CHART WATCH

Pharrell Williams was on the ground in Australia this week as his new album ‘GIRL’ dropped at retailers and his single ‘Happy’ continued to emit its feel-good charm. So how has he fared on this week’s ARIA charts? Let’s find out in this week’s Chart Watch.

SINGLES
The Pharrell show continues unabated on this week’s ARIA singles chart, with his smash ‘Happy’ continuing its reign over all others. The track also smashes through the five times platinum barrier this week, meaning more than 350,000 Aussies now count the track as part of their collection.
Clean Bandit’s ‘Rather Be’ retains its No.2 placing, but bullets for Bareilles’ ‘Brave’ (No.6 to No.3) and moreso David Guetta’s ‘Shot Me Down’ with Skylar Grey, which rockets from No.27 to No.4.
Kim Cesarion’s ‘Undressed’ picks up a platinum gong, but boyband 5 Seconds Of Summer ease from last week’s No.3 debut with ‘She Looks So Perfect’. Though the track has remained within the upper reaches on the iTunes chart for the past week, it’s down four places on the official charts to No.7.
Avicii’s ‘Addicted To You’ is down one spot, but now double platinum and Sony star Nathaniel premieres at No.14 with his new single ‘You’re Beautiful’, no doubt helped along by a raft of instore appearances across the country last week. Read our brand new interview with Nathaniel HERE.
The new Coldplay track ‘Magic’ strides confidently onto the ARIA singles chart at No.17 on debut, marking the official start to the campaign for their upcoming sixth studio album ‘Ghost Stories’.
Her Oscars performance did the world of good for songstress “Adele Dazeem” and her single ‘Let It Go’, which improves eight spots to No.23.
Gabrielle Aplin’s ‘The Power Of Love’ improves from No.34 to No.25 and the new Pitbull single ‘Wild Wild Love’ debuts at No.26.
It may have slipped back slightly on this week’s charts, but there’s no denying the popularity of London Grammar’s ‘Strong’, which picks up its second platinum accreditation this week in position No.27. Peking Duk’s ‘High’ is higher – up 11 to No.29.
The INXS halo has dimmed somewhat on the singles chart this week, however. With no TV show to keep the interest, ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ slides 20 places from No.15 to No.35. Beyoncé’s ‘Drunk In Love’ hits gold at No.38.
Jason Derulo is back in a big way with his ‘Stupid Love’. It debuts on the top 50 at No.39 this week after debuting at No.83 in the top 100 last week.
Ed Sheeran’s accreditation for ‘I See Fire’ is finally updated and although the track drops back six places to No.45 this week, it goes from a mere gold award to double platinum.
Dizzee Rascal enters the top 50 at No.46 (after a No.99 debut last week) with ‘We Don’t Play Around’, while below him tracks from Flume & Chet Faker, Demi Lovato and Lana Del Rey all re-enter the top 50.
In the bottom half of the chart, it’s a big bullet for the Chainsmokers and their single ‘#Selfie’, which jumps from a debut of No.98 to No.53. Imagine Dragons’ ‘Radioactive’ also enjoys a bit of a chart resurgence; up 15 places to No.55.
Foxes’ ‘Let Go For Tonight’ re-enters the countdown at a new peak of No.59 after its strong showing on the UK singles chart, but Will Sparks’ ‘Catch’ continues its chart fall, down a further 18 places this week to No.60.
The Vamps’ ‘Can We Dance’ drops 19, Paloma Faith’s ‘Can’t Rely On You’ jumps 24 to No.64 and Christina Perri’s ‘Human’ premieres at No.66.
Another big INXS drop – this time for ‘Need You Tonight’, which tumbles 33 places to No.69.
Thundamentals’ ‘Something I Said’ is in at No.78, Ellie Goulding’s ‘Goodness Gracious’ stumbles (dropping 32 places to No.81) and further debuts for John Martin (‘Anywhere For You’) at No.85, U2 (‘Ordinary Love’) at No.88 and Fitz & The Tantrums (‘The Walker’) at No.91.
Eminem’s tracks slip post-tour; ‘Rap God’ down from No.75 to No.95, ‘Lose Yourself’ from No.67 to No.99 and the INXS chart story is over for ‘Don’t Change’, ‘By My Side’, ‘Original Sin’, ‘New Sensation’, ‘Mystify’ and ‘Beautiful Girl’, all of which fall out of the top 100 this week.

