MONDAY MORNING: IF IT’S NEWS TO US, IT’S NEWS TO YOU

It was a weekend for the underdogs. The first BCS college football standings came out, with perennial Ohio State on top, but what's South Florida doing at #2? What, no Appalachian State? That's the story after Kentucky upset #1 LSU and Oregon State topped #2 Cal. And sitting one win away from the World Series are the long-shot Colorado Rockies, up 3-0 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a run that includes winning a remarkable 20 out of their last 21 games. And Tyler Perry, one of Oprah’s favorite sons and a favorite of black church-goers everywhere, saw his movie Why Did I Get Married?, featuring Janet Jackson and Jill Scott, among others, top this week’s box office chart, beating out such heavyweights as The Rock, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Cate Blanchett. Also this week: The Eagles and Dixie Chicks inaugurate the brand-new Nokia Theatre opposite the Staples Center in downtown L.A. with a series of shows starting this Thursday (Oct. 18).

Perry’s Lions Gate Film entry grossed $21.5 million in its first week, easily topping The Rock’s Disney family film The Game Plan, which dipped to #2 with $11.5 million. Warner Bros.’ legal thriller Michael Clayton, starring Clooney, which has received sterling reviews, opened wide and landed at #3 with $11 million, where it was in a virtual tie with Sony Pictures’ We Own the Night, starring Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix. Universal’s Blanchett vehicle, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, earned $6.2 million to place sixth. Box-office revenue was down from the same period in 2006 for the fourth straight weekend. For the season to date, receipts are down 6% and attendance is off 11%.

Look for Kid Rock’s Rock N Roll Jesus to top the HITS Top 50 Album sales chart this week, with between 150-155k in sales, easily ending Bruce Springsteen’s one-week run at #1. Curb’s LeAnn Rimes, Epic’s Jennifer Lopez and SBMG Nashville’s Sara Evans will also bow in the Top 10 this week, while Universal Republic’s Alter Bridge will contend.

ROCK ON TV:

Gloria Estefan on Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m.)
The Honorary Title on Carson Daly (NBC, 1:35 a.m.)
50 Cent on David Letterman (CBS, 11:35 p.m.)
Frankie Valli on Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m.)

The L.A. Times’ Ann Powers finds a pot of gold at the end of Radiohead’s In Rainbows here.

The L.A. Times’ Steve Hochman is left a bit soggy at Genesis’ Hollywood Bowl show here.

The L.A. Times’ Geoff Boucher examines the current state of the Jimi Hendrix estate here.

The L.A. Times’ Ann Powers says Annie Lennox was in rare form at L.A.’s Wilshire Theater here.

The L.A. Times’ Baz Dreisinger laments rap’s increasing penchant towards braggadocio here.

The L.A. Times’ Steve Hochman checks in on Dixie Chicks songwriter and former Semisonic member Dan Wilson’s solo success here.

The L.A. Times’ Randy Lewis ruminates on the legacy of country swing great Buck Owens here.

The L.A. Times’ August Brown discovers Celine Dion’s new pop-rock direction here.

The N.Y. Times’ Jon Pareles finds something to like about the Klaxons here.

The N.Y. Times’ pop music critics ponder new albums by Angie Stone, Kenna, Ween and Bloodcount here.

The N.Y. Times’ Mickey Rapkin spends a night out on the town with hip-hop entrepreneur Irv Gotti here.

The N.Y. Times’ Kelefa Sanneh gets behind the intimacy of PJ Harvey live here.

The N.Y. Daily News’ Jim Farber also takes the temperature of Dixie Chicks songwriter Dan Wilson about his new solo album here.

The N.Y. Daily News’ Phil Roura goes back in time with Queen Latifah here.

The N.Y. Daily News’ Jim Farber says the dark side blotted out Kelly Clarkson’s penchant for pop during her show at the Beacon Theatre here.

The N.Y. Daily News’ Jim Farber says John Fogerty is on the right track with his new album Revival here.

The N.Y. Daily News’ Jim Farber ponders the latest album in Neil Young’s long career here.

The N.Y. Daily News’ Rush and Molloy reveal that Ronnie Wood was doing too many drugs for even Keith Richard on publication of his new memoir Ronnie here.

Check out the cover of Britney Spears’ new Blackout album on Rollingstone.com here.

ON THIS DAY:

In 1960: Ringo Starr played with The Beatles for the first time. The group was backing Wally Eymond in a Hamburg studio on his version of “Summertime.” Pete Best was unavailable to drum, so Ringo stepped in.

In 1961: The Beatles supported comedian Ken Dodd at Liverpool’s Albany Cinema. The show was a fundraiser for a local ambulance brigade.

In 1964: Songwriter Cole Porter died in Santa Monica, CA. He was 73.

In 1966: Pink Floyd and The Soft Machine performed at the All Night Rave, an event sponsored by the English underground newspaper International Times.

In 1966: Former teen idol Rick Nelson performed at an oldies show at Madison Square Garden, but was booed when he debuted some new material. He later wrote the song “Garden Party” about the experience.

In 1968: Led Zeppelin played their first gig under that name at Surrey University in England. The band was formerly known as The New Yardbirds before The Who’s Keith Moon suggested the band would “go down like a lead Zeppelin.”

In 1971: Pink Floyd began their U.S. tour in San Francisco.

In 1973: The Supreme Court voted not to review a 1971 Federal Communications Commission directive that broadcasters ban songs with drug-oriented lyrics. Only two judges disagreed with the final vote, arguing that according to the First Amendment, the government should not require stations to censor music.

In 1976: Ike and Tina Turner quit performing together. The couple divorced in 1978.

In 1977: Fleetwood Mac released Rumours, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time.

In 1977: Paul Simon released his single “Slip Slidin’ Away,” which featured The Oak Ridge Boys on backing vocals.

In 1979: John Lennon and Yoko Ono contributed $1,000 to a campaign that provided bulletproof vests to New York policemen.

In 1984: Julian Lennon released his debut album Valotte.

In 1987: Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia began a sold-out two-week solo residency on Broadway.

In 1996: Tommy Lee of Motley Crue was charged with attacking a cameraman outside a Los Angeles club after the photographer tried to take snaps of Lee and his wife, Pamela Anderson.

In 2003: One-time Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick was shot in the leg outside of Los Angeles' Rainbow Room during a melee with some irate club-goers.

In 2003: Yoko Ono announced plans to bring a musical based on the life and songs of John Lennon to Broadway.

In 2003: Ozzy Osbourne canceled his European tour after undergoing treatment for a nervous tremor. His doctors said the ailing rocker did not have Parkinson's Disease.

In 2004: Britney Spears told users of her Web site that she was planning to “take some time off to enjoy life.”

In 2006: Public Enemy's Flavor Flav found love with Deelishis on the final episode of Flavor of Love's second season. 7.5-million people watched the outcome.