‘Titanic’ Continues to Rule the Charts; ‘My Life’ Enters Singles Scene at No. 1

“Titanic” continues to be as hot in record stores as in theaters. The soundtrack for the film easily topped the national sales charts for the 11th straight week, selling an estimated 454,000 copies, according to SoundScan.

That figure, which more than doubles the week’s sales for runner-up “Let’s Talk About Love” by Celine Dion, pushes the collection’s total sales past the 6 million mark.

Three albums debuted in the Top 10: C-Murder’s “Life or Death” at No. 3, Van Halen’s “Van Halen 3” at No. 4 and “The Players Club” soundtrack at No. 10.

In the singles field, K-Ci & JoJo’s “All My Life” enters the chart this week at No. 1. Montell Jordan’s “Let’s Ride” finished second.

What’s Hot

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

Eric Clapton’s “Pilgrim” (Duck/Reprise). Most of the 14 tracks on this album lament lost love, but the songwriting on Clapton’s first collection of original material since 1989 rarely rises above cliche.

Madonna’s “Ray of Light” (Warner Bros.). From the sparkling arrangements to the lyrics, this ambitious new collection of songs is Madonna’s most thoughtful and personal work since 1989’s “Like a Prayer.”

Mono’s “Formica Blues” (Mercury). Producer Martin Virgo and singer Siobhan de Mare have concocted an enchanting aural landscape that manages to strike a perfect balance between the cerebral pop of Portishead and the retro cool of the Sneaker Pimps.

Various Artists, “The Players Club” (Heavyweight/A&M;). On this soundtrack to rapper Ice Cube’s directorial debut, crudely sexual and gangsta-informed rhymes contrast with pleading vocals as playful raunchiness wonderfully commingles with searches for real love.

Van Halen’s “Van Halen 3” (Warner Bros.) The veteran group’s first effort with new singer Gary Cherone may not be its most focused, but it might be its most adventurous.

What’s New

Scott Weiland’s “12 Bar Blues” (Atlantic).