M.C’s Hammerlock on 1st

The only people being hurt by M. C. Hammer’s “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” are competitors who’ve been trying to slip into the No. 1 position on the Billboard pop album chart. With 14 weeks as pop-chart champ, Hammer continues his lock on the top spot. It’s hard to say who’ll unseat Hammer. Prince’s “Graffiti Bridge,” at No. 10, is the hottest new album around. Other hot albums--all somewhere in the hard-rock genre: Jane’s Addiction’s “Ritual de lo Habitual” (No. 19), Anthrax’s “Persistence of Time” (No. 26), Ratt’s “Detonator” (No. 33) and Stryper’s “Against the Law” (No. 39). Wilson Phillips has another No. 1 single with “Release Me.”

* Living Colour, the black rock band that initially had a tough time finding an audience, may be on the verge of superstardom. Its “Time’s Up” debuted at No. 82 but could jump into the Top 20 next week.

POP ALBUM CHART

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em” 1 1 28 M.C. Hammer (Capitol) 2. “Wilson Phillips” 2 2 23 Wilson Phillips (SBK) 3. “Blaze of Glory” 3 7 4 Jon Bon Jovi (Mercury) 4. “Mariah Carey” 4 4 12 Mariah Carey (Columbia) 5. “Flesh and Blood” 5 3 8 Poison (Enigma) * “Time’s Up” ... ... 1 Living Colour (Epic)