No other artist has dominated the NACC 200 over the last few years in the way British singer & songwriter Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, who records as Arlo Parks, has. Her debut LP, Collapsed In Sunbeams, spent a still-record 12 weeks at #1 in 2021. The first single from her latest release, My Soft Machine (Transgressive/PIAS), became just the second single ever to reach the Top 10 on the NACC 200 and peaked at #5 (higher than any single ever on the chart). All four preview tracks were the most-added singles the week of their release (something no one else has done). And now, with her 6-1 climb on the NACC 200 this week, she is a perfect two-for-two with LPs reaching #1 and moves within a week of Soccer Mommy’s record for the most cumulative weeks at #1 (14). She also rises to #1 on NACC Non-Comm and spends a second week at #1 on NACC NEXT.
Only one other artist has a chance to stop Arlo Parks from tying that #1 record next week. It’s Minnesota native Alicia Bognanno and her musical project, Bully. Their fifth album, Lucky For You (Sub Pop), soars from 16-2 this week after debuting on the NACC 200 last week. The album not only gains ground on Arlo Parks’ rising 14 spots to her five, but also gains in points on her as well. It should make for a fun battle for the top next week as Bully looks to obtain their second NACC 200 chart topper, following the three-week reign of 2020’s Sugaregg. Also worth a mention is The National’s rebound into the Top 10 this week, up 11-8 after peaking at #7 two weeks ago.
Led by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, have, by every metric, shown themselves to be one of the most successful Alternative Rock bands (and fighters of foo) of all time since forming in 1994. The 15-time Grammy winners and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have the fourth-most #1 Alternative Rock Radio #1s, the second-most cumulative weeks at #1 in the chart’s history and the second-most chart entries ever there as well. Their previous nine albums all debuted inside the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 (including two #1s). And that commercial success has not dampened College Radio’s love for the band. Their 11th LP, But Here We Are (on Grohl’s own Roswell imprint), is this week’s highest debut on the NACC 200, opening at #25. It’s the band’s first without longtime drummer, Taylor Hawkins, who died in 2022.
Making the biggest climb into the NACC Top 20 this week is London-born musician Nabihah Iqbal. Her second LP is titled DREAMER (Ninja Tune) and its her first since 2017’s debut, Weighing Of The Heart, making this the first opportunity we’ve had to feature her here in our weekly chart recap. She began making her own music while working as a human rights lawyer and used the name Throwing Shade until 2017, when she reverted to her birth name. DREAMER leaps from 33-18 this week.
‘Most-added honors’ goes to Brooklyn quartet Beach Fossils. They’ve been making music together since 2009 after band frontman and North Carolina native Dustin Payseur moved to NYC in 2008 to pursue music. The band’s members now have four studio albums under their collective belts with the newly released Bunny (Bayonet) joining their growing catalog. The album collects 63 Top 10 Adds this week and scores one of the Top 5 highest debuts on the NACC 200, opening at #62.
Damon Albarn is having a very good year. His band Gorillaz reached the Top 10 on the NACC 200 earlier this year. And now his other musical project, Blur, is back with the first single from their upcoming ninth LP, The Ballad Of Darren, due July 21. First single, “The Narcissist,” is their first music since 2015 and rises 2-1 at NACC Singles this week. There is a tie for the most-added single this week. They are also the only two singles to reach the NACC 200 Top 30 Adds. Blond Redhead (who are celebrating their 30th anniversary as band this year) are back after a nine year break with “Snowman,” the first single from their 10th LP, Sit Down For Dinner, due September 29. Margaret Glaspy is also back with “Act Natural,” the first single from her forthcoming third LP, Echo The Diamond, which comes out August 18.
