Welcome to edition #427 of ARIA Chart Watch.
No change at the top of the ARIA singles chart this week, but there’s movement at the top of the ARIA albums chart, with the return of an old friend.
Who could it be? Who else could it possibly be? Read on for all your favourite chart tid-bits.
SINGLES
It’s seven weeks straight for Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber on this week’s ARIA singles chart; ‘Despacito’ is still one of the biggest songs in the world right now and it’s showing no signs of slowing here in Australia.
But could the track’s dominance be under threat? DJ Khaled is certainly hoping so, with his new single ‘Wild Thoughts’ (which features both Rihanna and Bryson Tiller on the vocal duties) shifting from a debut of No.4 to No.2.
The DJ Khaled success continues, with his previous single ‘I’m The One’ (featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne) moving up from No.5 to No.4 and achieving a fresh new double platinum certification, meaning it’s now shifted in excess of 140,000 units in Australia.
Though it’s peaked at No.4 thus far, Shawn Mendes’ single ‘There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back’ refuses to go away, improving from No.7 to No.6, while the new Jonas Blue/William Singe collaboration is into the top ten this week, jumping from No.11 to No.7.
Imagine Dragons’ new single ‘Thunder’ is also hitting; rumbling from No.19 to No.12 and headed towards the top ten.
Her performance of the track on ‘The Voice’ last weekend and its subsequent appearance at No.1 on the iTunes chart sees Jessica Mauboy’s new single ‘Fallin’ make its second appearance in the top 100; at the even No.20 on re-entry. It had previously peaked at No.91.
French Montana’s ‘Unforgettable’ is up from No.37 to No.21, Maggie Lindemann continues to creep up the countdown with ‘Pretty Girl’ (No.27 to No.22) and Calvin Harris’s new track ‘Feels’ (with Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry and Big Sean) jumps from a No.35 debut to No.26, just as his new album sees the light of day.
The new Drake single ‘Signs’ is the week’s highest new entry at No.39. It’s only four places ahead of Khalid’s single ‘Location’ which, although spending its first week on the ARIA top 100 countdown, is certified gold, for sales in excess of 35,000 copies.
Camila Cabello’s ‘Crying In The Club’ edges its way back into the ARIA top 50 (No.51 to No.47).
Macklemore’s ‘Glorious’ is headed in the opposite direction, falling from No.34 on debut to No.49. Imagine Dragons are back up from No.62 to No.51 with ‘Believer’.
Australians have shown their support for the cover of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ by Artists For Grenfell. It’s the Simon Cowell-curated fundraising single for the victims of London’s horrific Grenfell Tower fire. And it debuts this week at No.53 on the ARIA singles chart.
Jennifer Hudson’s powerful performance of ‘Remember Me’ on ‘The Voice’ recently saw the track premiere at No.41 last week, but one week on it’s a different story; the single tumbling from No.41 to No.55.
Lorde’s ‘Perfect Places’ is also out of the top 40. It peaked at No.44 last week and is down 13 place to No.57 this time around.
‘The Voice’ contestant Judah Kelly’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s iconic ‘Hallelujah’ on last weekend’s show sees it premiere at No.64.
Jax Jones & Raye’s former top 20 hit ‘You Don’t Know Me’ slides 13 (No.52 to No.65). Snakehips and MØ’s ‘Don’t Leave’ drops 18 (No.59 to No.77). Vince Staples’ ‘Big Fish’ enters at No.82 and Lorde’s ‘Liability’ tumbles 20 places to No.83.
After 35 long weeks in the ARIA top 100 and having peaked at No.17, Rag’N’Bone Man’s ‘Human’ finally achieves a double platinum certification in the No.89 position.
Imagine Dragons are back with a debut for ‘Whatever It Takes’ at No.91, Lorde’s ‘Sober’ plunges 32 positions to No.93, Jax Jones’ ‘Instruction’ is down 22 to No.94 and the new Alfie Arcuri single ‘If They Only Knew’ enters the top 100 at No.96.
