by Andrew Miller
It's been 15 months since a local act topped the Singles Chart; the last song to do so being Crawl by Atlas. This was also the last purely physical Kiwi #1.
Since then, former Salmonella Dubster Tiki Taane has been the most likely contender. Right on the verge of becoming the 81st local chart-topper, he's into his third non-consecutive week in the runner-up position.The margin between Tiki and Chris Brown should give him a shot at becoming the first New Zealand artist to score a purely digital #1 single. The fly in the ointment, however, may be the meteoric rise of 23-year-old American Katy Perry who catapults 35 places to #3 this week with I Kissed A Girl, the current US #1.
Return Of The R&B
In the download age it has been said it's easy to sell R&B singles but extremely hard to sell R&B albums. So how about a bunch of classic R&B singles bundled together?
Return Of The Mack, collecting 18 memorable '90s R&B jams, blasts to the top of the Compilations Chart straight out of the box (only Coldplay and Duffy sold more CDs this week).
Meanwhile Ministry Of Sound's first compilation release since moving distribution from EMI to Universal, MOS Sessions Five, enters at #5; and Hip-Hop: The Collection 2008 makes it new at #7 on that list.
Rihanna Reloaded
In the repackaging department Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad has been given another makeover. It now features several new tracks (including the two current charting singles Take A Bow and Disturbia) and a four-track live DVD.
The Reloaded edition of the album gains momentum, up 17 spots to land at a 44-week high of #7.
Over on the DVD list, generally the home of more established acts, Rihanna lands a #2 debut with the companion Good Girl Gone Bad: Live set.
The New Singles
#36 Metro Station - Shake It
Hollywood-formed Metro Station met on the set of TV show Hannah Montana when Trace Cyrus and Mason Musso were introduced. Trace's sister Miley stars as Hannah, while Mason's brother Mitchel also features. Rounding out the fourpiece are Blake Healy and Anthony Improgo. The band's self-titled debut was issued Stateside last September and features US Top 10 hit Shake It, which becomes their first hit in New Zealand, fresh at #36. (And yes, Trace's Dad is Billy Ray).
#39 Rihanna - Disturbia
See story above.
The New Albums
#19 Mario Lanza - The Definitive Collection
Is the album chart getting older? Of the current charters Neil Diamond is 69, Dolly Parton is 62 and Emmylou Harris is 61 - but they're all spring chickens compared to Mario Lanza who, had he still been alive, would now be 87. He died of a heart attack 49 years ago on 10 July, and claims his fourth posthumous chart appearance here with the week's highest new entry, The Definitive Collection. His chart span is now 31 years since his first and biggest thus far, 1977's #3 Lanza. Although his stage name and real name, Alfredo Cocozza are Italian, he was born and bred in the US.
#29 Sigur Ros - Meo Suo I Eyrum Vo Splum Endalaust
In case you're wondering, the translation of this week's #29 album title is With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly, or in Icelandic - Meo Suo I Eyrum Vo Splum Endalaust. It's the fifth album by Sigur Ros and the first recorded outside their Icelandic homeland. They're just the third act to chart here from Iceland following on from the Sugarcubes and Bjork.
#39 Billy Idol - Idolise Yourself: The Very Best Of
Billy Idol racked up 17 hits here between 1983 and 1994, 10 of which peaked in the Top 10. Although he never topped the list, he came close twice - To Be A Lover (1986) and Mony Mony (1987) both making #2. This week William Broad increases his albums tally to seven with his third charting hits compile here. Idolise Yourself: The Very Best Of joins his last appearances, Greatest Hits (#3 in 2001), and Vital Idol (#8 in 1985). 1984's #2 Rebel Yell remains his highest charter thus far.
You can contact Andrew at: andrewmiller@radioscope.co.nz
The Official New Zealand Music Chart by The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand , Compiled by Media Sauce
"The Official New Zealand Top 40 premieres Friday nights at 8pm on C4"
03/07/08