Scotty McCreery's debut album tops Billboard Chart
(CBS) Scotty McCreery's debut album, "Clear as Day," has taken the top spot on the Billboard album chart, making him the first "American Idol" winner to kick off his career with a No. 1 album since 2003.
The 18-year-old is also the youngest male artist to open at the top of the chart with his first album, Billboard.com reports, and the first country act to debut at No. 1 with a first studio album.
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According to the website, which cites Nielsen SoundScan, "Clear as Day" has sold 197,000 copies in its first sales week.
Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard was the last "Idol" winner to top the Billboard chart with a debut album, with "Soulful" in December 2003. Kelly Clarkson's first album, "Thankful," also hit the top spot earlier that year.
Billboard.com reports that Season 8 winner Kris Allen's first album sold 80,000 copies in its first week back in 2009, and Season 9's Lee DeWyze sold 39,000 in 2010. McCreery's debut week out-sold both of them combined.
Last season's "Idol" runner-up, Lauren Alaina, released her first album, "Wildflower," on Tuesday. Her sales will be tracked on next week's Billboard chart.
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