"American Idol" winner Scotty McCreery makes history as his debut album, "Clear as Day," bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 197,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
McCreery is the first country act to debut at No. 1 with their first studio album, and at 18-years old, the youngest man to open at the top of the chart with their debut release.
Previously, the youngest male to bow at No. 1 with their premiere album was Omarion, who was 20 when "O" started at No. 1 in 2005.
Surprisingly, McCreery, who turned 18 on Sunday (Oct. 9), is also the first "Idol" winner since 2003 to hit No. 1 with their first studio set.
Ruben Studdard was the last "Idol" champ to start their career with a No. 1 album, when his "Soulful" entered the tally dated Dec. 27, 2003, with 417,000 sold. Kelly Clarkson, the original "Idol" champ, also bowed at No. 1, with "Thankful" on May 3, 2003 (297,000).
"Clear as Day" also marks the biggest debut sales week of any "Idol" winner's first album since 2008, when David Cook's self-titled set started with 280,000 at No. 3. Kris Allen saw his eponymous 2009 debut launch with 80,000 (No. 11) and in 2010, Lee DeWyze's "Live It Up" arrived with 39,000 (No. 19).
Next week, watch for 2011 "Idol" second-place finisher, Lauren Alaina, to arrive on the Billboard 200 with her debut, "Wildflower."
