No.1 in 16 territories last week, Eminem’s 10th studio album Kamikaze continues to dominate, remaining in cruise control at the apex of the charts in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Flanders, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. It is toppled only in The Czech Republic, Finland and – perhaps most surprisingly – his native USA, falling 1-2 in all three.
Kamikaze is only the third of Eminem’s 10 No.1s in America not to still be at the summit on its second chart appearance – The Marshall Mathers LP (2013) and Revival (2017) were the others, though The Marshall Mathers LP returned to No.1 on week three, having been dethroned by Lady Gaga’s Artpop.
The album that ends Kamikaze’s US reign is Egypt Station, which emulates its achievement in Germany (as reported here last week), by becoming Paul McCartney’s first No.1 since Tug Of War in 1982. Egypt Station’s US consumption of 153,000 units last week was, however, largely the result of bundling it with tickets for McCartney’s upcoming US tour. Seen by many as a cynical marketing ploy, bundling is nevertheless extremely prevalent in America, and has had a distortionary effect on the charts there for some time.
No.2 in Flanders and the Netherlands, No.3 in Argentina, Norway, the UK and Wallonia, No.4 in Sweden, No.5 in Italy, No.6 in Japan and No.7 in Ireland last week, in addition to its German triumph, Egypt Station is heading south in all of the above except Argentina and Wallonia, continuing at No.3 in both. It also makes debuts at No.2 in Austria and Spain, No.3 in Canada and the Czech Republic, No.5 in Switzerland, No.7 in Denmark, No.8 in Portugal, No.14 in Slovakia, No.15 in Poland, No.38 in Hungary and No.45 in Finland. And it opens at No.4 in Australia, where it is McCartney’s highest placed album for 21 years.
Paul Weller turned 60 in May, and his acclaimed 14th solo album True Meanings opens at No.2 in the UK, while also debuting at No.10 in Ireland, No.17 in Flanders, No.19 in Germany, No.29 in Italy, No.41 in Japan, No.61 in The Netherlands and No.75 in Wallonia.
London soul/funk septet Jungle did exceptionally well globally with their eponymous 2014 debut. Follow-up For Ever makes a more low-key start, debuting at No.10 in the UK, No.13 in Flanders, No.27 in Ireland, No.34 in the Netherlands and No.87 in Wallonia.
French legend Jean Michel Jarre marks 50 years as a recording artist with the release of sprawling compilation Planet Jarre, which debuts at No.5 in Germany, No.16 in Flanders, No.21 in the UK, No.22 in Wallonia and No.23 in The Netherlands. Compatriot David Guetta – who was just months old when Jarre’s first album was released – is arguably even more successful, and his latest album 7 is certainly off to a good start, debuting at No.5 in Wallonia, No.7 in Germany, No.8 in Italy, No.9 in Flanders, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK, No.10 in Norway and No.13 in Sweden.
