CHART WATCH

Champagne corks will be popping in the hallways of the Mushroom Music Group’s Melbourne HQ, with a second successive No.1 debut on the ARIA albums chart this week, while things are steady on top of the singles chart. And that’s precisely where we’ll kick things off in this week’s Chart Watch!

SINGLES
Taylor Swift is No.1 for the third week in succession with her latest single ‘Shake It Off’. And she’s solidified her position further this week by ticking over the platinum sales mark after just three and a half weeks of chart action down under.
Meghan Trainor is still there in the No.2 position, but Redfoo’s now challenging with ‘New Thang’, thanks mainly to his performance of the track on ‘X Factor’ earlier in the week, which sent it shooting up the sales rankings.
Also thanks to ‘X Factor’ (and Reigan Derry’s performance of the song on it), ‘Bang Bang’ ricochets up the charts this week (No.11 to No.4), equalling its highest chart placing so far. Ditto George Ezra’s ‘Budapest’, which sails from No.14 to No.6 off the back of Dean Ray’s performance on the show (his version is the week’s highest chart debut… No.15).
‘Budapest’ also picks up a platinum accreditation this week, as does Timmy Trumpet and Savage’s collaboration ‘Freaks’ (No.7).
Sales of Paloma Faith’s ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’ are also on the up; the song down three spots to No.9 this week but achieving a shiny new double platinum certification for its troubles.
5 Seconds Of Summer are also in platinum action this week with ‘Amnesia’, which also rises from No.17 to No.11 and Ella Henderson’s ‘Ghost’ hits double platinum (No.17).
Echosmith’s ‘Cool Kids’ keeps on improving – up from No.30 to No.18 in week No.3 – while Calvin Harris and John Newman start the ‘Blame’ laying at No.19.
Hilary Duff’s performance of ‘All About You’ on ‘The X Factor’ sees the song re-enter the top 100 at No.21, while Nathaniel, who’ll be performing on ‘X Factor’ this Monday night, scores a No.22 debut for his new tune ‘Live Louder’.
Iggy’s ‘Black Widow’ loses a little chart venom (No.15 to No.23), but ‘Problem’, her collaboration with Ariana Grande, picks up steam (No.38 to No.29).
Guy Sebastian’s ‘Come Home With Me’ is now gold (No.30), which suggests that Dami Im’s ‘Gladiator’ (No.36), which was released in the same week and has shared similar chart fortunes, can’t be far behind.
Usher and Nicki’s ‘She Came To Give It To You’ is also now gold (No.32), Nickelback’s new tune ‘What Are You Waiting For?’ is new at No.44 and Duke Dumont’s ‘Won’t Look Back’ and Reigan Derry’s cover of ‘Stay With Me’ both lose their top 50 footing after premiering at Nos.37 and 20 last week respectively.
Reigan’s cover of ‘Bang Bang’ enters at No.53, the Fences track ‘Arrows’, featuring Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, rises from No.76 on debut to No.55 and there’s more debut love for Fall Out Boy (‘Centuries’ at No.59) and 5 Seconds Of Summer (‘Daylight’ at No.61).
New music for Lady Antebellum at No.71 (‘Bartender’). London Grammar’s back in chart favour with ‘Strong’ (re-entry at No.73), but Chris Brown’s ‘New Flame’ is on the verge of being snuffed (No.52 to No.78).
A little love for Missy Higgins in the 80s (‘Back To The Wall’ is new at No.81), 5 Seconds Of Summer’s cover of ‘American Idiot’ premieres at No.89 and Brothers 3’s cover of Bastille’s ‘Pompeii’ is in at No.91 (Bastille’s own version re-enters three places lower).
Juicy J’s new single ‘Shell Shocked’ (which comes with a roll call of other vocalists), is the last of the top 100 debuts at No.96.

ALBUMS
Yes, it’ll be champagne at ten paces in Mushroom’s head office, with Vance Joy’s debut album ‘Dream Your Life Away’ premiering in the No.1 position on this week’s ARIA albums chart.
It’s the second No.1 in a row for the Mushroom team, with Jimmy Barnes’ ’30:30 Hindsight’ debuting in the top spot last week.
Ariana Grande’s Aussie promotional visit (notwithstanding the rumoured diva behavior) pays dividends on the charts at least, with her album ‘My Everything’ rebounding from No.8 to No.3.
There are six (count them, SIX!) album debuts between positions ten and 20. And the winners are; Ryan Adams (‘Ryan Adams’ at No.10), Interpol (‘El Pintor’ at No.11), The Wolfe Brothers (‘Nothin’ But Trouble’ at No.13), The Kooks (‘Listen’ at No.15), Banks (‘Goddess’ at No.17) and The Tea Party (‘The Ocean At The End’ at No.18).
Maroon 5’s ‘V’ suffers a second week slump (No.4 to No.19), but George Ezra’s ‘Wanted On Voyage’ improves from No.28 to No.20.
There’s a debut at No.22 for Robert Plant (‘Lullaby And The Ceaseless Roar’); another at No.27 for Counting Crows (‘Somewhere Under Wonderland’) and with the tour announcement, there’s suddenly a rush to buy The Black Keys’ album ‘Turn Blue’, which jumps from No.86 to No.30.
Kanye’s Aussie tour pays dividends for ‘Yeezus’, which pops its head back into the top 100 at No.31. No sign of Lily Allen’s ‘Sheezus’, which means that clearly the Aussie record buying public is intelligent enough to distinguish between the two.
In Flames’ album ‘Siren Charms’ is in at No.33, with her tour also underway, Tina Arena’s ‘Reset’ is back in the countdown at No.41. But Brad Paisley’s ‘Moonshine In The Trunk’ suffers the second week sales blues, dropping from No.14 on debut to No.47.
Justin Townes Earle’s ‘Single Mothers’ is new at No.48, P!nk’s ‘Greatest Hits… So Far’ re-enters the top 100 at No.53, Milky Chance’s ‘Sadnecessary’ drops from No.35 to No.56 and Odesza’s ‘In Return’ premieres at No.58.
Robbie Williams is now also on our shores and with his tour kicking off in Perth on Thursday, his ‘Swings Both Ways’ set is back in chart favour. It’s up 23 positions to No.60 this week, with another rise expected next week.
Beyoncé’s ‘Beyoncé’ is down 23, Opeth’s ‘Pale Communion’ drops 29, Linkin Park’s ‘The Hunting Party’ slumps 32. But Death From Above 1979’s ‘The Physical World’ debuts at No.74 and Client Liaison’s self-titled EP is new at No.76.
Down? Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Waking The Fallen : Resurrected’ (No.34 to No.79). New? Steve Smyth’s ‘Exits’ (No.80). Also down? The ‘Begin Again’ soundtrack (No.60 to No.87). Biggest drop? Phil Rudd’s ‘Head Job’ (No.22 to No.89).
The chart debut for Thirsty Merc’s ‘Acoustic Anniversary Album’ is a bit disappointing (No.90). Queen’s ‘Live At The Rainbow’ wraps the top 100 debuts at No.99.
The Dead Letter Circus EP ‘Stand Apart’ was at No.24 on debut last week. It’s now gone from the top 100. Similarly The Vines’ new album ‘Wicked Nature’… No.29 on debut last week, gone from the top 100 this week.

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