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OLIVIA STARTS 2026 RIGHT, LORDE RETURNS TO TOP OF AOTEAROA ALBUMS CHART
Olivia Dean's reign on the Top 40 shows no sign of waning. 'Man I Need' has now spent more weeks at #1 than any single by a solo female artist, while only 6 UK artists have an album that has spent longer at #1 on the Official Albums Chart.
WHAM! GRAB ANOTHER CHRISTMAS #1, OLIVIA HOLDS OFF MR CHRISTMAS
In the week leading up to Christmas Day, it's no surprise that the Top 40 Singles Chart experiences an almost total festive takeover! Just as it did in 2024, 'Last Christmas' by Wham! takes out the #1 position.
OLIVIA DEAN HOLDS AT #1 ON TOP 40, SIX60 & MARLON WILLIAMS CLAIM AOTEAROA #1s
Olivia Dean continues to hold all Christmas classics at bay on the Top 40, while Six60 claim their 17th Aotearoa Top 20 #1 this wiki with their latest single ‘We Made It’.
OLIVIA LEADS THE WAY, KIWI REGGAE ON THE RISE
Chalk up another week for Olivia Dean as she maintains her grip on both the #1 Album and #1 Single positions with The Art Of Loving and Man I Need respectively. It's ten weeks now that the young English singer has managed the impressive double.
Elsewhere this week, the grand finale of Netflix show Stranger Things has an impact. The soundtrack moves to #29 on the Top40 Albums Chart while a couple of singles also shine. Not quite at the level of a Kate Bush moment ala the last season, but this year two artists who featured prominently grab the spotlight - one as an actor and songwriter, the other as a key musical contributor in the final episode. The former is Djo (aka actor Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington in the show) who returns to #3 on the Top40 Singles Chart with End Of Beginning. The song also went to #1 in the UK in the wake of the season final. The second is Prince whose iconic Purple Rain returned to the Top40 Singles last week and reaches #21 this week. It originally peaked at #8 in 1984.
Lorde holds on at the top of the Top20 Aotearoa Albums Chart while Te Tira Waiata o Te Pukawai do the same on the Top10 Te Reo Māori Singles.
Bruno Mars meanwhile makes a bold return with I Just Might, topping the Hot40 Chart and debuting on the Top40 Singles Chart at #7. Bruno's last appearance on the charts was his duet with Korean Kiwi ROSÉ with APT, which ultimately hit #1 in 2024.
The Hot20 Aotearoa Singles has a decidedly reggae-heavy tinge this week with House Of Shem dropping straight in at #1 with It's Too Late, a cover of Kiwi band of brothers Evermore's 2004 hit. House Of Shem, also comprising siblings Isaiah and Te Omeka Perkins alongside Dad Carl Perkins of Herbs fame, head off a few of Aotearoa's other much loved reggae voices - relative newbies Hori Shaw and Te Wehi at #2, and all-conquering veterans Katchafire who have remastered their 2003 debut album Revival and land at #3 with Reggae Revival.