Australian Albums: Midnight Oil 'Resist' Debuts At No 1

The thirteenth studio album for Midnight Oil called “Resist” becomes their sixth No.1 Album in Australia this week.

“Resist” (Sony Australia) becomes the 937th No.1 Album in Australia (1965 to 2022), the 788th for ARIA (1983 to 2022), the 574th to debut at the top and the fifth new No.1 Album for 2022, while for their record company it is the 32nd (Sony direct) and first since Luke Hemmings on Aug. 23rd, 2021.

Midnight Oil become the first Australian act this decade to score two No.1’s, as their last album “The Makarrat Project” spent a week at the top on November 9th, 2020, while overall this is their sixth No.1 set in Australia, their first two #1’s were in the 1980’s with “Red Sails in the Sunset” (4 weeks from Nov. 5th, 1984) and then it’s follow-up “Diesel & Dust” (6 weeks from Aug. 24th, 1987), then their next two occurred in the 1990’s; “Blue Sky Mining” (2 weeks from March 11th, 1990) and their first collection “20,000 Watt RSL” (1 week on Oct. 26th, 1997), and now two in the 2020’s making up the six.

It’s the first time since 26th of July and 2nd of August, 2021 that two Aussie Albums debuted back to back, as last week we saw local rapper Huskii enter at the top, while The Oils’ sixth No.1 also moves them up the list of ‘Most No.1 Albums (1965 to 2022)’ to equal eighth alongside Michael Jackson, Red Hot Chili Peppers (that could change later this year), Hilltop Hoods, Pink and fellow Aussie’s AC/DC, who’ve all had six No.1’s in Australia. Plus Midnight Oil sit alongside the RHCP’s on the list for ‘Accumulated Weeks at No.1: Albums (1965 to 2022)’ at equal 41st (15 weeks from 6 #1’s), and they sit just ahead of Olivia Newton-John (15 weeks from 5 #1’s).

Two weeks ago Korn’s “Requiem” debuted at No.1, and now alphabetically the new chart-topper ‘Resist’ sits right after it, with the only other ‘resist’ within a No.1 Album title being the Muse album from September 21st, 2009, “The Resistance”. The new No.1 also becomes the 267th by an Australian Act (solo male, female, duo or group) to hit the top locally, and the 411th by a Group (local or overseas). We could possibly see another local act hitting the top spot next week, as the new Gang of Youths set was issued on Friday, which could mean three Aussie acts debuting at the top back to back, which has occurred twice this decade already in November 2020 and Jan/Feb of 2021.

The ‘Encanto’ soundtrack remains at No.1 in The U.S.A. (6th week), New Zealand and Canada (both 4th week), while here it is at No.2 for a fourth non-consecutive week, followed by the second and final non-mover within the Top 10, “SOUR” for Olivia Rodrigo at No.3. Swapping places at No.4 and No.5 are the second and third (of four) female acts within the Top 10, “Planet Her” for Doja Cat is back up one to No.4 and Adele’s “30” is down one to No.5.

Ed Sheeran’s “= (Equals)” album regains a fourth week at the top in England this week thanks to Ed’s duet version of “Bad Habits” with Brit rock act Bring Me the Horizon being issued last week (TW-5) along with his new duet version of “The Joker & the Queen” with Taylor Swift issued two weeks ago, which helps the set to rise here one spot to No.6. The Weeknd is again back-to-back with himself within the Top 10 this week, albeit different to last week’s same chart anomaly. “The Highlights” collection rises back up three spots to No.7, while his latest album “Dawn FM” is back up one spot to No.8. Both returning to the Top 10 are “Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa (11 to No.9, 59th week within the Top 10) and “Justice” by Justin Bieber (13 to No.10, 27th week inside the Top 10, still his longest running).

UP:
The rise last week for two of the Super Bowl 56 half-time show participants happens again this week, as Eminem’s “Curtain Call: The Hits” moves up three places to No.11 (it rose to #6 in England this week), which has two Top 50 singles in “Without Me” (#44) and “Lose Yourself” (#46) and that album was last this high on the charts on March 4th, 2019 (three years ago). While Dr. Dre’s “2002” (HP-26) set is also up three spots to No.31, close to it’s former 2015 peak, plus the album is newly certified as 4x▲Platinum (was 2xP).
Kid Laroi’s “F**k Love” mixtapes are back up two places to No.13, the second highest placed local artist this week, while the Maroon 5 “Singles Collection” hits a new peak this week of No.14, up four spots in it’s 246th week within the Top 100. Ed Sheeran and his “÷ (Divide)” album rebounds five places this week to No.15 on it’s fifth year chart anniversary (260 weeks), followed by a second of three albums within the Top 20 to climb back up five spots, “Happier Than Ever” for Billie Eilish, moving back up to No.16, plus her first set “When We All Fall Asleep” rises five to No.23.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” jumps back up nine to No.17, followed by Drake’s five-place rise with “Certified Lover Boy” to No.18 and Harry Styles leaves his lowest chart position of No.24 to rebound four to No.20.Elton’s “Diamonds” collection and Taylor’s “Reputation” both regain five places to No.25 and No.28 respectively.
INXS’s “Very Best of” rises four to No.35 and Tame Impala’s 2015 set “Currents” jumps seven to No.36 in-part to it being the #3 vinyl seller this week. Thanks to a new entry at No.36 on the singles chart with “Nail Tech”, U.S. rapper Jack Harlow’s late 2020 album “That’s What They All Say” (HP-40, Jan 18th, 2021) rebounds this week fifty-six places to No.41, one place lower than it’s former peak (even though the new song is not on the album), while the early March one-off show for Foo Fighters in Geelong, Victoria has spurred their “Greatest Hits” album back up eighteen places to No.42, and after leaving the Top 100 last week from No.2, the “Songs of Disappearance” album of Australian Bird Calls has returned to the chart at No.43 this week.

DOWN:
Two of this week’s three Top 10 dropouts land within the Top 50, one slips into the lower fifty, that being last weeks No.1 entry for Huskii with “Antihero”, while the two survivors are “The Dream” for alt-J (6 to No.39) and “Earthling” for Eddie Vedder (8 to No.47).
The first album to drop outside of the Top 10 this week is Kanye West and “DONDA”, down five places to No.21, while the only falling Taylor Swift album within the Top 50 is her “Lover” set, dropping nine spots to No.26. Another nine place fall occurs for the ‘Sing 2’ soundtrack, down to No.34, and the last worthy tumble is by Spacey Jane with their “Sunlight” setting seven spots to No.46.

FURTHER NEW ENTRY:
* #22 (LP#4) – Are You Haunted? by Methyl Ethyl (Future Classic) is the fourth studio album and now third Top 30 entry for the Perth art-rock act who have previously charted with “Everything is Forgotten” (LP#2, HP-16, March 2017) and “Triage” (LP#3, HP-11), which first chart this week in February, 2019.

*ARIA Chart info is based on sales for the week from the 18th to the 24th of February, 2022

Written, Compiled and Researched by Gavin Ryan.

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