CHART WATCH

Did Sia do enough to end the Justice Crew boys’ record-breaking No.1 chart run? Which of ‘The Voice’ contestants fared best on the official ARIA charts? And what of the 5 Seconds Of Summer lads and their debut album? How did that fare against the might of Hillsong? Discover the answers to those questions and much more in this week’s Chart Watch.

SINGLES
It’s now become clear that the team from Sony is hell-bent on keeping Justice Crew’s ‘Que Sera’ at the top of the ARIA singles charts for a little while longer, introducing acoustic and remix versions in the past week or so and kicking off a campaign of TV advertising. Whatever they’re doing is working so far, because despite a big challenge from Sia’s ‘Chandelier’, the boys hold onto top spot on the ARIA singles chart for a huge ninth straight week.
As we’ve mentioned in previous weeks, the result puts Justice Crew in elite company, sharing the nine week honour with Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ and LMFAO’s ‘Sexy & I Know It’ and bettered only by LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem’ (10 weeks) and Pharrell’s ‘Happy’ (12 weeks) in this decade. According to ARIA’s chart writer Gavin Ryan, the only Australian act to keep the No.1 for longer in the history of the Aussie charts was Daddy Cool’s iconic ‘Eagle Rock’, which spent ten weeks in the top spot all the way back in 1971. And if all these tumbling records aren’t providing enough of a buzz for the boys, the fact that ‘Que Sera’ this week notches up a triple platinum accreditation will surely resonate.
Sia mounted the biggest challenge to Justice Crew’s dominance this week. Thanks to Sabrina’s performance of the track last week on ‘The Voice’ and Channel 9 using the track in promotional spots for last week’s episode, ‘Chandelier’ bullets from No.8 to an equal peak of No.2 this week, but can’t quite get over the line to claim the top spot.
From there it’s Nico & Vinz, The Madden Brothers’ ‘We Are Done’ (sporting a shiny new gold accreditation, as revealed on the site this week) and Tove Lo’s ‘Stay High (Habits Remix), which also gets a new accreditation… platinum at No.5.
Charli XCX’s ‘Boom Clap’, which features on the soundtrack to ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ is finding favour with Aussie audiences. It’s in a hurry, moving up from No.33 to No.12 in just its third week on the local charts. Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’ hits double platinum at No.13 and The Vamps improve from No.20 to No.14 with their single ‘Somebody To You’ and a little help from Demi Lovato.
Ariana Grande’s ‘Problem’ is another track feeling the double platinum love this week (No.15) ahead of the week’s highest debut; Hilltop Hoods’ ‘Won’t Let You Down’, which enters the countdown at No.17, the band’s third ever top 20 hit.
Illy’s ‘Tightrope’ hits platinum and is back up to No.20 and there are improvements for Ella Henderson’s ‘Ghost’ (No.35 to No.23) and 5SOS’ ‘She Looks So Perfect’ (No.47 to No.24). Some of their other tracks, however, haven’t fared quite as well, as you’ll discover below.
The new Sheppard single ‘Something’s Missing’ premieres in the No.35 spot this week and 5 Seconds Of Summer’s ‘Amnesia’ forgets to hang around for long in the top ten, dropping from a No.7 debut to No.36. That said, the album did hit the stores in the same week.
Alison Wonderland takes her act from the clubs to the mainstream charts, with her ‘I Want U’ single benefiting from the added impact of the release of the EP of the same name last week. As such, ‘I Want U’ bullets from No.87 to No.38.
New at No.40 is Gabriel & Cecilia’s cover of the ‘Les Miserables’ classic ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ which the duo performed on Monday night’s edition of ‘The Voice’. It’s the best performing of all the contestants’ tracks this week, with its nearest competition being Sabrina Batshon’s cover of ‘Chandelier’ from last week, which only drops three places from its No.39 debut. Hers is the only one of last week’s ‘The Voice’ entries still in the top 100.
ZK is next best with their stirring rendition of ‘Imagine’ (No.46 on debut).
Beyond the top 50, Maroon 5’s ‘Maps’ eases slightly from its second-week No.37 placing… down to No.52, Will Sparks’ ‘When The Lights Go Out’ debuts at No.54, Sabrina Batshon’s cover of Shakira’s ‘Empire’ premieres at No.57 and the new Stafford Brothers track ‘This Girl’, featuring the vocals of Eva Simons and T.I., is new at No.58.
More ‘The Voice’ chart love; this time for Jackson Thomas’ ‘Kiss From A Rose’ (No.62 on debut) and Isaac McGovern’s ‘Iris’ (No.64 on debut). Interestingly, Isaac’s cover of ‘Iris’ sends the original rocketing back into the top 100. It’s back into the countdown just four places lower.
Chet Faker has some ‘Gold’ on his hands with his new single, which debuts at No.65. The gold accreditation may take a little longer.
Johnny Rollins’ cover of ‘Am I Wrong’ is new for ‘The Voice’ at No.70, the ‘I Touch Myself Project’s re-release of The Divinyls’ classic premieres at No.72, but the 5 Seconds Of Summer boys lose out again, with both ‘Kiss Me Kiss Me’ and ‘Everything I Didn’t Say’ plunging. The former from No.14 to No.78, the latter from No.11 to No.80.
Kat Jade’s cover of ‘Dark Horse’ enters at No.90, Robbie Balmer’s cover of ‘The Scientist’ scrapes in at No.100.

