I’ve decided to rank each album that appeared on the ARIA top 50 for this year based on how well they did on my albums of the 2010’s list from last year, although I should point out that I’ve included albums on this list that were a hit earlier in the decade to show just how reductive the year end lists and indeed the ARIA charts had become throughout the decade here in Australia.
This is the most successful album of all time not just in Australia but worldwide, at least it's never-ending chart run will have you believe that due to its refusal to die on the charts.
Peak position #1x27
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Shape of you #1
Castle on the hill #2
Drive #5
Galway girl #2
How would you feel #2
Supermarket flowers #19
Perfect #1
Happier #16
One of the biggest mistakes I made on my old site was listing every time this second album from Ed Sheeran recharted here in Australia, suffice to say, I won't be making that mistake again and will only be including its success upon its initial release on this ranking.
Peak position #1x8
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Sing #1
Don't #4
Thinking out loud #1
Make it rain #26
Bloodstream #7
Photograph #9
Up until very recently, this was Adele's final album in her catalogue as she wanted to retire on a high note in her career, she's since changed her mind and released a new album which has also been a massive success.
Peak position #1x8
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Hello #1
When we were young #13
Send my love #13
Water under the bridge #23
If we're going by album sales, this was the most successful album of the decade worldwide thanks to Adele's vocals being able to unite many demographics in a way few others have been able to do in recent memory.
Peak position #1x32
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Rolling in the deep #3
Someone like you #1
Set fire to the rain #11
Turning tables #34
This will forever be Taylor Swift's magnum opus, mainly because it's the point where she transitioned from a country pop star into a pop diva among the likes of Katy Perry and Rihanna in addition to retaining the critical acclaim that she achieved from her earlier work.
Peak position #1x9
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Shake it off #1
Out of the woods #19
Welcome to new York #23
Blank space #1
Style #8
Bad blood #1
Wildest dreams #3
New romantics #35
This debut album from Ed Sheeran was another entry that charted on multiple occasions throughout the decade, again its ranking is based purely on its initial release as opposed to when it became a success when he released his earlier entries on this list as is the case with several of these albums from successful artists.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #3 physical)
Hit singles
The a team #2
Lego house #4
Drunk #9
Give me love #9
Small bump #14
Much like Frozen, Moana is one of the rare Disney products released in recent years to live up to the magic of the company's heyday thanks to telling a compelling story and having good music to go along with it.
Peak position #2
(#2 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
How far I'll go #15
This was a flop upon its initial release, mainly because it only came out due to the band finally calling it quits in 2011 after a long and tumultuous career. It became a massive hit here three years later when their biopic became a success on Australia TV.
Peak position #1x7
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Never tear us apart (reissue) #11
Keith Urban had an impressive run this decade here in Australia, mainly because of his presence in reality TV (particularly on the Voice Australia) which helped him find success after nearly two decades of obscurity here with this being his biggest album to date.
Peak position #1x2
(#2 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
The fighter #19
This is another album to be critically panned that was nonetheless a success worldwide this decade, such was the popularity of Taylor Swift that her fans would make this a hit for her over many other bands and artists of the day.
Peak position #1x2
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Look what you made me do #1
Ready for it #3
Gorgeous #9
Call it what you want #16
End game #36
Delicate #28
This was initially a flop for Post Malone when it first came out, likely due to audiences not wanting to give the man who broke through with "White Iverson" any success in the music industry. It became a success for him thanks to a live performance of one of the tracks on the album going viral for him.
Peak position #5
(#8 digital, #9 physical)
Hit singles
Congratulations #30
I fall apart #2
It took her five years to follow up her previous entry on this list, however it appears that even with this gap as well as P!nk being at a disadvantage due to not being on every streaming playlist, this still managed to be a huge success for her here in Australia.
Peak position #1x6
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
What about us #1
Beautiful trauma #25
Whatever you want #44
Revenge #21
This is the third album from Bruno Mars's catalogue, it wasn't quite as successful as his first two albums, however it was still more popular than most of the albums released this decade combined.
