Most likely due to our penchant for pub rock, Australians have decided to go against the grain of a strong percentage of the western world and not vote the resurgent David Bowie into pole position on our music charts, rather choosing Bon Jovi to reign over the first week of sales.
From the get go, it was obvious David Bowie’s The Next Day was going to take off and it did so, not unlike a bullet, heading straight to to number 1 in a large chunk of Europe including Sweden, Finland, Holland, Scotland and, of course, the UK. Even New Zealand hopped on the bandwagon, bless their woolen socks.
Though it hasn’t yet been released for a week in the US, there’s strong suspicion (s per Contact Music) that it will hit the top of the charts. But Australia… number 2, usurped by Bon Jovi’s 1,400th studio album What About Now. Homegrown legends Birds Of Tokyo have since come in and stolen all the thunder by outselling both albums with their release March Flies.
Australians are simply itching for a Bon Jovi tour announcement and there’s plenty of reason to believe one will be coming soon. This anticipation would have played a big role in the sales amongst Triple M listeners and mums who partied back in the ’80s. Bowie, for his part, has been all quiet on the tour front. His wife, however, has other ideas.
I guess we won’t be giving up number 1 that easily. It might be your first album in 10 years, Mr Bowie, but you’re gonna need to show more commitment than that to win us over.