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
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
The Greatest showman is a film that divides audiences to this day, it's either seen as nonsense made for the Twitter crowd or a heartfelt story meant to highlight the struggles of the minorities exploited for the Barnum's circus which admittedly is a strong telling thanks to the performances from the cast.
Peak position #1x8
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
This is me #10
This is one of those albums that refuses to die on the album charts, heck it's still in the top twenty as we speak now that country music seems to be dominating streaming services (as of this writing.) It was initially a flop for the country singer; however, it quickly grew a fanbase as more and more country fans discovered streaming services in recent times.
Peak position #7
(#2 digital, #6 physical)
There was no escaping Post Malone during the second half of the decade, so much so that his second album proved to be more successful for the rapper/singer than many well-established artists of the decade which of course confirmed him as a household name with its success.
Peak position #1x2
(#2 digital, #6 physical)
Hit singles
Rockstar #1
Candy paint #19
Psycho #1
Better now #2
Paranoid #10
Ball for me #14
Spoil my night #19
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
While the film does have its critics for historical accuracy (and OK the editing is bizarre in some scenes) the biopic for Queen was rightfully a critical and commercial success upon its initial release and kickstarted the trend of telling fictionalised events of the rise (and in some cases falls) of popular musicians of yesteryear.
Peak position #1x4
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
If I were to redo my comebacks list, this would be a shoe in for the list as Lady Gaga's career was just about dead when she starred in the fourth adaptation of A star is born to critical and commercial success thanks to her love for the source material.
Peak position #1x11
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Shallow #1
Always remember us this way #12
I'll never love again #15
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
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
I won't comment on how this album managed to become a success worldwide, what I will say is that despite how successful this album was, few if anyone will tell you that it's a good album due to everyone feeling it's a bunch of filler tracks.
Peak position #1x3
(#1 digital, #8 physical)
Hit singles
God's plan #1
Nice for what #1
I'm upset #17
Emotionless #12
In my feelings #1
Nonstop #5
Don't matter to me #3
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
This was an album that Eminem released after the critical disaster that was Revival (which is still to come on this list) it proved to be more of a critical success for him enough to restore his popularity for the second time in his career.
Peak position #1x4
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Greatest #15
Kamikaze #13
The ringer #5
Lucky you #4
Killshot #11
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 the third time that this album became a success for Queen, mainly because of the success of Bohemian rhapsody which did a fantastic job in introducing their back catalogue to a new generation of fans.
Peak position #3
(#2 digital, #2 physical)
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
This was released to deafening silence in 2000, likely because the world felt there was no need for a third edition of this series of Queen albums given how the second edition came out mere months prior to Freddie's untimely death. It finally became a success thanks to the success of their biopic from earlier on this list.
Peak position #4
(#4 digital, #7 physical)
This greatest hits package became a massive success multiple times throughout the decade here in Australia, had I bundled all of its success together, it easily would've been the most successful greatest hits album of the decade and arguably of all time.
Peak position #1x13
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Raise your glass #1
Fucking perfect #10
This is an album that was mired in controversy since its initial release, it was a modest success upon its initial release but was spiked in popularity when the rapper tragically passed away shortly after its release where it's stuck to the bottom half of the album charts ever since.
Peak position #2
(#5 digital)
Hit singles (pre death)
Sad #9
Changes #47
Hit singles (post death)
Sad #4
Changes #15
This will be the only album to appear on this list from Shawn Mendes, Illuminate was a hit but too much of a sleeper hit to make the cut whilst his other albums were a complete flop here in Australia.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
In my blood #9
Lost in Japan #27
Youth #19
This is an album that was extremely lucky to have any amount of success when it did given how Amy Shark was an indie artist who definitely wasn't capable of competing with streaming services when she released her debut album, this might have been one of the biggest of the whole decade had it not been pushed aside for the likes of Drake and Ed Sheeran from earlier on this list.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Adore #3
I said hi #6
Mess her up #29
This will be the only album that will ever be a success for Travis Scott, mainly because of a disastrous event that is named after this album that I won't talk about but has since rightfully gotten this guy cancelled in the music industry.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital)
Hit singles
Sicko mode #6
Stargazing #10
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
This was meant to be a comeback album for Ariana Grande, not that her previous album was a flop but rather it was mired in controversy due to her displaying public behaviour that was highly contentious throughout the decade. It was a massive hit for her; however, she still felt the need to rush release a follow-up that was far more successful as we've seen on this list.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #3 physical)
Hit singles
No tears left to cry #1
God is a woman #5
Breathin #8
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 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 to date the penultimate album from Keith Urban, its appearance on this list is impressive considering how it had to compete with streaming services which he certainly wasn't gaming during the second half of the decade like Ed Sheeran or especially Drake.
Peak position #2
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Parallel line #47
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
The greatest showman was such a cultural phenomenon that a covers album was commissioned where some of the biggest names in music put their stamp on the showtunes from the film which proved to be a massive success here in Australia.
Peak position #4
(#1 digital, #5 physical)
Hit singles
A million dreams #26
One of the only other films from the Marvel franchise to find success with their soundtracks is Black panther, mainly because it managed to spawn a couple of huge hits on streaming services but also due to the film being billed as a celebration of black culture which of course worked well with audiences of colour.
Peak position #2
(#2 digital, #5 physical)
Hit singles
All the stars #2
Pray for me #9
This remains Cardi B's only studio album in her catalogue, although she has been fairly controversial since her breakthrough with the lead single for a multitude of different reasons. Let's just say that her comparisons to Nicki Minaj was the least of her problems which is why she struggles for mainstream relevancy nowadays (as of this writing.)
Peak position #5
(#4 digital)
Hit singles
Bodak yellow #33
I like it #14
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 should be much higher on this list given how Vance Joy is another artist who struggled to compete with streaming services during the last stretch of the decade, indeed the singles from this album were massive hits on our digital charts that also failed to find much success on our main charts.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
Lay it on me #18
We're going home #16
Saturday sun #47
While this soundtrack wasn't as successful as its predecessor from a decade prior, the film managed to be a huge success likely due to having a more coherent plot than the original as well as the singing (for the most part) being a massive improvement over its predecessor.
Peak position #1x2
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
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)
I'm not sure why the 50 shades darker soundtrack wasn't as well loved as the other two entries, however what I do know is that the third film from the critically maligned franchise was a massive hit here in Australia.
Peak position #4
(#2 digital, #4 physical)
Hit singles
For you #15
I bet you weren't expecting a second album from Panic at the disco on this site of mine were you? Technically this is a solo album from Brendan Urie who kept the name once the band broke up in 2015. Even so this was mainly a success due to the lead single being a surprise hit worldwide for him.
Peak position #1x1
(#1 digital, #1 physical)
Hit singles
High hopes #7
This is the last album from Michael Bublé to find any sort of success in his catalogue, even though it suffered due to him not being able to compete with streaming services (save for his Christmas album of course) I'm willing to bet its lack of success was more due to him making the strange decision to release this during the holiday seasons as it competed with his Christmas album.
Peak position #2
(#3 digital, #1 physical)
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