'The Boss' Tops The Charts

Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" has risen to No. 1 in its first week, selling about 526,000 copies.

The figures, released Wednesday by Nielsen SoundScan, represent the best debut of Springsteen's career.

The critically acclaimed disc is his first studio album in seven years; most of the songs on it revolve around the Sept. 11 attacks.

The singer has been on a media blitz to promote the disc. He appeared on the covers of Time and Rolling Stone, and was featured on "Nightline," CBS' "Late Night with David Letterman" and "Dateline." The "Today" show went to his adopted hometown of Asbury Park, N.J., for a live Springsteen performance.

He kicks off a tour Wednesday night in East Rutherford, N.J., at Contintental Airlines Arena. He will perform in 39 cities, and also in Europe.

This is the third Springsteen album to debut at No. 1 ("Greatest Hits" and "Live 1975-1985" also bowed in the top spot).