French Sweep: October 16, 2012

Hey gang, it's time for another trip across the ocean to Europe, and first I've got the latest songs making the official sales chart in France. This week Rihanna spends a second week at #1 with "Diamonds"...

The top new single selling here this week is Adele's theme to the upcoming James Bond movie Skyfall at #3. She's has one #1 hit in France so far, her classic "Someone Like You" from last year...

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Another worldwide hit, British boyband One Direction's "Like While We're Young", enters at #20. They haven't been as big here as in other countries, and this is already their biggest hit. They've only had one previous top-40, when "What Makes You Beautiful" peaked at #39...

America had Elvis. England has Cliff Richard. France's version of these pop kings is Johnny Hallyday, who has sold over 100 million records and had countless hits in his home country. The 69-year old's latest, "L'attente" ("Waiting"), debuts at #34. His last #1 hit was "Ça ne finira jamais" ("It will never end") in 2008..

French rapper Zifou is in at #66 with his latest, "On Donne Ca" ("Give It Up"). It debuts at the same rank his debut hit, "C'est La Hass" peaked at earlier this year...

Married couple Amadou & Miriam, blind worldbeat stars from the northern African country of Mali, enter at #78 with "Sabali". They had a top-40 hit in France in 2005 with "Senegal Fast Food" from their acclaimed album Dimanche A Bamako...

Filipino-American singer Bruno Mars comes in at #85 with his new single "Locked Out Of Heaven". He's had modest success in France, with only two top-10 hits, his own "Grenade" and a featured credit on Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa's "Young Wild & Free" (his biggest at #6)...

French opera singer Vincent Niclo is at #87 with "Ameno" ("Nice") featuring the Choir of the Red Army from Russia. He had a top-40 hit in 2007 with "Toute Le Place" ("Everywhere")...

 British singer Marlon Roudette, who grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, had a top-20 hit in France last year with "New Age", and he returns at #99 with "Anti-Hero", which already was a top-10 hit in Germany...(I personally really dig this song)...

Finally, British rockers Muse have the biggest-selling album in France this week with The 2nd Law, and while its first single "Madness" climbs to its original peak at #14, three more tracks from the album enter the chart. First, "Supremacy" comes in at #84...

Next, "Follow Me" is at #88...

Lastly, "The 2nd Law: Unsustainable" rounds it out at #100...

That wraps it up for the French side of the house...come back later tonight as I cross the border for the newest songs selling in Germany. Cheers!