Official New Zealand Music Chart


The Official New Zealand Music Chart is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ. The Music Chart also includes the top-20 New Zealand artist singles and albums and top 10 compilation albums. All charts are compiled from data of both physical and digital sales from music retailers in New Zealand.

Methodology

The singles chart is currently sales and streaming data of songs. In June 2014 it was announced that the chart would also include streaming; this took effect for the chart published 7 November 2014 and dated 10 November 2014. Previously airplay was factored into the chart methodology as well.

History

Prior to 2004, RIANZ also published an annual ranking chart of singles and albums released in New Zealand. Position was awarded by a simple scoring system whereby a number one in one week gets 50 points, a number two gets 49 points and so on, then all weeks are added together. From 2004 onwards, however, the annual charts have songs positioned based on the number of sales for that year.
From April 2007 to October 2011, the charts were displayed and archived at the website radioscope.net.nz which listed 13 different charts, most notably RadioScope100 and NZ40 Airplay Chart. In November 2011, RIANZ launched an updated chart website. The new Chart website also provides the ability to listen to song previews, view music videos, and buy tracks and albums.

40th anniversary

In May 2015, Recorded Music NZ celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Official NZ Top 40 Music Charts. An event was held at Vector Arena in Auckland and featured performances from 16 artists from New Zealand and overseas who had previously achieved various chart milestones, including most number ones, most chart entries, most weeks in the chart and most weeks at number one.
As part of the celebrations, a limited edition single pressed on red vinyl was released, with Tiki Taane's song "Always on my Mind" and Scribe's song "Stand Up".
The following chart achievements were noted:
; Singles
; Albums
From June 2016, the method of determining certifications was changed to a points-based system based on a combination of physical sales, digital sales and online streams. For singles, 175 streams is considered equal to one sale. For albums, the Stream Equivalent Album system is used.
A single qualifies for gold certification if it exceeds 15,000 points and platinum certification if it exceeds 30,000 points. An album qualifies for gold certification if it exceeds 7500 points and platinum certification if it exceeds 15,000 points. wholesale sales to retailers. For music DVDs, a gold accreditation represents 2,500 copies shipped, with a platinum accreditation representing 5,000 units shipped.
Format / productGoldPlatinum
Singles15,00030,000
Albums7,50015,000
Music DVDs2,5005,000

Chart records

Artists with the most number-one hits

These totals include singles when the artist is 'featured'—that is, not the main artist.
ArtistNumber-one
singles		Longest runTotal weeks at
number one
The Beatles14 ‡"Hey Jude" 31
Justin Bieber9"Despacito " 44
Katy Perry9"Roar" 30
Michael Jackson8"Beat It", "Black or White" 28
U28"One Tree Hill" 23
Rihanna8"We Found Love" 33
Mariah Carey8"I'll Be There", "Endless Love" 19
Eminem7"Without Me" 29
Akon7"Moonshine" 23
Bee Gees7"Tragedy" 17
Beyoncé6“Sweet Dreams 13
Chris Brown6"Forever" 26
The Black Eyed Peas6"I Gotta Feeling" 20
ABBA6"Fernando" 17
Kanye West6"Knock You Down" 16
Post Malone6"Rockstar" 15

New Zealand artists with the most number-one hits

These totals includes singles when the artist is 'featured'—that is, not the main artist.
ArtistNumber-one
singles		Longest runTotal weeks at
number one
Scribe4"Stand Up"/"Not Many" †20
John Rowles3 ‡"Tania" 6
Mr. Lee Grant3 ‡"Thanks To You" 6
Lorde3"Royals" 5
Deep Obsession3"Lost in Love", "One & Only" 5
Savage3"Moonshine" 17
Jon Stevens2"Jezebel" 7
Mark Williams2"It Doesn't Matter Anymore" 7
Stan Walker2"Black Box" †7
P-Money2"Stop the Music", "Everything" †6
3 The Hard Way2"Hip Hop Holiday" 4
Avalanche City2"Love Love Love" 4
Ginny Blackmore2"Bones", "Holding You" †2
Tex Pistol2"Game of Love", "Nobody Else" 2

Singles with most weeks at number one

;Key
YearArtistSongTotal weeks at
number one
2014Pharrell Williams"Happy" *15
1978Boney M."Rivers of Babylon"14
2016Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla"One Dance"13
2017Ed Sheeran"Shape of You" *13
2017Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber"Despacito "13
1975Freddy Fender"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" *12
2003Scribe "Stand Up/Not Many" *12
1992Whitney Houston"I Will Always Love You"11
1993UB40"Can't Help Falling in Love" *11
2005Crazy Frog"Axel F" *11
2009Smashproof featuring Gin Wigmore "Brother"11
2011LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock"Party Rock Anthem"11
2013Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I."Blurred Lines" *11
2013Katy Perry"Roar"11
1973Tony Orlando & Dawn"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"10
1976Pussycat"Mississippi"10
2008Lady Gaga"Poker Face"10
2009/2010Stan Walker "Black Box"10
2015/2016Justin Bieber"Love Yourself"10
1976ABBA"Fernando" *9
1976Elton John and Kiki Dee"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" *9
1986All of Us "Sailing Away"9
1995Coolio featuring L.V."Gangsta's Paradise" *9
2002Avril Lavigne"Complicated"9
2009The Black Eyed Peas"I Gotta Feeling"9
2011Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris"We Found Love"9
2012/2013Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz -"Thrift Shop"9
2014/2015Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars"Uptown Funk"9
2018Drake"God's Plan"9
2019Tones and I"Dance Monkey" *-

List of certified albums

The following is a list of albums that have been certified by the Recorded Music NZ.

Gold

Two times