Jackie Evancho Youngest Top Ten Billboard Artist

Ten year old Jackie Evancho’s first album has entered the Billboard 200 at #2 with her first album, O Holy Night. Evancho, who was a runner-up in September on America’s Got Talent is the youngest person to ever crack the top ten. Michael Jackson used to hold the record – he was eleven when the Jackson 5 had their first top ten album. Zac Hanson was also 11 in 1997 when Hanson first hit the Billboard list. Other young hit makers, like Stevie Wonder, LeAnn Rimes and Miley Cyrus were all thirteen when they reached top ten status.

Evancho’s music is what’s called “classical crossover.” Much like Charlotte Church and Hayley Westenra, two other young singers considered prodigies when they released their first albums. Church and Westenra were thirteen and seventeen respectively.

O Holy Night is a four song EP with two Christmas songs, O Holy Night and Silent Night and two other pieces, Pie Jesu, which Evancho sang on America’s Got Talent and Operah and one other.

Evancho, who lives with her family near Pittsburgh, has also been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show and The View. Her album, an independently released, digital only album called Prelude To A Dream, was also on the Top 200. It debuted at #121, but was pulled from the market on the theory that it didn’t reflect the singers current sound. Her new record was released by Columbia Records.