Isaak’s Not Blue

Chris Isaak’s “Forever Blue” made a splashy debut on the Times’ Southern California pop album chart, landing at No. 3. Nationally, though, it’s not as strong, premiering at No. 31. The recent surge by Hootie & the Blowfish’s nearly year-old “Cracked Rear View” has boosted the group to the top of the national pop chart. Blowfish-mania is definitely raging in Southern California too, with the album taking over the No. 1 spot this week. Any doubts about White Zombie being able to follow up its last hit album have certainly faded. The band’s new “Astro Creep: 2000” is the best-selling hard-rock album in both Southern California and the nation.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Title, Artist (Nat’l Rank) Last Week 1 Cracked Rear View, Hootie & the Blowfish (1) 2 2 Friday, soundtrack (3) 1 3 Forever Blue, Chris Isaak (31) -- 4 Throwing Copper, Live (2) 3 5 II, Boyz II Men (4) 6 6 Amor Prohibido, Selena (45) 4 7 Medusa, Annie Lennox (17) 5 8 This Is How, Montell Jordan (12) 7 9 Hell Freezes Over, Eagles (9) 9 10 Crazysexycool, TLC (10) 13

TOP 10 SINGLES

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?, Bryan Adams (1) 1 2 Don’t Take It Personal, Monica (3) 4 3 I’ll Be There For You, Method Man (2) 3 4 This Is How, Montell Jordan (4) 2 5 Total Eclipse of the Heart, Nicki French (6) 7 6 Freak Like Me, Adina Howard (5) 5 7 Can’t You See, Total (9) 12 8 Keep Their Heads Ringin’, Dr. Dre (7) 8 9 I’d Rather Be Alone, IV Xample (51) 6 10 Water Runs Dry, Boyz II Men (10) 9

TOP 10 HARD ROCK ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Astro Creep: 2000, White Zombie (1) 1 2 Dookie, Green Day (2) 2 3 Sixteen Stone, Bush (3) 3 4 Smash, Offspring (4) 4 5 Vitalogy, Pearl Jam (6) 8 6 Balance, Van Halen (5) 5 7 Live Through This, Hole (15) 6 8 Unplugged in New York, Nirvana (9) 7 9 Above, Mad Season (10) 10 10 Root Down, Beastie Boys (7) --

Source: SoundScan Inc., for week of May 28