It’s Almost ‘Automatic’

R.E.M.’s “Automatic for the People” made a strong premiere at No. 2 on The Times’ Southern California charts, posting excellent sales and cutting the gap between Garth Brooks’ “The Chase” and the rest of the pack.

Michael Bolton’s oldies album “Timeless,” which figured to be a much stronger challenger to “The Chase,” is surprisingly mired at No. 5; an album of new material would probably be selling faster.

On the singles chart, Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road” still rules, but Madonna’s eighth-ranked “Erotica,” shooting up the chart, may be the new leader next week.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 The Chase, Garth Brooks (1) 1 2 Automatic for the People, R.E.M. (2) -- 3 Us, Peter Gabriel (6) 2 4 Unplugged, Eric Clapton (4) 3 5 Timeless, Michael Bolton (5) 5 6 Ten, Pearl Jam (7) 7 7 Some Gave All, Billy Ray Cyrus (3) 6 8 Dirt, Alice in Chains (8) 4 9 What’s the 411?, Mary J. Blige (10) 10 10 Guerillas in tha Mist, Da Lench Mob (30) 9

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TOP 10 SINGLES

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 End of the Road, Boyz II Men (1) 1 2 Jump Around, House of Pain (2) 2 3 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (5) 3 4 What About Your Friends, TLC (9) 8 5 People Everyday, Arrested Development (6) 4 6 Sometimes Love ..., Patty Smyth (3) 6 7 I’d Die Without You, PM Dawn (8) 9 8 Erotica, Madonna (4) 16 9 Rhythm Is a Dancer, Snap (11) 5 10 Please Don’t Go, K.W.S. (18) 7

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TOP 10 RAP ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 Guerillas in tha Mist, Da Lench Mob (3) 1 2 3 Years ..., Arrested Development (2) 2 3 Totally Krossed Out, Kris Kross (1) 3 4 House of Pain, House of Pain (4) 4 5 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (7) 5 6 Music to Drive By, Compton’s Most Wanted (8) 6 7 Way 2 Fonky, DJ Quik (16) 8 8 Greatest Misses, Public Enemy (5) 7 9 Cypress Hill, Cypress Hill (14) 9 10 Whut? Thee Album, Redman (6) --

Source: SoundScan Inc., for week ending Oct. 11