Holding for a fourth straight week in the No.1 position on the ARIA Albums Chart is “÷ (Divide)” by Ed Sheeran.
Ed has now spent more consecutive weeks at No.1 than any album for 2016 (three weeks was the record by “The Secret Daughter” Jess Mauboy/TV Soundtrack), and the last album to rack up a continual run at the top was “25” by Adele for seven weeks from late Nov 2015 through to mid-Jan 2016. And Ed Sheeran has now racked up thirteen overall weeks at No.1 in Australia, moving him from equal 50th to now equal 45th on the list for ‘Accumulated Weeks at No.1: Albums; 1965-2017′ alongside Led Zeppelin and Midnight Oil (4 #1’s) Taylor Swift (also from 3 #1 LP’s), James Blunt and Susan Boyle (from 2 #1’s), and he is now equal fourth on the similar list for this decade, alongside Taylor Swift’s aforementioned 13 weeks (next target on this list is the 22 weeks that Michael Buble has racked up for this decade).
Back in 1992 a local country artist named Lee Kernaghan released his first single “Boys from the Bush” from his debut set “The Outback Club”, and now his thirteenth studio album entitled “The 25th Anniversary” debuts at No.2 becoming his second highest charted album, as this time two years ago he was at the top with “Spirit of the ANZACS”, and this is his ninth Top 10 album too. The new album’s thirteen songs also features duets with James Blundell, John Williamson, The McClymonts, Troy Cassar-Daley, Kasey Chambers, Adam Harvey, Adam Brand and his sister Tania Kernaghan.
The fourth album for Australian metalcore act Northlane debuts at No.3 entitled “Mesmer”, becoming the bands fourth albums chart entry and third Top 3 album, as their August 2015 third album “Node” debuted and peaked at No.1, their second set “Singularity” also did the same as this week, came straight in at No.3, whilst their first album “Discoveries” made it to No.85 in Nov. 2011.
Three weeks ago the “Beauty and the Beast” 2017 soundtrack debuted at No.6, then last week it fell to No.9, and now that the film has opened around the country (ahead of school holidays for Easter around the country), it surges back up five places to land at a new peak of No.4 this week. This is one of three soundtracks within the Top 10 this week, as the “Trolls” set is back down two places to No.6 and returning to the ten, up four to No.8 is “Moana” (11th total week in the Top 10).
Now that her national tour is over, Adele’s third album “25” is down a couple of places to No.5, whilst last weeks No.2 debut for Drake and “More Life” drops seven places to No.9 this week. There are two more debuts within the Top 10 this week, the fifth album for James Blunt entitled “The Afterlove” comes in at No.7, becoming his sixth Top 10 entry (five studios and 1 best of), and this is his first new album in almost four years, as his “Moon Landing” set came out in November of 2013, debuting and peaking at No.2, but two years ago when he was a judge on X-Factor his best of collection “I’ll Take Everything” climbed to No.5 in October 2015. And landing their second Top 10 album are US metal band Steel Panther with their fourth album “Lower the Bar”, with their previous best effort being April 2014’s “All You Can Eat” which debuted and peaked at No.2.
UP:
* The “Sing” soundtrack is back up eight places thanks to the DVD and Blu-Ray just released here.
* twenty one pilots blast back up forty-six places to No.23 with “Blurryface”, and their “Vessel” set returns at No.91.
* US country singer Kip Moore was in the country for two shows from March 22nd, and his 2015 set “Wild Ones” (former peak #31 in March 2016) returns to the chart this week at a new peak of No.29.
* The McClymonts are in middle of a national tour, playing Gouldburn, Wagga Wagga this coming week, and their current album “Endless” is back up forty-seven spots to No.49.
* Graeme Connors just finished a two week tour of Australia, which helps his “60 Summers” album to return at 59 this week.
* Further returning albums this week come from Fleetwood Mac (both GH sets) at No.74 (Very Best of) and No.98 (GH’s), Kaleo (#75), Travis Collins’ “Hard Light” (#94), the recent Horrorshow set “Bardo State” (#99) and the Dolly, Emmylou and Linda set “My Dear Companion” (#100).
DOWN:
* The first two of the five albums leaving the Top 10 this week are both Ed Sheeran sets, with “x (Multiply)” (HP1x8, WI10-93) down six to No.11, followed by “+ (Positive)” (HP-1×1, WI10-38) down three to No.13. Another long running Top 10 drop goes to “21” (HP-1×32, WI10-78) by Adele which is down eight spots to No.14. The two final dropouts both debuted within the ten last week, “Blossom” by Milky Chance (8 to 27) and “So Good” for Zara Larsson (7 to 38).
* The Waifs drop five places to No.16 with their first No.1 album “Ironbark”, and Adele’s “19” is down seven places to No.20 this week.
* Keith Urban’s “Ripcord” drops three places to No.22, its lowest chart position so far during its 47 weeks chart run.
* The Tash Sultana EP “Notion” falls twelve spots to No.36 this week.
* After the re-issue helped it back into the Top 30, the Jessica Mauboy “The Secret Daughter” TV Soundtrack falls back twelve places to No.40.
* The ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ soundtrack tumbles nineteen places to No.41, and the “La La Land” set falls ten spots to No.50.
