The third studio album for local artist Meg Mac called “Matter of Time” has taken out the No.1 spot in Australia this week.
“Matter of Time” (EMI Australia) becomes the 958th No.1 Album in Australia (1965 to 2022), the 809th for ARIA (1983 to 2022), the 593rd to debut at No.1, the 28th chart-topping album for 2022, and the 31st for EMI (since their first in 1981), with all thirteen of the past No.1’s for EMI (direct) being by Australian acts (since January 1993), while their last was with the Birds of Tokyo No.1 set “Human Design” on May 4th, 2020.
This is now the first No.1 Album locally for Meg Mac, who has also now garnered her third successive Top 10 album, as her first set “Low Blows” debuted and peaked at No.2 in July of 2017, while she last charted with her second set “Hope” (HP-9, June 2019). This is also the first time that the word ‘Matter’ has appeared in a No.1 Albums’ title, while it’s the eighth for the word ‘Time’, the last being Gang of Youths in March of 2022 with “angel in realtime”, plus Meg’s third album has also taken out the top spot on the vinyl sales chart this week too.
This new No.1 Album for Meg Mac is also the tenth by an Australian Act to make it to the top during 2022, and after last week’s Parkway Drive at the top, and 5SOS issuing a new album on Friday, it could be a three-weeks run of Aussie artists at the top. Overall this new No.1 album also becomes the 275th No.1 Album by an Australian Act (solo male or female, duo or group), the 153rd by a Solo Female Artist (local or overseas; fifth for 2022), while Meg Mac is also the 132nd Solo Female and the 19th Solo Australian Female Artist to make it to the top.
The tussles for the top spot this week was between local artist Meg Mac and two Asia-based artists in BlackPink and NCT 127, who both see their new albums enter at No.2 and No.3 respectively. BlackPink see their second album “Born Pink” (UK No.1) lands at No.2, the same position their debut set “The Album” entered and peaked at on October 12th, 2020, while the album has now seen two Top 5 singles in “Pink Venom” (TW-19, HP-1) and “Shut Down” which debuts at No.5 this week. The rock-pop all boy group NCT 127 see their new album “2 Baddies – The 4th Album” come in at No.3, becoming their first Top 10 entry and second charted album after “Sticker – The 3rd Album” (HP-16, Sept. 27th, 2021).
Logging a fifth straight week of sitting at No.4 is The Weeknd’s collection “The Highlights”, followed by a second week at No.5 for Harry Styles’ “Harry’ House” (No.13 vinyl), with the rest of the Top 10 made up by only two artists; Luke Combs (future tourist) and Billie Eilish (current tourist). After announcing his tour for August of 2023, last week saw all three of Luke’s album return to the Top 10, where they remain for this week, with his latest album “Growin’ Up” down three spots to No.6, followed by “This One’s for You” (7 to No.8, it’s first ever run of two successive weeks within the Top 10 during it’s 236 weeks on the chart {that’s about 4 and-a-half years}) and “What You See Ain’t Always What You Get”, which also dips three spots to No.9. The other dual artist within the Top 10 is Billie Eilish whose two studio albums climb back into the ten thanks to her current national tour, which will wind up in Perth this coming week. Her second set “Happier Than Ever” is up four spots to No.7 (WI10-15) and her debut release “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” moves up three spots to No.10 (WI10-87).
UP:
Ed Sheeran and his “= (equals)” set moves back up a spot to No.1, while Daniel Johns’ former No.1 “FutureNever” rebounds ten places to land back within the Top 20 at No.18. There are six non-movers and six climbing albums within the Top 50 this week, with further climbs being for tourist Billie Eilish and her EP “Don’t Smile at Me” which is back up eighteen spots to No.37 (it’s first Top 50 placement since January 3rd when it was at No.48), while Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” is back up four spots to No.41.
