August 07, 2002 04:30 PM ET
By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bruce Springsteen grabbed the top of the U.S. pop charts on Wednesday with the debut of his somber, Sept. 11-influenced album, "The Rising," the first all-new recording with his E Street Band since 1984.

The critically hailed LP sold about 525,000 copies in its first week in stores, Springsteen's best album debut in at least a decade, his publicists said as the veteran rocker and his band prepared to launch a world tour at the Continental Airlines Arena in his native New Jersey.

Springsteen's publicity firm, Shore Fire Media, said "The Rising," released July 30, also was expected to open at No. 1 in 10 other countries, including Canada, Britain, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

The album includes the tracks "Into the Fire," which Springsteen wrote after the suicide hijackings that killed more than 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, and "My City of Ruins," an earlier song about down-on-its-luck Asbury Park, New Jersey, that the musician dedicated to New York after Sept. 11.

Time magazine hailed the LP as "the first significant piece of pop art to respond to the events of that day."

The record has received generally enthusiastic reviews and some critics already consider "The Rising" an early favorite for an "Album of the Year" prize when the Grammys are handed out in February.

"The Rising" supplanted a very different 9/11-inspired album at the top of the charts, knocking country singer Toby Keith's "Unleashed" to No. 6 in its second week of release, according to SoundScan. Keith's album features the controversial song "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)," celebrating the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan.

The debut of "The Rising" marked the biggest first-week sales notched by the Boss since SoundScan began tracking album sales at retail in 1991, Shore Fire said. His 1995 "Greatest Hits" collection sold 250,000 copies its first week in stores and spent two weeks at No. 1. Later that year, his low-key folk album "The Ghost of Tom Joad" debuted at No. 11.

Entering the charts at No. 2 for the week ended Aug. 4 was the latest release from alternative metal group Linkin Park, "Reanimation," with sales of 270,000 copies.

Hip-hop star Nelly held onto the No. 3 spot with his sophomore album "Nellyville," selling another 244,000 copies to raise his six-week tally to 2.3 million units.

Rounding out the top five were the various-artists compilation "Now 10" at No. 4, slipping two spots in its second week of release, and rapper Eminem's third major-label LP, "The Eminem Show," remaining at No. 5 in its 11th week.

Springsteen and the E Street Band, including saxophonist Clarence Clemons, guitarist Steve Van Zandt and drummer Max Weinberg, were due to open their latest arena tour in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Wednesday night.

The concert series marks their first road trip together since a reunion tour that ended at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2000. The final performance of that tour was used for a CD, DVD and HBO special, all titled, "Live in New York City."

While some E Streeters played on Springsteen's 1987 album, "Tunnel of Love," the last release to feature the whole band was 1984's multiplatinum "Born in the U.S.A."

Well, it's good to see that talent & sincerity (unlike mj ) can still sell, go Bruce!

The Boss Rocks!!!

Cool for Bruce.

The Rising" is the best album of the year imo.

2nd best live act ever...right behind P.

jnoel said:

IT'S BECAUSE SONY SUPPORT WHITE SINGERS, IN MY CLASS NOBODY KNOWS YOUR BRUCE, HE'S A SINGER FOR THE HAS-BEENS LIKE YOU, BITTER PRINCE FANS

Eobad2 said:

I get the feeling this is subyduby.

Eobad2 said:

well, he left the limelight on his own...and the reason why this album is doing so well is because it touches on a very emotional subject for a lot of people...couple that with an excellent marketing push that was led by Bruce and that justifies the huge numbers. This album is awesome!!! Many times have I cried listening to the stories Bruce creates. I can relate to those stories..Something that I havent been able to do with Prince's music for sometime...(and mj for that matter)...

Look people, dont get bitter because Bruce is selling more then MJ (or Prince)...The marketing push has been lead by Bruce conducting himself in a very dignified and respectful fashion. He is talking about the passion of this album, not his personal life...He is coming off like a HUMAN, which both MJ and Prince seemed to have lost grasp of...

Prince AND MJ should be looking at Bruces marketing technique and learn from it. I know in Princes case he wont have the studio push to get heard but he still could consider releasing an album thats (maybe not musically) but emotionally and lyrically connectable. No more whinning about being screwed..No more empty sappy love songs...(both MJ and Prince need to realize they arent 21 year old men with puppy love)..They both used to be great storytellers...and thats what Bruce is doing right!!!

Eobad2

Shut the fuck up!!! People like Bruce Springsteen still rock thirty years after their first records have been released.

Most of the groups today will not be around in five years.

