AC/DC‘s “Iron Man 2” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) starts a second week atop Billboard’s European Albums chart, as “Alors On Danse” (Mosaert/Vertigo) by Belgian singer-songwriter Stromae moves into a sixth non-consecutive week at No. 1 on European Hot 100 Singles.
The “Iron Man 2” release has a second-week decline in the United Kingdom (1-3), Germany and Switzerland (both 1-2). But it compensates by holding at the summit in Ireland and Austria, rising 4-1 in Norway, 2-1 in the Belgian region of Flanders, 4-3 in Denmark, 9-6 in Portugal, and debuting at No. 1 in Sweden and No. 4 in Italy.
All those European sales keep AC/DC ahead of Bullet For My Valentine‘s “Fever” (Jive/Sony Music Entertainment), which opens at No. 2. The Welsh rock band’s third studio set is in at No. 5 in the United Kingdom, on sales of just under 22,000. Also strong in the GSA territories, the act debuts at No. 2 in Austria, No. 3 in Germany and No. 7 in Switzerland.
Spending yet another week in the pan-European top three, and a 68th on European Albums in total, Lady Gaga‘s “The Fame” (Interscope/Universal) dips 2-3, but improves 10-5 in Holland and 16-12 in Portugal.
Next come three climbers on the composite chart. Meat Loaf rises 9-4 with “Hang Cool Teddy Bear” (Mercury/Universal), Unheilig‘s “Grosse Freiheit” (Universal) is up three places to a new peak of No. 5 and Plan B‘s “The Defamation of Strickland Banks” (679/Atlantic/Warner Music) jumps 10-6. Meat Loaf is strengthened by a No. 4 debut in Germany, where Unheilig is back up 2-1. The Plan B album returns to No. 1 in the United Kingdom, where it debuted two weeks ago, on new sales of 41,000.
Making way for those titles, Black Eyed Peas‘ “The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)” (Interscope/Universal) dips 4-7, but improves a place to No. 7 in Portugal. Usher‘s “Raymond V. Raymond” (LaFace/Sony Music Entertainment) is new at No. 8, after selling 40,000 for a No. 2 start in the United Kingdom. Its single “Omg,” featuring wil.i.am, holds at No. 2 there and rises 2-1 in Ireland.
Paris-based “neo-tango” outfit Gotan Project‘s new album “Tango 3.0” (XL Recordings) debuts on the pan-European survey at No. 9, after rising 8-3 in Flanders, 8-6 in Switzerland and 16-8 in Italy. The group’s 2006 album “Lunatico” reached No. 6 in its second week on European Albums. Completing the Europe-wide top ten, Amy Macdonald falls five places from No. 5 with “A Curious Thing” (Mercury/Universal).
Stromae, otherwise known as Brussels-born Paul van Haver, is at No. 1 again on the French and Dutch singles charts, climbing 3-1 in Denmark, 2-1 in Switzerland, Flanders and Wallony and soaring 18-2 in Italy.