Carol
Admin
Posts : 4524
Join date : 2009-06-28
 |  Subject: The Science of American Idol Success  21.01.10 15:39 | |
| - Quote :
- Much to the chagrin of tight-pants-wearing people everywhere, American Idol is back for another season. Not only has it survived nine seasons (and the loss of Paula!), it also managed to stay consistently popular. But how well have the contestants fared as legitimate artists once the Simon Cowell machine chewed them up and spit them out? Who made it big? Who fell flat on their faces? Looking at sales figures and past results, we broke down the numbers and concocted our own, highly scientific criteria for succeeding as an American Idol alum. Those with delusions of grandeur need not apply.
Since the show's inception in 2002, 47 Idol contestants have released albums through various channels. Of those 47, only 15 have had at an album certified Gold and 9 have gone Platinum. (Adam Lambert, who released For Your Entertainment in November, will soon become the 16th artist with a Gold album). What does this mean for aspiring Idols? Let's break it down:
1. Winning is not mandatory.
Sure, winning American Idol is the most surefire way to a record contract, but it's certainly not the only path to success. Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken, and Jennifer Hudson, the third, fourth and twelth best selling contestants, finished fourth, second, and seventh in their respective seasons. And Hudson is the only contestant with both a Grammy (2009 Best R&B album) and an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress in Dreamgirls) under her belt.
2. Take no risks.
Simply put, middle-American appeal is the key to the kingdom when it comes to fame and platinum sales. Anything else breeds mediocrity. Top-seller Carrie Underwood is a shining example of a consistently safe artist, with three platinum albums in three tries (two of which went multi-platinum).
Admittedly, she has an impressive voice, but she's also boring - there's absolutely nothing that distinguishes her from the deluge of peppy, blonde-haired country pop starlets. Those who don't like to play it safe shouldn't be discouraged, because there is an alternate method…
2a. Gimmicks, Gimmicks, Gimmicks
If a contestant can generate a bit of buzz, via unintentional humor, the breaking of social norms, etc., they can be assured of their 15 minutes and sales on that first album. Look no further than Sanjaya and his rooster tail, or Adam Lambert and his ambiguous sexuality. William Hung didn't even make it to Hollywood, and he became a household name.
3. Go in with a bang.
Like the rest of the music industry, the rise of digital media has cut into the record sales of Idol contestants, but one pattern is consistent - with each successive release, record sales diminish, by at least half, each time. Kelly Clarkson notwithstanding, nearly every Idol contestant has felt the pain of this phenomenon. Moral of the story: start fast, because it won't last long.
4. Attach yourself to the American Idol brand as much as possible.
Going hand-in-hand with the previous step, the further away you get from being on American Idol, the less your fanbase cares what you do (especially if you don't win). I mean who talks about Ruben Studdard, Jordin Sparks or Bo Bice anymore? (Is Justin Guarini still alive? Did Kellie Pickler even release an album?)
The easy way to remedy this? Involve yourself with one of the American Idol spinoffs. There are secondary TV shows, musical tours, and charity events aplenty. The rest of the world may not take these artists seriously, but was that ever really an option anyway?
5. Stay forever young.
Your parents might have been entertained by that Taylor Hicks guy - the second-oldest Idol contestant -- who looked, and acted, their age. But after his first album moved 700,000 units, his next two releases didn't even sell 50,000 combined. It's proof that the rest of the pop world isn't trying to listen to a guy who plays the harmonica and could pose as a social security recipient in a pinch.
So here's what we can take away from this: It should be implicitly understood that the American Idol experience involves smiling your way through flash in the pan fame status and/or serving as a puppet for major labels. Those who play along, might surpass expectations and carve out a comfortable, if contrived, niche for themselves.
BONUS: Rejoice, stat geeks! We've compiled some interesting breakdowns for your intellectual/numerical pleasure.
5 Best Selling American Idol Albums
1) Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts [6,923,000]
2) Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway [6,104,000]
3) Chris Daughtry - Daughtry [4,620,000]
4) Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride [3,051,000]
5) Clay Aiken - Measure of a Man [2,780,000]
5 Noteworthy American Idol Flops
1) Taylor Hicks - The Distance [45,000]
2) Bo Bice - See The Light [62,000]
3) Justin Guarini - Justin Guarini [143,000]
4) Kris Allen - Kris Allen [240,000]
5) Ruben Studdard - Love Is [42,000]
Biggest Sales Drop-offs Between Successive American Idol Releases
Taylor Hicks - Taylor Hicks vs The Distance: -1564%
Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin vs Fight For Love: -1093%
Bo Bice - The Real Thing vs See The Light: -1083%
Kimberly Locke - One Love vs Based on a True Story: -978%
Josh Gracin - Josh Gracin vs We Weren't Crazy: -898%
(Minimum 100,000 sold. Doesn't include holiday albums or reissues of pre-Idol work)
Record Sales: American Idol Winners vs Runners-Up
Winners: 29,955,000
Runners-up: 8,029,000
William Hung vs The 5 Worst Selling American Idol Contestants (Combined)
William Hung: 37,600
Idols: 14,600
(John Peter Lewis, Corey Clark, Ayla Brown, Carmen Rasmusen, Jim Verraros) http://mog.com/MOG_Features/blog/1710496 | |
|
Latest images 
