Welcome to our 455th edition of ARIA Chart Watch. And if you’re hoping for a new number one on either chart this week, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.
It’s Ed on the singles chart, ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack on the albums chart.
But wait… there’s more.
SINGLES
Yes, Ed Sheeran is still flying high on the ARIA singles top 100 this week, maintaining position one with his latest global smash ‘Perfect’. The campaign for which (single version, Beyoncé version, Andrea Bocelli version) was perfectly executed.
Post Malone is on the move again with ‘I Fall Apart’, however. It’s up from No.4 to a new peak of No.2.
Bebe Rexha and Florida George Line also creep higher this week. ‘Meant To Be’ also achieving a new chart high; No.4 (up from No.7).
Though Camila Cabello’s former No.1 smash ‘Havana’ is down three this week, Cam will take some solace from the fact that her chart monster has notched up a fifth platinum certification in Australia, meaning it’s blasted through more than 350,000 units in this market.
Marshmello and Khalid’s ‘Silence’ also receives an accreditation tweak. It’s now triple platinum certified having gone across the 210,000 sales mark.
G-Eazy and Halsey are on the up with their single ‘Him & I’ (No.16 to No.10), while the new Bruno Mars/Cardi B collaboration ‘Finesse’ scores the week’s highest debut at No.15.
Khalid’s ‘Young Dumb & Broke’ is now four times platinum at No.18 (280,000 units) and there are bullets for both ‘This Is Me’ (from Keala Settle & The Greatest Showman Ensemble) and Post Malone’s ‘Candy Paint’. They’re up from No.34 to No.19 and from No.26 to No.20 respectively.
Justin Timberlake might be ‘Filthy’ that he missed the top 20 on debut with his new single, but a No.28 entry is as good a place to start as any.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA enter at No.34 with ‘All The Stars’, Camelphat & Elderbrook are up from No.48 to No.40 with ‘Cola’, Zac Efron and Zandaya bullet from No.59 to No.42 with ‘Rewrite The Stars’ and G-Eazy’s ‘No Limit’ is up from No.56 to a new peak of No.43, along with a new gold sales accreditation (35,000 units).
But Big Shaq’s ‘Man’s Not Hot’ takes a tumble (No.30 to No.44).
Beyond the top 50, we’ve for a No.52 debut for ‘End Game’, the new single from Taylor Swift (featuring Ed Sheeran and Future).
There’s also a No.68 to No.54 jump for ‘The Greatest Showman’ cast’s single ‘The Greatest Show’.
But there are more big drops; Lil Pump’s ‘Gucci Gang’ falling out of fashion (No.39 to No.55) and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s ‘Despacito’ down 20 to No.56.
The lead single from the new ‘Fifty Shades’ movie (‘For You’ by Liam Payne and Rita Ora) pops into the top 100 at No.58 on debut.
P!nk’s ‘What About Us’ is down from No.46 to No.60. ‘Mi Gente’ from J Balvin, Willy William and Beyoncé is down 16 to No.66. Ed Sheeran’s ‘Galway Girl’ is down 12 to No.69. Calvin Harris’ ‘Feels’ is down 16 to No.77.
There’s also a 17 place drop for Taylor Swift’s ‘…Ready For It?’ (No.63 to No.80) and a new fourth platinum accreditation for Niall Horan’s ‘Slow Hands’ (No.83).
ALBUMS
As mentioned in the opener, ‘The Greatest Showman’ soundtrack is the No.1 album in Australia for a second week running.
It leads this week’s chart race from Ed Sheeran’s ‘÷’, P!nk’s ‘Beautiful Trauma’, Eminem’s ‘Revival’ and Taylor Swift’s ‘Reputation’. Yes, the top five is entirely unmoved.
But Post Malone is injecting a little big of excitement into the top ten by improving four places to No.6 (a new peak) with ‘Stoney’.
The ‘Moana’ soundtrack refuses to go away. It’s spending its 56th week on the ARIA albums chart in the No.10 spot having improved from No.15.
The success of his new single ‘Finesse’ has seen the fortunes of Bruno Mars’ album ’24K Magic’ take an upturn (No.29 to No.14), while Khalid’s ‘American Teen’ also improves (No.24 to No.16).
A little further down, Elton John’s ‘Diamonds’ is sparkling inside the top 30 again (No.42 to No.28), as are Adele’s ’25’ (No.39 to No.29) and Chris Brown’s ‘Heartbreak On A Full Moon’ (No.48 to No.30).
But U2’s ‘Songs Of Experience’ sags (No.18 to No.38).
The news is much better for former One Direction star Niall Horan, however. His debut solo record ‘Flicker’ has achieved its first certification this week… a gold one. It’s now sailed across the 35,000 sales mark down under.
On the other side of the top 50 this week, Pnau’s ‘Changa’ charges (No.66 to No.53), while Elvis Presley’s ‘The King’ re-enters the countdown at No.56. There’s also a 14 place jump (No.71 to No.57) for Drake’s ‘More Life’.
Angus & Julia Stone jump also. Their album ‘Snow’ is up 20 places to No.62 as their single ‘Chateau’ continues to find favour on the singles chart.
Carole King’s ‘Tapestry’ is down (No.50 to No.64), but Dua Lipa’s self-titled album is up (No.81 to No.65).
‘The Very Best Of Cat Stevens’ also gets another life this week (No.93 to No.71), as does the Green Day best-of ‘God’s Favourite Band’ (No.92 to No.73).
The Weeknd’s ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’ jumps 17 to No.81, Midnight Oil’s best-of is down 19 to No.82 and Guy Sebastian’s ‘Conscious’ takes another tumble, losing 23 places to No.96.
Poor King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, however. Flying high in the No.6 spot on debut with their latest long player ‘Gumboot Soup’ last week, they’ve lost more than 94 places in week two to be out of the top 100 entirely.
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.