Katy Perry’s ‘Bon Appetit’ continues to slide its way out of the chart. It drops 23 places to No.100 this week.
The Veronicas’ new single ‘The Only High’ only reached as high as No.41 during its three week chart journey. That journey has now come to an end; the single dropping out of the top 100 after being at No.64 last week.
ALBUMS
Lorde was the queen of the ARIA albums chart last week, premiering at No.1 with her highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Melodrama’. But just one week is all it took for Ed Sheeran to retake the lead with his all-conqeuering ‘÷’.
The quadruple platinum-certified album moves from No.2 to No.1, swapping places with Lorde.
Plenty of action in the rest of the top ten too, with three new entries and two top 100 re-entries.
The highest of the week this week is ‘Murder Of The Universe’, the latest album from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The band’s second album of 2017 doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor ‘Flying Microtonal Banana’ (which peaked at No.2 on its release back in February), but a No.3 debut is still pretty damned admirable.
Especially when you consider the Melbourne outfit has outsold Imagine Dragons, who premiere at No.4 with their new album ‘Evolve’.
Nickelback rounds out the top five with their album ‘Feed The Machine’, which is down from No.3 on debut to No.5.
The 20th anniversary edition of Radiohead’s iconic album ‘OK Computer’ sees it back in the countdown at No.6. It’s its highest chart position thus far (it originally peaked at No.7 on debut back in 1997) and comes during its 100th week inside the top 100.
DJ Khaled’s ‘Grateful’ is new at No.7 and another 20th anniversary edition album (Grinspoon’s ‘Guide To Better Living’ also makes its way back into the top 100 this week… It’s on re-entry at No.8 and, like Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’, also eclipses its previous chart peak of No.11 way back in 1997.
The re-issue of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ soundtrack re-enters at No.14, while the soundtrack for ‘Beauty & The Beast’ jumps from No.38 to No.14. Vince Staples’ ‘Big Fish Theory’ is new at No.17.
Royal Blood’s ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’ tumbles 18 places to No.22, Hillsong United’s ‘Wonder’ slumps 16 to No.23 and Lady Antebellum’s ‘Heart Break’ drops 15 to No.33.
The release of Lorde’s new album ‘Melodrama’ last week resulted in the halo effect for her debut album ‘Pure Heroine’, which bulleted from No.75 to No.26. It’s down again this week, though nowhere near the 75 mark… just from No.26 to No.38.
Pete Murray’s ‘Camacho’ drops by the same number, albeit one position below (No.27 to No.39).
Khalid’s ‘American Teen’ is also back in favour, up from No.69 to No.42.
Alt-J’s ‘Relaxer’ takes a tumble; it’s down from No.29 to No.46. But its drop is nowhere near as pronounced as the one for Fleet Foxes’ ‘Crack-Up’, which plunges 39 places from last week’s No.10 debut.
Just outside the top 50, we’ve for Rise Against’s ‘Wolves’ (down 30 from No.28) and the Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie album (down 23 from No.36).
The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ is up (No.91 to No.61), but Roger Waters’ ‘Is This The Life We Really Want?’ is down (No.32 to No.62).
Crooked Colours’ ‘Vera’ is spending its first week inside the ARIA top 100 in the No.68 position, while Prince’s ‘The Very Best Of’ is back in chart action, re-entering the countdown at No.72. It’s just ahead of a No.76 debut for the ‘Despicable Me 3’ soundtrack.
Bernard Fanning’s ‘Brutal Dawn’ may have dropped 37 places (No.59 to No.96), but that drop’s a skip in the park when compared to that for Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit’s ‘The Nashville Sound’, which is in freefall. Debuting at No.30 last week, it’s a staggering 69 places lower in week two.
Mark Vincent’s ‘A Tribute To Mario Lanza’ dives 30 to No.100.
No albums from inside last week’s top 50 have dropped outside this week’s 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.