Chart Beat - 3 January 2026

Into a new year we go, so it's statistics time. During January I will post some statistics updated to the end of 2025. To start, let's look at who charted the most weeks in 2025 in the main four charts. K Pop Demon Hunters logged in an amazing 156 weeks in the Singles Chart with their seven singles. That's the third most for an artist in a calendar year. Only Ed Sheeran (164 in 2017) and L.A.B. (169 in 2021) charted more. On the Album Chart that honour goes to Taylor Swift who charted 71 weeks in 2025. She also topped the list in 2023 with 93 chart weeks. Over on the NZ Singles Chart it's Te Wehi with a staggering 240 chart weeks. Last week he had seven singles in the Top 20 so it's not hard to work that out. Finally, The award for most weeks in the NZ Album Chart, once again, goes to Six60 who logged in 68 weeks. That's the sixth time they have taken that title since records began in 2012.
The first new chart sees four new singles as Christmas hits are evicted.
Dave has the first new entry for the year with Raindance at #25. It's his third Top 40 single.
EsDeeKid places 5 Raws at #25. It's the rappers second hit.
Rein Me In from Sam Fender is new at #36. it's his first single to chart here despite four UK top 10 hits. The track was remixed with Olivia Dean and comes from his third album People Watching.
Sienna Spiro has the other new entry at #40. Die On This Hill is the first hit for the British singer who is known for her deep alto voice. It's also her first top 10 hit in the UK.
Thy Will Be Done follows their last Thy Kingdom Come into the chart for $uicideBoy$ . It was released on Christmas Day and debus this week at #10.
It's the only new album in the chart however we are only two number ones away from a 900th number one. Could that belong to Charli XCX who drops Wuthering Heights in February or maybe Lana Del Rey with her album Stove due later this month.

Chart Beat - 9 January, 2026

It's January and we continue our look at chart statistics to the end of 2025. Ed Sheeran holds onto the top spot for most singles weeks charted. He now has 858 chart weeks. Taylor Swift may have had 12 singles chart in 2025 but she remains second on 705 weeks. In comparison, Sheeran has 52 hit singles and Swift 134. Sheeran averages 16.5 weeks per hit and Swift 5.2. The rest of the Top 5 shows Justin Bieber at #3 (603 weeks), Six60 at #4 (600 weeks) and Madonna at #5 (589).
Albumside the Top 5 is unchanged with Six60 charting the most weeks (1157), Ed Sheeran (1053), Taylor Swift (930), Elton John (819) and Pink Floyd (628). Bob Dylan continues to chart the most albums with 41 with Van Morrison and Elton John sitting on 39.
Speaking of statistics, one to watch at the moment is most non-consecutive weeks at number one. Olivia Dean takes Man I Need onto 14 weeks at the penthouse, just one week shy of the record. Pharrel Williams and Alex Warren currenly hold that spot. She also retains the top album with The Art Of Loving for an 11th week. That breaks the record of a double number one set by Abba back in 1976 with single Fernando and album The Best Of Abba. Dean has held the double now for nine weeks.
We have one new single in the Top 40. Los Angeles girl group KATSEYE list their sophomore hit Internet Girl at #34.
Now an interesting re-entry. It's been 18 years since Prince had a hit single and, 41 years since Purple Rain charted. In 1984 the song peaked at #8. The track is back at #20 due to it's use in the Netflix series.Stranger Things. If you get a chance, look for the 19 minute live version. The soundtrack to the series debuts at #23.
The other new album comes from Maoli. Born Glenn Awong in Hawaii his last album spent 77 weeks in the Top 40 peaking at #13. This week, his second, Last Sip Of Summer, is new at #26

Chart Beat - 16 January, 2025

For three years in a row the statistic for shortest song to hit the Top 40 has been broken. In 2023 Billie Eilish took the one minue no second Hotline to #33. In 2024 it was Eminem with the 41 second Trouble and last year a new record, set by Jack Black. His Steve's Lava Chicken lasted only 34 seconds. On average, new entries from 2025 lasted only 3:12, which is the shortest since 1970. The longest song belonged to Ozzy Osbourne with his poshumous hit No More Tears. The song, originally released in 1991, lasts 7:23. Incidentally, the shortest number one is Doja by Central Cee from 2022. It lasts just 1 minute 37 seconds.
We only had 8 number one singles last year. That's the lowest in the charts 50 year history. The closest to that was 10 set in 1978, 1993, 2009 and 2016. 1975 also had 8, but that was from an 8 month period.
The nineteenth hit single from American Bruno Mars is this weeks highest new entry. I Just Might at #7 comes from his upcoming album The Romantic due end of February.
35 year old Luke Combs also has a new album on the way. Lead single Sleepless In A Hotel Room debuts at #30 and is his fourth Top 40 hit.
Staying with country, newcomer Ella Langley is new at #31 with Choosin' Texas. The 26 year old debuted her first album in 2024 with number two on the way.
Te Wehi and Hori Shaw take out the top two kiwi singles this week with second hit Catch A Wave debuting at #32 on the Top 40. It's not often a duet by the same two artists take out the top two spots.
Three new albums, with Zach Bryan taking the highest newbie. With Heaven On Top is the country artists sixth album and third Top Ten here.
Australian The Kid Laroi (Charlton Howard) places Before I Forget at #9. This is his third album entry since 2020.
Dry Cleaning is an English post-punk band from South London. Secret Love, new at #28, marks their first look at a New Zealand chart but is their third album.

