The fifth studio album for Australian hip-hop act Bliss N’ Eso becomes their third successive No.1 album, as “Off the Grid” jumps straight into the top of the ARIA Albums Chart this week.
“Off the Grid” becomes the 801st No.1 Album in Australia (1965 to 2017) and the 652nd for ARIA (July 1983 to 2017), plus the third for the band’s record label Illusive Records after “Running on Air” (LP#3, 9th Aug, 2010, 1 week) and “Circus in the Sky” (8th July, 2013, 1 week), and now the band join three other acts who have had three No.1 albums with a single week at the top, Prince, You am I and The Amity Affliction, whilst they also join the list for ‘Most No.1 Albums; 2010’s’ at equal No.16 alongside Bring Me the Horizon, Lana Del Rey, Hillsong United and Bon Jovi who have all had 3 No.1 albums during this decade.
This is the second album to feature the word ‘Off the’ in its title (or even just ‘Off’) after the late March 1980 Michael Jackson (Epic) debut album “Off the Wall”, and its the first time that the word ‘Grid’ has appeared in a No.1 album title. The new No.1 also becomes the 215th for an Australian Act (solo, duo or group) and the fifth for 2017 after Kasey Chambers, Dune Rats, Busby Marou and the last Aussie act at the top were The Waifs in early March, and lastly this new album becomes the 362nd by a Group (local or overseas) to hit the top, the fourth for 2017.
So after eight weeks at No.1, the third Ed Sheeran album “÷ (Divide)” drops down a place to No.2, and will most likely rebound to the top whenever it gets a chance to do so. On hold at No.3 is the “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2” Soundtrack, stable in its debut position from last week, and for the first time we have two albums from the same film franchise within the Top 10 at the same time, with the previous volume for the film returning to the Top 10, up seven places from last week to land at No.8, whilst a third album in the series debuts lower down too.
The fifth studio album for the cartoon band Gorillaz entitled “Humanz” enters at No.4 this week, becoming the band’s third Top 5 and Top 10 entry after “Demon Days” (HP-2, June 2005) and “Plastic Beach” (HP-1×1, March 2010). Also on hold this week at No.5 is Kendrick Lamar with his current US No.1 album (2nd week there) “DAMN.”, whilst the third and final Top 10 debut for the week is new at No.6, Adam Harvey teams this time with Beccy Cole for “The Great Country Songbook Vol.II”, which the pair performing songs from Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Emmylou Harris and Conway Twitty amongst the tracks. The original Volume 1 by Adam along with Troy Cassar-Daley debuted and peaked at No.2 in late June of 2013.
Mark Vincent is down three places to No.7 with his “Tribute to Mario Lanza” album, which could rebound next week due to Mother’s Day (in Oz) sales, whilst Adele is down one to No.9 with her “25” set, and rebounding twenty-one places to re-enter the ten at No.10 is Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic”, which now notches up its eighth overall week within the Top 10.
UP:
* Just in time for Mum’s Day here, the Aled Jones album “One Voice” blasts up twenty-five spots to land at a new peak of No.13.
* After his Bee Gees Special appearance this past week, and the fact that it has now spent a whole year on the chart (and within the Top 30, no lower than last weeks No.27), the Keith Urban album “Ripcord” jumps back up seven places to No.20.
* Mum might be getting the new Ten Tenors album this week, which blasts up twenty places to No.29, the set “Wish You Were Here” now surpassing its former peak of No.34.
* Kaleo continue to climb with their set “A / B”, which rises five spots to a new peak of No.35.
* Green Day’s “Revolution Radio” is the highest re-entry this week at No.47, thanks to the band touring the country from the 8th of May, so expect a rise next week, whilst recent ‘Moo’ festival act Milky Chance return at No.48 with their second album “Blossom”.
* The Bethel Music album “Starlight (Live)” is back up eighteen places to No.50.
* During the week there were a couple of music specials on TV, the second one screened was for The Bee Gees, and they have three albums on the chart this week, two of which are returning; “The Ultimate Bee Gees” is back in at No.51 and “Their Greatest Hits: The Record” returns at No.61.
* Chris Stapleton’s 2015 debut album “Traveller” (HP-47) scored a singles chart entry this week with “Tennessee Whiskey” (TW-70), and his new album was released on Friday, thus his first album returns at No.52.
* The other TV special this week was for Elton John, and his “Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits” jumps up twenty-seven places to land at No.53.
* All three Bruno Mars albums are back up this week after they all tumbled last week, with his debut set “Doo-Wops & Holligans” up from 91 to 63, as to his second set “Unorthodox Jukebox” (94 to 74).
* Further returning albums come from Fleetwood Mac with their “Greatest Hits” (#70), Hillsong Worship and “Let There Be Light” (#80), Vance Joy and “Dream Your Life Away” (#87) and “Essential Michael Jackson” (#98).
* “19” for Adele is back up ten places to No.76.
* The “Frozen” soundtrack rebounds seventeen places to No.81 in its 166th week within the Top 100.
* Last week’s debut for “The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt” is up one place to a new peak of No.83.
DOWN:
* Half of last week’s Top 10 have dropped out this week, first up is the Tina Arena “Greatest Hits & Interpretations” (HP-2, WI10-3) down four to No.11, followed next by Ed Sheeran and his second album “x” (HP-1×8, WI10-97) down two to No.12, then last week’s highest new entry for Amy Shark and her “Night Thinker (EP)” (HP-2, WI10-1) which descends twelve places to No.14, and after his Logie Awards and promo tour is over, now the James Blunt set “The Afterlove” (HP-7, WI10-2) drops back down eight to No.17, whilst the biggest drop of the week goes to AllDay and “Speeding” (HP-6, WI10-1) which is down a massive sixty-five places to No.71.
