Def Leppard, Robert Palmer Staying Hot This Summer

Though there hasn’t been much hysteria over Def Leppard, this pop/metal band has quietly had a phenomenal year. Its “Hysteria” album, which has sold more than 5 million units, moved into the No. 1 spot of the Billboard magazine pop Top 10--after 49 weeks on the chart. Remarkably, 48 of those weeks have been in the Top 10. The band’s No. 2 single, “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” is fueling the album’s latest surge. Robert Palmer’s fast-rising new album, “Heavy Nova,” (No. 41) has a good shot at making the Top 10. With a boost from the hit single, “Twist,” the Fat Boys’ “Coming Back Hard Again” bounced up to No. 42. Richard Marx’ “Hold on to the Nights,” the new No. 1 pop single, is the fourth Top 10 single from his “Richard Marx” album.

* Blue-eyed soul is red hot these days. Steve Winwood’s “Roll With it” rocketed up to No. 6 on the pop album chart in just three weeks. It’s perched just under the other sizzling white-soul album, George Michael’s “Faith” (No. 5). Two out of the Top Six ain’t bad.

POP LP CHART

Rank Rank 2 Weeks Title (Label) Last Week Weeks Ago on Chart 1. “Hysteria” 2 2 49 Def Leppard (PolyGram) 2. “OU812” 1 1 5 Van Halen (Warner Bros.) 3. “Dirty Dancing” 4 4 44 Sound track (RCA) 4. “Appetite for Destruc tion” 5 7 47 Guns N’ Roses (Geffen) 5. “Faith” 3 3 35 George Michael (Columbia) * “Roll With It” 15 36 3 Steve Winwood (Virgin)