David Bowie Makes Six Debuts On ARIA Albums Chart, Including #1 For 'Blackstar'

As if there was any doubt about the way the world feels about David Bowie, the celebrated late performer has mirrored the results on this week's UK Charts in Australia, with a stellar 17 albums making an appearance on the newly released ARIA Charts, including six debuts.

As expected, the very top of the crop comes via new LP Blackstar, which topples Adele's until-now dominant recent LP 25, which slips to #2 after seven weeks at the top. Bowie immediately makes his presence felt again with Nothing Has Changed (The Best Of David Bowie), at #3, bringing his entries in the top 10 to a hat trick with next-best effort — and second-highest debut — Best Of Bowie, which makes its entrance at #9.

Additional debuts come for the Thin White Duke from his releases The Best Of David Bowie 1969-1974 (#14), 1980-1987 (#30) and 1974-1979 (#49), with his final new entry coming a ways down the ladder at #72, for Sound & Vision. In and around the fresh entrants, Bowie also pops up at #21 (The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars), #23 (The Next Day), #35 (Aladdin Insane), #37 (Let's Dance), #41 (Diamond Dogs), #42 (Heroes), #45 (Hunky Dory), #52 (Scary Monsters), #83 (Low) and #95 (Station To Station).

Despite very much feeling like the only person of import this week, Bowie isn't alone in the debut stakes, let alone strong placers, with Adam Brand & The Outlaws' self-titled LP making the highest non-Bowie debut at #6, and the Straight Outta Compton soundtrack earning #15 on entry. Additionally, the week still sees strong results for Justin Bieber (Purpose, down two to #4), Elvis Presley (If I Can Dream, steady at #5), Taylor Swift (1989, down four to #7), Ed Sheeran (X, down four to #8) and the Molly soundtrack, which rounds out the top 10 at the cut-off.

As with the UK charts, Bowie-mania hasn't quite penetrated the Singles stakes as deeply, though the celebrated performer's eight entries, including two debuts, are still nothing to scoff at. His highest-placing single is classic cut Space Oddity, which kicks things off for the Starman at #31, a few spots ahead of Heroes, which makes its re-entry at #36. Collab track Under Pressure, recorded with Queen, is also inside the top 50, resting comfortably at #42. A little further down come Starman (#54) and Let's Dance (#63), just ahead of his two debuts, with Lazarus stepping out at #72 and Changes making its inaugural chart appearance at #80; his final effort in the rankings coming from Life On Mars? at #88.

However, Bowie's mammoth presence does not discount the efforts of other artists, especially on this ladder, where Justin Bieber reigns supreme for another week with Love Yourself, doubling up his top-five presence with Sorry, down a spot to #4 this week. In the intervening spaces, Jonas Blue steps up to the plate with Fast Car (featuring Dakota) at #2, while Snakehips' All My Friends, featuring Tinashe and Chance The Rapper, claims #3. The top five tracks are closed by Shawn Mendes' steady Stitches.