DOWN:
Leaving the Top 10 this week are five albums, starting with “SOUR” for Olivia Rodrigo (HP-1×8, WI10-69), which leaves the Top 10 for the first time in it’s 70 week chart-run, plus the album is newly 2x▲Platinum in sales. The four further dropouts all entered the chart and the Top 10 last week, with the new Canadian No.1 Album for Ozzy Osbourne and “Patient Number 9” (HP-2, No.4 vinyl) down twelve spots to No.14, last week’s No.1 entry for Parkway Drive and “Darker Still” falls fourteen places to No.15, the Robbie Williams new redone collection “XXV” (No.3 vinyl) falls eleven spots to No.19, but with him in the country at the moment on a promo tour, playing the AFL Grand Final on Saturday and announcing a 2023 national tour, he should either climb back up one stabilize next week.
Both Eminem collections are within the Top 20 and fall two places each this week, with ‘Curtain Call: The Hits” down to No.17 and “Curtain Call 2” to No.20, followed by falling best of sets for Maroon 5 (20 to No.21), Elton John (27 to No.31) and Foo Fighters (29 to No.39). Beyoncé drops out of the Top 20 for the first time with her “Renaissance (Act 1)” set, down six to No.22, while also dropping six places to No.29 is Harry Styles’ “Fine Line”.
“Look at Me: The Album” for XXXTentacion falls to its lowest position of No.30 this week (LW-25), while Taylor Swift is down to only three albums within the Top 50 this week, “1989” (30 to No.32), “folklore” (stable at No.34) and “Lover” (37 to No.38), after which The Kid Laroi sees his “F**k Love” mixtapes also hit it’s lowest chart spot, down two this week to No.40, while his “Stay” duet partner Justin Bieber leaves the Top 40 for the first time with his “Justice” set, dropping seven places to No.46. The last big drops occur for Kane Brown with “Different Man” (17 to No.48) and leaving from last week’s Top 10 is Marlon Williams’ “My Boy” (HP-10).
FURTHER NEW ENTRIES
* #12 (LP#2) – Hold the Girl by Rina Sawayama (Dirty Hit) is the second studio album for the Japanese-born and London-raised singer-songwriter and model, with the new entry being her first to chart locally.
* #16 (LP#1) – Nothing but Wild by Amy Sheppard (Empire of Song/MGM) is the debut six-track EP for the member of local Brisbane act Sheppard, with the blue-haired songstress now seeing her first solo chart entry locally, and landing the No.1 spot on the ARIA Country Chart this week, which she recorded in Nashville.
* #27 (LP#10) – Animals by Pink Floyd (re-issue) (Pink Floyd Music/Sony) is a re-packaged and expanded edition of the British prog-rock-leaders tenth studio album, which was also issued in multiple formats, including a DVD and Blu-Ray edition, along with outtakes and remastered tracks. This is the album’s first appearance on the ARIA Chart, having originally charted from February 14th, 1977, reaching its peak of No.3 in its fourth chart week for only a single week, logging eleven consecutive weeks within the Top 10 during its 28 weeks within the Top 100..
* #28 (LP#2) – Travelling Heart by TC Cassidy (Rivershack) is the first chart entry for the local country singer, with this set coming in at No.2 on the ARIA Country Chart, and becoming her first new album since 1994’s self-titled set (the only other album of her’s I could find).
* #42 (LP#1) – Girl of My Dreams by Fletcher (Capitol) is the debut studio album for the American singer, who first appeared on the U.S. X-Factor Season 1 in 2011, issuing her first EP of solo material in September of 2016, and now after two further EP’s she has landed her first album within the Top 50, while the set has landed in New Zealand’s Top 10 at No.9
NEW CERTIFICATIONS:
SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo ▲2
Born to Die by Lana Del Rey ▲3
HP = Highest Position
LW = Last Week
WI10 – Weeks in Top 10
*ARIA Chart info is based on sales for the week from the 16th to the 22nd of September 2022.
Written, Compiled and Researched by Gavin Ryan.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE.com’s newest interviews and special features on YOUTUBE and updated regularly. See things first SUBSCRIBE here: Noise11 on YouTube SUBSCRIBE
Follow Noise11 on Social Media
You’ll discover music news first following Noise11 on Twitter
Comment on the news of the day, join Noise11 on Facebook
Gavin Ryan reports with thanks to Australian-Charts.com
