On a Sound Track

With the Christmas Day release of the movie only days away, the “Evita” soundtrack featuring Madonna and other cast members is inching up both The Times’ Southern California album sales chart and the national chart. But two other soundtracks continue to outsell it: Whitney Houston’s gospel-tinged “The Preacher’s Wife” and the energetic music from “Romeo & Juliet.” And R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” from the “Space Jam” soundtrack, has displaced Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” from atop the national singles chart, although “Un-Break” remains No. 1 locally.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

*--*

Title, Artist (Nat’l Rank) Last Week 1 Tragic Kingdom, No Doubt (1) 1 2 The Preacher’s Wife, soundtrack (3) 3 3 Romeo & Juliet, soundtrack (6) 2 4 Falling Into You, Celine Dion (2) 5 5 Secrets, Toni Braxton (8) 7 6 Tha Doggfather, Snoop Doggy Dogg (16) 4 7 Bush, Razorblade Suitcase (4) 6 8 The Moment, Kenny G (9) 8 9 Evita, soundtrack (15) 11 10 Keith Sweat, Keith Sweat (18) 13

*--*

TOP 10 SINGLES

*--*

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton (2) 1 2 Nobody, Keith Sweat (3) 2 3 Don’t Let Go (Love), En Vogue (5) 5 4 Nothin’ But the Cavi Hit, Mack 10 and Tha Dogg Pound (31) 3 5 I Believe I Can Fly, R. Kelly (1) 9 6 Pony, Ginuwine (8) 4 7 No Diggity, Blackstreet (4) 7 8 Never Leave Me Alone, Nate Dogg (30) 6 9 I Finally Found Someone, Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams (9) 8 10 ATLiens, OutKast (28) 14

*--*

TOP 10 RAP ALBUMS

*--*

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Tha Doggfather, Snoop Doggy Dogg (1) 1 2 Bow Down, Westside Connection (8) 2 3 The Don Killuminati, Makaveli (2) 3 4 Death Row’s Greatest Hits, various (5) 4 5 Family Scriptures, Mo Thugs (4) 6 6 Dr. Dre. . . Aftermath, various artists (6) 5 7 Christmas on Death Row, various (19) -- 8 Tha Hall of Game, E-40 (17) 7 9 E. 1999, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (7) -- 10 Jock Jams Vol. 2, various artists (3) --

*--*

Source: SoundScan, for week ending Dec. 15