In an uncharacteristically slow-moving U.K. singles chart yesterday (Oct. 28), Afroman's "Because I Got High" (Universal Island) kept hold of the No. 1 spot, as only one title debuted in the top-5 and another in the top-10. Five, the British boy band that recently announced it was splitting, entered at No. 4 with what is being described as its final single, "Closer to Me" (RCA).

New at No. 9 was Gabrielle's "Don't Need the Sun to Shine" (Go Beat/Polydor), the London pop-soul singer's 10th U.K. top-10 single and the forerunner to a "Greatest Hits" album she is set to release next month.

Among the acts to benefit from the becalmed chart picture were Alien Ant Farm, whose version of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" (DreamWorks/Polydor) started a sixth week in the too-10, easing back 9-10. Jackson's own "You Rock My World" (Epic) is at No. 8 in its third chart week after entering and peaking at No. 2.

The U.K. album survey was also more sedate than usual, with Steps holding onto the top berth with "Gold - Greatest Hits" (Ebul/Jive) in an unchanged top three. Pulp scored the top-10's lone debut at No. 6 with "We Love Life" (Universal/Island), the follow-up to the 1998 No. 1 hit "This Is Hardcore."

Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (Parlophone) is in its fifth week at the top of Music & Media's Eurochart Hot 100 Singles tally, with Afroman's title climbing 16-4.

Minogue's "Fever" album, meanwhile, begins a second week at the helm of European Top 100 Albums, in which Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli crashes in at No. 2 with his pop-oriented "Cieli di Toscana" set (Sugar/Polydor) and the Cranberries' "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee" (MCA) comes in at No. 4.