Eminem‘s “Recovery” outdoes his “Relapse” on Billboard’s European Albums chart, debuting at No. 1 for the Interscope/Universal artist as K’naan‘s “Wavin’ Flag” (A&M/Universal) begins a second week atop European Hot 100 Singles.
Whereas last year’s “Relapse” debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the pan-European listing just over a year ago, the follow-up set goes one better after making bestselling starts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark, No. 2 in Germany, France, Norway and the Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallony, No. 3 in Holland, No. 8 in the Czech Republic and No. 10 in Sweden. In the U.K., sales of 139,000 are easily the best artist total of the year, delivering Eminem’s sixth solo No. 1 album there. “Relapse” opened with 166,000.
Miley Cyrus makes her best Europe-wide showing to date with a No. 2 debut for “Can’t Be Tamed” (Hollywood/Universal), after opening at No. 1 in Portugal, No. 2 in Austria, No. 3 in Switzerland, 4 in Germany, No. 5 in Ireland, No. 8 in Norway and the United Kingdom, the latter on sales of 17,000 units. “Tamed” also climbs 18-8 in Flanders and 52-7 in Wallony.
Retail discounting in the United Kingdom, notably by HMV, helps Black Eyed Peas‘ “The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies)” (Interscope/Universal) rebound 14-3 overall. It’s up 40-3 on the U.K. chart on new sales of 24,000 and also climbs 5-4 in Flanders.
Oasis‘ “Time Flies – 1994-2009” (Big Brother) and Lady Gaga‘s “The Fame” (Interscope/Universal) are down two places each Europe-wide, to Nos. 4 and 5 respectively. The Oasis compilation falls 1-2 in the United Kingdom (where new sales of just under 40,000 give it a two-week tally of 141,000) but debuts at No. 7 in Italy. Gaga climbs 12-8 in Austria; among markets where it is listed alongside “The Fame Monster,” its highest ranking is No. 3 in Hungary and Flanders.
Katie Melua‘s “The House” (Dramatico), which moved back to No. 1 on European Albums last week, now falls to No. 6. It’s down 1-2 in Switzerland and 1-3 in Wallony but climbs 2-1 in Poland. David Guetta‘s “One Love” (Virgin/EMI) is back inside the collective top ten, up 12-7 after climbing 9-7 in Hungary and 66-13 in the United Kingdom, and holding at No. 3 in Spain.
Unheilig is down 5-8 with “Grosse Freiheit” (Universal) despite holding at No. 1 in Germany and No. 5 in Austria. Ozzy Osbourne‘s “Scream” (Epic/Sony Music Entertainment) debuts at No. 9 on the composite chart, opening at No. 7 in Germany, No. 8 in Switzerland, No. 9 in Austria and Norway and No. 12 in the United Kingdom with sales of 10,000. Another rock title wraps up the aggregate top ten: AC/DC‘s “Iron Man 2” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment), down 7-10 but still at No. 2 in Hungary. It climbs 8-7 in Switzerland and 11-9 in Ireland.
K’naan has Europe’s favorite single for a third week as the FIFA World Cup 2010, for which it is Coca-Cola’s theme, continues in South Africa. It holds at No. 2 in no fewer than six countries, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and climbs 24-10 in Wallony, 18-10 in Sweden and 11-10 in France.