Jimmy Barnes has overcome health battles, including numerous surgeries to his heart, back and elsewhere, and he’s blasted to No. 1 with the appropriately titled DEFIANT.
With the album blowing to the summit of the ARIA Chart, published Friday, June 13th, Barnes extends his record for most leaders. The rocker has 22 career No. 1s, including 16 as a solo artist and six as a member of Cold Chisel.
“DEFIANT is the No. 1 album in the country. I am so proud of it. It means a lot to me,” he says in a social post.
He continues, “For me, an album feels like a success the moment I get everything I need to say down on tape. When those songs connect with other people — that’s when the real magic happens.”
Barnes last enjoyed the sweet taste of chart victory in August 2024, when Cold Chisel’s 50 Years – The Best blasted to No. 1. The legendary rockers reunited for a massive 50th anniversary tour in support of the retrospective, shifting more than 250,000 tickets.
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Born in Scotland, the 69-year-old singer has collected six ARIA Awards as a solo artist and was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005. Cold Chisel was elevated back in 1993.
“The Barnes and Gudinski families are just that, family,” comments Matt Gudinski, CEO of Mushroom Group, on Barnes’ latest towering achievement. “Jimmy has been an integral part of Mushroom since his debut solo album Bodyswerve in 1984, I am extremely proud to be celebrating another No. 1 album, his 16th solo number No. 1, 41 years later. The DEFIANT album highlights Jimmy is showing no signs of slowing down.”
DEFIANT is one of two homegrown albums on the ARIA Top 50, published Friday, June 13th. The other, Spacey Jane’s third LP If That Makes Sense, improves 23-21 in its fifth week on the survey.
His first top-charting album came in 1984 with Bodyswerve, followed by For The Working Class Man in 1985, Freight Train Heart in 1987, Barnestorming in 1988, Two Fires in 1990, Soul Deep in 1991, Hits in 1996, Double Happiness in 2005, The Rhythm And The Blues in 2009, 30:30 Hindsight in 2014, Soul Searchin’ in 2016, My Criminal Record in 2019, Flesh And Blood in 2021, Soul Deep 30 in 2022 and Blue Christmas in 2022.
Currently, Barnes’ personal tally of No. 1s is well clear of The Beatles’ 14, Taylor Swift’s 13 and Madonna’s 12.
The veteran singer is currently on the road with his DEFIANT TOUR for 2025, produced by Frontier Touring and MG Live.
Jimmy Barnes No. 1 Solo 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 No. 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)
