Pop Album Chart : Weezer, Hootie Moving Toward Top 10

Two hot alternative-rock acts, Weezer and Hootie & the Blowfish, are poised to make their debuts on the pop album Top 10. Hootie’s “Cracked Rear View” climbed from No. 21 to No. 12, while “Weezer” moved up two notches to No. 16. Both have been around for about six months but have been surging lately. The 3-week-old “Higher Learning” soundtrack continues to race up the chart, jumping from No. 50 to No. 39. Pop singles chart: TLC’s “Creep” holds on to the top spot, while Soul for Real’s “Candy Rain” takes another big jump, to No. 15, and Dionne Farris’ fast-rising single “I Know” bounds to No. 45.

* One big reason Live’s “Throwing Copper” album is bolting up the chart is its hot single, “Lightning Strikes.” This week, the second album by the Pennsylvania rockers leaped 10 places to No. 25. It’s been a slow, steady seller for a long time, piling up sales of more than 500,000 copies in 39 weeks. The group has a fairly low profile outside alternative-rock circles, but that may change.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Last Weeks on the Week Ago Chart 1. “The Hits,” Garth Brooks 1 1 6 2. “Dookie,” Green Day 2 5 50 3. “Hell Freezes Over,” 4 4 11 Eagles 4. “II,” Boyz II Men 3 2 21 5. “Vitalogy,” Pearl Jam 5 3 9 6. “No Need to Argue,” 10 12 16 the Cranberries 7. “Crazysexycool,” TLC 8 9 10 8. “My Life,” Mary J. Blige 7 15 8 9. “Smash,” Offspring 6 6 36 10. “MTV Unplugged in 9 7 12 New York,” Nirvana * “Throwing Copper,” Live 35 43 39