Pop Album Chart : U2 Ends Brooks’ Reign at the Top

It took the Irish rock band U2 to unseat Garth Brooks, who’s ruled the Billboard magazine chart for eight weeks. Hammer’s been pounding at Brooks for weeks, but to no avail. Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous,” which was released Tuesday, debuts on the chart next week and it is almost certain to enter at No. 1. Jackson’s “Black or White” is the new No. 1 pop single, rocketing to the top in just three weeks. Not that many people are buying brother Jermaine’s slap at Michael, the single “Word to the Badd!!” (No. 93).

* Though it dropped to No. 9, Ice Cube’s “Death Certificate” sold 73,000 copies last week--a lot for an album that’s steeped in controversy and selling strictly underground.

Pop Album Chart

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Achtung Baby” ... ... 1 U2 (Island) 2. “Ropin’ the Wind” 1 1 10 Garth Brooks (Capitol) 3. “Too Legit to Quit” 2 3 3 Hammer (Capitol) 4. “Nevermind” 4 9 8 Genesis (Atlantic) 5. “Time, Love and Tenderness” 8 13 31 Michael Bolton (Columbia) * “Death Certificate” 3 3 4 Ice Cube (Priority)