‘Sevens’ and ‘Candle’ Give Up Top Spots

The reign is over for Garth Brooks’ “Sevens” and Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997.”

Both the Brooks album and the John single fell from atop the national sales charts last week, “Sevens” making room for Celine Dion’s “Let’s Talk About Love” and “Candle” stepping aside for Puff Daddy & the Family’s “It’s All About the Benjamins.”

The Dion collection sold nearly 284,000 copies last week, pushing “Sevens” to the runner-up position after five weeks at No. 1.

The Puff Daddy single, meanwhile, sold almost 102,000 copies to end “Candle’s” 14-week run as the nation’s top-selling single.

“Candle,” which has sold more than 8 million copies since its release last September, also was outsold last week by LSG’s “My Body” and fell to No. 3.

What’s Hot

Here are some recent releases that are generating critical or commercial attention:

Garth Brooks’ “Sevens” (Capitol). Brooks’ strongest album to date is a 40-plus-minute couch session in which the good ol’ boy becomes human-potential poster boy.

Celine Dion’s “Let’s Talk About Love” (550 Music/Epic). Dion’s voice is a technical marvel, but her delivery lacks the personality and intuitive sense of drama that are a diva’s stock in trade.

Metallica’s “Re-Load” (Elektra). Less a sequel to last year’s “Load” than a virtual repudiation of it, the follow-up is strong enough to make you forgive the band its past concessions to mass tastes.

Barbra Streisand’s “Higher Ground” (Columbia). The heart of this studio collection of inspirational ballads showcases the kind of higher aspirations that are all too rare in mainstream pop.

The Spice Girls’ “Spiceworld” (Virgin). If you’re gonna conquer the world with your outrageous antics and messages of “girl power” and “positivity,” you ought to muster a bit more zest for your second album than the English quintet has done here.

2Pac’s “R U Still Down (Remember Me?)” (Amaru/Jive). This two-disc package shows that the slain rapper had a lot more to offer the world. Unfortunately, the material is culled from his least artistic period.

What’s Coming

Tuesday: Victoria Williams’ “Musings of a Creekdipper” (Atlantic), Chris Stills’ “100 Year Thing” (Atlantic), DJ Shadow’s “Preemptive Strike” (Mo Wax/ffrr).