Chronicling trends in entertainment, pop culture, politics, the arts, and the uncategorized et cetera.

Shallow Nation

December 3rd, 2009 at 12:23 am

Susan Boyle’s Album Debuts at No. 1, Sets New Chart Records

Susan Boyle’s album I Dreamed a Dream has debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 with sales of 701,000, the best selling album of 2009. Previously Eminem’s album Relapse had been the year’s top seller with 608,000 copies sold in the first week. Additionally, the album sets a new record for the highest one week sales for a debut album from a female music artist since Nielson Soundscan began tracking the data in 1991 besting the record Ashanti had set with her 2002 self-titled debut which had sales of 503,000.

Worldwide, the album has sold 3 million copies in its first week of release according to the record label, Columbia whose president is quoted by the New York Times as saying of the album, which has sold only 39,000 copies on iTunes, with the vast majority of sales being of the physical CD:

“The reason that this record really did what it did was that people wanted to get it and own it, to feel like they’re a part of it.”

Source: Susan Boyle Destroys U.S. Chart Records

The album has also had a record setting debut in the U.K. where with sales of 410,000 it is the biggest first week selling album of 2009 and on track to be one of the biggest sellers of the 2000s: Susan Boyle album to be one of fastest sellers – top 10 of the decade

The album has also topped the charts in Canada: Susan Boyle tops HMV CD sales chart in Canada

In the U.S. on the Billboard 200, Adam Lambert’s debut album For Your Entertainment came in third place with 198,000 in sales, bowing to classical tenor Andrea Bocelli’s album – My Christmas which had sales 218,000 and held its chart position from the previous week. Rihanna’s fourth studio album, Rated R was No. 4 with sales of 181,000 and Lady GaGa’s The Fame Monster was fifth with sales of 174,000. Source: Billboard

The video of the album’s lead single, Wild Horses, is below.