Pink’s ‘The Truth About Love’ tops the pop charts

Rare is the star who can pull off high-wire circus acrobatics and deliver no-nonsense pop hooks. Now more than a decade into her recording career, Pink has managed to find the balance between radio-ready, dance-rock hits and diva-worthy, crowd-dazzling maneuvers.

Pink has had numerous top 10 albums, but none has opened at the top of the chart. Until now.

Pink’s latest for RCA, “The Truth About Love,� bows at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard chart, having sold about 280,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. So far this year, only Justin Bieber’s “Believe� and Madonna’s “MDNA� have had stronger debut weeks. “MDNA� entered the chart with 359,000 copies sold and “Believe� reached 374,000 copies.

The strong debut for “The Truth About Love� keeps a number of superstars out of the top spot, as the music industry’s release schedule has begun ramping up for the fall/holiday season. A Kanye West-led compilation is relegated to the runner-up spot, and last week’s No. 1, the Dave Matthews Band, tumbles to No. 4. And the year’s breakout digital star, Carly Rae Jepsen, failed to make the top 5 with her new album.

According to Billboard data, “The Truth About Love� is Pink’s sixth top-10 effort, and also her best-ever debut sales week. That’s a noteworthy feat in 2012, as many artists in today’s beleaguered sales climate are placing higher on the charts, but with fewer copies sold.

Pink has embarked on a rather torrential promotional campaign of late. She began the month with an appearance on MTV’s “Video Music Awards� and last week appeared on NBC’s “Today� show. Meanwhile, her “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)� has hit No. 5 on Billboard’s singles chart.

The West-driven “G.O.O.D. Music: Cruel Summer� enters at No. 2 with 205,000 copies sold. The Island Def Jam set boasts a pair of hits, including “Mercy� and “Clique,� as well as a roster of all-stars, including appearances from Jay-Z, R. Kelly and Big Sean.

Returning with its first new album since 2008’s “Day & Age,� Island Records rock act the Killers lands at No. 3 with “Battle Born,� which sold 113,000 copies. After the Killers, sales start to drop off quickly, and “Away From the World� from the Dave Matthews Band sits at No. 4 with 62,000 copies sold.

One of the top-selling digital singles of the year hasn’t translated into a hit album for “Call Me Maybe’s� Jepsen, at least not yet. Still attempting to find an identity beyond the runaway YouTube sensation that is her single, Jepsen’s Interscope release “Kiss� puckers its way to No. 6 on the strength of 46,000 copies sold. Her “Call Me Maybe,� meanwhile, has sold 5.7 million digital downloads.

Also new to top 10 this week is indie rock act Grizzly Bear, whose “Shields� enters at No. 7 after selling 39,000 copies, and veteran piano-based pop act the Ben Folds Five, whose “The Sound of the Life of the Mind� reaches No. 10 after selling about 30,000 copies.

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