POP LP CHART : Madonna Takes the Heat: ‘Prayer’ Sizzles

Madonna thrives on controversy and scandal. Without it, she might be just a very popular female-dance music singer rather than one of the biggest superstars around. Everbody’s talking about her--and many are buying her records. Both her “Like a Prayer” album and the title single are No. 1 on the Billboard magazine pop charts. On the pop singles scene, the newcomers making the biggest splashes are “Through the Storm” (No. 43)--by Aretha Franklin and Elton John--and Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience” (No. 33).

* The word on Jody Watley is that she looks and dances better than she sings. But critical potshots at her singing haven’t turned off fans. “Real Love” (No. 14)--the first single from her new album--is about to crack the pop Top 10. The album, up to No. 30 in just two weeks, so appears to be Top-10 bound.

POP LP CHART

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Like a Prayer” 3 11 3 Madonna (Sire/Warner Bros.) 2. “Loc-ed After Dark” 1 3 10 Tone Loc (Delicious Vinyl) 3. “Electric Youth” 2 1 11 Debbie Gibson (Atlantic) 4. “Don’t Be Cruel” 4 2 40 Bobby Brown (MCA) 5. “The Raw and the Cooked” 6 8 7 Fine Young Cannibals (I.R.S./MCA) * “Larger Than Life” 70 ... 2 Jody Watley (MCA)