The unprecedented dominance of female artists continues on the music charts, with groups and male soloists being shut out on the two top pop lists for the ninth straight week.
On the singles side, New Yorker Taylor Dayne kept the streak going with
``Love Will Lead You Back,`` which moved up from No. 2 to end the two-week reign of Alannah Myles` ``Black Velvet`` (now No. 5).
The nine-week run of female singers in the top spot began on Feb. 10, when Paula Abdul`s ``Opposites Attract`` replaced Michael Bolton`s ``How Am I Supposed to Live Without You`` as No. 1. Three weeks later, Abdul`s run was ended by Janet Jackson`s ``Escapade,`` which also held the top spot for three weeks before being bumped by Myles.
And the streak isn`t likely to end soon, even though Dayne will have a tough time hanging on to her title next week. That`s because yet another female artist-newcomer Lisa Stansfield of Britain-is already challenging with the torrid ``All Around the World,`` which jumped from No. 5 to No. 3 this week and is really taking off in radio airplay. Stansfield`s only threat is Tommy Page`s teen ballad, ``I`ll Be Your Everything,`` which moved from No. 4 to No. 2 but appears to have peaked in momentum.
But the hottest female singer continues to be Ireland`s Sinead O`Connor, whose moody ballad ``Nothing Compares 2 U`` zipped from No. 16 to No. 9 in just its fourth chart week and should be No. 1 in another two weeks.
Over on the LP list, Bonnie Raitt`s Grammy-winning ``Nick of Time``
finally moved into the top spot (from No. 3) exactly one year after it first hit the charts. That ended the long run of Abdul`s ``Forever Your Girl`` (now No. 2) and gave Raitt her first No. 1 album after nearly two decades of acclaim but only mediocre sales.
``Nick of Time`` also will go into the record books as the last release to hold the top spot on Billboard`s compact disc list, which the magazine discontinued after last week`s rankings. (``The move reflects the complete integration of the CD into mainstream sales,`` Billboard explained. The Top LPs chart already included compact disc sales.)
Another recent change in Billboard`s ranking system is having a huge impact on the magazine`s country singles charts, which in the past were based heavily on phone-in reports from radio stations and often resulted in a highly predictable rotation of records in the top 10 spots, with records rarely remaining at No. 1 for more than one week. Several months ago, the magazine switched to a computerized system designed to monitor the stations` actual playlists. That change benefited Randy Travis` current hit, ``Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart,`` which held on for an unprecedented fourth straight week at No. 1.
This week`s pick hit, of course, is Madonna`s much-hyped ``Vogue,`` a sure-fire Top 10 because of its status as the first release from her upcoming LP, ``I`m Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the Movie `Dick Tracy.` ``
