5SOS’s chart attack: double whammy in Australia, making history in US
Five Seconds of Summer have created seismic chart activity after two #1 debuts this week with their Youngblood album.
In Australia, they join an elite group of Australians whose LPs have topped the charts both at home and in the United States.
Youngblood joins the single of the same name in the top spot in Australia, where it’s been for five consecutive weeks.
Five Second of Summer are the 13th Australian act to hold the top spot on the album and singles chart.
Others have included John Farnham, Savage Garden, Skyhooks, Icehouse, Delta Goodrem, Silverchair and most recently, Gotye in 2011.
It’s the 19th time by an Aussie act, and the 128th time by an Aussie and international act.
Noise 11’s chart historian Gavin Ryan additionally makes the point that this is the 14th time that an act (Australian and international) has topped both album and singles charts with the same title.
The last time was on June 30, 2003, when Goodrem did it with Innocent Eyes.
Five Seconds of Summer are also the seventh Australian act to have their first three albums debut at #1 on the ARIA chart, following their self-titled album in 2014 and 2015’s Sounds Good Feels Good.
The other six acts are Jimmy Barnes, The 12th Man, Silverchair, Delta Goodrem, Missy Higgins and Pete Murray.
The band issued a statement “To have our music be received so well and reciprocated in our home country has been the proudest feeling in the world.
“To have Youngblood go number one was the cherry on top.
“Thank you from the bottom of our souls to everyone who has supported this band throughout this chapter of our career.
“There’s still so much to come.”
Around the world, Youngblood debuted at #2 in New Zealand and the Netherlands, and #3 in the UK, Belgium and Ireland.
It bowed at #5 in Italy, with more countries to come.
Lead vocalist Luke Hemmings said, “We’ve been planning this album for two years.
“We were talking about how we wanted it out in February, but a chance to pull it back with our schedule worked better.
“Everything just came together. “
However, it didn’t go quite to plan in the United States, when The Carters aka Beyonce and JAY-Z unexpectedly dropped their Everything Is Love album.
As late as yesterday morning US time, the two records were neck and neck for the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
However at the last minute, the Aussies swung away and Hemmings, Calum Hood, Michael Clifford and Ashton Irwin are now the first ever rock band (not vocal group) to have each of their albums debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Early indications were that Youngblood sold 140,000 equivalent album units in its first week Stateside. beating the 110,000 equivalent album units expected by chart tipsters.
Clifford tweeted about their victory, “To think that 4 dudes from Western Sydney could even have a chance against two of the most successful artists of all time is insane.”
The single has already generated 150 million streams worldwide at the time of writing.