STACKING UP SALES

Total album and single sales of CDs and cassettes for the week ended Oct. 17, compared to week-ago and year-ago levels, in thousands of units sold: Latest week Albums: 9,768

Singles: 2,002

* Week-ago Albums: 9,245 Singles: 1,942

* Year-ago Albums: 9,256 Singles: 1,890

Atop the Charts

Monthly record company market share as of September, based on units sold. Most popular singles--based on sales or radio airplay--for a range of musical categories, for the week ended Oct. 17. Both are indicators of music company performance.

MARKET SHARE

Total Top Rank Distributor share Albums Singles seller 1 WEA 20.17% 20.05% 20.73% Common Thread 2 Sony 19.18 19.02 19.93 Billy Joel 3 CEMA 13.98 14.79 10.20 Garth Brooks 4 Polygram 11.71 12.38 8.61 Def Leppard 5 BMG 10.79 9.87 15.08 Toni Braxton 6 UNI 10.21 10.39 9.37 Meatloaf

Rank Album 1 Songs of the Eagles 2 River of Dreams 3 In Pieces 4 Retro Active 5 Toni Braxton 6 Bat Out of Hell II

*

TOP SINGLES

Rank Category Title Artist last wk. Label Overall Just Kickin’ It Xscape 2 So So Def Contemporary The River of Billy Joel 1 Columbia Dreams Country Easy Come, George Strait 3 MCA Easy Go Dance Hey Mr. D.J. Zhane 1 Flavor Unit Latin Hasta Que Me Luis Miguel 3 Wea Latina Olvides R&B; Just Kickin’ It Xscape 1 So So Def Rap Recipe of a Hoe Boss 3 Ral/Chaos Album rock Stick It Out Rush New Atlantic track Modern rock Heart-Shaped Box Nirvana 1 Geffen track

Parent Category company Overall Sony Contemporary Sony Country MCA Dance Sony Latin Time Warner R&B; Sony Rap Sony Album rock Time track Warner Modern rock MCA track

* Ranking from two weeks ago

Sources: Soundscan Inc.; Billboard magazine