Susan Boyle became a singing sensation when she captivated the world with her performance on “Britain’s Got Talent” eight months ago. Until now, she continues to soar in the music industry with her new album.
According to Nielsen SoundScan, Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” has hit the no.1 spot in the album chart list of the Billboard 200 with 701,000 copies sold during its first week release, creating a record this year of most albums sold by an artist in a single week. The previous chart topper, selling 608,000 for its first week, is Eminem’s “Relapse”.
“This is a big deal considering some of the superstar acts that came out this year that couldn’t get to that number,” said Silvio Pietroluongo, Billboard’s chart director. “I Dreamed a Dream’s” numbers is also considered to be the largest sales debut for a female artist.
The 48-year-old Boyle is now up against two “American Idol” stars for the holidays. Adam Lambert’s “For Your Entertainment” hit the no.3 spot, while “Idol” winner, Kris Allen, took the no.11 position. Even Rihanna can’t stop Boyle as her fourth album, “Rated R”, managed to take the no.4 spot with 181,000 copies sold for its first week.
Boyle’s breakthrough in album sales reflects a change in the music industry as mature individuals, who make up the majority of Boyle fans, are purchasing albums more than the younger listeners who tend to purchase single-song downloads.
“Hit-driven artists tend to do well on the download side but aren’t moving as many albums as they once did,” Pietroluongo commented. “If you have an artist who resonates with an older audience, you have an artist who can sell more albums.”
