Depeche Mode’s “Sounds of the Universe” (Mute/EMI) fends off the challenge of Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown” (Reprise/Warner Music) to start a fourth week at Billboard’s European Top 100 Albums summit. Lady Gaga gets a 13th week at No. 1 on European Hot 100 Singles with “Poker Face” (Interscope/Universal).
“Universe” remains the bestselling album in Germany and Switzerland, although it falls from the summit in Greece and Hungary. But it still restricts the Green Day set to a No. 2 debut overall, whereas its predecessor “American Idiot” had six weeks at the top in 2005 and became Europe’s bestselling album of that year. But the new album was only released across the region last Friday (May 15), thus limiting its chart impact in some markets.
“Breakdown” nevertheless arrives at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, selling 79,000 units, from which some 19,000 were leaked before the official release date, according to the Official Charts Company. It’s also new at the top in France, Norway and Denmark, at No. 2 in Portugal and the Belgian region of Flanders, No. 4 in Finland and No. 5 in Wallony.
Lady Gaga’s “The Fame” is at No. 3 on the pan-European standings again, enjoying a 4-2 climb in Austria, as “Poker Face” retains its European Hot 100 supremacy with the help of another week at No. 1 in Germany and Austria.
Bob Dylan is down 2-4 on Top 100 Albums with “Together Through Life” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment), after a steep 1-8 decline in the United Kingdom. The album is No. 1 again in Sweden, up 5-4 in Austria and new at No. 5 in Greece. U2’s “No Line on the Horizon” (Mercury/Universal) is steady at No. 5 overall, climbing 10-7 in Italy as its second single “Magnificent” takes a No. 5 bow in Hungary.
Lily Allen’s “It’s Not You It’s Me” (Regal/Parlophone/EMI) improves again 8-6, following a 3-2 climb in the United Kingdom on weekly sales of 25,000. Current single “Not Fair” climbs 8-5 there, and the album also holds at No. 5 in Ireland. But Beyoncé’s “I Am… Sasha Fierce” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) is down one place on the collective chart to No. 7, falling 5-7 in the United Kingdom, and Pink falls four places to No. 8 with “Funhouse” (LaFace/Sony Music Entertainment), slipping 4-5 in the United Kingdom but holding at No. 4 in Ireland.
Michael Hirte’s “Der Mann Mit Der Mundharmonika 2” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment), which debuted on Top 100 Albums at No. 7 last week, is down two spots at No. 9, but holds at No. 1 in Austria and No. 2 in Germany.
Finally, classical crossover vocalist Paul Potts, whose 2007 debut album “One Chance” (Syco Music/Sony Music Entertainment) made a big impression Europe-wide, notably in the United Kingdom and Germany, is back with “Passione.” It’s new at No. 10 on the pan-European survey after opening at No. 3 in Germany and No. 5 in Austria. The U.K. release follows on June 1.