AC/DC's 'Iron Man 2' Tops European Chart
April 29, 2010According to Billboard.biz, three new entries in the top ten of Billboard's European Albums chart are headed by AC/DC's #1 debut with the soundtrack of "Iron Man 2" (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment). The AC/DC album, which consists of catalog material from the mid-1970s onwards, gives the veteran rock act its third #1 in the United Kingdom, on sales of just under 57,000 units. It also gathers #1s in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Ireland, arrives at #4 in Spain, Norway and Denmark, #5 in Holland and #9 in Portugal and climbs 22-2 in the Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallony.
"AC/DC: Iron Man 2" sold around 76,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
"AC/DC: Iron Man 2" has registered the following first-week chart positions so far:
New Zealand: #1
UK: #1
Ireland: #1
Canada: #2
Norway: #4
France: #5
Netherlands: #5
Finland: #14
Belgium: #22
Poland: #34
Through a unique collaboration between Marvel Studios and Columbia Records, AC/DC's music will be featured in Marvel Studios' "Iron Man 2", the sequel to the 2008 blockbuster film.
The film opens internationally on April 28, 2010. In the U.S., the film will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is scheduled for release on May 7, 2010.
The debut video from "AC/DC: Iron Man 2" was the AC/DC's classic album cut "Shoot To Thrill", which was filmed live in Buenos Aires during the band's highly acclaimed Black Ice World Tour, the second-highest-grossing world tour of 2009 according to concert industry trade publication Pollstar. The video also incorporated exclusive footage from "Iron Man 2".
"Shoot To Thrill" was originally recorded for the band's 50-million selling album "Back In Black", one of the best-selling albums of all time.
"Jon Favreau's vision and passion for AC/DC's music blend seamlessly into this incredible film" said Steve Barnett, co-chairman of Columbia Records. "The music really underscores the high energy and excitement of the film."
"Music is an integral part of the Tony Stark and 'Iron Man' experience, and we are pleased that Columbia and AC/DC are taking part in the franchise's phenomenon. Through this relationship, the band is delivering fans supercharged 'Iron Man' branded music through all our combined consumer touch points, from the movie to retail outlets and even virally with the debut of the new video," said Tim Connors, Chief Operating Officer, Marvel Studios.
Jon Favreau returns to direct "Iron Man 2", with Robert Downey Jr. reprising his starring role as the larger-than-life leading character, along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke and Samuel L. Jackson.
Based on Marvel's iconic Super Hero, "Iron Man 2" continues the story of 2008's box office smash hit "Iron Man", which grossed nearly $600 million worldwide, and was the first feature film produced independently by Marvel Studios. "Iron Man 2" is being produced by Marvel Studios' President, Kevin Feige.
"AC/DC: Iron Man 2" track listing:
01. Shoot to Thrill
02. Rock ‘N' Roll Damnation
03. Guns for Hire
04. Cold Hearted Man
05. Back in Black
06. Thunderstruck
07. If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
08. Evil Walks
09. T.N.T.
10. Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be
11. Have a Drink on Me
12. The Razor's Edge
13. Let There Be Rock
14. War Machine
15. Highway to Hell
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