GNR's 'Illusion' Albums Enter Charts at Nos. 1, 2 : * Pop music: In less than two weeks, the controversial L.A. band's latest release takes an unprecedented top two chart positions in four countries.

GNR’s ‘Illusion’ Albums Enter Charts at Nos. 1, 2 : * Pop music: In less than two weeks, the controversial L.A. band’s latest release takes an unprecedented top two chart positions in four countries.

By CHUCK PHILIPS

Sept. 26, 1991 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Guns N’ Roses’ two new albums will debut at No. 1 and No. 2 on the Billboard magazine pop sales chart that hits the newsstands Saturday, marking the first time a pop act has ever commanded the top two positions on the trade magazine’s authoritative pop album chart.

The two albums have also entered the pop charts at No. 1 and 2 in England, Australia and Japan.

For the record:

12:00 a.m. Oct. 9, 1991 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday October 9, 1991 Home Edition Calendar Part F Page 7 Column 2 Entertainment Desk 3 inches; 72 words Type of Material: Correction
Chart positions--Guns N’ Roses’ two new albums, “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II,” are the first two albums by one band ever to enter the Billboard magazine pop album charts at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. But they aren’t the first albums by a single act ever to hold the two top spots, as incorrectly stated in a Sept. 26 Calendar article. The Beatles held the top two spots in 1969 with the “White Album” and “Yellow Submarine” and Jim Croce did it in 1974 with “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” and “I Got a Name.”

The controversial Los Angeles-based hard-rock band’s “Use Your Illusion II” and “Use Your Illusion I”--which were both released Sept. 17--sold approximately 770,000 and 675,000 copies, respectively, during their first week in stores in the United States, according to industry estimates.

The “Illusion II” sales were almost 30% more than the 600,000 registered last month by Metallica--the previous one-week high since Billboard began basing its charts last May on the computerized SoundScan research system.

“Retailers haven’t seen anything like this in years and we’re thrilled,” said Lew Garrett, vice president of purchasing at Camelot Enterprises Inc., a 300-outlet North Canton, Ohio-based chain.

Arnie Bernstein, president of Musicland, the largest retail chain in the nation, said the albums also are sparking the general upswing in retail business that merchandisers had hoped for during a relatively slow sales year.

“Sales for both albums have far exceeded our projections,” Bernstein said Wednesday in a phone interview from the 1,000-outlet, Minneapolis-based chain’s headquarters. “Plus, it’s such a mega-hit that’s it’s driving customers back into the malls and stimulating business across the board.”

Meanwhile, Garth Brooks, whose “Ropin’ the Wind” album entered the Billboard charts last week at No. 1 with a healthy 300,000 sales, continued to sell at the same pace, according to industry sources. But that pace will only be good enough for No. 3 on the upcoming charts this week.

Mariah Carey’s “Emotions” album sold about 150,000 copies during its first week in the stores, enabling it to enter this weekend’s chart at No. 4. Metallica’s self-titled album on Elektra Records, with approximately 135,000 copies sold, will be No. 5.