Illy Lands #1 Aus Debut As Leonard Cohen Climbs The Charts

Aussie talent continues to reign supreme on the ARIA Albums Chart, as Melbourne rapper Illy lands his first Aus #1 debut with Two Degrees.

Illy’s fifth studio album claiming the top prize marks a record number nineteen Aussie #1s in 2016. It’s also his second top ten release.

After Leonard Cohen’s tragic death last week, his fourteenth and final studio record, You Want It Darker, was potentially going to block the Melbourne muso from his first #1 debut, soaring up 18 spots to #2; rivalling his previous ARIA Albums Chart peak in 2012 with Old Ideas.

The Essential Leonard Cohen has also cracked the top 15 to place #12, while the Canadian singer-songwriter’s Live In London, Popular Problems and Songs Of records re-enter the charts, and classic single Hallelujah appears on the Singles Chart.

Aussie music icons John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John’s festive compilation, Friends For Christmas, scored a #3 debut followed – unsurprisingly - by Michael Buble’s 2011 Christmas release, with Phil Collins’ The Singles re-entering the charts (#6) and Sting’s fifteenth studio LP, 57th & 9^th claiming at #9 debut.

A Tribe Called Quest’s glorious return, We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, debuted at #13, while other notable debuts come from Cliff Richard’s Just... Fabulous Rock 'N' Roll (#15), Emeli Sande's Long Live The Angels (#20), Archie Roach's Let Love Rule (#24) and In Flames' Battles (#38).

Over on the Singles Chart, James Arthur’s Say You Won’t Let Go holds onto #1 for its sixth consecutive week, with new music from Zara Larsson, Samantha Jade & Cyrus, Childish Gambino also appearing.