Earlier this year, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) announced changes to the way it calculates Australia’s official music charts.
This included limiting the main charts to releases from the last two years.
ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said the move was intended to “clear space to spotlight exciting new music”.
Adam Hyde, who topped the Australian Singles Chart this week with his solo project Keli Holiday, told TDA he welcomes the changes.
“It's definitely a large step in the right direction,” he said.
Context
ARIA publishes a range of charts tracking the most popular albums and songs across Australia in a given week.
The charts are compiled based on a combination of physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming data.
Charts are especially important for smaller and local artists. Success can translate to new record deals, more performance bookings, and increased budgets for future projects.
Until now, older singles and albums have been included on ARIA charts, pushing out new releases due to their popularity.
New rules
After a year of testing and modelling, ARIA announced several changes to how the charts are calculated, taking effect from 1 September.
The ARIA singles, albums, and Australian charts now “focus exclusively on music released within the last two years”.
Older releases are now tracked on the newly established “On Replay” charts.
These songs can re-enter the main ARIA charts if they go viral, however.
Singles Chart
The Singles Chart tracks the most popular songs in Australia from both international and local artists.
Originally, ARIA had considered a rule change that would stop album tracks not released as singles from appearing on this chart.
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For example, in the week of 29 April 2024, 56% of the chart was occupied by songs from Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’.
Ultimately, that proposal was scrapped.
This week’s Singles Chart is the first since the new rules came into effect.
Despite the absence of songs made more than two years ago, no Australian acts made the chart.
Instead, it was dominated by songs from Sabrina Carpenter’s new album ‘Man’s Best Friend’, as well as the soundtrack from the Netflix hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters’.
Herd told TDA this is not due to changes in the chart calculation system, but rather “a reflection of how competitive the global music landscape is.”
Albums Chart
The new system had a greater impact on the ARIA Albums Chart.
There were 28 new entries and re-entries on the chart, as popular vintage albums were moved to the “On Replay” charts.
“That level of turnover is a clear sign that older catalogue had been clogging the chart and preventing new releases from being recognised,” said Herd.
The highest charting Australian acts were The Wolfe Brothers and Hayley Jensen, at ninth and 14th respectively.
Only five of the top 50 were Australian.
Australian Charts
ARIA has separate charts tracking Australian singles and albums.
This week, Keli Holiday’s ‘Dancing2’ came in at number one, replacing Crowded House’s 1986 song ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, which is no longer eligible.
Herd told TDA Keli Holiday’s chart success is “exactly the kind of breakthrough these changes were designed to make more visible.”
Holiday, whose real name is Adam Hyde, said, “even though it’s overdue, it’s progress and it’s good to see people recognising that”.
