Music News - The Drop goes one further
18 December 2006 - 0 Comments
New Zealand’s two best selling albums for 2006 are identical to 2005’s top two – except their order is reversed.
And while we have to wait until the year is over for final results, as at December 11 Fat Freddy’s Drop’s “Based on a True Story” looks unbeatable at the head of the album field.
Last year the Wellington collective’s debut album was pipped at the post by Englishman James Blunt’s debut set “Back To Bedlam”.
This year the placings are reversed as FFD builds on a remarkable 19 months at the vanguard of the New Zealand playlists. “Based on a True Story” was released in May 2005, has sold seven times platinum and it’s still in the albums survey after 84 weeks including 11 at #1.
That gives The Drop the distinction of being the local group with the longest-charting album and the longest run at #1 with three of the weeks being last year.
The figures are compiled by Media Sauce Ltd. for the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) which has just released The Official Chart sales data to December 11. The figures are for across-the-counter sales to consumers.
This year’s album charts also saw the return of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool and Nickleback to the top of the pops and the extension of Irish group U2’s leading steak of #1 albums to 14 with “18 Singles” provisionally #14 but set to go higher with Christmas sales still to be counted.
TV and the movies had an influence on what we bought as well. Disney’s made for TV movie “High School Musical” with its cast of unknowns was the highest placed soundtrack of the year at #5.
And the influence of a song played in a high rating TV show boosted the fortunes of Scottish Band Snow Patrol’s “Eyes Open” to #7 for the year, initially through “Chasing Cars” featuring on the show “Grey’s Anatomy”.
Biopic “Walk The Line” raised the profile of the late Man In Black and saw Johnny Cash have his biggest seller ever here with the career compile “Ring Of Fire: The Legend Of Johnny Cash”
The capital vibe continued when The Black Seeds’ sophomore release “Into The Dojo” (actually recorded at a former Judo Dojo) entered straight at the top of the list and stayed there for five weeks. It’s #13 for 2006. The other New Zealand act to feature in the year end album Top 20 is triple Tui winner Bic Runga and the Album Of The Year “Birds”. Bic’s third Chart-topper is 2006’s #17 best seller.
Comeback in style time is Robert Zimmerman, who had the very first #1 album on the very first Official NZ Music Chart in May 1975. Thirty-one years after “Blood On The Tracks”, Bob Dylan returned to the penthouse for a third time with “Modern Times”.
Singled out
Heading this year’s singles gongs is Gnarls Barkley with “Crazy”, the 500th #1 single since the Official NZ Music Charts began in May 1975. The biggest song of the year, it spent seven weeks leading the pack.
The Pussycat Dolls have to be the most successful singles act of 2006 having three of their four #1s this year and placing all three of them in the year’s Top 20: #2 “Beep”, #8 “Buttons” and #16 “Stick Wit U”.
There is a link between Gnarls Barkley and the PCDs – the first #1 “Don't Cha” from August last year was written by Cee-Lo Green, who with Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton is Gnarls Barkley.
The biggest local single of the year was composed by one-time Blam Blam Blam and Muttonbirder Don McGlashan for the Award-winning local movie “No.2”, which is where “Bathe In The River” peaked. The track went on to be the longest charting local hit since the America’s Cup tune “Sailing Away” by All Of Us spent 38 weeks in the chart in 1986.
In all, the Mount Raskil Preservation Society featuring Hollie Smith charted for 35 weeks. It won composer Don McGlashan his second APRA Silver Scroll and, performed by one and all, was the emotional finale at a memorable 2006 NZ Music Awards.
Rapper Chamillionaire’s debut hit “Ridin’’’ featuring Kiwi Tyree chalked up the most weeks ever spent at #2 without moving to the top of the chart. In all it spent seven weeks as runner-up and comes in at #10 for the year.
DVD leaders
On the DVD front, 2006 was the year of Pink Floyd as the super-group’s DVD release of the 1994 #1 live album “P.U.L.S.E.” outsold all comers to claim the top spot for 18 weeks.
Previous DVD champs The Eagles “Farewell Tour” sits at #4 for the year. Always the runner-up in 2006, James Blunt’s visual version of his “Back To Bedlam” album claimed the #2 spot.
DVD sales aren’t just the domain of foreign acts. Shihad, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Crowded House along with the “Nature’s Best A Video Selection” fly the Kiwi flag visually on the DVD year end survey.
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