Bon Jovi‘s new album, What About Now, has outsold David Bowie‘s long-awaited release, The Next Day, for the number-one position this week according to Billboard.com. Jon and the boys’ twelfth release sold 101,000 copies in its first week, according Nielsen SoundScan, with the single “Because We Can” accumulating 2,934,239 views on YouTube. Bon Jovi remains on tour until the early fall. Jon Bon Jovi released an appreciative video message via Bon Jovi’s official Facebook page for the album, tour and personal successes. What About Now is the group’s fifth number-one album, third straight studio album to peak at number one, twelfth top-ten album, but the smallest grossing sales start for a studio album since 1995.

A release on bonjovi.com today enthusiastically commented: “Our new album, What About Now, is the #1 album in the United States! Thank you to all of our fans- the best fans in the world! We couldn’t do this without all of you. Thank you!” The band boasts major YouTube stats, 371,710 subscribers, 540,064,810 video views, and 98 videos, since their inception on the site in mid-May 2009.

The New Jersey outsold the Thin White Duke, however, Bowie’s new single seems to have resonated more deeply within his fan-base and across the globe collectively. “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”reached 3,738,046 on YouTube and gained a number-one debut in the U.K., Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland just one week after its release.

The Next Day has topped the iTunes chart in over 60 countries, landing Bowie’s highest-ever chart position in the United States, remains the fastest-selling album of the year so far with Gold-status already achieved in the U.K., and is his first-ever number-one single in Germany, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland. Bowie’s new release has 85,000 copies sold and is the first studio album since 2003, marking his seventh top-ten debut and best sales week since 1991.

- Alex Long / 98.5 WNCX