Jimmy Barnes – defiant by name, defiant by nature. The beating heart of Australian rock ‘n’ roll today extends his own chart record, maintaining the ARIA record for most #1 albums by any artist in Australian chart history. An impressive 22 albums have topped the chart over Jimmy’s storied career – DEFIANT is his 16th #1 as a solo artist, added to 6 #1 albums with Cold Chisel.
The album is a testament to an unparalleled drive for greatness in the face of adversity. Over the last few years, several major surgeries, including a life-threatening heart operation, put the iconic rocker flat on his back. Each time he clambered to his feet, something else knocked him down again. As always Jimmy’s response was to just keep getting up and punching back, delivering a new studio album that has already received widespread critical acclaim, alongside a national tour with glowing reviews.
“An album is successful to me when I put everything down on tape. It is even more successful when those feelings connect with other people. To have my album hit number one is the cherry on top of all that. I am loving playing this bunch of songs. I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my audience. So thanks to you all.” – Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy’s continued chart achievements are nothing short of impressive. Jimmy holds his place as the Australian solo artist with most #1 albums (16) and leads the overall chart-topping tally for all solo artists globally on the Australian charts, ahead of Taylor Swift (13) and Madonna (12). As if that weren’t astounding enough, Jimmy holds the global record for most number one albums in a home territory, more than The Beatles (14)!
“The Barnes and Gudinski families are just that, family. Jimmy has been an integral part of Mushroom since his debut solo album Bodyswerve in 1984, I am extremely proud to be celebrating another #1 album, his 16th solo number #1, 41 years later. The DEFIANT album highlights Jimmy is showing no signs of slowing down.” – Matt Gudinski – Chief Executive, Mushroom Group.
Jimmy Barnes #1 Albums
Bodyswerve (1984)
For The Working Class Man (1985)
Freight Train Heart (1987)
Barnestorming (1988)
Two Fires (1990)
Soul Deep (1991)
Hits (1996)
Double Happiness (2005)
The Rhythm And The Blues (2009)
30:30 Hindsight (2014)
Soul Searchin’ (2016)
My Criminal Record (2019)
Flesh And Blood (2021)
Soul Deep 30 (2022)
Blue Christmas (2022)
DEFIANT (2025)
Cold Chisel #1 Albums
Swingshift (1981)
Circus Animals (1982)
Twentieth Century (1984)
The Last Wave Of Summer (1998)
Blood Moon (2019)
50 Years – The Best Of (2024)