ALBUMS
The INXS effect might have slowed down on the ARIA singles chart, but there’s no slowing the band down over on the albums chart this week, with their ‘Vest Best’ maintaining its No.1 lead on the top 100.
Pharrell’s album ‘GIRL’, naturally, debuts in the No.2 spot after selling strongly at all forms of retail in the past week, but it’s clearly suffered in Australia at least from being on sale for just four days.
Katy Perry’s down under promotional visit and subsequent tour announcement pays immediate dividends for her ‘Prism’, which bullets from No.9 to No.3, while the ‘Frozen’ soundtrack is iced into the No.4 spot.
A big move from Bruno Mars’ album ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’, which is to be expected ’cause he’s in the country on his national tour (the Brisbane show delayed due to illness). The album bullets from No.24 to No.5.
Rudimental’s ‘Home’ is up from No.12 to No.7, Avicii’s ‘True’ from No.16 to No.8 and there are debuts for Hillsong United’s ‘The White Album (remix project)’ at No.9 and ScHoolboy Q’s ‘Oxymoron’ at No.11.
Though the band’s best-of remains in its starring role atop the ARIA albums chart this week, INXS’ classic album ‘Kick’ loses ground this week, dropping 12 places to No.15. Beck’s ‘Morning Phase’ drops 13 from last week’s No.5 debut and now that Dolly Parton has left our shores, her ‘Blue Smoke’ dissipates slightly, dropping from No.10 to No.19.
One Direction’s ‘Midnight Memories’ is up from No.43 to No.20, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘High Hopes’ are dashed with the album falling from No.6 to No.22.
The ‘Love Child’ soundtrack improves from No.31 on debut to No.23, but INXS’ ‘Live At Wembley Stadium’ drops seven to No.24.
Further chart improvements this week come courtesy of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ ‘The Heist’ (No.41 to No.28), Bruno Mars’ ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans’ (No.65 to No.29), Haim’s ‘Days Are Gone’ (No.56 to No.33) and Troy Cassar-Daley & Adam Harvey’s ‘The Great Country Songbook’ (No.73 to No.38).
Gabrielle Aplin’s ‘English Rain’ re-joins the top 50 party at No.47 and Rick Ross’ album ‘Mastermind’ debuts in the No.49 spot.
Beyond the 50, it’s a mixed bag; there’s a debut for Christie Lamb’s album at No.51, a drop of 20 spots for I Killed The Prom Queen’s ‘Beloved’ (No.33 to No.53), a bullet for Ellie Goulding’s ‘Halcyon Days’ (No.75 to No.54) and a debut for Kid Cudi’s surprise new album ‘Satellite Flight : The Journey To Mother Moon’ at No.55.
Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream : The Complete Confection’ re-enters at No.57, Queens Of The Stone Ages’ ‘Like Clockwork’ bullets from No.99 to No.60 and Real Estate’s ‘Atlas’ is in at No.66.
The boys from The Fray will be slightly unhappy with their mammoth second week drop, however. Their new LP ‘Helios’ premiered just outside the top 20 last week (No.21), but this week finds itself languishing at No.72, with a fall from the top 100 altogether next week presumably on the cards.
Moog debuts at No.74 with ‘Kei To The City’, Broken Bells’ ‘After The Disco’ drops another 20 to No.80, but how about the drop from Lady Gaga’s ‘Artpop’ (No.23 last week to No.83 this week). It makes INXS’ ‘Listen Like Thieves’ drop from No.37 to No.86 pale in comparison.
Suffice to say the biggest drops this week, however, are from Funkoars (whose album ‘Dawn Of The Head’ debuted at No.18 last week and plummets to No.92 this week) and Papa vs Pretty (whose ‘White Deer Park’ debuted at No.35 last week and is gone from the top 100 this week).
Sally Seltmann’s ‘Hey Daydreamer’ manages at No.100 debut.

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