BOSS WRECKS U.K. CHARTS

Across the pond, the Britis love the Boss as much as we do here in the U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteeen’s new Columbia album, Wrecking Ball, the 17th of his Hall of Fame career, debuted at #1 in the U.K. with first-week sales of 74k.

The disc is expected to top the HITS album sales charts as well, with estimates in the 200k range, temporarily ending Adele’s reign at 23 weeks by approximately 10k copies.

Gotye’s smash “Somebody That I Used to Know,” featuring Kimbra, nailed its fourth, non-consecutive week at #1 on the British singles chart.

Wrecking Ball is Springsteen’s ninth U.K. chart-topper, which goes back to 1984’s Born in the U.S.A. His 2007 album, Magic, sold 77k.

Decca/Universal act the Military Wives’ debut album, In My Dreams, debuted at #2 with 56k after scoring their #1 holiday single, “Wherever You Are.”.

Virgin/EMI act Emeli Sandé's Our Version of Events, which topped the U.K. album chart last week as well as two weeks previously, fell to #3, although the single "Next to Me" moved back #3-2. Adele's 21 (XL Recordings), Ed Sheeran's + (Asylum/Warner Music) and Lana Del Rey's Born to Die (Polydor/Universal) all dipped two places each, at #4, 5 and 6, respectively.

Lionel Richie's country-flavored Tuskegee (Mercury/Universal) entered at #7 on 19k in sales, and naturalized British artist Katie Melua's fifth studio album Secret Symphony (Dramatico) debuted at #8, also on 19k. “Along Again, Naturally” veteran Gilbert O'Sullivan, returned at #12 with just under 10,000 sales for USM Media's new Very Best of collection, which accompanies an extensive British tour beginning March 17 and Salvo's reissue program of his ‘70s catalog.

The Civil Wars' Barton Hollow, re-launched in Britain by Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment last week after the duo’s two Grammy wins, re-entered at #13.

Among other album chart entries, 1970s new wave survivors the Stranglers arrived at #48 with Giants (Coursegood), their highest studio ranking since About Time reached #31 in 1995. EMI TV/UMTV's Now That's What I Call Running collection entered the compilation chart at #1.

Gotye's single sold another 81,000 units last week to become the first track this year to move past the half-million mark in the U.K., with total sales of 558k. Nicki Minaj's "Starships" (Cash Money/Universal Island) improved #5-3, while Flo Rida f/Sia’s "Wild Ones" held at #4 and London girl group Stooshe f/Gym Class Heroes’ Travie McCoy opened at #5 with "Love Me" (Warner Bros./Warner Music).

Other Top 10 newcomers included Tinchy Stryder f/Pixie Lott’s "Bright Lights" (Universal Island) at #7, and 2011 X Factor U.K. contestant Marcus Collins' cover of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" (RCA/Sony Music Entertainment) at #9.