I am not a big Springsteen fan but, I have seen his live performances. The man can kick ass for three hours.

Just like Prince can kick ass for three hours.

The album is great and it belongs on the top of the charts. It's nice to see a real album by a real musician gracing Billboard's top spot.

I highly recommend this album and if you ever have the opportunity to witness Bruce live I implore you to attend.

laurarichardson said
People like Bruce Springsteen still rock thirty years after their first records have been released.

Most of the groups today will not be around in five years.

I am not a big Springsteen fan. The man can kick ass for three hours.




of course he can... remember he's the boss!

AND I'M NOT SUBYDUBY

SkletonKee said:

but More folks would watch a VH1 Special or a Show on MJ&Prince than that Tired Springsteen.right now with the War&Being Patriotic in Style it's cool to Run Around Springsteen, but if not for that His Album wouldn't Sell Much.I'd take MJ&Prince on a Badd Night Over that Inflated Buster Springsteen on a Good Day.He isn't on there Level at all.if He was Black He would Be Working Curb Side with Gary Coleman.

mistermaxxx said:

I agree with you. It's a topic that is IN right now so its easy to be seen as doing something great regardless of whether it is great.

mistermaxxx said:

Brutal! Just brutal!

But I can see this album coming up big at the Grammy Awards on the next go around. It's just one of those feel good issues that Grammy voters recognize to a large extent. Same thing with Oscar voters when it comes to movies.

Supernova said:

yeah He will Be the Tom Hanks of the Music Industry at the Grammys Next Year.Bruce has some of that Forrest Gump in Him.

mistermaxxx said:

LOL!!! Oh, Lawd, 2 in a row!

mistermaxxx said:

So that tour that sold out everywhere in mere minutes a few years ago was a figment of my imagination?



Mistermaxx that last comment about if he was black is so dumb that I am not going to bother responding to it.

SkletonKee said:

awww.
2the9s was telling me on him and he said that bruce somehow is able to tuch a nerve on ppl. and i guess by what u said, he is right.

lovemachine said:

Dumb Because I'm not Politically Correct??and BTW I told you Glenn Big Dog Robinson was gonna be Traded.but Damn that Trade was So Tossed! for Toni Kukoc&Leon Smith?? that is a Badd Joke. anyway Toby Keith,Alan Jackson,Springsteen all Red,White&Blue now if a Black Artist does this will He Debut at Number 1??you know Why? Because the Industry ain't gonna Sell A Black Artist Being Patriotic By themselves.that joke that went for a Re-Make of "What's Going On? Proves that Point.

sounds like there are some bitter muthafuckas in here... the new springsteen cd kicks major ass... the man still has it... he is one hell of a songwriter... the new songs that were on the live disc kicked ass as well... way to go boss...

what do u guys think of his cd: 18 tracks?

subyduby said:

it's amazing... it's a really good compilation of the boxset ("tracks"), plus it has a few new songs on it... it's one of my favorite springsteen cds... "hearts of stone," "loose ends," "born in the usa (acoustic)," "my love will not let you down," "janet don't you lose heart," and "brothers under the bridge"... well, really all of them...

hmm... might have to pull this one out tonight...

See that's the thing though. While it's true that Springsteen is a good storyteller, storytelling doesn't make the music interesting to me. Prince's music moves me, I don't need storytelling for his music to move me.

Bruce's music behind the storytelling is boring. Sorry, it just is.

EllisDee said:

thanks. now i will take the cd out of its packing.

My Dad met Springsteen at a gig backstage once!

thecloud9mission said:

Oh wow.

*Geez Bruce, see this? Namesdropping*

I love Bruce but his last opus is very inconsistant. In fact I listened to it three times and I'm already bored with it which is the first time it happens with a Springsteen album since Human Touch.

Now I knew it would work: songs about terrorism, the loss of people you love etc...thyat's exactly what people needed. Some kind of sentimental crap to carry on crying after september the 11th. I'm surprised he is the first artist to do it after these events.

Now I'm happy for Bruce even if artistically the Rising is just a decent/average album. Nothing more.

Here in Spain Bruce is also on the top 40.

subyduby said:

let me know what you think about it...

jtgillia said:

just two different types of artists... bruce puts so much time into crafting his lyrics that sometimes the music is a little dull... on the flip side, prince puts so much time into crafting the music that sometimes the lyrics suffer severely...

it all just depends on what you're into... personally, i'm a lyrics person... melody and shit are always secondary to me... i can't get into a song if the lyrics don't kick me in the ass...

it all depends on the person...

I've really been enjoying the CD. Nice to have you back, Mr. Springsteen.