Jimmy Barnes makes ARIA history with 18th career #1 album

Jimmy Barnes has broken his own Australian record, attaining his 18th #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart with his new solo effort Flesh And Blood. 

The new album, which toppled Olivia Rodrigio’s six-week run in top position for her debut SOUR, becomes Barnes’ 13th solo record to hit #1, extending the record he set in 2019 with My Criminal Record and Cold Chisel’s Blood Moon. 

Barnes has now achieved more #1 records than any other artist in the history of ARIA, eclipsing acts such as Madonna, Bon Jovi and U2.

In a fitting move, Barnes dedicated Flesh And Blood to the memory of longtime friend and Mushroom boss Michael Gudinski, who was working on the album’s release strategy prior to his death in March, and thanked Bloodlines managing director Warren Costello and his brother-in-law Mark Lizotte (aka Diesel) for assisting on the record.

“I don’t take any of this for granted,” Barnes said.

“Firstly, I’d like to thank all the people who are still willing to listen to my new music after all these years. I hope they get as much pleasure from listening to it as I get from making it.

“I’m also deeply grateful to Warren and the whole staff at Bloodlines and the Mushroom Group. Michael loved to call them ‘the A Team’ and they’ve certainly shown that yet again with all their hard work promoting Flesh And Blood.

“I also want to thank my brother-in-law Mark Lizotte for writing most of the songs on the album with me and, lastly, I’d like to thank my Jane and our beautiful family for continuing to inspire me, and for being such a huge part of this record.”

Mushroom Group CEO, Matt Gudinski, commended Barnes on the record and highlighted the connection between both families.

“The Barnes and Gudinski families are just that – family. The relationship between my dad and Jimmy was one of the most successful partnerships in Australian music history,” Gudinksi said.

“To deliver Jimmy his 13th number one album is something that brings great pride and joy to all at Mushroom and is something my dad would be immensely proud of. Jimmy is one of a kind and we love him. Congratulations Barnesy.”