Taylor Henderson On Top of Albums Charts

Sure it’s a little late in the week to be talking charts, but with Aussie acts claiming the number one and two spots on the albums charts I figured it was better late than never. Taylor Henderson proved he’s got real post-reality show staying power, clocking up his second number one with his sophomore album Burnt Letters.

That’s no mean feat, but when you consider that he beat out Sheppard for the top spot it’s doubly impressive. After all, Sheppard’s Bombs Away album has already spawned a pair of number ones in “Geronimo” and “Let Me Down Easy.” Perhaps the band will be able to claim that coveted spot next week to coincide with their national tour.

These new kids on the block have pushed some previous number ones down the charts. Last week’s chart topper, Sia, has fallen to number five with 1000 Forms of Fear. 5 Seconds of Summer have also dropped a couple of spots to number six with their self-titled album.

No Other Name, Hillsong’s latest effort, rounds out the Aussie top ten.

Justice Crew seem to be on the downwards slide with “Que Sera,” which is at number five this week. It’s now been on the charts for 11 weeks, and gone three-times platinum.

Another stayer, “Geronimo,” is at number nine 17 weeks after its release. Sheppard’s smash has also reached triple platinum status.

Click below for this week’s top tens.
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Sia Tops ARIA Albums Chart

The Madden Brothers might have brought Justice Crew’s record-breaking run to an end, but Sia’s given us a reason to smile this week. Her sixth studio album 1000 Forms of Fear has hit number one on debut. This album’s gone one better than her last, We Are Born, which peaked at number two. Her smash single “Chandelier” is also still selling well. It’s at number five.

Sia’s one of four Aussie acts sitting in the ARIA top five this week. Last week’s number one and two, 5 Seconds of Summer and Hillsong’s No Other Name, are at four and five respectively, edged out by the debut of Adelaide-born rapper Allday’s debut LP Startup Cult.

The McClymonts’ fourth album Here’s To You & I is their third to hit the top ten. It’s debuted at number eight this week, just ahead of Chet Faker’s Built on Glass which slipped two to land at number nine.

Click below for this week’s top tens.

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Hillsong United Top Albums Charts

Australia has a new local album on the top of the ARIA Charts. While Nick Cave & The Bad SeedsPush the Sky Away has dropped to number five, Hillsong United’s Zion has succeeded it at number one. Zion is the Sydney religious group’s 59th album, and their second number one.

Meanwhile Mythology, the Bee Gees’ greatest hits has jumped up a couple of spots to claim number three. Flume is holding onto a top ten berth by his fingernails. His self-titled debut has fallen from seven to ten.

Birds of Tokyo have secured their hold on the singles chart this week with “Lanterns.” The epic rock number has risen from number ten to six.

Click below for this week’s top ten.

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Reece Mastin & Karise Eden Top ARIA Charts

It’s not likely to silence critics, but local reality TV show graduates have taken the top spots on Australia’s major ARIA charts. Karise Eden’s My Journey album has maintained its number one possie, while reigning X Factor winner Reece Mastin’s nabbed the top single spot with his newie “Shout It Out.”

Again proving their musical might, the singers from the Hillsong Church have zoomed into the albums charts with their latest release Cornerstone. It sits at number two. Keith Urban’s greatest hits also continues to sell truckloads. The Story So Far holds steady at number three.

Click below for the rest of this week’s ARIA charts.

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Are Churches Rigging Idol?

I woke up this morning to find yet another piece of tabloid journalism about the Hillsong Church and their allegedChurch involvement with Australian Idol. This article talks about how the church are threatening to sue Today Tonight over these allegations, made in three “exclusive” stories recently.

I realised I haven’t talked about these stories that have littered the media. I believed they’d probably die down just as quickly as they flared up. But unlike other years (because if you’ve followed Idol for as long as I have, these stories crop up every year), this seems to be the story that won’t go away. So I figured I’d weigh in on the subject.

If you haven’t kept abreast of the gossip rags, the story goes a little something like this. Current affairs program Today Tonight claim that four of the remaining Australian Idol finalists – Tarisai Vushe, Matt Corby, Ben McKenzie, and Daniel Mifsud – are members of the Hillsong church. They say this church has manipulated its congregation to vote for these four, and are therefore unfairly influencing the outcome of the show.

Hillsong denied any of the contestants are members of their church. It then came out that the quartet are members of the Assemblies of God churches, which includes Hillsong, and Shirelive. It was also revealed that past finalists Guy Sebastian, Paulini, and Dean Geyer were also members of the Assemblies of God.

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