Sheppard Knock Off Pharrell To Land #1 Single

Independent Brisbane band Sheppard have climbed to the top of the ARIA Singles Chart this week, with their single Geronimo bulleting from 18 to clinch #1.

Signed to Chugg Music and distributed by MGM, the track has knocked off Pharrell Williams' Happy, which has been chasing down ABBA's Fernando to become the most successful chart single in Australian history. Geronimo hit the top of the iTunes chart on Tuesday and though midweek chart figures showed that they were around the top five, a strong second half to the week has pushed them right to the top.

It's a stunning effort from the band, who've been rising steadily since debuting in the top 50 three weeks ago and will be vindication for management and label group Chugg Music and one of the country's most respected independent distributors in MGM. The song also becomes just the second local number in 2014 - with 5 Seconds Of Summer's She Looks So Perfect being the other.

With Happy at two and Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne's Rather Be at three, the other big mover was Sia's Chandelier, which jumps six places to four this week. Released through Inertia, that makes Sia and Sheppard the only independent releases in the top 37 spots.

Another Aussie crew also rose into the top five, with Peking Duk featuring Nicole Millar's High up from seven to five.

Aussie rapper 360 also had a strong debut, with Lit It Up, featuring Pez, landing at 21. His other track Sixavelli, featuring Lunar C, debuted at 76.

In the ARIA Albums Chart Ball Park Music have just missed out on a number one with Puddinghead being held out by INXS' The Very Best (its seventh week at number one). Dan Sultan's Blackbird sold strong as well, debuting at four. On the Digital Albums Chart, Ball Park Music came in at one, Sultan at two.

The Used entered at 12 with Imaginary Enemy, ABBA with ABBA Gold (Anniversary Edition) at 13, Tim Campbell's High School Disco at 25 and Marcia Hines' Amazing at 27.