POP LP CHART : New Kids Have Double Hits

New Kids on the Block, a male teen vocal group that’s the rage among teen girls right now, heads both Billboard pop charts. Its “Hangin’ Tough” album, which is over the 3-million mark, is the top pop album, while the album’s title single moved into the No. 1 spot on the pop singles chart. Cher’s “Heart of Stone” album (No. 20) has certainly shut up the skeptics who were insisting her appeal to pop fans had seriously declined. The album is rising so fast because of her hot single, “If I Could Turn Back Time” (No. 9), which in turn has gotten a boost from the racy accompanying video. Warrent’s “Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich” just went platinum (1 million units sold) while climbing two rungs to No. 11.

* Babyface, half of the hot producing-composing team of L.A. Reid and Babyface, has a solo soul album, “Tender Lover,” that’s rising rapidly on the pop chart--from No. 68 to No. 54. This figured to be a black chart hit, but its pop success is, for Babyface, an unexpected bonus. Chalk it up to his hit single, “It’s No Crime,” which is No. 31 on the pop chart and seems headed for the Top 20.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Hangin’ Tough” 2 3 55 New Kids on the Block (Columbia) 2. “Repeat Offender” 1 2 17 Richard Marx (EMI) 3. “Forever Your Girl” 4 4 60 Paula Abdul (Virgin) 4. “Girl You Know It’s True” 5 6 25 Milli Vanilli (Arista) 5. “Batman” 3 1 10 Prince (Warner Bros.) * “Tender Lover” 68 78 6 Babyface (Solar)