It’s a record breaking edition of ARIA Chart Watch; Ed Sheeran smashing a record while maintaining his No.1 heading on the Australian singles chart.
SINGLES
Ed Sheeran climbed back into the No.1 position on last week’s ARIA singles chart with his smash hit ‘Shape Of You’, dethroning former 1D member Harry Styles after just one week.
In doing so, he equalled ABBA’s record 14 week run at the top of the Australian singles chart with ‘Fernando’.
This week, however, her surpasses it, claiming the title of the longest running No.1 single in Australian weekly chart history.
‘Shape Of You’ has spent an extraordinary 15 out of the last 16 weeks in the No.1 spot down under.
And just when you thought the power of Ed was subsiding, the third single from his album ‘÷’ (‘Galway Girl’), moves from No.3 to No.2 at the expense of Kendrick Lamar’s now gold-certified ‘Humble’.
Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson continue their charge towards the top. ‘Symphony’ gains another two places this week (No.6 to No.4), while Harry Styles’ ‘Sign Of The Times’ achieves a gold accreditation (35,000 copies down) after three weeks in.
Zedd and Alessia Cara join the accreditation party this week. ‘Stay’ maintains its No.7 position in the top ten, but it picks up a shiny new platinum certification (70,000 copies) in doing so.
The week’s highest debut comes courtesy of Canadian heartthrob Shawn Mendes, whose ‘There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back’ premieres in the No.8 position, giving him his third Australian top ten hit (after ‘Stitches’ and ‘Treat You Better’).
Another artist scoring some platinum love this week is New Zealand’s Lorde. Her latest single ‘Green Light’ has been in the chart for eight weeks and, though steady at No.9, picks up the new certification.
Good news for Gaga this week too. Lady Gaga’s ‘The Cure’ picks up seven places from last week’s No.17 debut, affording her her first top ten hit in Australia since ‘The Edge Of Glory’ six long years ago.
Drake’s ‘Passionfruit’ goes gold (No.11), as does Dean Lewis’s ‘Waves’, which finally cracks the top 20 this week after six weeks on the top 100 (No.21 to No.17). Future’s ‘Mask Off’ joins the golden run at No.22.
G-Eazy and Kehlani were in danger of disappearing from the chart just a couple of weeks back, but they’re up again to No.23 with a bullet this week, scoring a new peak.
Luis Fonsi’s ‘Despacito’ rockets from a No.93 debut to No.26, thanks no doubt to the addition of Justin Bieber into the project.
Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna’s ‘Loyalty’ only got them so far (No.20 on debut last week) before they fall eight places in week two.
Starley’s former top ten hit ‘Call On Me’ hits double platinum (140,000 copies) at No.33, Bliss N Eso’s ‘Moments’ improves into the top 40 (No.43 to No.37) and Andy Grammer’s Logies performance sees his single ‘Fresh Eyes’ getting a fresh lease on chart life (No.60 to No.39).
Kaleo’s ‘Way Down We Go’ goes way up (No.53 to No.40), there’s an improvement for ‘No Promises’ from Cheat Codes and Demi Lovato (No.50 to No.41) and a No.44 debut for the new Lana Del Rey/The Weeknd single ‘Lust For Life’.
And just as it begins to make its way out of the top 50, Maroon 5’s single ‘Cold’ goes gold (No.39 to No.49).
Beyond the top 50 this week, we’ve got a big bullet for Amy Shark’s ‘Weekends’ (No.74 to a new peak of No.53), The Chainsmokers’ former No.1 smash ‘Closer’ exits the upper half of the countdown (No.48 to No.55), but notches up a staggering tenth platinum certification, meaning they’ve smashed through more than 700,000 sales.
You’ll discover a No.59 debut for Tash Sultana’s new single ‘Murder To The Mind’. There’s another from Paramore (‘Hard Times’) at No.61. And Charlie Puth gets the ARIA chart’s ‘Attention’ with a No.64 debut for his new track.
Alessia Cara’s ‘How Far I’ll Go’, meantime, plunges. After dropping eight positions last week, the former top 20 hit is on the way out – and how, plummeting 28 places to No.63.
James Blunt’s Logies performance results in a No.67 debut for his single ‘Don’t Give Me Those Eyes’.
Drops this week for Adele’s ‘Water Under The Bridge’ (down 13 to No.68) and Sheppard’s ‘Keep Me Crazy’ (also down 13, to No.69).