ALBUMS
Another week, another new No.1. It’s the fourth week in succession that a debuting album has occupied the top spot on the ARIA albums chart… a far cry from Justice Crew’s dominance of the singles chart.
Here, it’s another bunch of Aussie boys leading the way (don’t dare call them a ‘boyband’)… 5 Seconds Of Summer and their eponymously-titled debut album.
So great was the demand for the album last week that it debuts in the top spot tonight with a shiny gold accreditation already hanging around its neck.
Had it not been for the boys, The Hillsong Church would have been in the top spot with their ‘No Other Name’ album. Yes, they chose an incredibly quiet release week to drop their album (No.27 the closest debut behind them), but they perhaps didn’t count on the might of the 5SOS juggernaut, having to settle for No.2.
Ed Sheeran’s ‘X’ is knocked to No.3, therefore, with Coldplay and the ‘Frozen’ soundtrack occupying positions four and five respectively.
Chet Faker is doing the business this week though. His album ‘Built On Glass’ bullets from No.26 to No.7 this week as ‘Gold’ begins to impact on the radio and the singles chart. Of course, a national tour might also have something to do with it. Not only does the album bullet 19 places, but it picks up a shiny new gold accreditation.
The new deadmau5 album improves to a new peak of No.9 and Sam Smith’s album ‘In The Lonely Hour’ doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere in a hurry. It’s improved slightly to reclaim a place in the top ten (No.10).
Ed Sheeran’s debut ‘+’ is up from No.29 to No.21, but Mastodon’s ‘Once More ‘Round The Sun’ is down from No.7 on debut to No.23.
Zhu’s up with his ‘Nightday EP’ (No.33 to No.25), Illy’s ‘Cinematic’ improves from No.44 to No.26 and the soundtrack to ‘Jersey Boys’ debuts at No.27. But the Pharrell Williams album ‘GIRL’ loses any ground it made up last week and more, dropping from No.14 to No.29.
There’s a new entry at No.32 for Every Time I Die’s ‘From Parts Unknown’, Beyoncé’s self-titled set re-enters the top 100 at No.33, improvements for the latest albums for Jason Derulo and Ellie Goulding (No.89 to No.36 and No.65 to No.37 respectively) and The Pierce Brothers’ ‘The Night Tree’ re-emerges for only its second week in the top 100 at No.38, 17 shy of its No.21 debut.
Kylie’s belatedly released ‘The Best Of Kylie Minogue’ enjoys a dip in the top 40 water, with a No.39 debut.
Further down, there’s a No.43 debut for Seether’s ‘Isolate And Medicate’, a 26 place drop from a No.22 debut for David Gray’s ‘Mutineers’ and a 20 place drop for Keith Urban’s best of ‘The Story So Far’ (No.30 to No.50).
The Vamps’ ‘Meet The Vamps’ improves from No.77 to No.51, Rudimental’s ‘Home’ is up from No.97 to No.54, but Kasabian’s ’48:13′ loses 20 spots, tumbling to No.55.
Spookily, positions 71 through 79 this week are made up entirely of best-of collections… P!nk, Bon Jovi, Queen, The Angels, The Eagles… all feature among the albums in this batch of best-ofs.
The Beatles miss out on being part of that batch, however, with their ‘1’ dropping from No.43 to No.85. Miley’s ‘Bangerz’ drops from No.58 to No.86 and Gabrielle Aplin’s ‘English Rain’ is down from No.57 to No.89.
Confession’s ‘Life And Death’ might be the biggest drop of the week, however. After debuting at No.19 on last week’s chart, the album plunges to No.95, a smidge ahead of a No.99 debut for Tove Lo’s ‘Truth Serum’ EP.

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