WARNER BROS.: Even with Madonna moonlighting on...

WARNER BROS.: Even with Madonna moonlighting on Broadway, Warners had more million selling albums--nine--than any other label, including a double-platinum entry from Van Halen, another smash from Randy Travis and Rod Stewart’s first platinum album in seven years. David Lee Roth returned with a solid hit, Al B. Sure! enjoyed a cross-over smash and the Traveling Wilburys were the year’s oddball supergroup. Of course, the Burbank-based giant had two of the year’s most visible duds--”Brian Wilson” bombed out at No. 54 while Prince’s “Lovesexy” took seven months to go gold. The label has several promising newcomers, including Ice-T and Jane’s Addiction, but the jury is still out on the label’s costly acquisition of R.E.M.