If you had any doubts about the selling power of American Idol after the past couple of years, think again.  Newest Idol and country teen sensation Scotty McCreery's debut album, Clear as Day, has debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 this week. And it's the first time an Idol's album has hit the top of the charts in its first week since season two winner Reuben Studdard did it in 2003.

Here's the crazy part, not even Carrie Underwood, David Cook, or Taylor Hicks, with first week sales hovering around 300,000, could top the album charts in his or her first week.  The first Idol, Kelly Clarkson debuted at number one before Studdard, who is still the Idol champ when it comes to first week sales topping all winners with 417,000.  McCreery was able to score a first week's sales numbers from Nielsen Soundscan of 197,000, which says a lot about just how the public option has shifted from buying physical copies to downloading copies in the past five years.  Not only is Scotty at the top, according to Billboard, he's also the youngest male (he turned 18 on Sunday) to debut an album at number one.  I think he'll be celebrating his birthday a little longer.

But with Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina's debut hitting stores this week, the sales could perhaps go her way; we'll just have to see.

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