David Cook's self-titled debut album dropped at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 album sales chart after selling 280,000 copies during its initial week of release, according to Nielsen Soundscan data for the week ending November 23.
The American Idol seventh-season champ's first-week debut album sales were significantly higher than that of Idol sixth-season champion Jordin Sparks -- whose self-titled debut sold 119,000 copies and dropped at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 in its first week of release last November.
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Cook's first-week debut album numbers rank fifth among Idol's seven winners, behind Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Kelly Clarkson but ahead of Fantasia Barrino and Sparks. The numbers also rank seventh among all Idol debut albums, behind Studdard, Underwood, Hicks, and Clarkson and the debut albums from Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry's Daughtry band.
Aiken's October 2003 debut "Measure of a Man" remains the highest-selling Idol runner-up debut ever. It moved 613,000 copies and dropped at No. 1 on The Billboard 200.
Cook's album finished third on The Billboard 200 album sales chart behind new album releases from Beyonce's "I... Am Sasha Fierce," which sold 482,000 copies, and Nickelback's "Dark Horse," which sold 326,000 copies.
Cook's debut outsold Taylor Swift's "Fearless," which fell to No. 4 and sold 280,000 after debuting at No. 1 the previous week. Il Divo's "The Promise came in at No. 5, selling 162,000.
Rounding out The Billboard 200 Top 10 were the soundtrack from the newly-release Twilight film at No. 6, "Now That's What I Call Music 29" at No. 7, Disney's High School Musical 3 soundtrack at No. 8, Enya's "And Winter Came" at No. 9, and AC/DC's "Black Ice" at No. 10.
Cook's release replaces third-season finalist Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut album as the best new album debut by an American Idol alumnus this year. Hudson's album dropped at No. 2 after selling 217,000 units during its initial week of release last month.
About The Author: John Bracchitta
