Metallica No Match for Garth Brooks

by Marcus Errico
December 3, 1998, 11 a.m. PT

Just in time for Christmas: a battle of naughty and nice on the pop charts.

This time, though, nice squeaks out a victory.

Garth Brooks' Double Live managed to fend off a tough challenge from Metallica's Garage Inc. to hold on to the top slot.

Despite seeing his sales drop by about 50 percent from a record 1.09 million debut last week, Brooks still sold a whopping 549,000 copies of his latest chart-buster and snapped Metallica's consecutive No. 1 streak in the process. (All the headbanger's discs since 1991's Metallica had bowed atop the charts.)

But don't cry for Metallica. The band's collection of EPs, covers and rarities sold a solid 426,000 copies in its first week.

That was enough to top the syrupy holiday sounds of Celine Dion's These Are Special Times, which climbed to No. 3 as its sales doubled to more than 408,000.

Lagging way behind in fourth was Jewel's Spirit, which logged second-week sales of 281,000. Tupac Shakur's two-CD Greatest Hits collection debuted at No. 5 with 268,000.

It's going to be a Merry Christmas for the boys in 'N Sync: They landed two albums in the Top 10. Their eponymous debut charted at No. 6 and their Yule-themed Home for Christmas was in the 10 spot.

Mariah Carey's # 1s, Jay-Z's Vol. II...Hard Knock Life and the Backstreet Boys' self-titled disc were 7-8-9, respectively.

In other chart action, Pearl Jam's first live album, Live on Two Legs, opened in 15th place, Wu-Tang rapper RZA's solo As Bobby Digital bowed at 16 and Chef Aid: The South Park Album debuted at 17.

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