Day Three

IN MUSIC A Nashville radio station has been playing Jo Dee Messina's ''Bring on the Rain,'' as a tribute to the terror victims, airing a homemade reedit that splices audio clips from this week's news coverage into the song. Messina and her record label are not profiting from the remix, which was made without their knowledge. When she learned of it, Messina told the Associated Press, ''When I recorded that song, it felt deep but it was about personal heartache. To know that the song also can relate to such a massive destruction, it gives the song an entirely new dimension. To have this song be a part of all of us uniting, feeling and connecting, is a massive deal for me.''

SoundScan said that the difficulty in gathering accurate data this week led to its misreporting Alicia Keys' ''Songs in A Minor'' as the week's top selling album. Researchers underreported the first-week sales of System of a Down's ''Toxicity,'' incorrectly placing it at No. 2 on the Billboard chart. Actually, it sold 223,175 copies, about 50,000 more than initially estimated, to take the top spot. ''Songs'' came in second, selling 192,350 copies. The rest of the chart listings, including Aaliyah's self-titled album at No. 3, ''NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 7'' at No. 4, and Mary J. Blige's ''No More Drama'' at No. 5, is believed to be correct.

Sting, who cut short a webcast and concert taping the night of the attacks, has canceled the 50th birthday party he was going to throw for himself on September 27 in Morocco. He had invited 100 guests from the U.S. and Europe to celebrate with him at the Amanjena Hotel in Marrakech, but a local official said Sting had scrapped the event ''because of the recent dramatic events in the United States and their psychological effect on the artist and his guests.''

CASUALTIES As the names of passengers on the hijacked planes continue to be released, a growing number of entertainment figures are among the reported casualties. Those names released yesterday include Jane Simpkin, a music licensing manager for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Discovery Networks retailing executive Elizabeth Wainio, and freelance commercial producer William Weems. Also, some network technicians who worked at the World Trade Center are missing, including CBS' Isaias Riviera and Bob Pattison and NBC's William Steckman.