High School Musical Makes Global Chart History For Second Consecutive Year!

BURBANK, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Walt Disney Records) - The High School Musical audio franchise from Walt Disney Records is the No. 1 best-selling album globally for the second consecutive year, it was announced by the IFPI (IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide). With sales of over 6 million units, High School Musical 2 is the second soundtrack from the wildly popular Disney Channel Original Movie franchise to top the list. In 2006, the High School Musical soundtrack was the top-selling album globally, with over 7 million units in sales. This marks the first time the same audio franchise has topped the chart for two years in a row since IFPI began tracking global top sellers in 2001. It is also the first time a television soundtrack has topped the chart for two consecutive years.

David Agnew, president, Walt Disney Records says, "It's gratifying to see great music resonate with kids around the globe. We're very proud of our successful partnership with Disney Channel and the fantastic work done by our licensees and look forward to setting more milestones with the forthcoming High School Musical: Senior Year, which will launch later this year."

The global Top 50 best selling albums of 2007 will be published in the forthcoming Recording Industry in Numbers publication due on June 16, 2008 and is also available at www.ifpi.org. The report is the most complete and authoritative source of music industry statistics worldwide.

Disney's "High School Musical" premiered in January 2006 on Disney Channel U.S. and posted the highest ever ratings for a Disney Channel Original Movie at the time. It went on to become a smash hit internationally, airing on 27 Disney Channels and free-to-air broadcasters worldwide. It has reached over 250 million viewers in over 20 languages across 100 countries including China. It was also the first TV movie to be offered on the iTunes Music Store. The quadruple-platinum "High School Musical" soundtrack was the No 1 album of 2006 and was the year's No 1 TV movie on DVD.
It also delivered licensed amateur and professional touring stage productions, a best-selling junior novel, a popular consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks and Resorts in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris, a sold-out 52-date arena concert tour in North America and Latin America, and a popular touring ice show around the world. Adding to its success, it won two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, an Imagen Award and a Director's Guild of America Award among other honors.
It received a Billboard Music Award (Soundtrack of the Year) and was nominated for an American Music Award. Its critically acclaimed sequel, "High School Musical 2," ranks as the No 1 basic cable telecast of all time (18.6 million viewers for its August 17, 2007 premiere) and thus far has been seen by over 198 million total viewers, in 24 languages, around the world.
The High School Musical 2 soundtrack is triple platinum and its DVD release was the top-selling TV property on DVD for 2007. "High School Musical: Summer Session," a talent search series, will premiere in July on the ABC Television Network. "High School Musical: Senior Year" will be released by Walt Disney Pictures later this year.