New Zealand Records Break Records Themselves

Local musicians are setting new all-time records on the national music Chart, reports the RIANZ charts' independent compiler Media Sauce.

South Auckland rapper Dei Hamo’s We Gon’ Ride  is the country’s new #1 song this week, knocking NZ Idol runner-up Michael Murphy’s So Damn Beautiful to #2, to create the first time in history in which there have been six local #1 singles in a calendar year.

The previous record was five, having been first set in 1970, then equalled in 1999 and again just last week.

This year’s run of success all began in February when Scribe scored his second #1 with Dreaming. Ben Lummis was next in May when They Can’t Take That Away spent seven weeks on top, going four times platinum in the process. Then came hip hop duo Misfits Of Science’s Fools Love for four weeks in July. Adeaze teamed up with newcomer Aaradhna to take Getting Stronger to #1 in August for a week. Then just last week Murphy’s So Damn Beautiful debuted on top to equal the previous record - now it’s been broken.

Meanwhile, over on the Albums Chart another record has been equalled this week, and now looks likely to fall in coming weeks, making 2004 an unprecedented year for Kiwi music on the charts.

The most local #1 albums in a calendar year is seven - which first happened in 2001.

This week, the new #1 'Into The West' by Christchurch-based Yulia, knocking the Finns to #2, ties that record.

Others to chalk up local #1 albums so far this year are Hayley Westenra ('Pure'), Adeaze ('Always And For Real'), Ben Lummis ('One Road'), Goldenhorse ('Riverhead'), Brooke Fraser ('What To Do With Daylight') and The Finn Brothers ('Everyone Is Here')

www.medianstrip.com