Pre-Sale Surge for Adam Lambert's Debut CD

Season 8 American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert is no also-ran. His first album, not due for release until November 24th, zoomed to the No. 2 spot on the Amazon.com sales list Monday, behind only Barbra Streisand's much-publicized new jazz album, reports the New York Post.

The distinction ranked Lambert, 27, ahead of Madonna, the Beatles and Susan Boyle on the online retailer's sales list – and shows that one needn't nab the top title on Idol to win the sales race, as also evidenced by such chart-topping later-place finishers as Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry.

Lambert's sales figures are all the more impressive because his label, RCA, made no announcement that the disc could be pre-ordered, so the reaction was basely solely on word of mouth, notes the Post.

Collaborating with him on the album are Lady Gaga's producer RedOne, One Republic's Ryan Tedder and Grammy-nominated music producer and songwriter Max Martin.

In a much-quoted Rolling Stone interview, Lambert admitted of eventual Idol winner (and Lambert's roommate during the competition) Kris Allen, "He's the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show ... totally my type – except that he has a wife." This prompted Allen to tell PEOPLE, "I'm flattered. And think it's hilarious."