* Two weeks ago Justin Bieber’s album “Purpose” returned to the Top 10 thanks to his national tour here, but now this week he loses “Purpose” by slipping twenty-eight spots to No.46.
* Depeche Mode’s 14th album debut at No.14 last week, and tumbles thirty-four spots to land at No.48 this week.
* The Spoon debut for “Hot Thoughts” last week is down a massive thirty places to No.51.
* Falling fifteen places to No.53 and leaving the Top 50 for the first time in its 19 weeks chart run are Metallica and “Hardwired… to Self Destruct”.
* Also falling fifteen places apiece are Beyonce’s “Lemonade” (42 to 57), and “Immortalized” for Disturbed (49 to 64).
* Coldplay tumble twenty-one spots to No.67 with “A Head Full of Dreams”.
* After the Hillsong upsurge last week, their “Let There Be Light” set plummets back down fifty-four spots to No.69, whilst their two re-entries from last week both drop out in “Youth Revival Acoustic” (#43) and “Of Dirt and Grace” (#67).
* Down a massive thirty-nine spots to No.70 is the last Taylor Swift album “1989”.
* Falling twenty-four to No.79 is the Elvis Presley set “The Wonder of You”, and it could’ve fallen due to its re-packaging with his “If I Can Dream” set as a double-album.
* Gary Clark Jr.’s second live album “Live North America, 2016” drops fifty-three places to No.85.
* The “Vera Lynn 100” collection is down sixty-four places to No.93 this week.
* Six weeks ago Busby Marou debuted at No.1 with “Postcards from the Shell House”, which this week is down twenty-seven places to No.95.
* Leaving the Top 100 from last weeks fifty are Elevation Worship (#33), 2Cellos (#35), Hillsong Young & Free (#43), Guns N’ Roses’ “Appetite for Destruction” (#44), Client Liaison (#47) and the Chuck Berry “Definitive Collection” (#48).
NEW ENTRIES:
* #15 (LP#4) – Made of Breath Only by sleepmakeswaves becomes the Sydney post rock band’s second albums chart entry, as their third set “Love of Cartography” (HP-31, July 2014) previously charted, making this now their highest charted entry.
* #17 (LP#1) – A Suitable Girl by Ali Barter is the debut album for the Melbourne based singer and songwriter, who was a winner in the Triple J Unearthed competition in 2013.
* #24 (LP#7) – Tremaine: The Album by Trey Songz is the US singers seventh studio set and third to chart here after “Chapter V” (LP#5, HP-18, Sept 2012) and “Trigga” (LP#6, HP-21, July 2014).
* #28 (LP#8) – Wonderland by Take That sees the band now trimmed down a trio, and this new set debuted at No.2 in the UK behind Ed Sheeran’s fourth week at the top over there too. This is the bands seventh albums chart entry (five studios, 2 best of) and the first new entry since 2010’s sixth set “Progress” (HP-65).
* #33 (LP#6) – Unholy Rush by Mindsnare is the Melbourne hardcore acts first chart entry, having previously released five studio albums and four EP’s.
* #35 (BOX) – The Classic Albums Collection by The Dixie Chicks chart dues to the trio’s current national tour, which finishes this coming week (April 5th) in Perth. The trio also returns at No.21 with their best of collection “The Essential” (HP-16, peaked Sept 2010).
* #55 (LP#4) – Roll Back the Stone 1985-2016 by Mark Seymour & the Undertow is the fourth time former Hunters & Collectors front-man Mary has teamed with The Undertow, and this becomes their third chart entry, with “Undertow” (LP#2, HP-51, June 2011) and then “Mayday” (LP#3, HP-43, June 2015) previously charting.
* #58 (LP#2) – The Valley by Betty Who is the second album for the local singer, now based in the USA, but her first albums chart entry here, as her first set “Take Me When You Go” (Oct 2014) reached No.68 in the US.
* #60 (LP#2) – Michael Ray by Michael Ray is the second self-titled album for the US country singer, and his first to chart here in Australia.
* #63 (LP#2) – My Universe by The Shires are a British country duo made up of Ben Earle and Chrissie Rhodes, and this their second album becomes their first chart entry in Australia.
* #66 (LP#2) – Suffer in Peace by Tyler Farr is yet another US country artist debuting this week, and this his second album is again his first to chart here, his first released was “Redneck Crazy” (2013).
* #68 (LP#8) – Remington by Granger Smith is the US country singers first chart entry here.
* #72 (LP#7) – Damage and Joy by The Jesus and Mary Chain is the first new material from the Scottish alternative act since 1998, and becomes their sixth Top 100 entry, with their previous best effort being their last entry in 1994’s “Stoned & Dethroned” (LP#5, HP-27, August 1994).
* #81 (LP#2) – Midnight by Lewis Watson is the second album for the English artist, who has previously charted one item here in Australia, the EP entitled “The Wild” (HP-98, April 2013).
* #88 (Box) – Jukebox & Gimme Some Lovin’: Jukebox Vol.II by Human Nature is the pairing of both of the bands cover-albums in the ‘Jukebox’ series, with the second set dropping twenty-five places this week to No.96.
* #89 (Cast) – Kinky Boots by The Original Broadway Cast has finished it’s initial Melbourne run, and starts its Sydney shows on April 12th, and the cast recording finally enters the albums chart.
Gavin Ryan reports with thanks to Australian-Charts.com
