ARIA Album Chart: Jimmy Barnes 'Blue Christmas' Is Australia's No 1 Album

Jimmy Barnes sees his first seasonal and 20th studio album “Blue Christmas” become his 15th solo No.1 Album, the most #1’s EVER by an artist in Australian Chart History.

“Blue Christmas” (Bloodlines) becomes the 963rd No.1 Album in Australia (1965 to 2022), the 814th for ARIA (1983 to 2022), the 598th Album to debut at the top and the 33rd No.1 for 2022, while for Mushroom/Liberation’s Bloodlines label this is the sixth No.1 Album for them since their first on June 10th, 2019 with Jimmy’s “My Criminal Record”. The new Barneset is also the top selling vinyl album this week, while Jimmy was set to tour with this album, but has had to cancel the shows (which he rarely does) due to upcoming surgery.

Jimmy and Bloodlines’ last No.1 was with his repackaged “Soul Deep 30” album which took the top spot on June 27th, 2022, making Jimmy the only artist to land two No.1 Albums during 2022, plus more importantly with this now becoming his 15th No.1 Album in Australia (since his first solo set in October of 1984 with “Bodyswerve”), he surpasses the tie with The Beatles (14 #1’s) to lead the list for ‘Most No.1 Albums (1965 to 2022)’, while his ‘Accumulated Total of Weeks at No.1: Albums (1965 to 2022)’ increases to 37 overall weeks from his 15 No.1 Albums, keeping him in tenth place in on that listing, one week shy now of Rod Stewart’s 38 weeks (from 7 No.1’s), and with Christmas only three weeks away, Jimmy could retain the top spot for a few more weeks yet, increasing his tally of weeks at No.1.

This is now the fourth seasonal-set to take the top-slot in Australia, the first being Michael Buble and his “Christmas” album (No.1 in 2011 for 5 weeks, 2012 for 4 weeks, 2013 for 3 weeks, 2014 for 1 week, 2016 for 1 week) “Friends for Christmas” by John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John (2 weeks from Dec. 19th, 2016), and the last was “The Christmas Present” by Robbie Williams (1 week on Dec. 9th, 2019), thus making Jimmy’s “Blue Christmas” the first Xmas set at the top for this decade. Plus this is the tenth album with the word ‘Blue’ within its title to hit No.1 in Australia, while it’s also the second for Jimmy, as his 2009 set “The Rhythm and The Blues” was his first to feature the word ‘blue’.

Jimmy Barnes has now placed four No.1 Albums in the 1980’s and 1990’s, two in the 2000’s and now three apiece in the 2010’s and 2020’s, plus he is only the second act this decade to land three or more No.1’s, the person he knocked off the top spot this week in Taylor Swift sits ahead of him with five. “Blue Christmas” is also the twelfth No.1 Album by an Australian act for 2022, while overall this is the 277th chart-topping album by an Aussie Artist (solo male or female, duo or group), while it’s also the 276th by a Solo Male Artist (either local or overseas).

After five weeks at No.1 the Taylor Swift album “Midnights” dips one spot to No.2, while it retains its top spot in New Zealand (6th week), The U.S.A. and Canada (both 4th week), while here it is also the No.3 selling vinyl this week. The No.4 vinyl set belongs to this week’s national No.3 album, “Harry’s House” for Harry Styles, which rebounds six places, while at last week’s ARIA Award Awards he picked up ‘Most Popular International Act’.

Three best of sets rebound in or into the Top 10 this week, with the 69 Top 10 week running “The Highlights” for The Weeknd back up two spots to No.4, Foo Fighters’ “The Essential” rises up five places to No.6 (WI10-4; No.15 vinyl), and for the first time in over a year-and-a-half the Elton John “Diamonds” collection is up five to No.8 (WI10-34), last seen within the Top 10 on March 22nd, 2021 (No.9), possibly thanks to his tour beginning in just over a month (January 8th, 2023 in Newcastle).

The only other album which drops within the Top 10 this week is the Drake and 21 Savage collaboration “Her Loss”, down one spot to No.5, while also rising back up is Bruce Springsteen with “Only the Strong Survive”, up one to No.7 (possibly thanks to his appearance on The Graham Norton Show screened here last week), after which is the Bocelli clan with “A Family Christmas”, jumping back up seven places to No.9, giving us two Top 10 seasonal-set’s this week.

