American Idol Winners bomb, A mystery?

[Don Richard]

I Love Lucy was better.

And still is.

[Ricci]

There are very few people with any real "talent" on American Idol and the sad truth is that the ones who do genuinly have something, never make it through. they are cut because they don't conform, they are doing something unique[],or they don't have the right look( You know young, hip,in shape, could've been on 90210). Also the public watching the show votes for looks and personality and for the most part probably wouldn't know the second coming of Aretha Franklin if it hit them in the face.

A true talent is a songwriter, their own person, can sing, and here's the kicker...Has their own artistic vision, writes their lyrics and arranges their own compositions.

American Idol is looking for pretty cookie cutter people to mold into the next 1 hit wonder with an army of PR reps and producers telling them everything.

Sorry...I get irritated about the music buiz sometimes.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

About 5 years ago when Howard Stern was still on the radio he had the American Idol tri on this show. It was classic. This is the summary:

The judges from American Idol were on Howard Stern yesterday (01/21/03). They were judging some people who came to the studio to see if they had what it takes to be on AI. They did their usual and ripped pretty harshly into the singers. Finally, the last person up, "Scott" sang a bit from "Hero" (from Spider-Man).

(paraphrased)

Simon: "You're too old to make it in this business. You're alright, but not very good."
Paula: "You were alright, but you lost us when you closed your eyes. You lack the ability to project and you don't have a good presence."
Last guy(?): "He was okay. Just okay."

Howard:"Since you've already given your judgemen, I can reveal that this isn't Scott, but rather Josey Scott, who wrote and performed on the song "Hero" and is also in the band Saliva. So what does that tell you?"
Simon: "That we have absolutely no idea what we are doing."

Howard:"Thank you, Josey. By the way, about how many singles of that song did you sell?"
Josey:"Over eight million."
Artie Lang:"Well maybe if you opened your eyes and projected more, you could have sold nine million."

[fenderbender]

That was a classic episode!!!!!

you must get sirius if you are a H S fan.

[kaiser SET say]

Well, this is truly what I call "Having a Coke & a Smile"[]

[seti]

Hardly a bomb??? USAToday Complete Chart of Idols Sales Numbers

Published January 11th, 2008

in American Idol and Charts.


Tags: .

For those who love NUMBERS–I love numbers. Who doesn’t love numbers?

1. Kelly Clarkson: 9.4 million total

Breakaway: 5.9 million

Thankful: 2.7 million

My December: 740,000

2. Carrie Underwood: 7.9 million total

Some Hearts: 6.2 million

Carnival Ride: 1.7 million

3. Clay Aiken: 4.8 million total

Measure of a Man: 2.8 million

Merry Christmas With Love: 1.4 million

A Thousand Different Ways: 522,000

All Is Well EP: 53,000

4. (Chris) Daughtry, Daughtry: 3.6 million

5. Ruben Studdard: 2.5 million total*

Soulful: 1.8 million

I Need an Angel: 451,000*

The Return: 236,000

6. Fantasia: 2.3 million total

Free Yourself: 1.8 million Fantasia: 502,000

7. Bo Bice: 706,000 total

The Real Thing: 670,000

See the Light: 36,000

8. Kellie Pickler, Small Town Girl: 702,000

9. Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks: 699,000

10. Josh Gracin, Josh Gracin: 695,000

Just because it sells doesn't make it good. It just means it is palatable for the masses which I find boring 99% of the time. Just look at the charts for the last 10 years....

[IndyKlipschFan]

So let's face it too... pretty faces on a lot of the artists I do love...they do not have. LOL Is it perhaps through this rejection and self inwardness they reveal their stories in music to us so we too feel connected?

I assume we all can agree that the singer that tells the story and you feel it.. Whether they wrote it or not.. Is the one we connect too!

But on American Idol... it is the "young cute pop star" that makes it.. No question...

