Warner Music International posts an impressive week on the pan-European charts. The major again has the top two titles on European Top 100 Albums, with Atlantic’s James Blunt and Warner Bros.’ Madonna, and a new entry at No. 1 on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles with Madonna’s “Sorry.”
Blunt’s “Back To Bedlam” wears the album crown for a seventh consecutive week, in addition to the single week it earlier spent at the top last October. In addition to nine-times platinum status (2.7 million shipments) in the United Kingdom, it’s No. 1 again in Switzerland and Austria and moves 2-1 in Greece. In addition, the combined DVD/CD release “Chasing Time – The Bedlam Sessions” is rising in Belgium, where it climbs 4-2 in Wallony and 10-3 in Flanders.
Madonna’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor” is No. 2 on the composite album chart for a seventh week, which followed five non-consecutive weeks at No. 1. “Dance Floor” edges back upwards in a number of markets, 5-4 in Italy, 7-6 in Portugal and 10-9 in France. The single “Sorry” opens at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, where it’s her 12th bestseller, on sales of 36,000 units, according to charts compiler the Official U.K. Charts Company. “Sorry” also starts at the top in Italy and arrives at No. 2 in Holland, No. 4 in Denmark and Switzerland and No. 5 in Ireland. It climbs 17-4 in Norway and 66-5 in France.
Jack Johnson mounts a renewed assault on Top 100 Albums. His album “In Between Dreams” (Brushfire/Universal Island) jumps 17-4 on the European chart after a 6-1 climb in the United Kingdom, where it achieved weekly sales of 46,000 copies. It’s the first time the album has topped the chart there, in its 44th week on the survey, as cumulative U.K. sales move past 700,000 units. “Dreams” also climbs 8-4 in Ireland.
Johnson’s profile in the United Kingdom was given a boost following his appearance at the Feb. 15 Brit Awards, where he performed and collected the trophy for best international breakthrough act.
Johnson also has the other big mover in the composite album top ten, as the soundtrack “Sing-A-Long And Lullabies: Curious George” jumps 49-6, thanks largely to strong performances in the G/S/A territories. It climbs 3-2 in Switzerland and debuts at No. 3 in Germany and Austria. In the United Kingdom, “George” moves 73-69, but he also has two more charting titles there, “On and On” at No. 51 and “Brushfire Fairytales” at No. 57, both platinum for 300,000 shipments each.
He continues his European tour tonight in Cardiff, Wales, with dates continuing until March 24, when the itinerary concludes in Amsterdam.
Neil Diamond makes a strong return to Top 100 Albums at No. 12 with “12 Songs” (Columbia), the European release of which was only last week — three months after its U.S. appearance. It’s new at No. 5 in the United Kingdom, his highest-ever posting for a new, non-soundtrack studio album. After outstanding critical response, mirroring that in America, first-week U.K sales are 40,000 copies. Diamond’s last top ten album of new songs in Britain was “Primitive,” which reached No. 7 in 1984.
A self-titled set by Mexican duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela becomes the first instrumental album to debut at No. 1 in Ireland. Released on Rubyworks, distributed by RMG, the album by the Dublin-based guitarists is produced by seasoned sideman John Leckie and sells 4,800 units, according to the label, 700 more than last week’s No.1 in Ireland, “Ring of Fire – The Legend of Johnny Cash” (Columbia/UMTV).
One of the most consistent titles on the Eurochart, “Love Generation” (Yellow Production) by Bob Sinclar featuring Gary Pine, rises again 8-3, after moving 4-1 in Germany. It’s also No. 1 in Austria and No. 2 in Switzerland. The track has been in the top 20 of the Eurochart for all but two of the last 23 weeks, since debuting last September.
Also new in the Eurochart top 10 are “Baila Morena” (Polydor) by Italian staple Zucchero, in at No. 6 after a 64-1 climb in France, and “Put Your Records On” (Good Groove/EMI) by English singer-writer Corinne Bailey Rae. The latter track, from a self-titled debut album that was released on Monday (Feb. 27), sells 26,000 copies in the United Kingdom to debut at No. 2 there and No. 8 on the Eurochart.
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