"NOW": WITH "6" YOU
GET A CHART ROLL

This whole "NOW" thing—which leads a 15-album Sony assault on the Top 50—is a stinkin' franchise.

"The ‘NOW' compilations are currently one of the best-branded marketing vehicles we have in the music business, and this new one continues that run of success," said the incredibly tuned-in Brant Berry of Fred Meyer, who took his Pet Rock out of his pocket in order to install an eight-track player in his Yugo before figuring out his Rubic's Cube.

And while the latest "NOW" packed the biggest first-week punch, those wacky knuckleheads at Epic were also doing Sony-sanctioned back flips over Ginuwine, which bowed at an impressive #4.

"Ginuwine is one of the best-branded marketing vehicles we have in the music industry," said Berry, obviously impressed with his newfound ability to utter a sentence without drooling down his chin.

Columbia provided some big chart news as well, unleashing Bruce Springsteen's "Live In N.Y.C." album in conjunction with its HBO companion. Springsteen disciples acted accordingly and gave the Boss a somewhat-surprising boffo #5 bow, moving almost 125k of the double-CD set.

"It's clear that he's still exploiting his connection to Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes," said Berry. "But what the hell, it works for him."

And if that ain't enough glee on Madison Ave., how about Loud/Columbia's #10 debut by the late Big Pun, the second major posthumous debut in as many weeks? Joining "NOW," Ginuwine and Bruce in this week's Top Five are the still-strong 2Pac at #2 and the still-mindboggling Shaggy at #3.

In a related story, we'd like to apologize to China for this week's "Wavelength" column, which appears on Page 102.