Within 48 hours of its unannounced placement on Amazon, I Dreamed a Dream shot up to the #1 position on the site's charts. By release day, the album was the largest CD pre-order in the history of the Amazon.com Music Store and had also broken the record for album pre-sales for QVC and Barnes & Noble Online.

Simon Cowell congratulated Susan by saying "I'm incredibly proud of Susan and delighted for her. This success couldn't have happened to a more deserving person. Susan Boyle quite simply has broken the rules, her story is like a Hollywood movie but this time it's real life and a really talented, nice lady who has won."

"Susan Boyle possesses a relatable quality that is easily understood and meaningful to her many loyal fans. They watch her every move, whether on YouTube, Facebook, or Susan's own website, and respond with sincerity that matches Susan's own genuineness. The connection between Susan and her fans is unique, and most importantly, real. They've put her where she is today," says Steve Barnett, Columbia Records Chairman.

After an audition for "Britain's Got Talent", in which Susan immediately impressed the judges, the audience and then anyone with access to Youtube's expectations by dazzling her way through a version of "I Dreamed A Dream" from Les Miserables. A tornado of rumination and amazement grew around Susan Boyle feverishly, with over 300 Million YouTube hits and nearly two million Facebook friends to prove it.