The second Top 10 debut this week occurs at No.10 as The Seekers three album collection “Carry Me”, celebrating the groups Diamond Jubilee of sixty years, which is also the first release since the passing of lead singer Judith Durham in August of this year. The group’s last Top 10 placement was with their “Farewell” set (HP-3, May 2019), and this is their seventh Top 10 Album on the ARIA Charts, while the group charted on August 15th with the returned sets “The Golden Jubilee Album” (No.81) and “The Best of The Seekers” (No.45).

UP:
Eminem’s two collections are sitting back-to-back just outside of the Top 10 this week, with his “Curtain Call 2” jumping up ten places to No.11, while his “Curtain Call: The Hits” remains stable at No.12. Taylor Swift might have lost the top spot this week, but she jumps twelve places with both “folklore” (27 to No.15; No.9 vinyl) and “Red (TsV)” (30 to No.18; No.10 vinyl), while also up for her is her “Lover” (26 to No.22; No.16 vinyl) set.

The No.5 vinyl album this week is “AM” for The Arctic Monkeys, which helps the set to jump up eight places to No.17, last within the Top 20 on September 20th, while current tourists Guns N’ Roses see their “Appetite for Destruction” increase by four places to land at No.24. The news on Thursday (Dec. 1st) about the passing of Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie will have a greater impact on next week’s chart (Thursday is the last day of the chart’s sales week), their classic “Rumours” album has for now jumped back up twelve places this week to land at No.27.

A bunch of Top 50 and Top 100 returns occur between No.36 and No.40, starting with Michael Buble’s “Christmas” set leaping up forty-four places to No.36, while a 30th anniversary edition of the only Cure No.1 Album in Australia in “Wish” (1 week on May 10th, 1992) sees it return to the chart at No.37 (No.7 vinyl). “Revolver” by The Beatles jumps back up forty-six places to No.38 (No.17 vinyl), while Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” rises twenty-one spots to No.40 (No.18 vinyl), plus his “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” set is up seventeen to No.45 (No.19 vinyl).

Regaining a Top 100 foothold this week is local artist Thelma Plum with her EP “Meanjin” at No.39 (LW-779), which is the No.2 selling vinyl album this week, thanks also in part to her three ARIA Award nominations. The last big rising album this week is a fifteen place jump to No.49 for Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album (No.12 vinyl).

DOWN:
Five albums leave the Top 10 this week, with last week’s bounce from 18 to 2 for Ed Sheeran’s “= (equals)” (HP-1×1, WI10-45) set dropping back down twelve spots this week to No.14, while the Nickelback debut at No.3 last week in “Get Rollin'” is this week down thirteen places to No.16. Dean Lewis tumbles twenty-four places to No.31 with “The Hardest Love” (HP-4, WI10-3) and the Distrubed “Divisive” entry at No.5 last week is down to No.48 this week, while Daniel Johns’ No.10 return last week with “FutureNever” (WI10-7) leaves the Top 100 chart this week.

Dua Lipa and her “Future Nostalgia” diminishes six spots to No.20, while Taylor drops with “1989” (17 to No.25) and her “Reputation” (29 to No.30), and all three Luke Combs albums drop three of four spots, “This One’s for You” (19 to No.23), “What You See…” (22 to No.26) and “Growin’ Up” (31 to No.34).

Last week’s No.18 return for the 40th Anniversary Edition of “Thriller” is this week down fourteen places to No.32, while Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” is back down eight spots to No.41. Ed Sheeran’s “÷ (divide)” album falls seven places to No.42 this week, its equal lowest ever chart position, last being this low on December 28th, 2020, while the set logs its 300th week within the Top 50 (and Top 100). Further drops occur for “Look at Me: The Album” by XXXTentaction (36 to No.46) and “Dangerous: The Double Album” for Morgan Wallen (38 to No.47),

FURTHER NEW ENTRY:
* #35 (LP#6) – Life After Football – The Smith Street Band (Remote Control/Inertia) is the sixth studio album for the Melbourne rock band, with the album also coming in at No.6 on the vinyl chart, plus overall this is their eighth Albums Chart entry (5 Studio and 3 Live sets), with their last studio album “Don’t Waste Your Anger” hitting No.1 on April 27th, 2020 (1 week), while they last charted with their third live set “Unplugged in Wombat State Forest” (HP-11, March 15th, 2021) and their tenth anniversary repacked first album “No One Gets Lost Anymore” (HP-41, December 13th, 2021).

HP = Highest Position
LW = Last Week
WI10 – Weeks in Top 10

*ARIA Chart info is based on sales for the week from the 25th of November to the 1st of December 2022.

Written, Compiled and Researched by Gavin Ryan.

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