The Soundtrack to the film “The Sapphires” stays at No.1 for a second week, whilst it was also again at No.2 for a second week on the Australian Box Office report, only dropping 17% from the previous weeks box office receipts (most second week films drop dramatically, so 17% is a good thing).
The Sapphires
Gavin Ryan reports that the big leap into the Top 10 though is British singer Birdy whose self-titled debut album is up fourteen places from last weeks No.16 to No.2 this week. The album originally charted back in May this year initially reaching No.29 upon entry, and since returning four weeks ago has jumped 52-25-16-2, so it could be on track to take over the top spot next week, or it could be a knee-jerk reaction due to the two singles from the album leaping up the charts this week thanks (in part) to two different TV promos. We will have to wait and see next week.
Three of the top five albums this week are all new to the Top 5, with the highest new entry of the week coming in at No.3. Bloc Party with “Four”, their (funnily enough) fourth album, and now third Top 5 album in Australia. Their first album “Silent Alarm” (Feb 2005) made it No.30, but after that it was only Top 10 entries for the group, with second album “A Weekend in the City” (Feb 2007) debuting and peaking at No.2, followed in November of 2008 by their third album “Intimacy” which made it to No.5 upon debut. All three previous albums have also achieved Gold sales status here.
Debuting right behind at No.4 is “Elvis by Request – The Australian Fan Edition” a compilation for Elvis Presley, with the songs chosen by his Australian fans and it contains 40 tracks which can be found here. It was also released around the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ passing in 1977, and this is his second Top 10 entry this decade, as his last compilation (which I helped to compile) “50 Australian Top 10 Hits 1956-1977” made it to No.9 in January 2010, and this becomes his 21st Top 10 entry here (1965 to 2012).
Ed Sheeran’s “+” drops three places to No.5 this week, as too do fun. with “Some Nights”, down to No.6. “Overexposed” for Maroon 5 holds at No.8, but also down three places each are Missy Higgins with “The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle” to No.9 and “My Journey” for Karise Eden to No.10.
The third Top 10 debut of the week is the third album for local singer Ricki-Lee entitled “Fear & Freedom” which enters at No.7. It also becomes her first Top 10 entry here, as her two previous albums “Ricki-Lee” (HP-30, Oct 2005) and “Brand New Day” (HP-37 Aug 2007) cracked the Top 40. Three singles have been lifted so far from this new album, with “Raining Diamonds” (HP-19) and “Do it Like That” (HP-13, TW-87) making it into the Top 20 and current single “Crazy” (HP-46) currently sitting at No.72.
NEW PEAKS & MOVERS: Xavier Rudd started his national tour in Cairns last Wednesday (22-Aug), and his current album “Spirit Bird” (HP-2) charges back up thirty-five places to No.17. “The Awakening” by James Morrison benefits from TV ads, and is back up three places to No.20, and with his pending tour, Pitbull’s “Planet Pit” is back up to No.41.
DOWN DOWN: Like the singles chart this week, there are four new entries to the Top 10, so that means that four albums dip out of the top ten with “Up All Night” for One Direction down a place to No.11, the album having spent a total of 30 weeks inside the Top 10, spending five weeks at No.1, plus their new album has just been announced to come out in November. After seven weeks in the Top 10, “Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection” for Katy Perry drops down to No.12, but falling big-time are “Believe” for Justin Bieber (5 to 18, eight weeks in T10) and last weeks highest new entry “There Will Be Love” for Adam Brand (4 to 19).
Also dropping this week we see big falls for Jack White and “Blunderbuss” (13 to 32), Chris Brown with “Fortune” (18 to 33), “Wild Ones for Flo Rida (15 to 34) and another debut from last week “A is for Alpine” (11 to 35) by Alpine. The newly re-packaged “Future History” for Jason DeRulo is down eleven places from last week to No.37, and Rachael Leachar’s “Shooting Star” falls fourteen places to No.46. Falling out of the Top 100 from last weeks Top 50 placements are Catherine Britt and “Always Never Enough” from No.44 and gone from last weeks No.43 place is the 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony album.
