The Science of American Idol Success
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Written by: Adrian Covert
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)
Locating MOG account...
Comments (11)
The death knell of proper music are programs like this and the conveyor belt of "artists". Short lived so as not to ruin the next years act.
Rubbish!
....A great post. I proudly boast of never having watched a single episode
I have to bear X Factor every year coz of my other half, like a long root canal!
Where have you been? In a cave? Kelli Pickler has had two successful albums and several #1 videos. Bo Bice put out a second album in 2007. After the Real Thing. From that album he had a # 1 video on VH1 for 3 weeks! He is getting ready to put out another one this summer. Both tour...both have tons of fans... Get your facts straight before you blog....Maybe I should apply for your job!
I think there is no doubt that Carrie Underwood is the Idol star that will have the most -- ahem -- legs -- sometimes the cream does rise to the top. Admittedly, her best album included a title track (Some Hearts) written by one of my faves -- Marshall Crenshaw.
I've seen Daughtry on TV (too) many times -- and he and the band are middling at best.
I will give Kellie Pickler some props for singing Something to Talk About, Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered on the show and I hold out hope for Katharine McPhee.
@HEB:
Yes because having a #1 music video means anything in pop culture post-2000.
And as for Bo Bice--that second album sold all of 62,000 copies. REAL popular.
@acovert Bice's second album was an Indie..not bad for an Indie. And he has been touring with several sold out shows. And like I said...Kellie has been very sucessful. But some bloggers don't do their home work. But, the bottom line is Popular doesn't always = real music or art.
Aside from watching five or so minutes of one audition show back in 2004 or so, I've avoided Idol like the plague that it is. When Simon Cowell bashed Bob Dylan, I knew just how full of it he was and how ridiculous the whole Idol premise is.
There's real talent out there, it shouldn't be up to a bunch of three or four industry hacks to decide what America should be listening to. The industry's the problem. It used to be about a love of music, at least to some degree. Now, it's all profit.
Did Kellie Pickler even release an album? Yes she did..in fact she released two, which combined have topped 1 million in sales to date.
Your article is mostly accurate in regards to what contestants can expect from American Idol, in terms of the harsh reality of steadily diminishing sales, but your focus is entirely on pop record sales in terms of success coming off the show. If ex-idol contestants expect to make a living forever from selling records, then they are in for a rude awakening. Everyone across the board is seeing fewer sales with each subsequent release.
There are better ways to turn a stint on idol into a lasting career. Winners Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, and Taylor Hicks may have been cast aside by the show (and dumped on by the media), but they have all carved out niches as successful entertainers APART from the show. I have read too many articles to count on what a "flop" Taylor Hicks is on the basis of album sales, and not the first one on how successful he has been as a touring artist. Problem is, writers don't go to the trouble of digging a little deeper to get the full story.
Idol alum should capitalize on their stint on the show and strike while the iron is hot, but be careful not to attach themselves to the brand too tightly. They should know that the show's producers care nothing about promoting or supporting you unless you are making money for them. Once your record selling cycle has ended, you are off the backdrop, and you had better be prepared to sink or swim on your own.
You're obviously not a fan of the show. If you were you would see the benefits many AI contestants have gotten in their careers that have nothing to do with selling lots of records. Who cares if you sell lots of records or wine a Grammy?
American Idol contestants have found success on Broadway (Diana DeGarmo, Fantasia, Constantine Maroulis, Latoya London), in smaller clubs (Blake Lewis) even internationally (Jasmine Trias is a star in the Phillapines) which is, I believe to be just as, if not more meaningful than having a successful record.
There are different kinds of success stories out there and I think it's very limiting to judge just from one perspective. American Idol gives many singers the training and 15 minutes in the spotlight they need to have REAL careers. Who cares if you're top 40. I think some of the most interesting contestants, like Blake Lewis, are being successful without being top 40.
And by the way Detroit Bob:
The judges don't pick the winners, supposedly viewers do. But you don't watch the show, so you probably don't know that.