The leaders of Billboard’s pan-European charts each score another week at the top, with AC/DC’s “Black Ice” (Columbia/Sony BMG) into a fourth week at No.1 on Top 100 Albums and Guru Josh Project’s “Infinity 2008” (Bigcitybeats) a third on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.
“Ice” not only retains its crown in Germany and Greece but regains two leads that it lost last week, rebounding 4-1 in Hungary and 2-1 in Sweden. It holds at No. 2 in Switzerland and the Belgian region of Wallony and No. 3 in France in Austria, but falls 1-2 in Denmark and Flanders, 2-3 in Norway, 3-6 in Italy and 9-11 in the United Kingdom.
The new challenger to AC/DC’s European supremacy is Enya, whose “And Winter Came” (Warner Bros.) is in at No. 2 overall. The Irish AC singer enjoys prominent starts in Germany and Holland (both at No. 3), Switzerland (No. 5), the United Kingdom (No. 6), Italy (No. 7) and France (No. 9). It also climbs 18-4 in Flanders and 25-9 in Wallony. First-week U.K. sales of 35,000 for “Winter” compare to those of 55,000 for its predecessor “Amarantine” almost exactly three years ago.
Pink’s “Funhouse” (LaFace/Sony BMG) slips to a collective No. 3 after two weeks at No. 2. It’s down 3-4 in Germany, 2-5 in the United Kingdom and 3-5 in Flanders, but holds at No. 3 in Switzerland, No. 4 in Austria and No. 6 in France.
Classical crossover favorite Il Divo returns to the pan-European survey at No. 4 with its fourth album “The Promise” (Syco Music/Sony BMG). That’s fuelled by a chart-topping U.K. start on sales of 68,000, significantly down on a corresponding 166,000 for “Siempre” two years ago. “The Promise” is also new at No. 1 in Holland and Portugal, No. 2 in Ireland and climbs 24-3 in Flanders.
“High School Musical 3: Senior Year” (Walt Disney/Hollywood) falls to No. 5 after two weeks at No.3 on Top 100 Albums, despite climbing 6-2 in Hungary and holding at No. 2 in Austria. Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” (Vertigo/Universal) is also down two spots to No. 6, but does manage a 10-8 rise in Greece.
Celine Dion slips one place on the aggregate chart to No. 7 with “My Love – Ultimate Essential Collection” (Columbia/Sony BMG), even though it replaces Snow Patrol’s “A Hundred Million Suns” (Fiction/Polydor/Universal) at No. 1 in Ireland and climbs 18-6 in Portugal.
Seal’s new covers set “Soul” (Warner Bros.) is the big climber of the week, speeding 83-8 with the help of a 19-9 improvement in Portugal and a No. 17 start in the United Kingdom on sales of 22,000, his best showing there since “Seal IV” reached No. 4 in 2003.
The pan-European top ten is completed by two new albums, with German-based rock band Reamonn’s self-titled Universal Island set in at No. 9. That follows a No. 2 debut in Germany, where the single “Through The Eyes Of A Child” is steady at No. 7. Welsh rock trio Stereophonics enters at No. 10 overall with its best-of “Decade In The Sun” collection, which posts a No. 2 start in the United Kingdom with sales of 67,000.
“Infinity 2008” retains its Eurochart lead after holding at No. 1 in Flanders, No. 2 in France – where veteran Johnny Hallyday debuts at No. 1 with “Ca N’Finira Jamais” (WEA) – and No.3 in Holland. Beyoncé Knowles is into the runner-up spot on the Eurochart, moving 5-2 with “If I Were A Boy” (Columbia/Sony BMG).
