First Week Sales: 94,071

Clay's "On My Way Here" debuts on the Billboard 200 this week at #4, moving 94,071 copies in the first week. This is Clay's 4th top 5 opening on the Billboard chart, a rare feat for any artist.

A number of news websites are running stories about this. RCA issued a press release today, as well:

NEW YORK, May 14 /PRNewswire/ - RCA Music Group artists dominate the Billboard album chart this week with three of the country's Top Ten best-selling albums. Additionally, RCA Label Group tops the Digital Album Chart with GAVIN DEGRAW at #1, Clay Aiken's ON MY WAY HERE at #3, and Leona Lewis's SPIRIT at #4.

Clay Aiken's RCA Records/19 Recordings, ON MY WAY HERE debuts this week at #4 with 94,071 units sold this week, making this Aiken's fourth Top 5 debut. Released on May 6th, ON MY WAY HERE is Aiken's fourth album and his first album of original songs since his 2003 chart topping, double platinum debut Measure of a Man. The title track and first single from the album "On My Way Here" debuted at #1 on the AOL streaming chart week of release, rocketed to #1 on the Amazon chart the week it was made available as a pre-release, and debuted at #1 on the Amazon download chart the day it was released. Aiken appeared on Good Morning America, The View, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, AOL Sessions, Entertainment

• Variety -

  Clay Aiken’s “On My Way Here” (RCA/19 Recordings), his fourth album, sold 94,000 to open at No. 4. Aiken debuted songs on a “QVC Presents QSessions Live” event on April 28 and appeared on TV shows “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “Today” and “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” during the week of release. Appearances on “Rachael Ray,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” are scheduled for this week.

• The Week Daily -

  Diamond edged out Toby Keith, Clay Aiken, and Josh Groban for the top spot, and his record sold 146,000 copies in its first week.

• E! Online -

  It may have taken him more than four decades and 40-plus albums to get there, but Neil Diamond is finally No. 1, to the dismay of Toby Keith, Clay Aiken and Josh Groban.
  
  The season two runner-up sold 106,000 copies of On My Way Here at No. 4. While he's released two cover albums and an EP in recent years, On My Way Here is Aiken's first album of originals since 2003's Measure of a Man, which set the mark for best sales week by an Idol alum with 613,000 debut copies.

• FMQB - "Clay Aiken debuted at #4 with On My Way Here, selling 94,000"
• Reuters -

  Meanwhile, Madonna's "Hard Candy" (Warner Bros.) falls from the top slot to No. 3, moving 94,000 copies with a 66 percent slip. "American Idol" star Clay Aiken debuts at No. 4 with "On My Way Here" (RCA), with a slightly lower sales total than "Hard Candy." Aiken's last studio album, 2006's "A Thousand Different Ways," started at No. 2 with the much larger sum of 211,000.

• LiveDaily -

  The aforementioned pair of debuts push Madonna [ tickets ]'s "Hard Candy," last week's No. 1, down to No. 3, while former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken [ tickets ] debuts at No. 4 with "On My Way Here," and Mariah Carey [ tickets ]'s "E=MC2" drops from No. 2 to No. 5.

• MTV -

  Other mad, mad business in this coming Top 200 include Clay Aiken’s On My Way Here, which bows at #4. The Claymates predictably snatched up the former Idol’s latest, placing Aiken just 100 fewer copies behind Madonna’s Hard Candy at #3 (94,000). (Um, how does Madge feel coming in just behind Clay in only her second week on the chart…?)

• Monster & Critics -

  Clay Aiken’s RCA/19 Recordings album, ‘On My Way Here’ debuts this week at #4 with 94,071 units sold this week. Released on May 6th, ‘On My Way Here’ is Aiken’s fourth album, fourth Top 5 debut, and his first album of original songs since his 2003 chart topping, double platinum debut Measure of a Man.

• Rolling Stone -

  Former American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken also got a rub from his old show (and probably a Mother’s Day surge as well) as On My Way Here debuted at four

• Undercover.com.au -

  In fact, it is a brand new top 3. Toby Keith is at no. 2 with '35 Biggest Hits' and at no. 3 Clay Aiken with 'On My Way Here'.

• FOX News -

  Also pushing Madonna down are Mariah Carey, whose shotgun wedding certainly helped spark interest in her latest CD, perennial country music fave Toby Keith and creepy "American Idol" star Clay Aiken.