Tom Waits Takes A Record Fifth Album To #1

Post-holiday chart activity as as unpredictable as ever and with more and more radio station music directors getting back in the saddle this week, we have some unusual results on the campus radio chart for Jan. 10 to 16. If anything, it's even more volatile than last week's results.

First of all, there's a new #1 album courtesy Tom Waits, a veteran of the college radio wars. His latest album, Glitter And Doom Live, rises two places to capture the #1 spot on this week's charts.

Holding this spot on the campus charts is nothing new for this wily old veteran. Since engaging in his musical comeback a decade ago, all but one of his six most recent releases have topped the campus charts, beginning with his Grammy Award-winning The Mule Variations which held the #1 position for seven straight weeks in 1999.

Waits' other #1 albums include 2002's Blood Money, 2004's Real Gone and the triple-album release, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, which remained at #1 for three weeks exactly three years ago.

The only album in that period to not hit #1 was Alice, which Waits released concurrently with Blood Money. Alice reached #4 when Blood Money was also in the top 10.

Waits' live album pushes You Say Party! We Say Die!'s XXXX down to #2 in its 14th week on the chart. Tegan And Sara's Sainthood, a former #1, returns from the middle of the chart pack to land at #3, followed by Animal Collective's Fall Be Kind EP, rising 15 places to grab the #4 position.

Charlotte Gainsbourg's IRM, last week's Chart Sizzler, rises five places to #5, pushing Said The Whale's Islands Disappear down a place to #6. The Flaming Lips' Embryonic rises a position to secure the #7 spot. CJSW's radio compilation, Sweet Treats jumps 15 places to sit at #8.

Somebody had to suffer the consequences with all this upward movement. The King Khan & BBQ Show's Invisible Girl falls seven places to #9, followed by the high-flying new release from Toronto dance duo Woodhands. Remorsescapade rockets 26 places up the chart to hold the #10 position this week.

The Chart Sizzler Award goes to Vic Chesnutt, who passed away this past Christmas. Skitter On Take-Off, his second release of 2009, enters the campus chart at #11. In fact, Chesnutt's previous album, At The Cut, re-enters the chart at #20 after over a month's absence. Obviously, programmers across the country were honouring Chesnutt's passing by playing both of his recent releases.

The runner-up new entry is Kurt Vile's Childish Prodigy, arriving at #18. Two of the most anticipated albums of the new year arrive back-to-back this week. Owen Pallett's Heartland arrives at #27, followed by Vampire Weekend's Contra at #28. These two releases should be battling for the #1 spot in a couple of weeks.

There's little change at the top of the five specialty charts this week. Three feature the same #1 as last week: Alex Cuba's self-titled release on the World/Folk chart; Lori Freedman's Bridge on the Jazz/Blues top 10 and CFCF's Continent on the Electronic chart.

Converge's Axe To Fall recaptures the #1 spot on the Metal/Punk chart after a couple of weeks absence. The only truly new album at #1 is D-Sisive's Jonestown, which rises two places to grab #1 on the Hip Hop top 10.