A truly record-breaking feat
AUSTRALIAN country music icon Slim Dusty has today spent an incredible 800 weeks in the ARIA charts with his best-of album.
It was 15 years ago in mid-1999 when The Very Best Of Slim Dusty was released and it has stayed in the Top 40 Country Music chart ever since.
The album is now the longest-charting in the country category and is five times platinum with sales exceeding 350,000.
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Dusty’s wife and long-time writing partner Joy McKean said the source of her late husband’s success was his penchant for telling real stories.
“This milestone is a testament to his dedication and the strength of great songs that continue to impact the lives of Australians today.”
The compilation includes a selection of memorable hits including A Pub With No Beer, Lights On The Hill, Duncan and Looking Forward Looking Back.
John O’Donnell, managing director of EMI Australia, Dusty’s record label, said he wasn’t surprised by the continuing legacy.
“Slim was a remarkable songwriter, musician, and entertainer, but he walked a perfect line between being a true Australian icon and a regular bloke,” O’Donnell said.
“His legacy runs deep with all Australians. And what a fitting album to reach this incredible milestone — a collection of his most memorable songs from across the years.”
From a country music perspective, Dusty now holds the record for the most weeks spent in the charts, beating The Dixie Chix on 610 weeks and Johnny Cash on 605 weeks.
Over the course of his nearly seven decade career, Dusty scored a staggering 37 Golden Guitar Awards and two ARIAs.
At the time of his death, he was producing his 106th album for EMI. In 2007, his Australian record sales surpassed a remarkable seven million.
Dusty died in 2003 aged 76 after a long battle with cancer.