American Idol winner Scotty McCreery made history today as the youngest male artist to top the Billboard 200 chart with a debut release. Clear As Day, which came out October 4, moved 196,739 in its first week, good for the No. 1 spot. He is the first new country artist so far in 2011 to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The last time a country singer achieved such a feat was in 2005, when Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts was released.
“Everybody hopes for the number one, but you never really expect it," says McCreery, who turned 18 on Sunday. “ To see it up there is pretty incredible. It’s a very good birthday present! I can’t think of anything to top it!”
Some 15,000 fans attended his album release party/homecoming concert/birthday celebration at Raleigh’s Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek on October 8, where McCreery was presented with a gold record certifying digital sales of more than 500,000 for the single “I Love You This Big” (see photo).
“It couldn’t have happened to a nicer young man,” says Luke Lewis, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville, which includes Mercury Nashville.
