‘Titanic,’ ‘Spiceworld’ Are Reeling In Sales From Blockbuster Movie Tie-Ins

Riding the coattails of the nation’s No. 1 movie, the “Titanic” soundtrack is the nation’s top-selling album for the third week in a row.

The collection of music from the blockbuster movie is making history of its own. It sold a staggering 665,000 copies last week, about 400,000 more than the No. 2 album, Celine Dion’s multimillion-selling “Let’s Talk About Love.”

But it wasn’t the only album that benefited from a movie tie-in. The Spice Girls’ “Spiceworld” and “Spice” collections jumped from No. 3 to No. 6 and from No. 19 to No. 11, respectively, during the same week that their movie, “Spice World,” opened in U.S. theaters.

What’s Hot

Here are some recent releases that are generating critical or commercial attention:

Celine Dion’s “Let’s Talk About Love” (550 Music/Epic). Dion’s voice is a technical marvel, but her delivery lacks the personality and intuitive sense of drama that are a diva’s stock in trade.

The Spice Girls’ “Spiceworld” (Virgin). If you’re gonna conquer the world with your outrageous antics and messages of “girl power” and “positivity,” you ought to muster a bit more zest for your second album.

Victoria Williams’ “Musings of a Creekdipper” (Atlantic). It won’t set the charts on fire, but this fantastic song cycle showcases Williams’ talents to often breathtaking effect.

What’s Coming

Tuesday: Pearl Jam’s “Yield” (Epic).