The Howard Stern episode might have been funny, but it again is the truth... Great for the guy who sang it if he is / was a success... But he never had the talent, the look, on American Idol to win that show. I know a few local people that could of, in their prime, won American Idol I am sure. Like most musicians, they might even be leading lives much like Henry David Thoreau said, "Most people lead lives of
quiet desperation, and go to their graves with the song
still in their heart."

A great KJ here locally that tried to make it when she was out of college in Nashville, and a dear friend, had this to say... And I will be honest with this caveat... Most average people who sing, let alone sing Karaoke are just that..average too..... And a few suck! But they have a good time!

But I agree 100% with this quote.

Everyone
can sing

As humans, most of us have been blessed
with a voice

One which allows us to communicate and
laugh and cry

And sing

But we are taught that certain people
are special

And deserve the right to sing because
their voice is better

Or prettier

And we support those elite few by
giving them money

And singing along with them in our cars

Or our showers

Or sometimes walking down the street

Because we are moved by them

Until we catch the next car over
staring

And having been caught

Silence ourselves

Now I'm not saying there isn't brilliance of talent in
the universe

Artists

Voices that can touch millions and move
us to sing along in our cars

Or our showers

All I'm saying is we each have an
inherent need for self expression

And insecurity and fear and this
elitist mentality

Prevent us every day from discovering
the great works of art

That are most definitely hiding within

With a little luck

Some humor

A smart-*** DJ

And maybe a wee bit of alcohol

Together we can create a
non-threatening environment

Where we can all feel comfortable
enough

To find our own voice.

[mike stehr]

Glorified Karaoke................

[seti]

I equate the modern music business with the dumbing down of America or the blanding of American music. Thank gods for small music labels and those that do care about making interesting music. I like music with a spark of originality or someone that brings something abit different. You know the singer doesn't have to be the best but does have to have passion. It seems like lately when I do scan the radio it all sounds too similar. Variety is the spice of life.

[IndyKlipschFan]

Twisting your quote...Seti

Just because it sucks to the masses and does not sell, does it make it "good" too... LOL

It just means it is
palatable for the non connected who found a voice which I also find boring 90% of the time. See The Ramones below...

Just look
at the charts for the last 10 years....Yeah look at em... Britney and Mariah will out sell 99% of them all.....MANY times over.

I just watched a movie on the story and impact of The Ramones. End of the Century So let's look at The Ramones.. A whole generation in 80's fashion punk singers and musicians based on that one band alone? But just a few, if I am gracious, ok songs..

Description:


The film's timeline begins in 1968, years before the band's formation in
the Forest Hills section of Queens, with the boys hanging around the
neighborhood playground. It ends shortly after their induction into the
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002 and Dee Dee's death from a drug
overdose. Among the rare footage in the film is a September 1974
performance in which the band is dressed in a more glam-rock fashion than
their signature ripped jeans and leather jackets.



Longer description by Colin Geddes:


New York City was caught off guard in 1974 by the angry scream of punk.
Raw and unrestrained, it was a sharp contrast to the soothing banality of
soft rock and disco. At the forefront of the scene were The Ramones:
looking like they had leapt out of a Saturday morning cartoon, they were a
grotesque version of The Monkees, strung out on sugar-coated cereal as
they ripped through three-chord songs about sniffing glue, the
neighbourhood, teenage sex and angst.

End of the Century: The Story of The Ramones is a chronicle of a band
whose influence reaches over two generations of musicians. They were kids
who grew up together, a gang of misfits united in the belief in salvation
and deliverance through the power of rock'n'roll. True pioneers of the
punk DIY (do-it-yourself) philosophy, they just picked up instruments and
played - talent be damned!

It was a rocky road for the pseudo-brothers: the success that always
seemed around the corner continually faded in the distance, as they were
robbed of the title of the originators of punk by the British bands they
inspired. The film's title refers to their 1980 album of the same name,
produced by the infamous, gun-toting, hit song guru Phil Spector - an
endeavour that strained the already tenuous relation between band members.
Alcohol and substance abuse divided them further and poor record sales
turned dreams of rock glory into gigging as a means of employment.