* With ANZAC day over, the compilation “Remembrance” drops back down nine spots to No.23.
* The soundtracks for “Beauty & the Beast” (16 to 24), “The Fate of the Furious” (30 to 41), “Big Little Lies” (60 to 89) and “The Secret Daughter” (66 to 94) drop down this week.
* The Tash Sultana EP “Notion” is down fourteen to No.27.
* The latest John Mayer album “The Search for Everything” is down fourteen too, to No.43.
* Collections for Roy Orbison (36 to 46), Bruce Springsteen (41 to 58), Van Morrison (43 to 60), Queen (53 to 86) and Nickelback (67 to 96) all drop down this week.
* Brad Paisley debuted last week with his “Love and War” last week, which is down thirty-five spots to No.57 this week.
* After jumping back up and into the Top 40 last week, The Hilltop Hoods set “Drinking… Walking… Restrung” drops down twenty-seven places to No.66.
* Last week Kendrick Lamar was down to three albums in the Top 100, now this week it is just two, as “To Pimp a Butterfly” drops twenty-seven places this week to land at the No.72 leaf.
* The Weeknd sees his “Starboy” album fall twenty-four spots to No.75.
* Down twenty-three to No.79 is the Pentatonix set “PTX Vol.4-The Classics”.
* Two of last week’s high Top20/30 debuts drop down this week in “Gutful” by Bad//Dreems (23 to 82) and “8” for Incubus (20 to 88).
* Mastodon see their “Emperor of Sand” crumble thirty-four places to No.84 this week.
* The Disturbed album “Immortalized” falls thirty places this week to No.92.
* James Arthur could be spending his last week within the Top 100 with “Back from the Edge”, which falls twenty-eight spots to No.97.
* Leaving the Top 100 from last weeks Top 50 are Xavier Rudd (#24), While She Sleeps (#26) and Steps (#46).
NEW ENTRIES:
* #25 (LP#2) – Places by Lea Michele is the second solo album for the former Glee and current Scream Queens actress and singer, whose first set “Louder” made it to No.4 in March 2014.
* #28 (LP#3) – Tailord for Now – Eleven R&B Super Jams by CDB is the first album for the reformed Melbourne 90’s RnB/Dance act who charted two albums during their heyday, “Glide with Me” (HP-6, Nov 1995) and then “Lifted” (HP-45, Nov 1997). This new set features covers of songs by R. Kelly, Bobby Brown, SWV, Montell Jordan, Boyz II Men, KCi& Jojo and Shai amongst its eleven tracks.
* #30 (LP#7) – An Actor Repairs by Tim Rogers is the former You Am I frontman’s seventh solo album, and this one was written as an accompaniment to a performance piece Tim was attempting. This becomes his third Top 30 album, and first as a solo act, as the other two were with The Bamboos (“The Rules of Attraction”, HP-26, June 2015) and The Twin Set (“What Rhymes with Cars & Girls”, HP-14. March 1999).
* #31 (G#16) – Timeless: The All-Time Greatest Hits by The Bee Gees enters due to the screening this past week on TV of their songs as sung by current artists, and this 21 track compilation features songs from 1966 (Spicks & Specks) through until 1987 (You Win Again).
* #36 (LP#9) – Makes Me Sick by New Found Glory becomes the band’s seventh Top 100 entry and first new material since Oct 2014’s “Resurrection” (HP-33), with all of the bands seven entries now cracking the Top 50 or higher.
* #37 (V/A) – Eurovision Song Contest 2017, Kyiv by Various is the set for the May 12th to 14th singing competition, with Australia’s entry this year being our 2016 X-Factor winner Isaiah.
* #39 (LP#61)- God’s Problem Child by Willie Nelson becomes the country artists 30th albums chart entry in Australia since he first graced our charts with “Red Headed Stranger” (LP#18, HP-88) back in April of 1976.
* #45 (LP#1) – Hard to Sleep, Easy to Dream by Airling is the debut album for Brisbane singer who worked with local acts such as Emma Louise, Fractures and Tom Iansek on this album.
* #62 (LP#1) – Here Now Forever by NeillyRich is also the debut album for the Sydney duo of Matthew McNeilly and Amelia Richards, who first formed in 2012 and released their debut self-titled EP in 2014.
* #65 (LP#10)- Gargoyle by Mark Lanegan Band is the US acts third albums chart entry here after “Blues Funeral” (LP#7, HP-71, Feb 2012) and then “Phantom Radio” (LP#9, HP-83, Oct 2014).
* #69 (LP#5) – Pleasure by Feist is also the third albums chart entry for this Canadian singer and songwriter, as she charted first with her third album “The Reminder” (HP-46, peaked March 2008) and then her fourth set “Metals” (HP-17, October 2011)
* #73 (S’trk) – Guardians of the Galaxy, Cosmic Mix Volume 1, Various / Soundtrack is the mix of all of the songs from the current No.8 album, and becomes the third soundtrack from the film series to make our charts.
* #100(LP#13)- Strength of a Woman by Mary J. Blige is the first entry for Mary here since she scored her highest chart placing with “The Breakthrough” (LP#7, HP-19, peaked May 2016), and overall this becomes her sixth Top 100 entry since her first with “Share My World” (LP#3, HP-71, May 1997).
Gavin Ryan reports with thanks to Australian-Charts.com
