Pop Album Chart : Blind Melon Sees Blue Sky With ‘Rain’

While Billy Joel, Cypress Hill, Janet Jackson and the nostalgic “Sleepless in Seattle” soundtrack held onto the top of the charts for another week, a surge from No. 7 to No. 5 by Blind Melon could mean changes are on the way. If Blind Melon, whose video for the single “No Rain” has been getting heavy play on MTV, continues to appeal to a broader listening audience, the scene could be set for a battle against more established acts like Joel and Jackson. But what may really shake things up is the impressive debut at No. 7 from Geto Boys rapper Scarface, “The World Is Yours.” Although his Houston-based band is known for its violent inspirations, Scarface has turned things down a notch on his first solo effort. Time will tell whether he will be tough enough to unseat Cyprus Hill’s current reign on the charts.

* Although they may be better known for giving artists like Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown their funky sound, the trio of songwriter-producers Kenny Edmonds, L.A. Reid and Darryl Simmons are doing just fine on their own with the Babyface effort “For the Cool in You,” No. 17 in its first week of release. Expect their solo effort to continue to climb.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Last Weeks on the Week Ago Chart 1.”River of Dreams,” 1 1 2 Billy Joel 2.”Sleepless in Seattle,” 2 1 9 soundtrack 3.”Black Sunday,” 3 2 5 Cypress Hill 4.”janet.,” 4 3 14 Janet Jackson 5.”Blind Melon,” 7 10 7 Blind Melon 6.”Core,” 5 5 35 Stone Temple Pilots 7.”The World Is Yours,” ... ... 1 Scarface 8.”Promises and Lies,” 8 6 4 UB40 9.”The Bodyguard,” 10 7 40 soundtrack 10. “Zooropa,” U2 6 4 7 * “For the Cool in You,” ... .. 1 Babyface

Source: Billboard/SoundScan