ARIA CHART WATCH #387

Welcome to ARIA Chart Watch for another Saturday night; this week with the same act at No.1 on the ARIA singles chart and another debut at No.1 on the ARIA albums chart… who it is may come as a surprise.
Let’s crack on.

SINGLES
It’s week number seven atop the Australian singles chart for US duo The Chainsmokers and vocalist Halsey and their collaborative single ‘Closer’; the track equalling Drake’s ‘One Dance’ as the second longest-running No.1 of 2016 thus far (Lukas Graham’s ‘7 Years’ spent eight weeks in the top spot earlier in the year).
Not only does ‘Closer’ maintain its winning advantage, it’s still clearly selling, notching up a third platinum certification, meaning it’s now surpassed more than 210,000 sales down under.
Calum Scott edges to No.2 with ‘Dancing On My Own’ and Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj are up to No.3 with ‘Side To Side’.
Even Hailee Steinfeld is on the march this week; her latest single ‘Starving’ jumping five spots to No.5 its ninth week of Aussie chart action.
Lil’ Wayne’s ‘Sucker For Pain’ is steady at No.9, but is newly platinum this week (70,000 copies sold) and Mr Calvin Harris debuts highest – at No.13 with ‘My Way’.
With the movie doing its business in the cinemas, Ellie Goulding’s ‘Still Falling For You’, from the ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ soundtrack, improves its chart fortunes by eight places (No.29 to No.21).
Fellow Brit – and former ‘X Factor UK’ winner – James Arthur scores himself his third Aussie top 30 hit with ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’, which premieres at No.25.
Not such good news for Lady Gaga, however. After premiering at a respectable No.14 last week, her new single ‘Perfect Illusion’ drops back 20 places to No.34, potentially a worry to her label as they prepare for the release of her new album ‘Joanne’ next month.
The star-packed Artists Of Then, Now & Forever premiere in the No.43 position with ‘Forever Country’ and just outside the top 50 is a debut for Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Cancer’ (No.53).
After floundering around the lower reaches of the chart for a few weeks, Kenny Chesney and P!nk’s ‘Setting The World On Fire’ jumps a very healthy 21 places to No.57, but P!nk’s ‘Just Like Fire’ is down nine to No.60.
Katy Perry’s ‘Rise’ rose back into the top 50 last week (to No.48), but its time there is over again, slumping 19 places to No.67, just ahead of a No.69 debut for the new Kanye West track ‘Fade’.
Sony still can’t get the new Olly Murs single away. It’s been bouncing around the bottom half of the chart since its debut there six weeks ago; the bright spot in its chart journey thus far being that this week’s position (No.77) is also its highest to date.
A little bit of good news for Taylor Henderson, with his new single ‘Light Up The Dark’ premiering at No.82, just ahead of a new 12th platinum certification for Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ smash ‘Uptown Funk’ (840,000 copies sold here in Australia) and debuts for Throttle’s ‘Money Maker’ (No.86), DJ Khaled’s ‘Do You Mind’ (No.89) and Pentatonix ftg. Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ (No.92).
DJ Mustard’s ‘Don’t Hurt Me’ slides 18 places to No.92 and after reaching a high of No.66 last week, Empire Of The Sun’s ‘High And Low’ tumbles to a low No.94.
Guy Sebastian’s ‘Candle’ has flickered out already, falling from its No.59 debut out of the top 100 after just one week.
And just as it makes its exit from the top 100, Major Lazer, MØ and DJ Snake’s ‘Lean On’ scores a sixth platinum certification for sales in excess of 420,000 copies.

