Hammer Wards Off Challenges

M.C. Hammer’s “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em,” continues to ward off challengers for the No. 1 position on the Billboard magazine pop album chart, racking up its 12th week at the top of the chart. It’s been on top all summer, with Hammer’s tour helping to boost sales in the second half of the season. Easily the year’s best-selling album, “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” is over the 4-million mark in sales. Hammer’s latest challenger is Jon Bon Jovi, whose “Blaze of Glory” album--the “Young Guns II” soundtrack--vaulted to No. 7 in just two weeks. The other hot new album is “Edutainment” by the rap unit Boogie Down Productions. In its second chart week, the album jumped from No. 74 to No. 36.

* Fans of the hit movie “Ghost” are beginning to buy the soundtrack, which entered the chart at No. 66.

POP ALBUM CHART

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” 1 1 26 M.C. Hammer (Capitol) 2. “Wilson Phillips” 2 3 21 Wilson Phillips (SBK) 3. “Flesh and Blood” 3 2 6 Poison (Enigma) 4. “Mariah Carey” 4 4 10 Mariah Carey (Columbia) 5. “Compositions” 5 6 7 Anita Baker (Elektra) * “Ghost” ... ... 1 soundtrack (MCA)