British rock band The Darkness debut at No.15 with their third album entitled “Hot Cakes”. It’s been six-and-a-half years since their last album, the band doing side projects in between. Their first album was “Permission to Land” (HP-17, Jan 2004), and they followed that up with “One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back” (HP-25, Dec 2005).
Scoring a No.29 debut with his fourth album is Owl City; the album entitled “The Midsummer Station”, which features the current No.6 single “Good Times” (HP-5). He first charted with his second album “Ocean Eyes” (HP-14, peaked Feb 2010), and followed that a year later with “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (HP-33, July 2011).
Debuting right behind Owl City is US pop-punk band Yellowcard with their eighth album “Southern Air”. The band first charted here in early 2006 with “Lights and Sounds” (HP-6) and followed it in August 2007 with “Paper Walls” (HP-25). Last year their seventh album “When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes” debuted and peaked at No.41 (April 2011).
Five piece mosh/hardcore band from Sydney Hand of Mercy score their first ARIA Albums chart entry with their second album entitled “Last Lights”, which debuts at No.44. Debuting a few places lower at No.47 is the third album for US psych-pop band Yeasayer entitled “Fragrant World”, beating the No.66 placing of their second album (and first to chart here) “Odd Blood” (Feb 2010).
There is a batch of new entries in the lower half of the Top 50 this week, with Tim Hart (drummer and singer with Boy & Bear) debuting at No.48 with his first solo album “Milling the Wind”. The 16th studio album for Ry Cooder (46th overall album with Soundtracks, collaborations and live/greatest hits sets) debuts at No.49 entitled “Election Special”. His last charted album here was 2005’s “Chavez Ravine” (HP-68, Aug. 2005).
Lower 50: Ahead of Slash’s tour here, his “Apocalyptic Love” rises back up seven places to No.54. Creedence’s “The Ultimate Collection” prepares for its upcoming Fathers Day spike by climbing twelve places this week to No.58. “Thinking in Textures” for Chet Faker hits a new peak of No.67 and Bob Seger’s “Ultimate Hits” is back up fourteen places to No.83. “Storm” for Celtic Thunder is up five places to a new peak of No.87. Returning albums this week are “Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs” (HP-36) for Ball Park Music at No.95 and “Write it on Your Skin” (HP-32) for Newton Faulkner at No.98.
Albums dropping hard into the lower fifty are “Looking 4 Myself” from Usher (28 to 57), the “Step Up 4: Miami Heat” Soundtrack (36 to 60), “Days Go By” for The Offspring (49 to 69), “Antennas to Hell” by Slipknot (46 to 72), “No Shame” by Sarah De Bono (42 to 73), the “Ill Manors” soundtrack by Plan B (39 to 79), “Dirty Bass” for Far East Movement (37 to 82) and the “Greatest Hits” for The Spice Girls (48 to 88).
Local singer Mia Dyson debuts at No.51 with her fourth album entitled “The Moment”. She has only previously charted with her third album “Struck Down” which made it to No.74 almost five years ago (3-Sept-2007).
The final new entry of the week is the eighth studio album for guitarist Steve Vai “The Story of Light” which debuts at No.80 and is his third album to chart in Australia. His first was his biggest (so far); back in July 1990 he climbed to No.25 with his third album “Passion & Warfare”, and then scored his second entry here in August 1993 with “Sex & Religion”. He actually released his last album back in 2005, so it’s been seven years between releases overseas.
Gavin Ryan reports with thanks to Australian-Charts.com
The ARIA chart is updated every Sunday at 6pm
Check out Gavin Ryan’s ARIA singles report here.
Watch the Noise11.com interview with Ed Sheeran.
Watch the Noise11.com interview with Ricki Lee.
Watch the Noise11.com interview with Xavier Rudd.
Watch the Noise11.com interview with Flo Rida
