Chart Watch: Ja Rule Rules

October 18, 2000 -- Top 10: For the sixth week in a row, the charts have a new No. 1. Last week it was Radiohead, the week before it was Mystikal, and the week before that, Madonna. This time around, Ja Rule rules the charts, preaching the gospel to the 276,000 who picked up Rule 3:36 in its first week on the shelves.

Coming in second is Nelly, who sells another 150,000 copies of Country Grammar. The surprise hit has sold more than 3.2 million copies in the United States alone since its release four months ago. Mystikal's Let's Get Ready sells 134,000 at No. 3, followed by Creed's Human Clay, which jumps from No. 8 to No. 4, selling more than 120,000 copies. 98 Degrees' Revelation comes in at No. 5, selling 115,000 copies.

Madonna's Music drifts in at No. 6, with sales of more than 110,000 copies, followed by the Baha Men, who Let the Dogs Out at No. 7 this week and sell almost 101,000 copies. 3 Doors Down's Better Life, recently certified triple-platinum, move up to No. 8, with sales of more than 94,000, while Eminem sells another 89,000 copies of The Marshall Mathers LP, pushing the album past the 7 million sales mark. And wrapping up the Top 10 is last week's No. 1, Radiohead's Kid A, which sells more than 86,000 copies. That's quite a contrast to last week's figures, which saw the band move more than 207,000 copies.

Notable Debuts: Next week will be telling for the Wallflowers' Breach, and for alt-pop in general. Will the fans return? They didn't come back for Third Eye Blind's Blue … Orgy's Vapor Transmission beams into No. 16, with sales of almost 70,000, while E-40's Loyalty and Betrayal bows at No. 18, selling 58,000. Collective Soul's Blender mixes it up at No. 22, selling 50,000, while M.O.P.'s Warriorz sells 48,000 at No. 25, and Changing Faces' Visit Me sells more than 31,000 at No. 46. Further down, Bette Midler sells 20,000 copies of Bette at No. 69, while Flesh-N-Bone fans pick up more than 14,000 copies of Fifth Dog Lets Loose, putting it at No. 98.

Punch Out: There's been no shortage of movie stars trying to make it in the rock world. There's been plenty of athletes, as well. But Oscar de la Hoya is the first boxer to crack the Top 200 in a long while; his self-titled album of ballads and love songs KOs more than 11,500 fans, bowing at No. 121.

Movin' on Up: Dido's No Angel continues its slow climb towards the top, selling another 37,000 copies, and moving from No. 41 to No. 37. Avant's My Thoughts jumps from No. 120 to No. 85, selling more than 17,000 copies, while Shaggy's Hotshot has climbed from No. 133 two weeks ago to No. 88 this week, with sales of almost 16,500. The Remember the Titans soundtrack sprints from No. 153 to No. 107, selling almost 12,800, while David Gray's smart, sensitive White Ladder sells more than 11,100, moving it from No. 143 to No. 146.

Movie Music: Normally, soundtracks are well represented toward the top of the charts — the combination of music and movie industry marketing usually does the trick. But this week, the top soundtrack is from Coyote Ugly, which currently sits at No. 45. In second place is Almost Famous, which comes in at No. 49.

Bottom Feeding: This week's No. 200: the Bring It On soundtrack, which sells 6,716 copies.