Music News - Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran top NZ charts
18 December 2014 - 0 Comments
The Official New Zealand End of Year Charts have been released by Recorded Music NZ today (18 Dec.) with the international superstars taking the honours.
Happy by Pharrell Williams broke a 36-year-old record for the most weeks at #1 after chalking up 15 weeks atop the Singles Chart. The record was previously held by Boney M’s 1978 double-sided single Rivers of Babylon / Brown Girl in the Ring.
The five-times platinum hit easily comes in at the top of the 2014 charts, selling twice as many copies as any other single this year and beating out newcomer Meghan Trainor's breakthrough hit All About That Bass at #2.
In November the Singles Chart also celebrated an important first when on demand audio streaming began contributing to the official standings.
Sitting on top of the 2014 Albums Chart is English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran with his second album X.
X was #1 on the Albums Chart for six non-consecutive weeks. He achieved seven Top 40 singles in 2014, two of which spent time at #1; Sing and Thinking Out Loud.
Ed Sheeran is followed closely by last year’s chart toppers Sol3 Mio with their 7x platinum self-titled album finishing at #2 in 2014.
Recorded Music NZ chief executive officer Damian Vaughan says the End of Year Charts are a reminder of the fantastic singles and albums released in 2014.
“2014 has been another great year for music with a 36-year-old record being broken. We’ve also modernised the Singles Chart with the inclusion of streaming. As New Zealand’s music consumption habits change in the new era, so does the chart to accurately reflect music popularity.”
Top Selling Albums
After Ed Sheeran and Sol3 Mio is 1989 by country-turned-pop star Taylor Swift at #3 on the Albums Chart.
In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith finishes at #4 and Disney soundtrack Frozen: The Songs by various artists rounds out the top five.
#1 and #2 in the 2014 New Zealand Artist Albums Chart belong to Sol3 Mio and Lorde’s Pure Heroine respectively. Both albums continue to be enormously popular as they retain the same positions they held in 2013.
Rock is well represented with Devilskin’s We Rise finishing at #3 on the New Zealand Artist Albums Chart and #8 overall.
FVEY by veteran rockers Shihad also makes an impact as the fifth most popular Kiwi album of 2014. Their album debuted at #1 earlier this year which ties them with Hayley Westenra as the only Kiwi acts with five #1 albums.
Pop duo Broods has taken out both #4 and #6 with Evergreen and Broods EP respectively.
Top Selling Singles
John Legend’s All of Me rounds out the top three singles of 2014 behind Happy and All About That Bass.
Sam Smith’s soulful vocals in Stay With Me helped propel the single to #4 while Taylor Swift’s smash hit Shake it Off claims #5.
Freaks by Timmy Trumpet and Savage is the #1 song in the New Zealand Artists Singles Chart. It was not only the highest-selling Kiwi track of the year but also one of the most streamed songs.
Ginny Blackmore and Stan Walker team up to take #2 with their track Holding You. Next is Broods and the hit single Bridges.
Lorde claims the last two spots in the Kiwi top five with Royals at #4 and Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 feature track Yellow Flicker Beat at #5.
About The Chart: The Chart is produced by Recorded Music New Zealand from statistics gathered from data collection agency RadioScope. Lists are based on the year-to-date chart-eligible sales figures as collated from January 1 to December 11 (inclusive).
For more information on the Official NZ Top 40 Chart, please see:
http://www.nztop40.co.nz/
www.facebook.com/officialnzmusicchart
www.twitter.com/officialnzchart
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