Bubble Gum Pop: BSB & Britney

The halfway mark of 1998 has passed, and so far the charts have belonged to the Backstreet Boys, Savage Garden, and all things “Titanic.”

According to New York’s “Daily News,” the top-selling album of 1998 so far is the “Titanic” soundtrack (with 8.5 million copies sold), followed by “Titanic” diva Celine Dion and her “Let’s Talk About Love” (which has sold 4.6 million copies).

The Backstreet Boys have sold 2.5 million copies of their self-titled album so far to come in third, with Savage Garden close on their heels with 2.3 million units sold. Here’s how the first half of 1998 went in terms of album sales according to the “Daily News”:

“Titanic” soundtrack, 8.5 million Celine Dion, “Let’s Talk About Love,” 4.6 million Backstreet Boys, “Backstreet Boys,” 2.5 million Savage Garden, “Savage Garden,” 2.3 million “City of Angels” soundtrack, 1.9 million Shania Twain, “Come On Over,” 1.9 million Matchbox 20, “Yourself or Someone Like You,” 1.8 million Usher, “My Way,” 1.8 million Madonna, “Ray Of Light,” 1.7 million K-Ci and JoJo, “Love Always,” 1.7 million Will Smith, “Big Willie Style,” 1.6 million Garth Brooks, “Sevens,” 1.5 million Spice Girls, “Spiceworld,” 1.5 million Dave Matthews Band, “Before These Crowded Streets,” 1.2 million Pearl Jam, “No Code,” 1.1 million

The Backstreet Boys returned to the scene of their earliest successes last week, and it’s apparent they’ve lost none of that early momentum — the band’s Canadian tour has been greeted with sold out stadiums and near-hysterical fans.

The band easily sold out two shows at the 13,000 seat Molson Center near Montreal last week. The Toronto Star reports that 25,000 screaming devotees showed up for their concert at Toronto’s Skydome this past weekend, and that several of the songs during their 17-song set were rendered unrecognizable, drowned out by the clamor.

The next day, an appearance at the country’s MuchMusic network headquarters bordered on dangerous as 3000 fans pushed and shoved to get just a glimpse of the band, forcing the closure of city streets. The Toronto Sun reports that eight people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries while another eight were treated on site.

The Backstreet Boys have sold 13.5 million copies of their debut album world-wide over the last two or so years, but it’s only been in the last few months that the American public has managed to contribute at all to that number. The record has now sold a half million in the States, but its still considerably less than the 1.8 million chalked up by their Canadian counterparts, especially considering the northern neighbors have 1/10th the population base.

Most of the sales, however, have been in Europe. As much as the Canadians would like to take the credit for ‘breaking’ the young stars, their first No. 1 record was in Germany. Initially rejected by their home country-the boys were formed in Florida in 1993-which at the time embracing teenage angst in the form of alternative music, they found Europeans were more accepting of the lighthearted dance oriented material being presented by the wholesome fivesome. They toured relentlessly and it paid off.

The Backstreet Boys only released their album in the States until this past summer and so far they’ve only done some light touring. They’ve achieved hearthrob status in their homeland, whether that will turn into Backstreet mania or not, only time will tell.