Sony BMG scores a double as both of Billboard’s pan-European sales charts have new leaders, with Dido’s “Safe Trip Home” (Cheeky/RCA) new at No. 1 on European Top 100 Albums and Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy” (Columbia) up 2-1 on Eurochart Hot 100 Singles.
In a top ten that, highly unusually, features no Universal titles, the Dido album thus matches the chart-topping debut of its predecessor “Life For Rent” in October 2003. “Home” makes a No. 1 start in just one European territory, Switzerland, but starts at No. 2 in the United Kingdom, where opening sales of 63,000 compare to a first-week 400,000 for “Rent,” and No. 3 in France and Germany.
AC/DC’s “Black Ice” (Columbia/Sony BMG) is nudged down to No. 2 after four weeks atop the Europe-wide chart, losing its crown in Germany, Sweden, Greece and Hungary. Enya’s “And Winter Came” (Warner Bros.) is also down one place overall from its No. 2 debut, although it does manage a 5-3 climb in the Belgian region of Wallony.
Il Divo’s “The Promise” (Syco Music/Sony BMG), which jumped onto Top 100 Albums at No. 4 a week ago, holds there, despite a sharp 1-7 decline in the United Kingdom, where sales of 43,000 make for a two-week total of 111,000. The album is also down 1-2 in Spain and Holland and 2-4 in Ireland, but there’s better news in the form of a 3-1 rise in Flanders and a second week at the top in Portugal.
Nickelback’s “Dark Horse” (Roadrunner) takes a bow at No. 5 on the aggregate countdown, helped by No. 4 debuts in both Germany and the United Kingdom, the latter with initial sales of 50,000. The set is also new at No. 5 in Switzerland and Austria.
Seal’s covers set “Soul” (Warner Bros.) maintains its momentum with a third-week climb of 8-6. It’s down 9-10 in Portugal and 17-21 in the United Kingdom but makes a No. 1 start in France and soars 42-5 in Wallony. But Pink’s “Funhouse” (LaFace/Sony BMG) is down 3-7 on Top 100 Albums after slipping 4-6 in Germany and 5-8 in the United Kingdom.
A deluxe edition of Leona Lewis’ “Spirit” (Syco Music/Sony BMG), now featuring three additional songs and a DVD of video clips, takes the debut album back onto the composite chart at No. 8. It’s new at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and No. 2 in Ireland, the latter market also welcoming her cover of Snow Patrol’s “Run” as its new No. 1 single. New U.K. sales of “Spirit” total 76,000; the original set, which had a 44-week U.K. chart run ending in September, has sold 2 million units.
Enduring German rock mainstay Die Toten Hosen’s new album “In Aller Stille” (JKP) comes onto Top 100 Albums at No. 9, after arriving at No. 1 in Germany, No. 2 in Austria and No. 3 in Switzerland. The band’s current German tour plays again at the Leipzig Arena tonight (Nov. 28). Finally on the composite top ten, Walt Disney/Hollywood’s “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” soundtrack dips 5-10, although it holds at No. 2 in Hungary and No. 5 in Portugal. The single “Be Mine” remains at No. 2 in Spain.
Beyoncé’s single leads the Eurochart after a U.K. climb of 3-1 on sales just shy of 48,000. “Boy” also jumps 2-1 in Denmark and Norway, 6-4 in Italy and holds at No.1 in Sweden and No. 2 in Holland and Ireland. In a female-dominated top five on the Eurochart, Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” (Virgin/EMI) and Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” (Jive/Sony BMG) race 15-3 and 18-4 respectively.
