Vance Joy Officially 2022's Biggest Australian Album (So Far)

The ARIA Albums Chart has seen a huge number of Aussie successes this year, but one album has smashed the field, streaming three times more than any other, our spotlight on Australian streaming numbers has found. Vance Joy has cemented his place as Australia's biggest album export, with his album In Our Own Sweet Time close to topping 200 million Spotify streams. Joy is only battling daylight, with Flume's Palaces taking out the runner up position with just over 60 million. 

We looked at every Australian album to debut in the Top 10 this year, with 31 albums achieving the impressive feat, but a big first week does not necessarily mean ongoing support from fans, with the lowest entry, Vanessa Amorosi's City Of Angels sitting below 200,000 streams. The study has revealed that big promo doesn't necessarily equate to big consumption, with well-publicised albums from the likes of Daniel Johns and Midnight Oil gaining between 60 and 90 times less traction than Vance Joy's chart topper.

Joy has had a similar stellar result on the radio charts, with his song Clarity easily taking out the title of most played song on Australian radio for 2022. With over 267 million impressions and nearly 30,000 spins, the Melbourne hitmaker is also sitting inside the Top 10 with Missing Piece adding another cool 20,000 spins in 2022 to the tally. This comes after the hit track took out the most played of 2021 to add to the trophy cabinet. 

His global all-time stream count is now sitting at above 3 billion (yes that's with a 'B'), with ten songs across his albums achieving platinum or multiplatinum status here at home, showing longevity and consistency across his three albums.

In his biggest tour yet coming up this October and November, Vance Joy is playing the Sydney Myer Music Bowl and the Opera House Forecourt, venues reserved for only the biggest Australian artists of all time. So what is it about the unassuming Melbourne songwriter that cuts through to mainstream audiences across the world?

Mushroom boss Matt Gudinski has been at the coalface, watching the rise of Vance Joy across the globe, from the breakout of Riptide after the label signed him in a decade ago through to his latest album success. 

"At the core, it’s great songs and genuine lyrics," he said. "Vance Joy has been delivering incredible songs consistently since his first release almost a decade ago. Pair that with the breadth of his appeal and you have a combination that has seen Vance Joy build a truly global audience that spans generations."

Joy's manager, Unified's Rachel Tulloch, puts his success down to his ability simply concentrate on making great music rather than being sidetracked by industry or fame. 

"It's about authenticity. Vance Joy writes timeless songs that resonate with audiences of all ages," she said. "He stays true to who he is, and doesn’t change to follow trends. He takes his time and only releases music that he can stand behind. At the end of the day, what you see is what you get with him. In a world where the Kardashians are seen as role models, it’s his authenticity that shines through, and what his fans connect with."

The list of Top 10 debuts also shines a light on the strength of Australian independent operations with just six of the thirty-one debuts signed directly to one of the three major labels. Whether the phenomenon is a reflection of artists taking back control or labels focusing their rivers of streaming gold on international artists, time will tell, but with strong operations like Mushroom, Future Classic, Unified and ABC seemingly taking up the slack, having Australian artists in Australian hands is a trend we can get on board with. 

Australian Top 10 Album Debuts 2022 (By Streaming)