Sade’s “Soldier of Love” (Epic/Sony Music Entertainment) starts a second week atop Billboard’s European Albums chart, while Ke$ha leads European Hot 100 Singles for a fourth week with “Tik Tok” (RCA/Sony Music Entertainment).
Logistical issues prevented the regular production of last week’s charts, when Sade’s new album debuted at the top in 14 countries worldwide, according to Sony. This week, it stays at No. 1 in France, Italy and Poland and debuts at No. 1 in Sweden and Hungary and No.2 in Holland. But it falls from the top in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and the Belgian region of Wallony.
Peter Gabriel makes a strong return to the European chart arena with his covers album “Scratch My Back” (Virgin/EMI). It’s new at No. 2 overall after debuting at No. 2 in Germany, No. 3 in Switzerland and the Czech Republic, No. 4 in France, No. 5 in Italy, No. 10 in Holland, No. 12 in the United Kingdom (on sales of 14,000) and climbing 5-1 in Wallony. It’s eight years since Gabriel’s last studio album “Up” entered the Europe-wide chart at No. 3.
Lady Gaga holds at No. 3 overall with “The Fame” (Interscope/Universal), enjoying a 53% sales hike in the United Kingdom, and a 5-2 rise, after her triple success at last week’s BRIT Awards. “The Fame Monster” EP falls 14-23 on European Albums.
Massive Attack’s “Heligoland” (Virgin/EMI), which opened at No. 2 across Europe last week, dips to No. 4 after falling 2-4 in Wallony, 1-2 in neighboring Flanders, 2-3 in France, 2-4 in Switzerland, 4-8 in the Czech Republic, 5-9 in Portugal and 6-22 in the United Kingdom. It climbs 12-2 in Poland and 12-7 in Italy.
The next three titles on European Albums fall one place each, Black Eyed Peas’ “The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)” (Interscope/Universal) to No. 5, Alicia Keys’ “The Element of Freedom” (J/Sony Music Entertainment) to No. 6 and Michael Bublé’s “Crazy Love” (Reprise/Warner Music) to No. 7. “The E.N.D.” is still top three in Portugal, France and Wallony and climbs 13-7 in Flanders; Keys falls 1-4 in the United Kingdom but rises 7-6 in Holland; and Bublé drops 1-2 in Ireland but holds at No. 3 in Holland.
There’s a new entry at No. 8 on the composite chart, where the soundtrack album “Glee: The Music, Season One, Vol. 1” (Epic/Sony Music Entertainment) takes a bow. It’s been charting modestly on import sales in the United Kingdom for three weeks, but on official release, races 68-1 on sales of 62,000 units. The album is also up 41-1 in Ireland. Three songs from the hit series are in the U.K. top 20, and six in the top 75.
German chart mainstay Peter Maffay, whose “Tattoos (40 Jahre Maffay)” (Sony Music Entertainment) tops the chart for a third week there, sees the album fall 8-9 on the aggregate chart. It features newly-recorded versions of his hits from a 40-year career.
Ke$ha’s “Animal” (RCA/Sony Music Entertainment) is down 7-10 in its fourth week on European Albums, but holds at No. 4 in Austria. The single “Tik Tok” continues its pan-European singles reign after climbing 2-1 in France, 8-3 in Denmark and 13-10 in Norway, while it stays at No. 1 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