Peak position #3
(#2 digital, #4 physical)
Hit singles
24k magic #4
That's what I like #5
Finesse #6
Rock bands were really struggling for mainstream relevancy by the second half of the decade, although I'm sure many people reading this would disagree with this being a rock album given that the songs are more in line with EDM than with rock. This is another album that would qualify for my comeback list for the record.
Peak position #4
(#1 digital, #7 physical)
Hit singles
Believer #33
Thunder #2
Whatever it takes #34
Trolls is a film I haven't seen yet, mainly because I'm well and truly into my adulthood and only watch children's media if there's some nostalgic connection they have to my childhood. I guess many adults did have this connection (or had their own kids to watch it with) as both the film and soundtrack was a massive worldwide success.
Peak position #1x3
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Can't stop the feeling #3
I feel these albums from the Marvel franchise that are presented as mixtapes (given they were exactly that in universe) were successful more for the songs that appear on the album rather than them being from a successful franchise given how none of the other soundtracks from Marvel properties have found success over the years.
Peak position #2
(#2 digital, #2 physical)
This is another album on this list that would qualify for my comeback list, after all, JB had released an album two years prior to deafening silence due to him being cancelled for his questionable behaviour that I won't go over on this site. Suffice to say, this was the redemption ark that his career needed.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
Where are u now #3
What do you mean #1
Sorry #2
I'll show you #16
Love yourself #1
Kendrick Lamar was inescapable this decade, so it only makes sense that he would score three appearances on this list with this being his most successful thanks to it spawning one of the biggest hits of the decade worldwide.
Peak position #2
(#1 digital, #5 physical)
Hit singles
Humble #2
DNA #16
Loyalty #20
The film remains polarising to audiences to this day (as well as a critical disaster) however few will argue that the soundtrack did a good job in selling the film as well as winning over fans (which includes me) which explains why this was a massive success upon its initial release.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Heathens #3
Sucker for pain #7
This wasn't quite as successful for Sam Smith as their debut album from earlier on this list, however this was mainly because they hadn't conquered the streaming platforms when they released this album like they since have with their more recent material. Their third album was a huge success despite it being heavily delayed.
Peak position #2
(#1 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
Too good at goodbyes #1
Pray #41
Sing is a film I feel gets too much flack, mainly because while it is a predictable story looking to cash in on the success of reality singing shows, it's ultimately harmless and contains several decent covers made by the cast (who can at least all sing.) Audiences seemed to agree with this sentiment as both the film and soundtrack were a massive success worldwide.
Peak position #2
(#2 digital, #2 physical)
This is certainly a surprise entry, mainly because Paul Kelly never had much success with his albums here in Australia and hadn't had a hit in thirty years before he released this album. Indeed, this is the first major success he had in twenty years since his greatest hits package from 1997.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
This was a bigger hit here in Australia from the Marvel franchise; however, I'm only going by original chart runs for making this list which means that this album was less successful than the second edition as some of its success came when the second volume came out three years after this did.
Peak position #2
(#1 digital, #7 physical (eventually #6))
This album would've been bigger here in Australia were it not pushed aside on streaming services in the mainstream, although at least it was a massive success here and in her homeland for Lorde which is more than I can say internationally where it was a flop for her despite its critical acclaim.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
Green light #4
Liability #42
Perfect places #44
Homemade dynamite #23
This was a surprise hit for RagNBone man, a British artist who you'd think would be on a tiny indie label but wasn't and so, wasn't able to benefit from any promotion from Triple J like so many other artists with this sound were able to on this list. I guess audiences were really impressed with his booming voice on the album.
Peak position #3
(#3 digital, #5 physical)
Hit singles
Human #17
The secret daughter was such a popular TV series here in Australia that its second season managed to also produce a massive soundtrack and even a hit single for its star Jessica Mauboy, although that hit was as such on our digital charts which is why it didn't appear on the biggest hits of the decade list.
