the allure of all things INXS proves too great for all other comers, with the band’s ‘The Very Best Of’ maintaining its No.1 chart heading after the second part of the ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ telemovie was screened last weekend. Even the band’s smash album ‘Kick’ improves this week, shuffling from No.7 to No.2 – incidentally equal to its chart peak 26 years ago.
I Killer The Prom Queen’s album ‘Beloved’ is the week’s highest debut – at No.6 – while Dolly Parton’s Aussie tour continues to pay dividends for her album ‘Blue Smoke’, which tumbles into the No.7 position this week; another new peak. Eminem’s ‘The Marshall Mathers LP2’ improves from No.13 to No.9.
Also up this week are Rudimental’s newly platinum ‘Home’ (No.18 to No.12), Chvrches’ ‘The Bones Of What You Believe’ (No.45 to No.16) and – thanks to a promotional visit – Robbie Williams’ ‘Swings Both Ways’ (No.28 to No.18).
The now-platinum-selling ‘Best Of Dolly Parton’ also jumps (No.38 to No.21), Eric Church’s ‘The Outsiders’ can’t quite match its No.1 US success (settling for a No.23 debut) and MKTO’s self-titled debut falls a further five places in week three after a No.1 debut a couple of weeks ago.
INXS’ album ‘The Swing’ is up from No.43 to No.25 (and ‘Listen Like Thieves’ jumps from No.53 to No.36), but there are a couple of dizzying drops; Broken Bells’ ‘After The Disco’ (No.14 on debut to No.30), Neil Finn’s ‘Dizzy Heights’ (No.6 on debut to No.32) and Haim’s ‘Days Are Gone’ – no pun necessary there – (No.9 to No.37).
Rüfüs’ ‘Atlas’ improves from No.51 to No.38, Crosses’ ‘Crosses’ debuts at No.43 and Issues’ ‘Issues’ is in at No.50.
Beyond the 50, there are re-entries from Kanye West (‘Yeezus’ at No.53), Chet Faker (‘Thinking In Textures’ at No.54), Kendrick Lamar (‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City’ at No.58) and Bruce Springsteen’s classic ‘Born In The USA’ (No.70).
The National’s ‘Trouble Will Find Me’ eases 26 places to No.82 and Of Mice & Men’s ‘Restoring Force’ stumbles a further 28 places.
The top 100 debuts are rounded up thricely; Paul Rodgers’ ‘The Royal Sessions’, The Original Broadway Cast recording of ‘The Lion King’ and Katy B’s ‘Little Red’ – at Nos.92, 97 and 100 respectively.
Last week’s debuts from Prepared Like A Bride, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Dead Daisies and Temples – which sat at Nos.30, 36, 42 and 55 respectively – are all gone from the top 100.

For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE, every Saturday from 7:00pm AEDT.