GUNS N' ROSES: 'Chinese Democracy' Tops European Album Chart
December 4, 2008Paul Sexton of Billboard.biz report that GUNS N' ROSES' new album, "Chinese Democracy" has topped the new European Top 100 Albums chart. "Democracy" races 36-1 after making a series of notable debuts in European markets. That includes only one No. 1 debut, in Switzerland, but the album secures a second week at the helm in Finland and debuts at No.2 in the United Kingdom (on 119,000 sales) and Germany, No. 3 in Italy, Austria and Ireland, No. 4 in Holland, Sweden and Hungary and No. 9 in Portugal. The comeback release also climbs 5-2 in Norway and 26-10 in France.
"Chinese Democracy" sold 261,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release (including a reported 25,000 downloads at iTunes on November 23 not counted towards the opening week) to debut at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart — right behind TAYLOR SWIFT's "Fearless" at No. 2 (with 267,400 sold) and KANYE WEST's "808s & Heartbreak", which opens at No. 1 with sales of 450,000 and change.
Only singer Axl Rose remains in the current GUNS roster, having taken some 15 years to complete "Chinese Democracy" with a revolving cast of musicians.
As previously reported, "Chinese Democracy" looks set to drop out of the UK Top 5 this Sunday (December 6) based on the midweek figures released by Music Week. The CD debuted at No. 2 in the UK after failing to outsell "Day & Age", the latest album from Las Vegas rock group THE KILLERS.
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