Pop Album Chart : Alice in Chains Flies to No. 1

Alice in Chains’ “Jar of Flies” top-of-the-chart debut is sort of a surprise, though the Seattle band has clearly been building a sizable fan base. But John Michael Montgomery’s No. 3 opening with “Kickin’ It Up” is a genuine shock. The country singer’s last album did sell more than 1 million but there was no indication that his fans were so eager for his follow-up. He’s still fairly unknown outside of country circles but this splashy chart debut should make the pop masses take notice. Celine Dion’s “The Colour of My Love” continues its charge up the chart, climbing four more notches to No. 16. That’s partly because of the appeal of her single, “The Power of Love,” which took over the top spot on the pop chart.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Last Weeks on the Week Ago Chart 1. “Jar of Flies,” Alice in Chains ... ... 1 2. “Music Box,” Mariah Carey 1 1 22 3. “Kickin’ It Up,” John Michael Montgomery ... ... 1 4. “Doggystyle,” Snoop Doggy Dogg 2 2 10 5. “Greatest Hits,” Tom Petty 5 9 11 6. “Diary of a Mad Band,” Jodeci 3 5 6 7. “Very Necessary,” Salt-N-Pepa 10 12 16 8. “So Far So Good,” Bryan Adams 6 6 12 9. “12-Play,” R. Kelly 12 11 12 10. “Toni Braxton,” Toni Braxton 11 10 29 * “Face the Music,” NKOTB ... ... 1

* NKOTB is ready to, as they say in the album title, “Face the Music.” In case you haven’t heard, NKOTB is the new name of preteen idols New Kids on the Block. The band is trying to distance itself from its old sound and the suggestions that the New Kids weren’t really singing on all those million-selling records. The new album is off to a decent start, debuting at No. 37, but in the old days a New Kids album would have entered at No. 1.

Source: Billboard/Soundscan