Chet Faker Closing In On #1 Record

Melbourne alt R&B star Chet Faker is closing in on a number one record this week, with midweek figures showing his record Built On Glass as the biggest threat to INXS's The Very Best.

INXS remained number last week despite the hard-charging Ball Park Music, whose Puddinghead missed out by a mere 22 sales. INXS are still tracking well this week and Faker has emerged as the main challenger. Again, sales in the last couple of chart catchment days before Friday night will be critical.

Australian music legend Russell Morris remarkably scored his first ever top ten album last year with Sharkmouth, which eventually peaked at six, but his new album Van Diemens Land is set to break that record this week. Continuing in the theme of Australiana, his collection of myths and tales from down under has a real chance of debuting in the top five this week. It's currently tracking ahead of The Voice contestant Harrison Craig's L.O.V.E.

Another debut will come from Melbourne's Saskwatch, whose Nose Dive will debut around the 40 mark, behind the likes of Black Label Society's Catacombs Of The Black Vatican, the soundtrack to Divergent, Rachael Leahcar's Here Comes The Sun, Cliff Richard's The Fabulous Rock 'N' Roll Songbook and ahead of American Authors' Oh, What A Life.

ABBA's ABBA Gold is having a strong week of sales, as are on-tour Bliss N Eso with their most recent record Circus In The Sky.

Jessica Mauboy's album Beautiful is experiencing a sales bump, but the midweek figures are showing even greater gains for her single Never Be The Same in the ARIA Singles Chart.

The track will move into the top ten, which is currently led by Sheppard's Geronimo – a track that today is still top of the iTunes Charts. They knocked off Pharrell Williams' Happy last week, which is stuttering while within reach of being Australia's most successful chart single ever.

Coldplay's Magic will climb from 16 while Justin Timberlake's Not A Bad Thing and John Martin's Anywhere For You are also enjoying bumps. Debuts will come from Samantha Jade's Up!, Ellie Goulding's Beating Heart, Short Stack's Television and Katy Perry's Birthday.

One track that doesn't feature in the midweeks is The Amity Affliction's new single Pittsburgh, which crashed three servers and shot to the top of the iTunes charts yesterday. It's currently sitting at three.