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Tammie Arroyo/IPOL

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Eminem
Return of the Rock? Looks like it. While rapper Eminem's ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' logs its fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart -- selling an additional 409,000 copies for a total of 4.8 million -- Ozzfest vets the Deftones make an unexpected score for rockers with their No. 3 debut, ''White Pony.'' This -- surprisingly --bests the new album from hip hop's every(where)man Busta Rhymes, whose ''Anarchy'' enters at No. 4.

The Sacramento-based Deftones moved 178,000 copies to Busta's 168,000, likely because they're beating the loudmouthed ''Shaft'' sidekick on the nation's airwaves. As of last week, Busta's lead single ''Get Out'' had fallen to No. 40 on the R&B/hip-hop chart, after peaking at an underachieving No. 35. But the Deftones' ''Change (In the House of Flies)'' is No 10 with a bullet on the modern rock chart. ''The Deftones have been around for a few years, and they've been poised to break through,'' says Lisa Worden, music director at LA's KROQ. ''Now is the perfect time for them because they blend melodic vocals with hard rock.''

In fact, the whole top 10 has taken an abrupt rock turn with strong showings by Kid Rock (No. 6), Creed (No. 7), guitar god Eric Clapton's pairing with B.B. King (No. 8), and matchbox twenty (No. 10). But don't worry, kiddies -- teen pop still holds its ground with Britney Spears (No. 2) and 'N Sync (No. 5) keeping each other company in the top five.

As for hip hop and R&B, the only other act in the top 10 outside of Eminem and Busta is Three 6 Mafia, who slip to No. 10 after last week's No. 6 debut. (Just two months ago, 7 of the top 10 albums were by hip hop or R&B artists.) But expect a heavy-duty hip hop comeback next week with the almost assured top five debut of Lil' Kim's long-awaited ''The Notorious K.I.M.'' Fellas, hold on to your guitars.


Posted Jun 29, 2000 | Order Article Reprints