Chart Beat - 23 January, 2026

No new records set last year in the album chart unless you consider "the double". That's where an artist holds the top spot in the same week with the same album and single. That record belonged to Abba who held that record for 49 years from 1976. The single was Fernando and album The Best Of Abba for 9 weeks. That record has now been beaten by Olivia Dean, who now holds that record at 12 weeks with single Man I Need and album The Art Of Loving. Speaking of which, this week Man I Need makes it 16 weeks at the top, breaking the record for most weeks at number one for single. Most consecutive weeks at the top stays with Boney M from 1978 with 14 weeks at the top for Rivers Of Babylon.
Some interesting statistics remain with U2 having the most consecutive number one albums (13); and the most consecutive compilation artist albums for 28 weeks with six albums in 1990/1991.
Victoria Walker (aka PinkPantheress) has the highest of three new singles at #23 with Stateside.
Ed Sheeran has a big week with his third single from Play at #33. Camera is his 53rd Top 40 single. Azizam re-enters at #26 with the album jumping 7 notches to #3.
Gunna rounds off the new singles at #37 with wgft. You don't want to know what wgft stands for. It's not nice!
A$AP Rocky debuts at #4 with Don't Be Dumb. His fourth solo album is his first in eight years.
Madison Beer also scores a top 10 album on entry. Locket is the American singers third hit album here and highest entry by a long shot.
Enhypen drops in at #23 with THE SIN : VANISH. The South Korean boy band consists of seven members and formed through a 2020 survival competition.
English punk duo Sleaford Mods open their account at #39 with The Demise Of Planet X. Consisting of Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn, they formed in Nottingham back in 2007.

Chart Beat - 30 January, 2026

It's long been thought the Singles chart is a chart for teens whilst the album chart belongs to an older age group. A look at the age of every artist in this weeks Top 40 (with the exception of EsDeeKid and Hori Shaw who don't disclose their age) shows some interesting results. The youngest is 20 year old Sombr and eldest 40 year Old Bruno Mars. That takes the average age to 27.5. Prince would have been 67 had he been still alive but I took his age at 26, the age he was when he released Purple Rain. Next week, lets compare it with the album chart. Incidentally, where a group charts I took the average age of the group.
Olivia Dean holds firm for a 17th week with single Man I Need, album The Art Of Loving for a 14th week, and the double for a 13th week. Sheesh!
The last time we heard from Harry Styles was way back in 2022. Now, with a new album on the way, his 16th hit single enters the chart in style. New at #3, Aperture is the only new single in this weeks Top 40. It's the lead single from his forthcoming album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, due in March.
Megadeth have the highest of four new albums. The self titled disc is their 17th and final long player, and will kick off their final tour. New at #5, it is ironically the highest they have charted in Godzone since they came on the scene in 1988.
Speaking of One Direction (which we weren't unless you mention Harry Styles) Louis Tomlinson charts his third album at #16. How Did I Get Here? is described as more light hearted than his last album.
Auckland's Fazed On A Pony debut with Swan at #26. This may be their first time in the Top 40, but it is their second full length album.
Finally, American country singer Lainey Wilson debuts at #39 with Whirlwind. Her fifth album is the first to chart here for the 33 year old. Her father is Brian Wilson - no relation to the Brian from The Beach Boys.

Chart Beat - 6 February 2026

Last week we looked at the average age for an artist in the singles chart. That average was 27.5. It's long been thought the singles chart belongs to a younger age group whilst the album chart reflects an older age group. A look at this weeks chart shows some interesting figues. There's actually not much difference. That average sits at 28.4 with the youngest being Yoonchae Jeung from KATSEYE at age 18 and the eldest Scott Philips from Creed at age 52. As with the singles chart, there are several who don't discclose their age. Compare that to the same week 40 years ago, the average age in the Top 40 was 33.2 with the youngest Caitlín O'Riordan from The Pogues at age 21 (in 1986) and the eldest Tina Turner at then age 47. That blows that myth out of the water.
Olivia Dean continues her stranglehold with single Man I Need now at 18 weeks at number one. So Easy (To Fall In Love) remains at #2 where it has been for 11 weeks, another record for the Brit holding onto the top two.
American Noah Kahan had a great run in 2022 with Stick Season. Well, he's back with a new album in April. The title track and lead single from that album, The Great Divide, debuts at #13 as this weeks only new single.
American rapper Don Toliver has the first of two new albums at #3. Octane is the 31 year old's fifth long player and highest entry to date.
New Zealand based bluegrass supergroup You, Me, Everybody debut at #34 with Midnight. The quintet released their debut EP back in 2020 which peaked at #13 on the NZ albums chart. This is their first entry in the Albums chart.