“MICHAEL” is NUMBER 1 WORLDWIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Source: http://www.mediatraffic.de/

Global Chart Report
Michael’s greetings from the beyond
Friday, December 24, 2010
by Fred Chuchel, Dresden

One and a half year after his tragic death, Michael Jackson turns back to the top spot of the global album chart with a new set, simply titled as ‘Michael’. The album contains previously unreleased songs,
which wrote Michael in his last years… and 734.000 fans globally bought this set in its first week at retail. ‘Michael’ sends last week’s chart-topper, Susan Boyle’s ‘The Gift’, back down at no.2, despite a 15% sales increase to 455.000 copies. Anyhow, due to high demand before christmas, 32 of the 40 albums on the tally show sales increases this week. For example Take That’s ‘Progress’, which slides at no.3, but grows up another 43% in sales to 414.000 copies, following by the biggest gainer of the week, Rihanna’s ‘Loud’, which loses also one slot and goes down at no.4 but wins 47% in sales to 409.000 copies. Rounds out the top five is Taylor Swift’s ‘Speak Now’ (up 27% to 320.000 copies). Behind ‘Michael’ there are only three other debuts this week: Bump Of Chicken from Sakura, Japan opens at no.10 with their new effort ‘Cosmonaut’ (207.000 copies). R&B crooner R.Kelly bows at no.15 with ‘Love Letter’ (161.000 copies) and finally rapper Diddy also known as Puff Daddy arrives at no.29 with ‘Last Train To Paris’ (102.000 copies). COMPLETE GLOBAL ALBUM CHART
In the christmas week the Black Eyed Peas hold tight the peak position of the global track chart. ‘The Time (Dirty Bit)’ scores a third week and grows up another 2% to 377.000 points. In its 9th week on the tally, Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ reaches a new high and climbs at no.2 (up 9% to 323.000 points). Rihanna’s ‘Only Girl (In The World)’ slips at no.3 (down 4% to 315.000 points). Matt Cardle, this year’s winner of the british casting-show ‘X Factor’, bows at no.4 (306.000 points) with a cover of Biffy Clyro’s ‘Many Of Horror (When We Collide)’. Matt’s version sold more than 450.000 copies in the start-week
in United Kingdom and Ireland. Far behind at no.23 opens the second highest debut, Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz’ ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ (111.000 points).Hey! Say! Jump’s ‘Arigat�’ comes in at no.26 (108.000 points) and Chris Brown’s ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ flies at no.35 (86.000 points). Outside the top 40 waiting Diddy Dirty Money feat. Skylar Grey’s ‘Coming Home’ at no.41, Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash & Wale’s ‘No Hands’ at no.42 and the Trashmen’s ‘Surfin’ Bird’ at no.48 for their first appearance on the big list. COMPLETE GLOBAL TRACK CHART
20 years ago… the german project Enigma was the big surprise of the season. The album ‘MCMXC a.D.’ and the lift-off ‘Sadeness Part 1′ with their unusual mixture of gregorian chants, black rhythms and synthie-sounds � la Art Of Noise and Vangelis were enormous global successes. The mastermind behind Enigma is composer, producer and mulit-instrumentalist Michael Cretu, who was born 1957 in Bucarest, Romania and moved to Germany in 1975. First success he celebrated as producer for her wife Sandra (‘Maria Magdalena’) in 1985. Sandra was also the featured vocalist of Enigma. ‘Sadeness Part 1′ started at October 29, 1990 at no.92 on the official german hitlist by Media Control. Already two weeks later it jumped at no.1. At this time no one knew, who was behind the Enigma-project. Short time later the song entered all international charts: no.1 in United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, no.2 in Australia and New Zealand. In the USA it was no.5 on the airplay / sales mixed chart and no.1 on the pure sales chart by Billboard. On the global chart ‘Sadeness Part 1′ went also at the summit. Three years later Enigma landed a 2nd big smash with ‘Return To Innocence’.