POP LP CHART

Something’s gotta give. Michael Jackson and Whitesnake have been hogging the top two positions on the Billboard magazine pop chart for weeks now. But one of them may have to step down in the next week or two to make way for Bruce Springsteen’s “Tunnel of Love,” which rocketed to No. 3 in just two weeks. It’s hard to imagine a Springsteen album languishing at No. 3. Yes has a hot album: “Big Generator” is No. 21 after three weeks and is almost certain to make the Top 10. Sting’s “Nothing Like the Sun” debuted at No. 54. Also Top-10 bound: Aerosmith’s “Permanent Vacation” (No. 14) and Billy Idol’s “Vital Idol” (No. 17). Michael Jackson’s “Bad” is still the No. 1 single.

* Whodini may be the next rap act to make the pop Top 20. Until now, this Brooklyn rap group had sold mostly in the black market. But “Open Sesame” (No. 38) is crossing over to become one of the fastest-rising albums on the pop chart.

POP LP CHART

TITLE RANK RANK WEEKS LAST 2 WKS ON WEEK AGO CHART 1. Bad 1 1 6 Michael Jackson (Epic) 2. Whitesnake 2 2 29 Whitesnake (Geffen) 3. Tunnel of Love 16 ---- 2 Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) 4. Dirty Dancing 4 6 7 Soundtrack (RCA) 5. A Momentary Lapse of Reason 3 5 6 Pink Floyd (Columbia) * Open Sesame 50 145 3 Whodini (Arista)