ARIA Chart Watch is back on your Saturday night and despite some strong challengers, Australia’s number one single and album once again remain unchanged.
But what of those challengers? Best you read on here.
SINGLES
Steady all stations at the top of the ARIA singles chart this week, with Post Malone’s ‘Rockstar’ maintaining its No.1 heading for a seventh successive week.
But though Post Malone is steady and its certification is unchanged, Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana’, which is steady at No.2, picks up its second platinum certification, for sales in excess of 140,000 units.
With the new Sam Smith album doing the rounds at retail, its lead single ‘Too Good At Goodbyes’ improves seven places to No.3.
Khalid joins the new certification party this week – and also the double platinum certification party – for ‘Young Dumb & Broke’, which is down just the one spot to No.5.
Maroon 5 score their first top ten hit for the year with ‘What Lovers Do’, which improves from No.14 to No.7 as their new album ‘Red Pill Blues’ starts making its presence felt at retailers across the country.
Marshmello and Khalid are now top ten with ‘Silence’ (No.12 to No.9).
The week’s highest new entry pops into the countdown at No.16… and it’s the latest Taylor Swift track ‘Call It What You Want’. It hits just as Tay Tay’s new album ‘Reputation’ makes its way to retail.
Hailee Steinfeld, Alesso, Florida Georgia Line, Watt and Charlie Puth all make their way into the top 20; the first four from No.21 to No.17 and the latter from No.24 to No.19.
The story also begins to develop for Lil Pump’s ‘Gucci Gang’, which leaps from No.42 to No.32, and for Peking Duk’s ‘Let You Down’, which improves 12 places to No.37.
Taylor Swift’s ‘Gorgeous’ slides 12 to No.38, but the halo effect of the release of the new Sam Smith album continues to sparkle; Sam’s ‘Pray’ leaping from No.88 to a new peak of No.41, four places higher than its previous.
In the closing stages of the top 50, there’s a No.68 to No.47 jump for Big Shaq’s ‘Man’s Not Hot’, a No.48 debut for N.E.R.D’S ‘Lemon’ and an improvement of eight places to No.49 for the new Rita Ora single ‘Anywhere’.
Beyond the top 50, Khalid’s former top 40 hit ‘Location’ finds itself with a new double platinum accreditation (No.51). It’s just one place higher than the No.52 debut for David Guetta and Afrojack’s ‘Dirty Sexy Money’ and three places higher than a No.75 to No.54 jump for Cheat Codes’ ‘Feels Great’.
Niall Horan’s ‘Slow Hands’ eases 14 to No.55, Pink and Eminem’s ‘Revenge’ is down 22 to No.59 and Liam Payne’s ‘Strip That Down’ drops 21 to No.63. DJ Khaled’s ‘Wild Thoughts’ is also down this week (No.47 to No.64).
There’s a new gold certification (35,000 units) for Chris Brown’s track ‘Questions’, despite it never cracking the top 50 (it peaked at No.55).
At No.69, we’ve got a debut for 21 Savage’s ‘Ghostface Killers’. But the Clean Bandit/Julia Michaels collaboration ‘I Miss You’ drops back 19 places from last week’s No.65 debut. The song was officially serviced to Australian media this week, so things could turn around if they score some airplay in the weeks ahead.
Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘The Way Life Goes’ is new at No.85, Imagine Dragons’ ‘Whatever It Takes’ is back in the top 100 (a new peak of No.89), but Jason Derulo’s ‘If I’m Lucky’ is down 18 places to No.90.
Guy Sebastian’s new single ‘Bloodstone’ is back in the top 100, albeit four places lower than its No.90 peak thus far.
Pnau’s ‘Go Bang’ is down from No.81 on debut to No.98.
ALBUMS
Were you like us, thinking Sam Smith was a shoo-in for the No.1 spot on debut this week with his new album ‘The Thrill Of It All’?
