Britain’s Got Talent star and YouTube darling Susan Boyle flew to the top of the U.S. charts with the release of her debut album, I Dreamed a Dream. The album was the best U.S. opening from a female artist since Nielsen began tracking sales in 1991.
Susan Boyle also topped the British album sales charts earlier this week. Boyle’s album sold a record-setting 701,000 copies sold, even beating out American Idol alumni Adam Lambert‘s debut album, which came in at number three. Andrea Bocelli‘s My Christmas took the number two spot.
I Dreamed a Dream slugged out Eminem‘s previous record sales this year for Relapse, making it the biggest debut album of 2009 by far.
In a week that featured new albums by Lambert, Rihanna and Lady Gaga, pulling the number one spot is quite a coup for Susan Boyle.
>> Previously: Susan Boyle Sings on ‘Dancing with the Stars’