Peak position #2
(#3 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Fallin #11
From what I can gather (because I didn't watch it) the Secret daughter is a show that explores themes of family connections as Jessica Mauboy plays a character claiming to be a daughter of a wealthy family to claim their inheritance (it may have connotations to the stolen generation due to her being first nations.) She plays a lounge singer, which of course means the soundtrack for season one was a massive success.
Peak position #1x3
(#3 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Wake me up #34
This was a greatest hits album that became a success multiple times this decade, again we're only looking at how well it did initially given how much nostalgic love there's been for the band and its lead singer Jimmy Barnes.
Peak position #2
(#1 digital, #2 physical)
This is another Australian act to make it big through Triple J to find massive success during the second half of the decade, this is impressive given how it was an indie band with punk roots which doesn't have any traction on streaming services. Who knows how big they would be were it not for streaming services dominating the mainstream these days.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
Let me down easy #49
Even though this album was critically panned by critics upon its initial release, it still managed to be a massive success for Eminem which goes to show how much love the rapper had with his worst material compared to other artists who had a ton of critical acclaim this decade.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #3 physical)
Hit singles
Walk on water #10
River #2
This is an album that would've been higher on this list had it not lingered in the lower half of the charts during the height of its popularity, I guess this is one of those albums that heavily benefitted from streaming services which didn't translate here in Australia given how we didn't incorporate streaming data onto our album charts until the last stretch of the decade.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #10 physical)
Hit singles
Starboy #2
I feel it coming #7
Party monster #33
This will be the only album from a member of 1D that will be appearing on this list, at least it was from by far the most popular member of the group especially if we're looking at their solo careers as Harry has been on a roll in the 2020's with his subsequent follow ups.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
Sign of the times #1
Sweet creature #39
This is an album that will forever come back during every Christmas season due to it getting pulled from shelves (both digital and physical) at the start of every year, it's the album of choice that audiences tend to play during the holiday season.
Peak position #1x5 (original run)
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
(will forever continue to rechart during each Christmas season)
We have a third appearance from the Foo fighters for this list, it likely would've appeared much higher had it not had to compete against the rise of streaming data albums from the likes of Drake and Ed Sheeran benefitted from during the second half of the decade.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
I told you this album would be on this list, as much of a disaster it was (which is what you get for pandering to the Twitter crowd) it had enough of a fanbase upon its initial release who were at least intrigued at Katy's attempts at being taken more seriously compared to her earlier work.
Peak position #2
(#4 digital, #2 physical)
Hit singles
Chained to the rhythm #4
Bon appetite #35
Swish swish #22
This is a Christmas album from John Farnham and Olivia Newton John, this was the latter's second Christmas album this decade as she collaborated with her BFF from Grease which was far less well received than this was.
Peak position #1x2
(#3 digital, #1 physical)
I have no idea why the soundtrack to the remake of Disney's Beauty and the beast was a success when it was, mainly because the singing has been heavily criticsed by fans of the original whilst the film is the first of many remakes to completely ruin the original due to it seemingly being constructed by people who spend all of their time on social media rather than fans of the older films and/or the fairytales they're based on.
Peak position #4
(#3 digital, #6 physical)
This was initially a minor success for Tash Sultana upon its initial release, however when one of the singles appeared high on Triple's annual list for 2016, it managed to rebound on the charts which ensured it a spot on this list for the Australian indie singer.
Peak position #8
(#3 digital, #9 physical)
Hit singles
Jungle #39
Well, this is certainly an interesting entry, mainly because we have covers of Tina's catalogue from the likes of Jimmy Barnes and Jessica Mauboy in addition to a collection of her biggest hits throughout her career. This is also the first time she acknowledges her debut album as the singles from there also appear on this list despite her previous hostility towards it.
Peak position #2
(#2 physical)
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