Not for the first time, the world has gone (radio) gaga for Queen, but in the battle of the soundtracks, (Lady) Gaga is Queen.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born soundtrack continues to dominate although, for the first time in its six week chart career, it makes more losses than gains. It remains at No.1 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden (in the compilation chart in the latter), at No.2 in Austria and The USA, No.4 in Greece and No.5 in Argentina. The album falls 2-3 in Portugal, 1-3 in The Czech Republic, 2-6 in The UK, 3-4 in Switzerland, 5-7 in France, 8-10 in South Africa, 5-10 in The Netherlands, 9-12 in Italy and Spain, 10-13 in Germany, 10-14 in Flanders, 11-16 in Wallonia and 13-17 in Hungary, while climbing 7-5 in Finland and 40-38 in Denmark.
Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack to the current Freddie Mercury biopic continues to flourish, climbing 13-2 in The Czech Republic, 25-3 in The USA, 14-3 in Slovakia, 25-4 in Canada, 8-5 in Flanders, 18-6 in Switzerland, 10-6 in Spain, 21-7 in Portugal, 16-7 in Austria, 22-8 in Japan, 11-10 in Greece, 24-12 in Hungary, 23-12 in France and Poland, 28-16 in South Korea and 23-21 in Germany. It stays at No.1 in Argentina and at No.2 in Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, while debuting at No.12 in Denmark and No.24 in Finland. It is competing for attention in most places with Queen catalogue, with The Platinum Collection: Greatest Hits I, II & III its most formidable opponent, especially in The UK where the latter’s 7-5 rise this week coincides with Bohemian Rhapsody’s 3-11 fall. Bohemian Rhapsody is also down in The Wallonia (7-8), Netherlands (11-12) and Norway (14-21).
UK rock trio Muse’s eighth studio album, Simulation Theory brings them their sixth No.1 in their homeland, and their fourth No.1 in The Netherlands and Wallonia. It also debuts at No.2 in Flanders and Italy, No.4 in Germany and New Zealand, No.5 in Ireland, No.15 in Japan and No.17 in Norway and Sweden.
50 years after The Beatles’ eponymous double album – aka The White Album – was released, its Golden Jubilee provides an excuse for its re-release in several much-expanded editions. It re-enters at No.1 in Sweden, No.2 in The Netherlands, No.3 in Germany and Norway, No.4 in Flanders and The UK, No.6 in Japan, No.7 in Ireland, No.9 in Wallonia and No.18 in New Zealand.
Brighton metalcore band Architects score their second Top 10 success and highest charting album to date in Germany, where their eighth release, Holy Hell, opens at No.7. It also debuts at No.18 in The UK, No.34 in Flanders, No.79 in Wallonia, No.85 in The Netherlands and No.88 on Italy.
The Prodigy’s seventh No.1 album in the UK, No Tourists makes one of the biggest ever drops from the summit this week, sliding to No.24. It is also down or out in the six other territories in which it debuted a week ago but now opens at No.7 in Finland, No.8 in Switzerland, No.15 in Austria, No.19 in Australia, No.23 in The Czech Republic, No.24 in Portugal, No.31 in Spain, No.33 in Poland, No.39 in Hungary and Slovakia and No.75 in France.
Marianne Faithfull had her highest-charting album in 53 years in The UK with her 21st studio album, Negative Capability debuting at No.44 last week. There was good support for the 71 year old singer elsewhere too, with Negative Capability opening its account in six other territories. The album is now in decline in all of them, except Flanders, where it rises 17-12. It adds to its portfolio with debuts at No.14 in Switzerland, No.22 in Austria, No.59 in France and No.85 in Spain.
Finally, Las Vegas band Imagine Dragons’ fourth album, Origins, debuts at No.2 in both Norway and Sweden, and at No.3 in The Netherlands and New Zealand, No.5 in Italy, No.6 in Flanders and Germany, No.7 in Wallonia, No.9 in The UK and No.11 in Ireland.
