Susan Boyle’s History-Making ‘Dream’ A Chart Nightmare For Competition

Susan Boyle - Wireimage

Simon Cowell counted Susan Boyle out before hearing her sensational voice on Britain’s Got Talent, and before November 23, most chart-watchers counted her debut album out. Once again, Boyle proves her dreams can’t be stopped.

Susan’s album, I Dreamed A Dream, a collection of cover songs, roars in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling an incredible 701,000 copies in its first week out, making it the biggest first week opening of the year. Not only is it the biggest opening of 2009, it’s also the biggest opening for a female artist’s debut album in the history of the Billboard charts.

Along with crushing chart history, Boyle also crushed dreams of a No. 1 debut for other big releases by Adam Lambert, Rihanna, and Lady GaGa.

Lambert’s debut album, For Your Entertainment,  sold strong despite some fall out over his controversial American Music Awards performance, coming in at No. 3 with 198,000 copies sold, just behind Andrea Bocelli‘s My Christmas with 218,000 copies.

Rihanna’s fourth album, Rated R, reportedly underperformed, coming in at No. 4 with 181,000 copies sold.  With no huge radio hit, it still beat the first week opening of her last album, Good Girl Gone Bad, which brought in 162,000 after having the ubiquitous smash “Umbrella” lead the way.

Lady GaGa gives the chart a double-dose of ‘fame’ with her new The Fame Monster EP selling 174,000 copies to come in at No. 5. The eight new songs were also offered on a deluxe edition of her debut album, The Fame. The sales of the deluxe and standard version combined brought The Fame to No. 6 with 151,000 copies sold.