Pop Album Chart : Nashville, Rapper Spice Up Top 10

Gangsta rapper Spice 1 crashed into the Top 10 with his second album, “187 He Wrote,” which opened at No. 10. Though he’s known in rap circles, it’s surprising that he has the kind of selling power needed to debut in the Top 10. The album also vaulted into the top spot on the R&B; chart. What really made Spice hot is his track “Trigga Got No Heart” on the popular “Menace II Society” soundtrack. Looks like Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell II” (No. 3) will be in the Top 10 for a while. It’s getting a strong boost from his single, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” which shot up to No. 6 on the pop chart. They’ll be a lot of crowing coming from Nashville this week--and rightly so. Three of the Top 10 pop albums are country: Garth Brooks’ top-ranked “In Pieces,” and George Strait’s “Easy Come, Easy Go” (No. 5) and Reba McEntire’s “Greatest Hits Vol. 2” (No. 8), both of which premiered this week.

* Chalk up another one for the power of TV awards shows. Vince Gill, the big winner in the recent Country Music Assn. ceremonies, cashed in at the record stores. The exposure revived interest in his album, “I Still Believe in You,” which jumped from No. 103 to No. 27--after 57 weeks on the chart.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Last Weeks on the Week Ago Chart 1.”In Pieces,” 2 1 5 Garth Brooks 2.”In Utero,” Nirvana 1 ... 2 3.”Bat Out of Hell II,” 4 3 3 Meat Loaf 4.”Music Box,” Mariah Carey 3 2 5 5.”Easy Come, Easy Go,” ... ... 1 George Strait 6.”River of Dreams,” 5 4 8 Billy Joel 7.”janet.,” Janet Jackson 7 7 20 8.”Greatest Hits Vol. 2,” ... ... 1 Reba McEntire 9.”Blind Melon,” 6 5 13 Blind Melon 10.”187 He Wrote,” Spice 1 ... ... 1 * “I Still Believe in You,” 103 100 57 Vince Gill

Source: Billboard/Soundscan