STACKING UP SALES

Total album and single sales of CDs and cassettes for the week ended Aug. 1, compared to week- ago and year-ago levels, in thousands of units sold: Latest week Albums: 10,582 Singles: 2,665

Week-ago Albums: 10,650 Singles: 2,652

Year-ago Albums: 9,741 Singles: 2,276

Atop the Charts

The biggest-selling albums and most popular singles--based on sales or radio airplay--for a range of musical categories, for the week ended Aug. 1. Both are indicators of music company performance. ALBUMS

Rank Category Title Artist last wk. Label Overall Black Sunday Cypress Hill New Ruffhouse Christian/ Free at Last D.C. Talk 1* Forefront Contemp. Country It Won’t Be Billy Ray 1 Mercury the Last Cyrus Gospel It Remains Miss. Mass 1* Malaco to Be Seen Choir Latin/Pop Gloria Estefan Mi Tierra 1 Epic New Artists Debut Bjork 3 Elektra R&B; Black Sunday Cypress Hill New Ruffhouse

Parent Category company Overall Sony Christian/ Starsong Contemp. Country Polygram Gospel Malaco Latin/Pop Sony New Artists Time Warner R&B; Sony

SINGLES

Rank Category Title Artist last wk. Label Overall Whoomp! Tag Team 1 Life/Bellmark (There It Is) Contemporary I Don’t Wanna Tina Turner 1 Virgin Fight Country Chattahoochee Alan Jackson 1 Arista Dance Slam Onyx 3 Ral/Chaos Latin Mi Tierra Gloria Estefan 2 Epic R&B; Check Yo Self Ice Cube 46 Priority Rap Insane in Cypress Hill 2 Ruffhouse the Brain Album rock Cryin’ Aerosmith 1 Geffen track Modern rock Break It Tears for 1 Mercury track Down Again Fears

Parent Category company Overall EMI Contemporary EMI Country BMG Dance Sony Latin Sony R&B; EMI Rap Sony Album rock MCA track Modern rock Polygram track

* Ranking from two weeks ago

Sources: SoundScan Inc.; Billboard magazine