CHART WATCH

2014 has officially flown. We’re still in disbelief that we’re now at the end of the year with our very last Chart Watch for 2014. It was Mark & Bruno riding high on the Christmas singles chart and Taylor Swift in the top spot on the Christmas albums chart. But who conquers all and will be in the No.1 position when the clock ticks over to 2015? Welcome to the final Chart Watch of the year!

SINGLES
The funk’s still flying at No.1 on the ARIA singles chart; Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars clinging onto the top spot for a third successive week with ‘Uptown Funk’, holding all comers at bay, including AronChupa’s ‘I’m An Albatraoz’, which holds at No.2.
Moving up a little higher this week is Hozier’s now gold-certified ‘Take Me To Church’. The track bulleted from No.33 to No.5 last week and improves a further two places on this week’s singles chart to be breathing down the neck of Messrs Ronson, Mars & Chupa.
Taylor, Ed and the Hilltop Hoods are still right there too; so too Taylor (again), Meghan, Nicki & Skylar. Peking Duk, in position No.10, hits platinum with ‘Take Me Over’.
As the weather heats up, the ‘Freaks’ come out to play and Timmy Trumpet is capitalising on it, with his single improving four places to No.11. Charli XCX’s ‘Break The Rules’ hits gold (No.13) and Ms Mariah Carey soars towards the top with ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ (No.28 to No.14); now the song’s highest chart position since Christmas week back in 1994 – the year it was originally released.
Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ jumps from No.38 to No.20, but drops for Clean Bandit’s ‘Real Love’ (No.13 to No.24) and Nico & Vinz’ ‘In Your Arms’ (No.18 to No.25); the latter picking up a fresh new platinum accreditation.
Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ bullets (No.48 to No.27); so too George Ezra’s ‘Budapest’ (No.42 to No.31), The Avener’s ‘Fade Out Lines’ (No.44 to No.32) and Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ (No.49 to No.35). But Marlisa’s ‘Stand By You’ drops 13 places to No.26. Echosmith’s ‘Cool Kids’ achieves a double platinum accreditation (that’s 140,000 copies to you and me) and Ed Sheeran’s ‘Sing’ bullets from No.91 to No.45.
James Bay’s breakout year looks like happening, with his latest effort ‘Hold Back The River’ edging its way into our top 50 (No.54 on debut to No.46) and there are big bullets for Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’ and Peking Duk’s ‘High’, which soar from No.88 to No.49 and No.99 to No.50 respectively. Milky Chance’s ‘Stolen Dance’ also jumps (No.75 to No.51) and punters snap up their year-end favourites.
But James Newton Howard’s ‘The Hanging Tree’ continues its fall from favour. Just a couple of weeks ago, the song was flying high in the No.5 position, but it’s now gone from the top 50, this week losing a further 22 places to No.56.
Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ is up from No.96 to No.61, Joe Cocker’s ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ re-enters the countdown at No.67 as fans across the country rush to pay tribute to the star, who passed away this week.
Coldplay’s ‘Magic’ re-enters the top 100 (No.69); so too Tove Lo’s ‘Stay High (Habits Remix)’ (No.75).
Ariana Grande’s ‘Santa Tell Me’ is new at No.80, but fellow popstress Selena Gomez loses 25 places with ‘The Heart Wants What It Wants’ (No.64 to No.89). Marlon Roudette loses similar numbers with ‘When The Beat Drops Out’ (No.65 to No.90) and Taylor Swift’s ‘Style’ is also out of fashion; No.51 to No.93.
Big Sean’s newbie ‘I Don’t F**k With You’ enters at No.100, but it’s already over for Reigan’s ‘All Of The Pieces’. Instead of getting some clean air, it’s got caught up in the pre-Christmas frenzy and plummets from a No.33 debut to somewhere beyond the 100 ether. Let’s hope the track gets another chance to breathe after the new year. Imagine Dragons’ track ‘I Bet My Life’ also tumbles from the top 100 after placing at No.43 last week.

ALBUMS
Tay tay tay tay take or leave her, but Taylor Swift has lost the No.1 spot on this week’s albums chart – and she’s relinquished it to another familiar face in Ed Sheeran, who clearly benefitted from some last minute Christmas shopping to rise two places to No.1 with ‘X’. And even more smashingly is that the team at Warner has decided to update his accreditation, so not only is Ed back at No.1, but he’s also picked up a fourth platinum accreditation.
Taylor’s only down to No.2, of course, with Michael Bublé’s now-eleven times platinum ‘Christmas’ down to No.3.
Hilltop Hoods’ ‘Walking Under Stars’ jumps eight positions and back into the top ten at No.10 and The Eagles jump nine place to No.14 with ‘Selected Works : 1972-1999′. Even Jimmy Barnes’ ’30:30 Hindsight’ is getting in on the action; up seven to No.18, but the live party’s seemingly already over for 5 Seconds Of Summer; their ‘LiveSOS’ LP drops 12 places to No.19 in just its second week of chart love, suggesting they might have big fans, but they’re not willing to fork out for everything.
Chet Faker’s ‘Built On Glass’ is up nine, Nicki Minaj’s ‘The Pinkprint’ is down ten from last week’s No.19 debut and Paul Kelly’s ‘The Merri Soul Sessions’ also tumbles; 24 places lower than its No.17 debut last week.
In an otherwise quiet week on the albums chart, Coldplay’s ‘Ghost Stories’ is back in the top 50 (No.70 to No.47), The Script’s ‘No Sound Without Silence’ improves from No.64 to No.51, Charli XCX’s ‘Sucker’ gets lost in the pre-Christmas sales race; debuting at a lowly No.56, while Dami Im’s ‘Heart Beats’ improves 20 spots to No.72.
Following on from his death last week, Joe Cocker’s ‘The Platinum Collection’ premieres at No.75, ‘The Anthology’ is new at No.82 and ‘The Best Of Joe Cocker’ lands at No.88.
Carrie Underwood’s ‘Greatest Hits : Decade #1’ plummets from a No.49 debut to No.91, Joe Cocker’s ‘Greatest Hits Live’ is new at No.95, J Cole’s ‘2014 Forest Hills Drive’ is in freefall (No.46 on debut to No.100) and D’Angelo’s surprise new album, which debuted at No.50 last week, is already gone from the top 100.

For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE, now every Saturday from 6:00pm AEDT.

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