Pop Album Chart : American Music Awards Spur Sales

As usual, exposure on the televised American Music Awards--the most popular of the pop music trophy fests--translates into significant record sales. Many saw Toni Braxton on the show for the first time and obviously liked what they saw. Her debut album, leaped from No. 7 all the way to the top of the chart. Whitney Houston, the big winner on the show for the “Bodyguard” soundtrack album, was a big winner in record stores too. It’s hard to imagine that any fan of her music doesn’t have the album (more than 10 million have been sold) but, sure enough, sales jumped. The album climbed from No. 24 to No. 11. Kenny G’s win also triggered a run on his “Breathless” album, which has already sold more than 6 million. It jumped from No. 41 to No. 26. Noteworthy debuts: Richard Marx’s “Paid Vacation” (No. 41) and Zhane’s (pronounced Jah-Nay) at No. 45. Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” is still the power on the pop singles chart, holding on to its No. 1 position. This hit continues to drive her album up the chart. “The Colour of My Love” made the Top 10--at No. 10.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Last Weeks on the Week Ago Chart 1. “Toni Braxton,” Toni Braxton 7 10 31 2. “Music Box,” Mariah Carey 2 2 24 3. “Doggystyle,” Snoop Doggy Dogg 3 4 12 4. “Kickin’ It Up,” John Michael Montgomery 1 3 3 5. “12 Play,” R. Kelly 5 9 14 6. “Very Necessary,” Salt-n-Pepa 6 7 18 7. “August and Everything After,” Counting Crows 10 15 9 8. “Greatest Hits,” Tom Petty 9 5 13 9. “Jar of Flies,” Alice in Chains 4 1 3 10. “The Colour of My Love,” Celine Dion 14 16 14 * “The Cross of Changes,” Enigma ... ... 1

* Some will be puzzled by Enigma’s strong debut, entering at No. 12 with “The Cross of Changes.” Producer Michael Cretu has assembled another spacey, no-holds-barred mixture of elements such as techno beats, Gregorian chants and Middle Eastern vocals. The first album was dismissed as a one-shot novelty hit but the follow-up’s fast start indicates that Enigma may be around for a while.

Source: Billboard/Soundscan