It’s edition #415 of ARIA Chart Watch and, can you believe it, there’s still no change to the No.1 spots on either single or album chart; Ed Sheeran still dominating both.
But there’s plenty more to get your pop chops around in this week’s edition, including new entries, new certifications, big drops (especially on the albums chart) and more.
So here ’tis… ARIA Chart Watch.
SINGLES
It’s an astonishing 13th week straight for Ed Sheeran atop the ARIA singles chart this week. His single ‘Shape Of You’ still ticking over in the sales department, despite no change to its four times platinum certification.
In maintaining his No.1 mantle for the 13th straight week, he equals The Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’ and Coolio’s ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ as the second longest running No.1 track in Australian singles chart history. Only ABBA’s ‘Fernando’ (14 weeks) has stayed in top spot longer.
Ed could be facing a challenge in the weeks ahead, however. Albeit from himself.
His single ‘Galway Girl’, which was last week serviced to media as the third official single from his album ‘÷’, bullets from No.9 to No.2. Could Ed knock off Ed?
Ed’s leap means that The Chainsmokers & Coldplay, Zedd & Alessia Cara and Drake all edge down one position, with Kendrick Lamar’s new single ‘Humble’ premiering highest this week at No.6.
The latest Clean Bandit single ‘Symphony’ continues its chart climb (No.18 to No.14), while both Martin Garrix & Dua Lipa’s ‘Scared To Be Lonely’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Chained To The Rhythm’ pick up a platinum certification after surpassing the 70,000 sales mark (Nos.16 and 17 respectively).
Zayn’s latest single ‘Still Got Time’ premiered just outside last week’s top 20. But it makes amends this week, edging one place higher from its No.21 debut to crack the top 20.
We’ve got a flurry of activity in the 20s, meantime. Future’s ‘Mask Off’ bullets from No.32 to No.22. Alessia Cara’s ‘How Far I’ll Go’ bullets from No.30 to No.23. And the new Calvin Harris/Young Thug/Pharrell Williams/Ariana Grande single ‘Heatstroke’ premieres in the No.24 position.
Zayn & Taylor’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ has seemingly spent its last week in the top 20, losing ten places to No.29.
Jason Derulo scores his first top 40 single in two years; ‘Swalla’ improving from No.52 to a new peak of No.34 this week, ahead of a No.36 debut for The Chainsmokers’ ‘The One’ and a big 29 place leap for Rag’N’Bone Man’s ‘Human’ (No.67 to No.38).
Stargate’s ‘Waterfall’ (with P!nk & Sia) cascades another nine positions (No.31 to No.40), while Bliss N Eso just miss out on a top 40 berth with their new single ‘Moments’. It’s new at No.41.
Future & Rihanna’s ‘Selfish’ is up 14 to No.43, but Sheppard’s ‘Keep Me Crazy’ loses 11 to No.48.
Cheat Codes and Demi Lovato score the top 50 love with a No.49 debut for their track ‘No Promises’, while Dean Lewis makes ‘Waves’ again in the top 100, re-entering at No.50 (the track’s highest point thus far).
Mura Masa and A$AP Rocky are also down 11 (No.41 to No.52) with ‘Love$ick’, while the new Major Lazer track ‘Run Up’ (with PartyNextDoor and Nicki Minaj) loses 10 (No.44 to No.54).
Ed Sheeran’s ‘Supermarket Flowers’ continues to wilt (No.43 to No.58), but poor David Guetta just can’t buy a hit at the moment. Only a couple of years ago, just the mention of his name ensured top ten success. Now, however, not so; ‘Light My Body Up’ (with Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne) is down 31 places from last week’s No.29 debut.
Way down we go to No.70, where Kaleo scores some chart love for ‘Way Down We Go’ on debut.
Kendrick Lamar, however? Ba-bow goes his track ‘The Heart Part 4’, which plummets 39 places to No.74 after last week’s No.35 debut.
John Legend and Ariana Grande’s ‘Beauty & The Beast’ tumbles 18 places to No.82, Chris Brown’s ‘Privacy’ loses 26 to No.87, Ed Sheeran’s ‘Hearts Don’t Break Around Here’ slides 15 to No.90 and Adele’s ‘Hello’ almost says ‘goodbye’ (down 14 to No.91).
After debuting at No.63 last week, Iggy Azalea’s comeback has stalled. The single is now gone entirely from the top 100.
ALBUMS
No change at the top of the singles chart. And no change at the top of the albums chart either.
Yes, Ed Sheeran is still dominating the Aussie album chart with his latest album ‘÷’, maintaining his position for a fifth successive week.
His biggest challenger this week isn’t Drake, however. It’s the ‘Moana’ soundtrack, which bullets from No.8 to No.2, no doubt thanks to the school holidays, which are already more than a week in for both Victoria and Queensland.