Imagine Dragons’ ‘Believer’ loses 15 places to No.72. New at No.73 is MØ’s ‘Nights With You’.
Though The Chainsmokers may be firing elsewhere on the chart, ‘The One’ continues to falter, losing another 18 places this week (No.64 to No.82).
Big Sean’s ‘Bounce Back’ goes gold (No.84) and The Vamps’ ‘All Night’ loses 19 (No.67 to No.86).
ALBUMS
Wait, what? Ed Sheeran still at No.1 on the ARIA albums chart too? Say it isn’t so?
Yes, Ed’s still shining on top of the heap this week, continuing his unbeaten run in top spot and holding off a big challenge from Amy Shark, whose ‘Night Thinker’ EP has to settle for a No.2 debut.
New at No.3 this week is the ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy : Awesome Mix Vol.2’ soundtrack, ahead of albums for Mark Vincent and Kendrick Lamar.
AllDay’s ‘Speeding’ premieres at No.6 and, after his whirlwind promotional visit, James Blunt’s ‘The Afterlove’ leaps from No.28 to No.9 (just two places shy of its debut position).
We have a few albums with bullets against them in the top 20 this week; Tash Sultana’s ‘Notion’ EP (No.53 to No.13), the ‘Remembrance’ compilation (No.20 to No.14) and the ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy : Awesome Mix Vol.1′ soundtrack (No.25 to No.15).
But The Chainsmokers’ long player (‘Memories… Do Not Open’) falls from No.8 to No.19.
Incubus’s ‘8’ is new at No.20.
More debuts in the 20s this week arrive from Brad Paisley (‘Love And War’ at No.22), Bad//Dreems (‘Gutful’ at No.23), Xavier Rudd (‘Live In The Netherlands’ at No.24) and While She Sleeps (‘You Are We’ at No.26).
But Lee Kernaghan’s ‘The 25th Anniversary Album’ drops (No.18 to No.28) and John Mayer’s ‘The Search For Everything’ drops further No.5 on debut to No.29).
‘The Fate Of The Furious’ soundtrack is also down this week, losing 17 places from last week’s No.13 debut.
Fleetwood Mac’s classic album ‘Rumours’ rebounds into the top 50 this week, improving from No.66 to No.35, nestled up right behind the band’s ‘Very Best Of’ collection.
Aled Jones’ ‘One Voice’ is back into the top 100 (No.38 on re-entry), while Kendrick Lamar’s ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ drops 15 to No.45.
Steps are back on the Australian charts. The British pop act haven’t achieved an album chart position down under since their sophomore album ‘Steptacular’ way back in 1999. But their new album ‘Tears On The Dancefloor’ enters at No.46.
The arrival of the new Shawn Mendes single sees his album ‘Illuminate’ pop its head back into the top 50 (No.52 to No.47), but Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ loses 32 positions to No.48.
Mastodon’s ‘Emperor Of Sand’ is down 17 to No.50, Ariana Grande’s ‘Dangerous Woman’ is up 19 to No.54 (thanks no doubt to the tour announcement), but Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose’ is down 31 to No.55.
Pentatonix’s ‘PTX Vol.4’ loses another 20 (No.36 to No.56), Drake’s ‘More Life’ is down 18 (to No.58) and the ‘Big Little Lies’ soundtrack drops from No.43 to No.60.
Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ improves, however. It’s up from No.93 to No.61.
More doubt digit drops; Father John Misty’s ‘Pure Comedy’ down 22 to No.64 and Jessica Mauboy’s ‘The Secret Daughter’ soundtrack down 21 to No.66.
There’s a debut at No.84 for ‘The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt’. It’s never been in the top 100 before, but it’s sold enough during its time on the shelves to premiere with a gold certification.
You may recall last week when Bruno Mars’ back catalogue albums were up into the top 40 with bullets. Not so this week; ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans’ loses 59 places (No.32 to No.91) and ‘Unorthodox Jukebox’ plunges 65 (No.29 to No.94).
Kasey Chambers’ ‘Dragonfly’ is down 45 to No.93. Sheryl Crow’s ‘Be Myself’ premieres at No.97. And Spit Syndicate’s ‘One Good Shirt Had Us All Fly’ plummets more than 81 places from last week’s No.19 debut to be gone from the top 100.
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 5:00pm AEST.