This Week In Pop – 9 March 2022

Welcome to This Week In Pop.

This week, Gang Of Youths score their second #1 album, while Glass Animals make a surprise return to #1 on the Singles Chart and Slash, Avril Lavigne, Central Cee and Tears For Fears get top ten debuts.

This week's album chartifacts

#1: Gang Of Youths ‘angel in realtime.’ – Sydney’s Gang Of Youths score their second #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, claiming the top spot with 'angel in realtime'. The group’s third studio album is the follow-up to 'Go Farther In Lightness' (#1 August ’17), which won four ARIA Awards in 2017, including Album Of The Year. angel in realtime. includes the track ‘the angel of 8th ave.’ (#48 June ’21). As well as the band’s second #1, it also becomes the fifth Gang Of Youths release to chart in the ARIA Top 5. This week, Gang Of Youths also hold the #1 Australian album and #1 vinyl album. Gang Of Youths said: “We just want to thank everybody for sticking with us and buying and streaming our record. We are proud to be an Australian band and we just want to say again how much we appreciate the support we get from you all.”
#2: Slash & Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators ‘4’ – Three weeks after its initial release, Slash & Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators crash in at #2 with '4'. It’s the fourth collaboration between the Guns N' Roses guitar hero and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, following on from 'Living The Dream' (#4 October ’18). It’s the outfit’s third #2 peak after 'Apocalyptic Love' (#2 May ’12) and 'World On Fire' (#2 September ’14). 4 hits the chart now after physical copies have become more readily available in the market.
#3: Avril Lavigne ‘Love Sux’ – Releasing 'Love Sux', Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne debuts at #3. The follow-up to 'Head Above Water' (#9 February ’19) is Lavigne’s seventh studio album and becomes her seventh Top Ten entry on the ARIA Albums Chart. 'Love Sux' includes collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly and Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.
#6: Central Cee ‘23’ – Central Cee scores a new ARIA Top 50 peak as he debuts at #6 with '23'. The second mixtape from the British rapper comes a year on from 'Wild West Mixtape' (#37 March ’21) and includes the single ‘Obsessed With You (#30 October ’21).
#7: Tears For Fears ‘The Tipping Point’ – British duo Tears For Fears return to the ARIA Albums Chart for the first time in over 30 years as they debut at #7 with 'The Tipping Point'. It’s the first studio album from the pair since 2004’s 'Everybody Loves A Happy Ending'. It becomes their first chart entry since third album 'The Seeds Of Love' (#18 October ’89) and their first Top Ten since 'Songs From The Big Chair' (#5 May ’85).

This week's single chartifacts

#1: Glass Animals ‘Heat Waves’ – After 47 weeks out of the top spot, British band Glass Animals return to claim a seventh week at #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart with ‘Heat Waves’. In its time away from #1, the track has only spent one week out of the Top Ten (#11 in August ’21). To date, it’s spent 57 weeks in the Top Ten, the most by any single in ARIA Charts history. ‘Heat Waves’ was #1 on the 2021 ARIA End Of Year Singles Chart.

Top 10 Albums

1. 'Angel In Realtime.' – Gang Of Youths
2. '4' – Slash &Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators
3. 'Love Sux' – Avril Lavigne
4. 'Encanto' – Soundtrack
5. 'SOUR' – Olivia Rodrigo
6. '23' – Central Cee
7. 'The Tipping Point' – Tears For Fears
8. 'Resist' – Midnight Oil
9. 'Planet Her' – Doja Cat
10. '=' – Ed Sheeran

Top 10 Singles

1. 'Heat Waves' – Glass Animals
2. 'Stay' – The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber
3. 'Bad Habits' – Ed Sheeran
4. 'Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)' – Elton John & Dua Lipa
5. 'ABCDEFU' – Gayle
6. 'Where Are You Now' – Lost Frequencies & Calum Scott
7. 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' – Carolina Gaitan, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz
8. 'Shivers' – Ed Sheeran
9. 'That's What I Want' – Lil Nas X
10. 'Industry Baby' – Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow