It’s another triumphant chart week in Europe for Madonna, who retains leadership of both European Top 100 Albums with “Hard Candy” (Warner Bros.), for a third week, and Eurochart Hot 100 Singles with “4 Minutes” featuring Justin Timberlake, for a fifth.
The album is slipping slightly in several European markets, but spends a third week at No. 1 in Italy and Denmark, enters at No. 1 in Greece and climbs back 2-1 in Switzerland. The single rises 2-1 in Holland and Ireland and holds at the top in Greece, Switzerland, Finland and the Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallony. It’s also new at No. 2 in Hungary.
In an unchanged top three on the pan-European album chart, Duffy is runner-up again for a third week with “Rockferry” (A&M/Universal), which topped the survey for the three weeks before that. The album is up 4-2 in Austria, 9-5 in Flanders and 12-8 in Portugal, but falls 1-2 in Sweden. Duffy’s former Eurochart-topping single “Mercy” is now at No. 2 for a fifth straight week.
Amy Winehouse holds at No. 3 on Top 100 Albums with “Back To Black” (Universal Island), which climbs back to the summit in Austria (3-1) and moves 6-3 in Denmark and 6-5 in Italy.
Neil Diamond’s “Home Before Dark” (Columbia/Sony BMG) makes a strong debut at No. 4 Europe-wide, after a No. 1 entry in the United Kingdom on sales of 47,000. That’s up on the opening U.K. performance of 40,000 units in March 2006 by its predecessor “12 Songs,” which debuted at No. 5 there and No. 12 overall. “Dark” is Diamond’s second bestselling U.K. album, after 1992’s “Greatest Hits 1966-1992.”
Portishead’s “Third” (Universal Island) is down 4-5 in its third week on the composite chart, holding at No. 3 in Greece but falling 3-4 in Flanders, 4-6 in France and 5-20 in the United Kingdom, where its next single “The Rip” is released June 9. The group will finish a sellout European tour May 30 at Primavera Sound in Barcelona.
Universal-signed German “folk metal” outfit In Extremo makes a No. 6 debut on Top 100 Albums with “Sängerkrieg,” which translates as “singer’s war.” The album, the Berlin band’s latest in a series stretching back to 1997 combining traditional and rock instrumentation, debuts at No. 1 in Germany.
In Extremo’s countrymen Scooter dip 5-7 on the aggregate survey with “Jumping All Over The World” (All Around The World/UMTV). After debuting at the top of the U.K. chart last week, the album falls to No. 3 there.
Perth, Australia drum and base act Pendulum follows its recent U.K. hit “Propane Nightmares” (Warner Bros.) with a No. 2 debut there for the album “In Silico,” which sells 34,000 units, according to the Official U.K. Charts Company, and generates a No. 8 entry on Top 100 Albums.
Slipping one place each on that list are Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald’s “This Is The Life” (Vertigo/Universal), 8-9, and “Vom Selben Stern” (Polydor/Universal) by German duo Ich + Ich, 9-10.
The top three of the Eurochart is also unchanged, with Madonna and Duffy followed by “American Boy” (Homeschool/Atlantic), U.K. R&B singer Estelle’s single featuring Kanye West. The Eurochart’s highest new entry is Rihanna’s “Take A Bow” (SRP/Def Jam), at No. 7, after debuts at No. 2 in the United Kingdom (on sales of 34,000) and No. 5 in Ireland.
