Pop Album Chart : ‘Dangerous’ Keeps Its Place at Top

Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” continues to rule the roost, claiming the top spot of Billboard magazine’s pop album chart for the third straight week, again warding off the challenge of Garth Brooks’ “Ropin’ the Wind” (No. 2). One of the most consistent sellers of the year has been Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable,” an album popularized by her father, Nat King Cole. Though it slipped to No. 8 this week, it had been rising steadily up the chart in the last few weeks, indicating many fans will find it under their Christmas trees next week. Speaking of steady sellers, “Cooleyhighharmony”--the 2-million seller by Philadelphia R&B; vocal group Boyz II Men--inched to No. 5, thanks its hit single, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” again second on the pop singles chart to Jackson’s “Black or White.”

* One of the season’s surprise hits is the soundtrack from Disney’s feature-length cartoon, “Beauty and the Beast.” In four weeks, the soundtrack has jumped to No. 26, doing a lot better than some recent releases by established artists.

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1.”Dangerous” 1 1 3 Michael Jackson (Epic) 2.”Ropin’ the Wind” 2 2 14 Garth Brooks (Capitol) 3.”Too Legit to Quit” 3 4 7 Hammer (Capitol) 4.”Time, Love and Tenderness” 5 5 34 Michael Bolton (Columbia) 5.”Cooleyhighharmony” 8 9 31 Boyz II Men (Motown) *”Beauty and the Beast” 30 34 4 soundtrack (Disney)