Clapton Plugs Away

Madonna’s “Erotica” is getting all the attention, but Eric Clapton’s “Unplugged” keeps chugging quietly along and selling big--this week maintaining second place on The Times’ Southern California album chart.

Michael Bolton’s “Timeless” moved up two notches to No. 3, no doubt through sales generated by his recent TV special. Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” entered strongly at No. 8.

On the hard rock/metal chart, the Red Hot Chili Peppers lead the way with two albums: a greatest-hits package (No. 5) and their year-old “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” (No. 8).

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Erotica, Madonna (4) 1 2 Unplugged, Eric Clapton (3) 2 3 Timeless, Michael Bolton (2) 5 4 Automatic for the People, R.E.M. (6) 3 5 The Chase, Garth Brooks (1) 4 6 Pure Country, George Strait (7) 13 7 Ten, Pearl Jam (8) 9 8 Harvest Moon, Neil Young (16) -- 9 Us, Peter Gabriel (13) 6 10 “,” Prince (10) 7

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TOP 10 SINGLES

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 If I Ever Fall in Love, Shai (5) 4 2 Jump Around, House of Pain (4) 3 3 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (9) 1 4 Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect (1) 8 5 I’d Die Without You, PM Dawn (6) 5 6 End of the Road, Boyz II Men (2) 2 7 How Do You Talk . . . , the Heights (3) 10 8 People Everyday, Arrested Devel. (12) 6 9 Sometimes Love . . . , Patty Smyth (7) 7 10 Rhythm Is a Dancer, Snap (8) 9

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TOP 10 HARD ROCK

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Ten, Pearl Jam (1) 2 2 Dirt, Alice in Chains (2) 1 3 Greatest Hits, Queen (6) 3 4 Metallica, Metallica (4) 5 5 What Hits? Red Hot Chili Peppers (7) 4 6 Live (Single), AC/DC (3) -- 7 Singles, Soundtrack (8) 6 8 Blood Sugar . . ., Red Hot Chili Peppers (12) 8 9 Countdown to . . ., Megadeth (11) 7 10 Use Your Illusion I, Guns N’ Roses (14) 9

Source: SoundScan Inc., for week ending Nov. 1