That’s ahead of a No.3 debut for the new Mastodon album ‘Emperor Of Sand’ (the US metal band’s highest chart placing in Australia thus far).
Despite no longer being in the country, the love for Adele’s album ’25’ isn’t slowing for now (No.5 to No.4), while the ‘Sing’ soundtrack leaps from No.12 to No.6.
Jamiroquai enjoys the view from the top ten for the first time in 12 years; the band’s new album ‘Automaton’ premiering at No.7, outperforming 2010’s ‘Rock Dust Light Star’, which peaked at No.13.
There’s a seven place jump for Rag’N’Bone Man’s ‘Human’ (No.18 to No.11), a No.12 debut for Body Count’s ‘Bloodlust’ and a seven place second week fall for James Blunt’s new album ‘The Afterlove’.
Cyndi Lauper’s album ‘Detour’ spent just the one week in the top 50 when it debuted in May last year. The songstress is back in the country this week to tour alongside Blondie and it’s done the trick… ‘Detour’ re-entering the top 100 and hitting a new peak of No.15 (11 places higher than its previous peak).
Jon Stevens’ highly publicised new album ‘Starlight’ debuts at No.16, Polish Club’s ‘Alright Already’ is new at No.19 and Goldfrapp are back; a No.20 debut for their album ‘Silver Eye’.
The news isn’t so good, however for Northlane. Their album ‘Mesmer’ drops 18 places from last week’s No.3 debut.
We’ve got a No.23 debut for the ‘Big Little Lies’ soundtrack, a 47 place bullet for Fleetwood Mac’s best of, a 24 place jump for ‘The Ultimate Collection’ by Roy Orbison and a 14 place improvement for INXS’s best-of.
Steel Panther’s ‘Lower The Bar’ is headed in the other direction, however… down 20 places to No.30.
Plenty of re-entries and new entries through the 30s this week; ‘The Essential Van Morrison’ is back into the countdown at No.32, Jimmy Barnes & The Wiggles are new at No.34 with ‘Och Aye The G’Nu’, Bob Dylan’s ‘Triplicate’ enters at No.36, Hilltop Hoods bullet from No.82 to No.37 with ‘Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung’ and Aled Jones and Dame Joan Sutherland premiere at No.38 with ‘One Voice’.
Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ arrests last week’s slide, improving 30 places. But Adele’s ’19’ is down 21 to No.41.
More jumps : the ‘Guardian Of The Galaxy : Awesome Mix 1’ soundtrack (up 44 to No.42), and Kaleo’s ‘A/B’ (up 32 to No.43).
But while some improve, others fall. And they include The Wiggles (‘Nursery Rhymes’ down 19 to No.45), Guns N’ Roses (‘Greatest Hits’ down 15 to No.47), the ‘Remembrance’ compilation (down 18 to No.48) and The Weeknd (‘Starboy’ down 24 to No.49).
The repackage of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tango In The Night’ sees it back in the ARIA top 100 (No.55 on re-entry).
Cold Chisel’s best of slides 23 to No.57 and Milky Chance’s ‘Blossom’ slumps 32 to No.59, but Twenty One Pilots’ album ‘Vessel’ sails back up the chart (No.91 to No.61).
The big drops continue to pepper the lower half of the chart; ‘The Very Very Best Of Crowded House’ (No.45 to No.66), Dixie Chicks’ ‘Classic Albums Collection’ (No.35 to No.67), the ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ soundtrack (No.41 to No.72) all dropping by more than 20 places.
With the band in the country alongside Cyndi Lauper on a national tour, Blondie’s ‘Greatest Hits’ enters the chart for the first time at No.73.
There are heaps of re-entries from the likes of Neil Diamond, Kendrick Lamar, Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, The Avalanches, Birds Of Tokyo and Arctic Monkeys. But in amongst them all, the big falls continue.
Zara Larsson’s album ‘So Good’ plunges 44 places to No.82. The ‘La La Land’ soundtrack is down 35 to No.85. And Kingswood’s ‘After Hours, Close To Dawn’ plummets 59 places to No.98.
Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ wraps the week’s top 100 debuts.
But there are five albums that premiered in the top 50 that are gone entirely from the top 100 this week. Mindsnare’s ‘Unholy Rush’ loses more than 67 places (No.33), Take That’s ‘Wonderland’ drops more than 72 places (No.28), Trey Songz is off more than 76 places (No.24), Ali Barter’s ‘A Suitable Girl’ plunges more than 83 places (No.17 last week) and Sydney band sleepmakeswaves sees their album ‘Made Of Breath Only’ plummet more than 85 places to be gone from the top 100 after premiering at No.15 this time last Saturday.
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.