New Kids at Top of Charts

New Kids on the Block, a favorite of females between 4 and 15, now has the No. 1 album on the Billboard chart. “Step by Step” stepped into the top spot in just two weeks. Some industry observers figured this teen vocal group was so hot and its fans so zealous that its album would have debuted in the Top Five--maybe even at No. 1. But it entered last week at No. 14--remarkable for the average artist, but so-so for a group that’s so popular. But this week the Kids showed that the “slow” start was just a fluke. The New Kids now top both pop charts. The album’s title song has taken over the No. 1 spot on the pop singles chart. All the controversy is propelling 2 Live Crew’s nearly year-old album back up the pop chart. This week “As Nasty as They Wanna Be” jumped from No. 77 to No. 54. Soul II Soul’s new “Vol. II 1990: A New Decade” raced up to No. 21 in just three weeks.

* Heartthrob Keith Sweat’s second album, “I’ll Give All My Love to You,” may push him to the forefront of the pack of R&B; singers who are scrambling for second place behind Bobby Brown. Off to a surprisingly fast start, his album debuted at No. 33.

POP ALBUM CHART

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Step by Step” 14 ... 2 New Kids on Block (Columbia) 2. “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” 1 1 18 M.C. Hammer (Capitol) 3. “I’m Breathless” 2 3 4 Madonna (Sire/Warner Bros.) 4. “I Do Not Want ... Haven’t Got” 3 2 13 Sinead O’Connor (Chrysalis) 5. “Poison” 5 6 13 Bell Biv Devoe (MCA) “I’ll Give All My Love to You” ... ... 1 Keith Sweat (Elektra)