AC/DC returns to the top of Billboard’s European Top 100 Albums chart with “Black Ice” (Columbia/Sony BMG), as Britney Spears secures a second week atop Eurochart Hot 100 Singles with “Womanizer” (Jive/Sony BMG).
“Black Ice” moves 3-1 in its ninth week on the survey, which it led for four weeks in late October and November. It moves 6-3 in Denmark and 7-5 in Switzerland, holding at No. 5 in France. It regains the crown ahead of another strong resurgence, as Il Divo’s “The Promise” (Syco Music/Sony BMG) rises from No. 8 to a new peak of No. 2 in its fifth week. The crossover classical set remains No. 1 in Greece and climbs 3-2 in both Sweden and the Belgian region of Flanders. A 13-5 rise in the United Kingdom, and weekly sales of 88,000, is prompted by a promotional spot on ITV’s “X Factor.”
Two Warner Bros. releases also enjoy a good pan-European week. Enya’s Reprise set “And Winter Came” moves 4-3 overall, fuelled by climbs of 2-1 in Flanders, 5-3 in Switzerland, 7-5 in Sweden and 6-5 in Holland. “Winter” is static at No. 5 in Wallony and No. 9 in Spain. Meanwhile, Seal’s “Soul” continues its good form with a 9-4 aggregate jump, a new peak in its sixth chart week. The covers set is up 2-1 in France and holds at No. 1 in Wallony, also climbing 17-12 in the United Kingdom.
Pink is at No. 5 again on the pan-European list with “Funhouse” (LaFace/Sony BMG), thanks partly to a 6-4 climb in Switzerland. It holds at No. 10 in the United Kingdom. Take That improves one place on last week’s composite No. 7 entry after securing a second week atop the U.K. chart on sales of 319,000, which make for a running total to last weekend of an impressive 751,000. The album’s also up 3-1 in Ireland.
The Killers’ “Day & Age” (Vertigo/Universal) is down a place to No. 7 overall, although it arrives at No. 8 in Greece and moves 6-5 in Denmark, and holds at No. 5 in Ireland. In the United Kingdom, where it’s down 2-3, the set is certified double platinum for shipments of 600,000 units.
Leona Lewis climbs 12-8 with her repackaged “Spirit” debut (Syco Music/Sony BMG), after improving 3-2 in the United Kingdom and 4-3 in Ireland. But Spears’ “Circus” album comes down to earth after last week’s No. 1 debut on Top 100 Albums, crashing to No. 9. There’s consolation in a climb of 5-4 in Denmark and in the continuing sales of “Womanizer,” which leads the Eurochart again after rising 4-1 in France, 2-1 in Flanders, 4-3 in Ireland and 9-8 in Italy.
Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” (Black Frog/Geffen/Universal) also suffers a sharp decline, falling 2-10 in its fourth week on Top 100 Albums. It’s down 1-7 in Poland and 11-20 in the United Kingdom, but debuts at No. 3 in Greece.
