‘Bodyguard’ Secure

Whitney Houston maintains her stranglehold on The Times’ Southern California pop album and pop singles charts with the “Bodyguard” soundtrack and the movie’s love theme, “I Will Always Love You.”

The chart still has a holiday feel, with four Christmas albums in the Top 15, headed by Amy Grant’s “Home for Christmas” (No. 3).

Ice Cube’s “The Predator” has a healthy lead over the competition on the rap album chart.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 The Bodyguard, soundtrack (1) 1 2 Breathless, Kenny G (9) 3 3 Home for Christmas, Amy Grant (2) 2 4 Unplugged, Eric Clapton (6) 5 5 A Very Special Christmas 2 (7) 6 6 Timeless, Michael Bolton (3) 4 7 Aladdin, soundtrack (16) 7 8 Christmas Album, Neil Diamond (8) 10 9 The Chase, Garth Brooks (4) 11 10 Love Deluxe, Sade (14) 8

TOP 10 SINGLES

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 I Will Always. . ., Whitney Houston (1) 1 2 Rump Shaker, Wreckx-N-Effect (2) 2 3 If I Ever Fall in Love, Shai (3) 3 4 In the Still of the Night, Boyz II Men (4) 4 5 Ditty, Paperboy (41) 10 6 Homies, Lighter Shade of Brown (63) 6 7 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (12) 5 8 Flex, Mad Cobra (9) 8 9 I’d Die Without You, PM Dawn (6) 7 10 Rhythm Is a Dancer, Snap (5) 9

TOP 10 RAP ALBUMS

Title, Artist (National Rank) Last Week 1 The Predator, Ice Cube (2) 1 2 3 Years. . ., Arrested Devel. (3) 2 3 Totally Krossed Out, Kris Kross (1) 4 4 Hard or Smooth, Wreckx-N-Effect (4) 3 5 House of Pain, House of Pain (5) 5 6 Hip Hop Locos, Lighter Shade. . ., (27) 8 7 Back to the Hotel, N2Deep (8) 7 8 Cypress Hill, Cypress Hill (9) 10 9 Guerillas in tha Mist, Da Lench Mob (6) 6 10 Whut? Thee Album, Redman (10) 9

Source: SoundScan Inc., for week ending Dec. 13