Welcome to your Christmas 2017 edition of ARIA Chart Watch.
Though they don’t hold quite the prestige they do over in the UK, find out who’s bagged the all-important Christmas number ones down under.
SINGLES
The sales of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect Symphony’ (with Andrea Bocelli) have seemingly been rolled into the wider ‘Perfect’ project, meaning that Ed easily maintains his No.1 heading on this week’s ARIA singles chart.
But he was under a strong challenge this week from… himself actually.
Yes, Ed appears on the new Eminem single ‘River’, which debuts strongly in the No.2 position.
That means Camila Cabello is down to position three with ‘Havana’, but she’ll take some solace from the fact that the track notches up a new fourth platinum certification, meaning it’s now sold more than 280,000 units down under.
NF’s ‘Let You Down’ continues to fire. Though it’s down one position to No.8 this week, it picks up a shiny new platinum certification, meaning it’s now sold through 70,000 units in Australia.
Mariah Carey’s seminal festive favourite ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ is flying high again. And this week it reaches its highest chart peak since January 1995, soaring to No.11.
There’s a No.25 to No.16 jump for G-Eazy and Halsey’s ‘Him & I’ (No.25 to No.16) and a four place rise for Pnau’s ‘Go Bang’; now top ten (No.21 to No.17).
David Guetta and Afrojack’s ‘Dirty Sexy Money’ is also on the up (No.33 to No.23), as is Calum Scott’s ‘You Are The Reason’ (No.36 to No.27).
Lauv’s ‘I Like Me Better’ hits double platinum (140,000 units) at No.29 and Sheppard’s ‘Coming Home’ improves from No.43 to No.33 to give them their second biggest single hit (excluding their EP) behind ‘Geronimo’.
P!nk’s ‘Beautiful Trauma’ scores itself a fresh new platinum accreditation this week (No.36), ahead of an 18 place jump for Wham’s Christmas classic ‘Last Christmas’ (No.55 to No.37).
Eminem scores himself some more top 50 chart love with his track ‘Walk On Water’ with Beyoncé. The track debuted strongly at No.10 six weeks back, but with his new album ‘Revival’ out, the song’s back in the top 50 this week, up 20 from No.64.
Taylor Swift slips back out of the top 50 with ‘Ready For It?’ (No.39 to No.56) after jumping 40 places last week.
SZA are into the top 100 with ‘The Weekend’ (No.66), while G-Eazy jumps from No.80 to a new peak of No.67 with ‘No Limit’.
Liam Payne gets himself an early Christmas present from Australia… a fourth platinum certification to call his own for his single ‘Strip That Down’ (No.70).
Eminem’s into the countdown with ‘Believe’ (No.73), ‘Nowhere Fast’ (No.76) and ‘Like Home’ (No.77); the latter two featuring vocals by Kesha and Alicia Keys respectively.
In amongst them all, DJ Khaled’s former No.2 smash ‘Wild Thoughts’ also bags itself a fourth platinum accreditation (No.74).
Camila Cabello’s ‘Never Be The Same’ takes a big second week tumble (No.52 on debut to No.80), while Eminem scores more top 100 love with a No.83 debut for ‘Remind Me’.
Though Savage finds himself 15 places lower at No.84 this week, his ‘Bank Account’ will have grown somewhat, thanks to a new platinum accreditation.
Eminem’s in at No.87 with ‘Tragic Endings’ and again at No.94 with ‘Bad Husband’ and again at No.98 with ‘Need Me’ (featuring Pink) and again at No.100 with ‘Untouchable’.
ALBUMS
Thought Ed Sheeran might have had the Aussie Christmas number one in the bag? Think again…
Eminem proves he still has what it takes to shake up the establishment, premiering at No.1 on the Australian albums with his new album ‘Revival’.
The tracks from it pepper the Australian singles chart this week, including ‘River’ (featuring Ed Sheeran himself), which lobs in the No.2 position.
It’s Eminem’s seventh successive Australian number one album and comes off the back of the album’s No.1 debut in the UK overnight.
P!nk won’t be too disappointed about being the bridesmaid this week. After all, she’s also featured on the new Eminem LP AND her album ‘Beautiful Trauma’ (at No.2) picks up a fourth platinum certification for Christmas, meaning that more than 280,000 Aussies have now taken it to heart.
It’s Ed, The Bubes and Johnny and Livvy making up this week’s Christmas top five; Taylor Swift knocked out (No.5 to No.6) after Eminem’s debut.
‘Christmas With Elvis’ makes its way into the top ten, improving from No.11 to No.7, with Sam Smith, Jess Mauboy and Daryl Braithwaite making up the rest of the Christmas top ten.
A little bit of promo helps Human Nature’s ‘The Christmas Album’ on its way from No.25 to No.15.
Linkin Park’s ‘One More Light Live’ enjoys the view from the No.20 position on debut.
But there’s a drop from No.6 on debut to No.23 for the new Luke Bryan album ‘What Makes You Country’.
Foo Fighters’ ‘Concrete And Gold’ is up (No.36 to No.26), as is Bruno Mars’ ’24K Magic’ (No.43 to No.27).
‘All For You’, the best of Cold Chisel, also improves this week, up from No.46 to No.32.
Jumps also for Eminem’s ‘Curtain Call : The Hits’ (No.47 to No.36), Paul Kelly’s ‘Songs From The South Volumes 1 & 2’ (No.54 to No.37) and a debut at No.38 for the new G-Eazy album ‘The Beautiful & Damned’.
Post Malone’s ‘Stoney’ takes a tumble, however, down 19 to No.40.
Love for the ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ soundtrack (new at No.48), but not for ‘Wiggly Wiggly Christmas’ by The Wiggles (No.29 to No.50).
We’ve got post-50 debuts for Asking Alexandria’s self-titled set (No.53) and for the ‘Star Wars : The Last Jedi’ soundtrack (No.54). N.E.R.D’s ‘No One Ever Really Dies’ also enters the top 100 countdown this week – at No.58.
Seal’s ‘Standards’ won’t be stuffing too many stockings (No.49 to No.62) and neither will Barbra Streisand’s ‘The Music… The Mem’ries… The Magic!’ (No.45 to No.66).
‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack slides from a No.53 debut to No.77, Little Mix’s ‘Glory Days’ is down 18 to No.78 and Tim McGraw & Faith Hill lose 21 places with ‘The Rest Of Our Life’ (No.66 to No.87).
Even Maroon 5’s ‘Red Pill Blues’ fails to ignite the imagination of Christmas shoppers (No.70 to No.90).
Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose’ slides similarly (No.71 to No.91).
And Andre Rieu… the king of the waltz and once the king of the charts, but no more. His new album ‘Shall We Dance’ limps into the ARIA top 100 at No.98 on debut.
Though it didn’t debut last week, Paul McCartney’s ‘Pure McCartney’ plunges more than 65 places out of the top 100 after being at No.35 last week due to his tour.
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.
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