Pop Album Chart : Blind Melon Sees Blue Sky With ‘Rain’

While Billy Joel, Cypress Hill, Janet Jackson and the nostalgic “Sleepless in Seattle� soundtrack held onto the top of the charts for another week, a surge from No. 7 to No. 5 by Blind Melon could mean changes are on the way. If Blind Melon, whose video for the single “No Rain� has been getting heavy play on MTV, continues to appeal to a broader listening audience, the scene could be set for a battle against more established acts like Joel and Jackson. But what may really shake things up is the impressive debut at No. 7 from Geto Boys rapper Scarface, “The World Is Yours.� Although his Houston-based band is known for its violent inspirations, Scarface has turned things down a notch on his first solo effort. Time will tell whether he will be tough enough to unseat Cyprus Hill’s current reign on the charts.

* Although they may be better known for giving artists like Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown their funky sound, the trio of songwriter-producers Kenny Edmonds, L.A. Reid and Darryl Simmons are doing just fine on their own with the Babyface effort “For the Cool in You,� No. 17 in its first week of release. Expect their solo effort to continue to climb.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Last Weeks on the Week Ago Chart 1.�River of Dreams,� 1 1 2 Billy Joel 2.�Sleepless in Seattle,� 2 1 9 soundtrack 3.�Black Sunday,� 3 2 5 Cypress Hill 4.�janet.,� 4 3 14 Janet Jackson 5.�Blind Melon,� 7 10 7 Blind Melon 6.�Core,� 5 5 35 Stone Temple Pilots 7.�The World Is Yours,� ... ... 1 Scarface 8.�Promises and Lies,� 8 6 4 UB40 9.�The Bodyguard,� 10 7 40 soundtrack 10. “Zooropa,� U2 6 4 7 * “For the Cool in You,� ... .. 1 Babyface

Source: Billboard/SoundScan