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Guy's still a hit with decade's No.1 song SAM KELTON January 07, 2010 12:01am  ADELAIDE'S Guy Sebastian has the No.1 single in the ARIA end-of-decade charts released today. Confirmed as the true Australian Idol, it was Sebastian's debut single, Angels Brought Me Here, that beat the likes of The Black Eyed Peas, Pink and fellow Idols Shannon Noll and Anthony Callea. Sebastian said yesterday the 2003 song was a grand entry into the music industry. "The success of the song still hasn't sunk in after seven years," Sebastian said. "I guess its success is due to it being a well-written pop ballad, coupled with the fact that it's perfectly suited to my voice and also my back story." Sebastian said its success was the catalyst of his huge success in Australia. "The show was mostly responsible for the song's enormity, but still I'm glad I was the guy standing there at the end singing it," he said. "I love the song, will never tire of it, and I love that my country has enabled me to keep doing what I do." Australian acts featured strongly throughout the end-of-decade album and single charts, with Delta Goodrem's debut album Innocent Eyes selling a remarkable 1.2 million copies since its release in 2003 to top ARIA's end-of-decade sales chart. "Innocent Eyes was such a special moment in time. It's the reason I feel so connected to Australia," Goodrem said. "Only recently someone pointed out to me that 29 weeks is 7½ months at No.1. That's a long time. When you're in the thick of it that doesn't really sink in. It's phenomenal. "The only people I can thank is everyone who has the album." Goodrem added a call for celebration that Australian artists had performed so well up against the juggernauts of modern music. "The fact there's two Aussies at No.1 is the way it should be," Goodrem said. "It's the same as supporting our sporting teams. We should support our music." The early incarnations of the Australian Idol franchise dominated the singles chart with three contestants in the top five. Shannon Noll's cover of the Moving Pictures' hit What About Me was the decade's fifth most popular single. Noll, who this week has moved on from Sony Music, the record label that signed him, said he was stoked by the news. " I still love performing that song and feel lucky to have had the opportunity to record such a brilliant song," he said. "I'll always be grateful for the kick-start it gave me, and I'm really appreciative of all the fans who went out and bought it." The rise of reality television programs certainly made its impact on the decade but so did a number of less than impressive singles. The Ketchup Song by Las Ketchup, Axel F by Crazy Frog and Wheatus's Teenage Dirtbag were easily forgettable singles but many gave into temptation. Juggernauts Coldplay and AC/DC featured reasonably low in the list considering the bands' enormous following in Australia, coming in at 19 and 36. The five top-selling albums were all by female artists, including Australian favourite Pink, who came in at No.2 and No.3 with her albums I'm Not Dead and Funhouse. Three of her live DVDs were also among the decade's five top-sellers, alongside Dutch violinist Andre Rieu, who had six in the top 20. Additional reporting CAMERON ADAMS http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0...5006343,00.html |
