James Blunt and Madonna continue Warner Music International’s rule at the top of Billboard’s pan-European sales charts, while two Sony BMG acts, RCA’s Kelly Clarkson and Ariola’s Eros Ramazzotti, show fresh legs with album sales in the region.
Blunt’s all-conquering “Back To Bedlam” (Atlantic) leads European Top 100 Albums for the eighth consecutive and ninth aggregate week. It stays at No. 1 in Switzerland and enjoys climbs of 6-4 in Sweden and 6-5 in Holland. Blunt now has the top two titles in Switzerland, where “Chasing Time – The Bedlam Sessions” is up 3-2, although the combined CD/DVD release is down 8-10 in France.
Meanwhile, Madonna spends an eighth consecutive week at No. 2 with “Confessions on a Dance Floor” (Warner Bros.), climbing 6-5 in Germany. The pop star also leads Eurochart Hot 100 Singles for a second week with “Sorry.” Although the single falls 1-4 in the United Kingdom, 2-3 in Holland, 4-5 in Switzerland and 5-9 in France, it’s still No. 1 in Italy, climbs 4-3 in Norway and debuts at No. 5 in Germany.
Clarkson’s long-running “Breakaway” moves to a new peak of No. 3 on Top 100 Albums after three consecutive weeks at No. 7. It has new sales traction in Switzerland (11-4), Denmark (8-4) and Germany (17-9). The single “Because of You” debuts at No. 3 in Switzerland and spends a 14th straight week in the top 40 of Official U.K. Singles Chart, dipping 27-34.
Ramazzotti’s “Calma Apparente” moves up 10-6 on the aggregate chart, climbing 3-2 in Italy and 8-6 in Germany. His duet single with Anastacia, “I Belong To You,” holds at No. 1 in Switzerland and No. 2 in Germany, and climbs 3-2 in Austria.
There’s one new entry in the top ten of Top 100 Albums, at No. 10, for English singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled debut album for Good Groove/EMI. The album, which contains last week’s No. 2 U.K. hit “Put Your Records On,” sells 108,000 copies in its first week there, according to the Official U.K. Charts Company. It is a notable sales total for an artist largely unknown six months ago. The album also debuts at No. 5 in Ireland, and Rae starts a major British tour March 27 in Edinburgh.
Italian tenor Andre Bocelli just misses the composite top ten, starting at No. 11 with “Amore” (Polydor). It arrives at No. 1 in Holland, No. 4 in Austria and climbs 22-2 in the Belgian region of Flanders. Bocelli already held the No. 1 spot on the Dutch singles chart with “Because We Believe,” a duet with local superstar Marco Borsato, which now moves into its fourth week at the summit.
Behind Madonna on the Eurochart, “Love Generation” (Yellow Production) by Bob Sinclar featuring Gary Pine, glides into runner-up spot. Its 3-2 move is fuelled by continuing runs at the top in Germany and Austria. It also holds at No. 2 in Switzerland.
Chico, a contestant in December’s “The X Factor” talent series on British television, starts at No. 4 on the Eurochart with “It’s Chico Time” (Sony BMG), after opening at No. 1 in the United Kingdom (on sales of 51,000 copies) and No. 3 in Ireland. Next to arrive on the Eurochart, at No. 7, is “Beep” (A&M/Interscope) by the Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am (from Black Eyed Peas). U.K. sales of 29,000 underpin a No. 2 start there, and it’s also new at No. 2 in Ireland.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news