POP LP CHART : Abdul’s ‘Girl’ Shoots Up Chart

Paula Abdul may turn out to be the most popular female dance-music artist since Janet Jackson was controlling the pop charts a few years ago. Abdul’s “Forever Your Girl” album--up to No. 4 on the Billboard magazine pop chart--just crossed the 1-million mark. Fine Young Cannibals’ album--”The Raw and the Cooked” (No. 16)--is by far the hottest new release of the last few weeks. Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” single, No. 25 in just two weeks, looks like a Top 10 shoo-in.

* Guitarist Vernon Reid is having the last laugh on all those skeptics who said his Living Colour, like just about every other black rock band, would never make it. But he insisted their “Vivid” album was too good to ignore. Fans eventually agreed. The album, slow to catch on, finally made the Top 10--at No. 9.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1.’Electric Youth 1 1 7 Debbie Gibson (Atlantic) 2. “Don’t Be Cruel” 2 2 36 Bobby Brown (MCA) 3. “Appetite for Destruction” 3 3 83 Guns N’ Roses (Geffen) 4. “Forever Your Girl” 5 6 36 Paula Abdul (Virgin) 5. “Traveling Wilburys” 4 4 20 Traveling Wilburys (Warner Bros.) * “Vivid” 12 12 30 Living Colour (Epic)