Hilltop Hoods set new ARIA record with ‘The Great Expanse’

With their The Great Expanse debuting at #1 on the ARIA album chart this week, Hilltop Hoods have set a new ARIA record.

It’s their sixth chart-topper (and eighth album), and makes them the ARIA record holder for most #1 albums by an Australian band or group.

It follows up Walking Under Stars (#1 Aug. ’14) and includes the singles ‘Clark Griswold’ (#48 Jul. ‘18) and ‘Leave Me Lonely’ which this week climbs eight spots to a score a new peak at #11.

Hilltop Hoods have also hit #1 on the ARIA albums chart with The Hard Road (#1 Apr. ’06), State Of The Art (#1 Jun. ’09), Drinking From The Sun (#1 Mar. ’12) and Drinking From The Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung (#1 Feb. ’16).

Five of these debuted at #1.

The 9 x ARIA winners have generated half a billion global streams.

Congratulations to @hilltophoods on achieving their 6th #1 album with The Great Expanse. This is an #ARIACharts record for the most #1 albums for any Australian band or group! https://t.co/h9Qx4W44pm pic.twitter.com/ix3ChOLGx1

— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) March 2, 2019

ARIA CEO Dan Rosen said: “Congratulations to Hilltop Hoods on achieving their sixth #1 album.

“This is an ARIA record for the most #1s for any Australian band or group! This feat now places them behind only Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham and The 12th Man for most #1 albums on the ARIA charts by an Australian artist.”

Another track from the album, ‘Exit Sign’, featuring Ecca Vandal and a cameo from close ally Illy, has debuted at #44 on this week’s Singles Chart.

MC Suffa explains, “‘Exit Sign’ was one of the more collaborative moments on the album.

“One Above (who we’ve worked with on tracks such as ‘1955’, ‘I Love It’ & ‘Higher’) produced the song, Sarah Aarons wrote the hook and Illy & Ecca Vandal jumped on vocals with us.

“We find ourselves having less and less patience in a nightclub environment, and that’s basically the essence of the song and the film clip.

“We had a lot of fun making both and neither are meant to be taken too seriously.”

Hilltop Hoods were in Wellington, New Zealand when they got news of their new ARIA achievement.

They were on tour with Eminem, playing to 300,000 fans through Australia and New Zealand.

The Wellington show at Westpac Stadium set a new venue attendance record with 46,474.

It followed a concert attendance milestone at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with 80,708.

They’re back on the tour next month on Groovin’ The Moo, playing six major regional appearances between Friday, April 26 and Saturday, May 11.