Ba-bow. He misses it, apparently by only a few hundred copies, meaning that P!nk maintains her dominance of the ARIA albums chart with her album ‘Beautiful Trauma’. Not only that, but P!nk’s latest long player also scores itself a new triple platinum certification, meaning it’s sold in excess of 210,000 copies down under in just four weeks. Not bad going.
So Sam premieres in the No.2 position with ‘The Thrill Of It All’, ahead of Ed Sheeran in position three, a No.4 debut for Guy Sebastian’s ‘Conscious’ and Chris Brown’s album ‘Heartbreak On A Full Moon’, which is steady at No.5.
More new entries this week, thanks to Polaris (‘The Mortal Coil’ at No.6), Maroon 5 (‘Red Pill Blues at No.7) and Roy Orbison (‘A Love So Beautiful’ at No.9).
Kelsea Ballerini adds to the debut party, premiering in the No.12 position with ‘Unapologetically’. It’s ahead of a five place jump for Khalid’s ‘American Teen’ to a new peak of No.13.
360’s ‘Vintage Modern’ drops back 16 places after last week’s No.3 debut.
Blake Shelton is into the countdown at No.23 on entry with ‘Texoma Shore’ and Michael Bublé’s ‘Christmas’ proves that the festive season is just around the corner, bulleting into the top 50 from No.74 to No.24.
There’s a 18 place drop for George Michael’s ‘Listen Without Prejudice/MTV Unplugged’ (No.10 to No.28) and an 11 place fall for P!nk’s ‘Greatest Hits… So Far’ (No.19 to No.30).
Foo Fighters’ ‘Concrete And Gold’ is down (No.20 to No.33), but Ed Sheeran’s ‘+’ is up (No.45 to No.34).
Drake’s ‘More Life’, Hillsong Worship’s ‘The Peace Project’ and 21 Savage’s ‘Without Warning’ are all up, into positions 37, 38 and 39 respectively, just ahead of the No.40 debut for the marriage equality disc ‘Thirty Days Of Yes’.
Not great news for Kelly Clarkson’s album ‘Meaning Of Life’ in its second week. After a No.6 debut last week, the album’s down 35 to No.41 this week.
There’s a debut at 42 for Kygo’s ‘Kids In Love’, a No.98 to No.43 bullet for the ‘Baby Driver’ soundtrack and a 16 place fall for the ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy : Awesome Mix Vol.1’ (No.28 to No.44). Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Damn’ is down 19 to No.45.
Jimmy Barnes’ ‘For Th Working Class Man’ is on the slide (No.23 to No.49), but Elvis Presley’s ‘Christmas With Elvis & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’ is up (No.75 to No.50).
The first edition of Jess Mauboy’s ‘The Secret Daughter’ soundtrack is also on the rise this week, improving 26 places to No.54.
Grace VanderWaal scores a No.60 debut for ‘Just The Beginning’, Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ loses 21 places to No.61 and the Dua Lipa LP plunges 31 from No.31.
Futher down the list and there’s a No.63 debut for the ‘Stranger Things’ soundtrack, a No.69 debut for Nic Cester’s ‘Sugar Rush’ and a No.70 debut for Bob Dylan’s ‘Trouble No More : The Bootleg Series Vol.13′.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ ‘Greatest Hits’ loses 27 (No.46 to No.73), Demi Lovato’s ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ tumbles 29 (No.48 to No.77) and Angus & Julia Stone’s ‘Snow’ falls from No.55 to No.78.
The debuts keep coming (Converge’s ‘The Dusk In Us’ at No.79), but so do the big falls (The Killers’ ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ down 31 to to No.82, George Michael’s ‘Ladies & Gentlemen… The Best Of’ down 57 to No.86 and Hanson’s ‘Finally It’s Christmas’ down a staggering 80 places from a No.7 debut).
Yelawolf’s ‘Trial By Fire’ also takes a tumble (No.41 to No.89) and the Lee Brice album wraps us all up with a debut at No.99.
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 AEDT.