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PRINCE SCORES #1 ON EUROPEAN TOP ALBUMS CHART
 Prince’s
first Universal Records release, 3121, soared to the #1 spot on
Billboard’s European Top 100 Albums chart, giving the legendary artist
his highest charting international album of the decade. 3121’s
Euro-dominance secures Prince’s reign as 2006’s preeminent global
hitmaker, with the overseas success of the new disc following in the
wake of last week’s #1 U.S. debut, Prince’s first stateside #1 since
1989’s Batman soundtrack, and his first top-charting studio album
since 1985’s Around The World In A Day. Hailed as a return to
‘vintage’ Prince, all 12 songs on 3121 have been put into A-List
rotation on the BBC’s prestigious Radio 2 in the UK.
Prince’s ascension to the top of the
European charts was buoyed 3121’s regional chart-surge throughout
Europe, including holding down the #1 slot in Switzerland, and a # 4
debut in Germany. Prince’s previous album, 2004’s Grammy nominated
Musicology, peaked at #3 on the European Top Albums chart.
Prince most recent performance in
Europe was for The Brit Awards this past February where he treated the
viewers to a ten minute performance of new and classic songs. The
singer also included selected overseas markets in his innovative
Purple Ticket promotion that placed exclusive hidden passes in random
3121 CD packages, granting lucky fans access to a private performance
at his L.A. home later this spring. Listeners who purchased the new
“Black Sweat” single via
Apple’s iTunes Music Store were also eligible to win entrance to the
upcoming private show.
The new album has received rave reviews,
propelled by the sizzling single
“Black Sweat,” and the disc’s peerless
blend of Prince styles, including the catchy funk of
“Lolita,” the R&B-tinged
“Incense And Candles,” and a duet with
Prince protégé Tamar on “Beautiful, Loved
& Blessed.”
Prince’s rise to the top of the pop world
has been both meteoric and enduring, inducted to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame in 2004, his most recent release, the double platinum
Musicology, debuted at #3 on the Top 200 album charts, capping a
three-decade reign in which Prince is generally regarded as one of the
most acclaimed and influential musical artists of the 20th
century.
Universal
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