A Singular Assortment of Singles : Pop music: The innovative British dance-rock movement seems to be gaining mainstream momentum.

“Unbelievable” indeed.

Given the disheartening state of mainstream pop radio in recent years, it’s encouraging--and somewhat remarkable--to find that two of the year’s best rock singles are actually in the national Top 10 this week.

The records--which also rank first and fourth respectively on my list of the most compelling singles so far in 1991--are EMF’s sassy “Unbelievable” and Jesus Jones’ uplifting “Right Here, Right Now.”

Singles of this quality are usually absent from the national Top 10 because radio programmers, whose decisions on playlists greatly influence the pop marketplace, lean so heavily toward safe, accessible records rather than challenging or innovative ones.

Equally noteworthy, the success of “Unbelievable” and “Right Here, Right Now” may be a sign that the youthful British dance-rock movement that has been slow to catch on in this country is finally gaining commercial momentum here.

This style--also represented by such Manchester bands as the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Charlatans UK--is one of the freshest developments in pop since rap. The approach isn’t “disco-rock” in the sense of, say, C+C Music Factory or Deee-Lite, nor is it the rigid electronic pulse of a group such as New Order or Erasure.

Instead, this “dance-rock” is an aggressive mix of traditional ‘60s rock influences, from the Beatles to Byrds, with funk and contemporary dance elements all woven together with a decidedly ‘90s energy and independence.

Further evidence that the movement is gaining momentum was the recent signing of the Stone Roses by Geffen Records, which is not only a tastemaker label but a shrewd marketing-promotion force.

Though the British quartet has only released one album and has yet to tour the United States, the Stone Roses is one of the half-dozen most promising bands in rock and the Geffen connection should help the group launch its overdue U.S. assault. The Roses, now in the studio in England, hopes to release the new album this fall.

Here are my choices for the most distinguished or appealing mainstream pop singles of the last six months. The competition was limited to records that actually made the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart at least once during the last six months. (The choices for best album appear in Sunday’s Calendar.)

1--EMF’s “Unbelievable” (EMI Records). One of the most difficult concepts for jazz or classical purists to understand about pop music is that attitude (think the Sex Pistols or Prince) can contribute as much as craft (Paul Simon or Prince) to a classic pop single. EMF’s forte is attitude in this invigorating single, a cocky broadside that signals the arrival of a new generation in pop as proudly as “Roll Over Beethoven” or “Get Off My Cloud.” The single is No. 2 this week in Billboard.

2--Sting’s “All This Time” (A&M;). You get an idea of how messed up mainstream pop radio is when you realize that a record, specifically this one, can be one of the two best hit singles of the last six months and yet only be the third-best track on the artist’s album.

Though “Why Should I Cry for You?” and “Mad About You” were more absorbing selections from Sting’s acclaimed “The Soul Cages” album, “All This Time” became the radio favorite because it is more easily digested. Beneath the single’s lilt, however, are some bittersweet reflections on religion and life spurred by the death of the singer’s father.

3--R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” (Warner Bros.). It’s easy on the first listening to tell that this melancholy single isn’t about religion at all, but you can listen to it a dozen more times without feeling you have quite figured out the exact scenario. But ambiguity isn’t new to the band. Declares Michael Stipe at one point:

Oh, no, (I) said too much.

I haven’t said enough.

4--Jesus Jones’ “Right Here, Right Now” (SBK). The band, which combines the energy and observation of the Who and the Jam, wrote this especially warm and optimistic song in the months after the Berlin Wall came down. It is No. 3 this week in Billboard.

5--Seal’s “Crazy” (Sire). You may have as much trouble as British critics deciding if this promising soul-and-rock-flavored singer is closer stylistically to Prince or Terence Trent D’Arby, but the fact that he is being mentioned in such classy company underscores the lure of this socially conscious single.

6--Happy Mondays’ “Step On” (Elektra). More from the British dance-rock movement, this time a wacky and irrepressible expansion of John Kongos’ quirky 1971 hit, “He’s Gonna Step on You Again.”

7--Yo-Yo’s “You Can’t Play With My Yo-Yo” (East West). Ice Cube’s ally adds nicely to the fiber and punch of female rap with this spirited declaration of ‘90s sisterhood.

8--Monie Love’s “It’s a Shame (My Sister)” (Warner Bros.). More female rap, this time built around an old Stevie Wonder song, with added words of wisdom to women who have been repeatedly mistreated by their men.

9--Black Box’s “Strike It Up” (RCA). The liveliest disco-dance entry since C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat,” with another strong vocal assist from Martha Wash.

10--The Black Crowes’ “She Talks to Angels” (Def American). Moody, melancholy blues-rock in the tradition of the Stones and Allman Brothers.

CHECKING IT OUT: Art Fein, author of “The L.A. Musical History Tour,” will be aboard next weekend when the Tanqueray Rock-N-Roll Trivia Bus Tour” rolls through Hollywood to raise money for the T.J. Martell Foundation, a record-industry charity for cancer, leukemia and AIDS research. The tour, which will include various sites made famous by rock stars over the years, will leave from Tower Records in West Hollywood at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. next Saturday and July 14. Tickets, $10 each, are available at Ticketmaster outlets.