You Say Party! Recapture #1

People glancing at this week's ampus chart might think they're in some sort of time warp.

Not only does the top 50 chart feature a #1 album returning after a four week hiatus, but the former top album has plummetted so far down the chart that it isn't even in the top 15 this week.

Additionally, two of 2009's longest charting albums make a command return after more than a month's albsence. All this turbulence can be explained by the lower than usual number of contributors covering airplay during the the historically erratic holiday period at most campus radio stations.

First of all, You Say Party! We Say Die!'s XXXX rises 12 places to recapture the #1 place this week. The Vancouver dance band haven't been at #1 since mid-November, having sat at #1 for four straight weeks during that time.

The King Khan & BBQ Show's Invisible Girl rises a place to #2, trading places with Tom Waits' Glitter And Doom Live, which drops to #3.

A large upward move among the most popular albums this week occurred for CFCF's Continent, rising 16 places to #4. This was only outdone by the #5 album, Said The Whale's Islands Disappear, which rockets back up the campus chart 27 places.

The XX's self-titled release jumps up two spots to #6, pushing The Parkas' You Should Have Killed Us When You Had The Chance down three spots to #7. The Flaming Lips' Embryonic — a former #1 — rises two positions to #8, while Girls' Album slips three places to #9.

The Chart Sizzler Award goes to Charlotte Gainsbourg's IRM which enters the chart this week at #10. IRM achieved a high charting position with little individual support. The album appeared on four charts between #19 and #22, only receiving significant chart positioning at #4 on CHUO (Ottawa).

Eric St-Laurent's Epoch was the runner-up new entry arriving at #12. Dojo Workhorse's Weapons Grade Romantic enters at #14, while Corb Lund's Losin' Lately Gambler debuts at #20.

We find Tegan And Sara's Sainthood, the former #1 album, between the last two debuts. The album sits at #18, probably the biggest one-week drop from #1 in the history of the weekly charts.

There have been numerous instances of albums reappearing on the chart after lengthy absences, and the returning entry at #33 may be a record. Julie Doiron's I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day last appeared on this chart on Aug. 23, 2009. That's 17 weeks ago! It also gives the album a total of 22 weeks on the chart.

Along with this unlikely return, Joel Plaskett's Three, which originally appeared on the campus chart 37 weeks ago (April 5) returns after last appearing in late November. Three now has charted for 23 weeks in total, moving it into a tie with The New Pornographers' Electric Version as the sixth-longest charting album ever.

The specialty charts featured less turnover than the campus top 50. Two of the charts feature the same #1 from the previous compiled top 10: CFCF's Continent on the Electronic chart and Felt's Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez on the Hip Hop top 10.

Even with the upper inertia, there was some significant movement below. There were three new entries on the Hip Hop chart — BlakRoc's eponyomous release at #6 followed by The Nope's Melba at #7 and Doom's Unexpected Guests at #10. The Electronic chart featured four re-entries and three debuts including Vitalic's Flashmob returning at #3, followed by If Then Do's M70 debut at #4.

Priestess' Prior To The Fire rises two places to capture the top spot on the Metal/Punk chart. Alex Cuba's self-titled work accomplishes the same feat on the World/Folk top 10, while Lori Freedman's Bridge leaps up five places to grab the #1 position on the Jazz/Blues top 10.