The winds of change have blown through the top of the ARIA charts this week, with both Taylor Swift and Muse losing their respective No.1 spots. But who’s claimed the mantle with the country’s most popular single and album? Find out in this week’s Chart Watch.
SINGLES
Do you think perhaps that Brisbane native Conrad Sewell might be writing a letter of thanks to whoever decided to pop his new single ‘Start Again’ into that ‘Home And Away’ sync? Whoever it was, they’ve helped the singer’s new track climb all the way to the top of this week’s ARIA singles chart.
The result means that it’s been a ‘Sewell’ one-two over the past few weeks, with Conrad’s younger sister Grace hitting the top spot four weeks back with her cover of ‘You Don’t Own Me’. According to ARIA, it’s the first time in chart history that Aussie siblings have hit No.1 individually on different singles.
Taylor Swift hasn’t dropped too far with her ‘Bad Blood’, however… she’s down to No.2, ahead of a big bullet for Rachel Platten’s ‘Fight Song’. The track had peaked at No.10 on the ARIA singles chart and was making its way down the list, but suddenly it’s picked up steam… and how. It bullets from No.21 to No.3 this week, also seeing its certification updated from gold to double platinum in the process.
Meghan Trainor is back in top ten chart action too; this time with a little help from John Legend on her new single ‘Like I’m Gonna Lose You’, which bullets from No.19 to No.5.
And though Major Lazer loses their top ten placing with ‘Lean On’ this week (which drops to No.16), they do pick up another top ten placing with new single ‘Powerful’ (No.15 to No.7).
Ahead of the release of his new LP ‘The Original High’ (more about that in the albums section below), Adam Lambert’s new track ‘Ghost Town’ starts finding its feet in the Aussie charts. It now becomes Adam’s third ever top 20 hit, improving eight places to No.17.
The new DJ Snake and AlunaGeorge single ‘You Know You Like It’ improves from No.29 to No.21, Jason Derulo’s ‘Cheyenne’ jumps from No.44 to No.26 and The Weeknd’s new tune ‘Can’t Feel My Face’ nabs the week’s highest debut; No.27.
Rita Ora’s ‘Poison’ is injected into the top 50 for the first time – up from No.57 to No.34 – and the new Robin Schulz single ‘Headlight’s follows her all the way in; No.59 to No.36.
Fifth Harmony’s ‘Worth It’ hits the top 50 (No.54 to No.41), Sia’s ‘Big Girls Cry’ tumbles ten (No.35 to No.45) and Silento’s ‘Watch Me’ is headed in the right direction, improving from No.63 on debut to No.47.
Heading in the opposite direction, however, are Britney and Iggy’s ‘Pretty Girls’ (No.39 to No.49) and Guy Sebastian’s Eurovision track ‘Tonight Again’ (No.31 to No.50).
Beyond the half way mark this week, Jarryd James’ new single ‘Give Me Something’ is gifted a 25 place rise, from No.84 to No.59.
With a new single rolling to radio, The Weeknd’s ‘The Hills’ makes its exit without so much as a whimper… dropping from No.47 to No.66.
The Chemical Brothers are ‘Go’ with their latest single, which improves from No.86 to No.68, but Florence & The Machine tumble 29 and 26 places respectively with ‘Ship To Wreck’ and ‘What Kind Of Man’ to be back to back at Nos.81 and 82.
There are new entries in the 90s from Tori Kelly (‘Should’ve Been Us’ at No.91), Tinie Tempah (‘Not Letting Go’ at No.92) and Daniel Johns (‘Cool On Fire’ at No.99).
Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ pops its head back into the countdown at No.100.
ALBUMS
Well Muse got their time in the sunshine last week, with their album ‘Drone’ landing in the No.1 spot on debut. But they’ve lost the mantle already; replaced by the act they themselves replaced last week… Florence & The Machine.
Ms Welch and co ascend to reclaim the top spot on this week’s chart, with Ed Sheeran’s ‘X’ improving to No.2 and Muse dropping to No.3.
There’s a debut at No.4, however… from Mister Adam Lambert. The US star nabs his highest ever Australian album chart position with ‘The Original High’. It matches the No.4s he earned for singles ‘Whataya Want From Me’ and ‘If I Had You’ back in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Hozier’s self-titled set picks up seven places (No.19 to No.12), but Of Monsters And Men’s ‘Beneath The Skin’ loses nine from last week’s No.4 debut.
There’s a trio of teen debuts; ‘The Singles’ by Savage Garden at No.15, ‘Yuck’ by Alpine at No.16 and ‘Songs To Make Up To’ by Ta-Ku at No.18. Disco legend Giorgio Moroder’s new album ‘Deja Vu’ just misses the top 20, premiering at No.23.
Karnivool’s albums ‘Sound Awake’ and ‘Asymmetry’ re-enter the top 100 at Nos.32 and 35 respectively. ‘Themata’ makes its long-awaited ARIA chart debut at No.41.
Orange Grove’s ‘Black Label’ just makes it into the top 50, debuting at the even No.50.
Below the halfway mark this week, Ryan Adams’ ‘Ten Songs From Live At Carnegie Hall’ is new at No.52, Stan Walker’s ‘Truth & Soul’ is up from No.70 to No.55 and Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard’s ‘Django And Jimmie’ is down from No.31 on debut to No.56.
There’s a debut for James Taylor’s ‘Greatest Hits’ at No.57, a 27 place drop for Alison Wonderland’s ‘Run’ and a lowly debut for ‘Grand Romantic’, the new solo album from former Fun. frontman Nate Ruess. It’s new at No.61.
The Darkness slip towards the chart ether with ‘Last Of Our Kind’, which plunges 40 spots to No.79. Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Blurryface’ slides 24 to No.87, Saskwatch’s ‘Sorry I Let It Come Between Us’ is new at No.95 and Leftfield’s ‘Alternative Light Source’, which debuted at No.42 last week, is down 58 places to No.100.
Tremonti’s ‘Cauterize’ was new into the countdown at No.37 last week. It’s now 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 6:00pm AEST.