ALBUMS
Well how’s this for a turn-up for the books… For only the second time in his career – and for the first time in 11 years – Anthony Callea has a No.1 album on his hands.
Yes, his latest album ‘Backbone’, filled with mostly covers, premieres at No.1 on the ARIA albums chart this week, holding the ‘Suicide Squad’ soundtrack at bay and knocking Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ ‘Skeleton Tree’ to No.3. Anthony’s album is now the 16th Australian No.1 album this year, extending the record set last week by Nick Cave.
New at No.5 is Usher’s latest album, ‘Hard II Love’. It’s the singer’s lowest album debut in 15 years, but is his sixth consecutive top ten studio album.
The ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ soundtrack is new at No.7 and we’ve got debuts at Nos.9 and 10 from Die Antwoord’s ‘Mount Ninja And Da Nice Time’ (their first Aussie top ten album) and Remi’s ‘Divas And Demons’ respectively.
Once again with a handful of new entries in the top ten, a handful of albums must make way and two of them are Safia’s ‘Internal’ (No.2 on debut to No.11) and Jason Aldean’s ‘They Don’t Know’ (No.5 on debut to No.12).
Mac Miller’s ‘The Divine Feminine’ joins the parade of top 20 Aussie chart debuts (No.13), Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘The Getaway’ jumps from No.33 to No.15, but The Beatles’ ‘Live At The Hollywood Bowl’ tumbles to No.16 (from No.8).
With their entry into the ARIA Hall Of Fame imminent and two concerts in the Sydney Opera House forecourt confirmed this November, Crowded House’s ‘Very Best Of’ rockets from No.95 to No.20, right ahead of a No.21 debut for Harts’ ‘Smoke Fire Hope Desire’.
Not such good news for Bastille, however. After premiering at No.7 with their new album ‘Wild World’ last week, they find themselves 20 places lower in week two. Jack White’s ‘Acoustic Recordings : 1998-2016’ is down 15, Ariana Grande’s ‘Dangerous Woman’ jumps 11 and Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ is down 10.
Back in the top 50 chart mix this week are Led Zeppelin with ‘The Complete BBC Sessions’ (No.33 on re-entry).
Ed Sheeran’s ‘X’ jumps (No.49 to No.36), but Troy Cassar-Daley’s ‘Things I Carry Around’ slumps (No.11 to No.38).
The chart journey of Matt Corby’s latest album ‘Telluric’ is far from over. The former No.1 bobs its head back into the top 100 this week at No.40, while ‘The Very Best Of INXS’, Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘That’s The Spirit’ and Adele’s ’21’ are back into the top half of the countdown… just.
Beyond the 50, it’s a No.52 debut for Meat Loaf’s ‘Braver Than We Are’, a 26 place second week slump for Of Mice & Men’s ‘Cold World’ (from No.27 last week), a No.54 debut for Taking Back Sunday’s ‘Tidal Wave’ and a No.56 debut for the new AlunaGeorge album ‘I Remember’.
Further down the list, Roy & HG are out of the top 50 with ‘This Sporting Life’, losing 28 places to No.59. Against Me (with an exclamation mark) are in at No.61 with ‘Shape Shift With Me’, but Devin Townsend Project loses out big time with ‘Transcendence’. Though the Canadian performer did debut at No.10 last week (hoorah), he loses a staggering 53 places in week two (boo).
Big Scary’s third week drop of 39 places to No.69 is a bit scary. But probably not quite as terrifying as the plunge for Wilco’s latest album ‘Schmilco’, which plummets 56 places to No.72 in its second week.
Glass Animals lose 22 with ‘How To Be A Human Being’, Drapht loses 14 with ‘Seven Mirrors’ and Ol’ 55 are down 27 with ‘Time To Rock ‘N’ Roll : The Anthology’. Casting Crowns are new at No.86 with ‘The Very Next Thing’.
Poor Grouplove, however. If you thought the 53 place drop for Devin Townsend Project or the 56 place fall for Wilco were big, cop the huge 69 place plunge for their (prophetically titled) album ‘Big Mess’.
Also falling are Britney Spears’ ‘Glory’ (down 41 to No.90), Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Greatest Hits’ down 30 to No.94), Hillsong United’s ‘Of Dirt And Grace’ (down 39 to No.99), The Wiggles’ ‘Dance, Dance’ (down 30 to No.100) and, more alarming still, What So Not’s ‘Divide & Conquer’, which plunges more than 81 places from last week’s No.19 debut.
Also gone from the top 100 after being in the top 50 last week are albums for All Time Low, Travis Scott, Northeast Party House and The Hard Aches.

For a full run down of the ARIA top 50s, head over to the ARIA CHARTS WEBSITE (now with a fresh new look, with fresh new features) every Saturday from 6:00pm AET.

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