TOPS IN POPS

It doesn’t look like Prince is going to reclaim the No. 1 position on the Billboard magazine pop album chart. His “Purple Rain” slipped to No. 3. With Prince out of the way, Bruce Springsteen, after months at No. 2, has taken charge. His “Born in the USA” continues as pop album champ. Of its 34 weeks on the chart, six have been at No. 1.

Madonna’s album, “Like a Virgin,” will probably be the next No. 1 album. At No. 2, it’s hot on the heels of “Born in the USA.” Her “Like a Virgin” single has been an immovable force in the singles chart, ruling it for the last six weeks. The album features several other potential hit singles, which should keep it in the pop album Top 10 for the next few months at least.

Foreigner’s “Agent Provocateur” has been the major release in the last two months. It made the top 10 this week, at No. 9. At the moment, no other recent releases look like sure-fire Top 10. But Don Henley’s “Building a Perfect Beast” (No. 23) and Deep Purple’s “Perfect Stranger” (No. 24) are fairly certain to invade the Top 20. Sheena Easton’s “A Private Heaven” just made it, at No. 20.

Four albums were just certified platinum (1 million units sold): Duran Duran’s “Arena,” Pat Benatar’s “Tropico,” the Time’s “Ice Cream Castle” and a Prince oldie, “Controversy.” Three albums have just passed the 500,000 mark in sales: Julian Lennon’s “Valotte,” Barry Manilow’s “2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe” and Shelia E.’s “The Glamorous Life.”

SINGLES: With “I Would Die 4 U” reaching No. 10, Prince has his fourth Top 10 single from the “Purple Rain” sound track. . . . The Pointer Sisters, who’ve practically lived in the Top 10 this past year, are about to go “home” again. “Neutron Dance,” featured prominently in the hit movie, “Beverly Hills Cop,” moved up seven places to No. 13. . . . Ashford and Simpson have their first big pop hit in years with “Solid” (No. 21).

OTHER CHARTS: The soul chart leaders: Eugene Wilde’s single “Gotta Get You Home Tonight” and the New Edition album, “New Edition”. . . . The top country single is Alabama’s “(There’s a) Fire in the Night” and George Strait’s “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” is the No. 1 country album. TOP POP ALBUMS 1. “Born in the USA,” Bruce Springsteen (Columbia). 2. “Like a Virgin,” Madonna (Warner Bros,). 3. “Purple Rain,” Prince (Warner Bros.). 4. “17,” Chicago (Full Moon/Warner Bros.) 5. “Arena,” Duran Duran (Capitol). 6. “Reckless,” Bryan Adams (A&M;). 7. “Big Bam Boom,” Hall and Oates (RCA). 8. “Private Dancer,” Tina Turner (Capitol). 9. “Agent Provocateur,” Foreigner (Atlantic). 10. “Make it Big,” Wham (Columbia). TOP POP SINGLES 1. “Like a Virgin,” Madonna (Warner Bros.). 2. “I Want to Know What Love is,” Foreigner (Atlantic). 3. “You’re My Inspiration,” Chicago (Full Moon/Warner Bros.). 4. “Easy Lover,” Philip Bailey (Columbia). 5. “Careless Whisper,” Wham (Columbia). 6. “All I Need,” Jack Wagner (Qwest/Warner Bros.). 7. “Run to You,” Bryan Adams (A&M;). 8. “The Boys of Summer,” Don Henley (Warner Bros.). 9. “Lover Boy,” Billy Ocean (Arista). 10. “I Would Die 4 U,” Prince (Warner Bros.).