First-time filmmakers Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields shared a love for
punk through their high school days and their passion is evident in this
candid portrait of a band torn by power struggles and consequences of the
lifestyle. Never straying too far from the immediate subject, End of the
Century moves from the band's early years, through to the deaths of Joey
and Dee Dee and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
2002. Together with unseen live and studio footage, extensive interviews
with the ex-bandmates, family, friends and figures from New York City's
punk scene, End of the Century not only documents an important chapter in
music history, but also chronicles the bonds of childhood friendship and
their gradual breakdown.

Colin Geddes

[mike stehr]

"Just look at the charts for the last 10 years....Yeah look at em... Britney and Mariah will out sell 99% of them all.....MANY times over."

Like he said: The dumbing down of America.......

[Mike Lindsey]

I would rather sit in a corner and stab myself with a fork than have to listen to that.

Have you considered a spoon?

"I'm sorry Mr. Hendrix. Your enunciation is profoundly lacking."

You lost me there...

[vnzbd]

American Idol Is unique entertainment. Love it or hate it, not much room in between. For me it was a great time to share with my daughter each week. It provides excellent oppurtunities to talk to her about not only different music types and the artists that performed them, but also that your dreams can come true. It also shows that you can not come in first and still feel good about yourself.

I am still trying to figure out what to tell her about the goofy auditions. Although strangly entertaing, I try to shellter from them.

For the aspiring singers, they have alot of guts to get up in front of millions and risk embarresment like forgotten lyrics. Sometimes life can be as simple as being in the right place at the right time. I think that Daughtry could front many of today's edgy sounding rock bands.

[seti]

Twisting your quote...Seti

Just because it sucks to the masses and does not sell, does it make it "good" too... LOL

It just means it is
palatable for the non connected who found a voice which I also find boring 90% of the time. See The Ramones below...

Just look
at the charts for the last 10 years....Yeah look at em... Britney and Mariah will out sell 99% of them all.....MANY times over.

I just watched a movie on the story and impact of The Ramones. End of the Century So let's look at The Ramones.. A whole generation in 80's fashion punk singers and musicians based on that one band alone? But just a few, if I am gracious, ok songs..

Description:


The film's timeline begins in 1968, years before the band's formation in
the Forest Hills section of Queens, with the boys hanging around the
neighborhood playground. It ends shortly after their induction into the
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002 and Dee Dee's death from a drug
overdose. Among the rare footage in the film is a September 1974
performance in which the band is dressed in a more glam-rock fashion than
their signature ripped jeans and leather jackets.



Longer description by Colin Geddes:


New York City was caught off guard in 1974 by the angry scream of punk.
Raw and unrestrained, it was a sharp contrast to the soothing banality of
soft rock and disco. At the forefront of the scene were The Ramones:
looking like they had leapt out of a Saturday morning cartoon, they were a
grotesque version of The Monkees, strung out on sugar-coated cereal as
they ripped through three-chord songs about sniffing glue, the
neighbourhood, teenage sex and angst.

End of the Century: The Story of The Ramones is a chronicle of a band
whose influence reaches over two generations of musicians. They were kids
who grew up together, a gang of misfits united in the belief in salvation
and deliverance through the power of rock'n'roll. True pioneers of the
punk DIY (do-it-yourself) philosophy, they just picked up instruments and
played - talent be damned!

It was a rocky road for the pseudo-brothers: the success that always
seemed around the corner continually faded in the distance, as they were
robbed of the title of the originators of punk by the British bands they
inspired. The film's title refers to their 1980 album of the same name,
produced by the infamous, gun-toting, hit song guru Phil Spector - an
endeavour that strained the already tenuous relation between band members.
Alcohol and substance abuse divided them further and poor record sales
turned dreams of rock glory into gigging as a means of employment.

First-time filmmakers Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields shared a love for
punk through their high school days and their passion is evident in this
candid portrait of a band torn by power struggles and consequences of the
lifestyle. Never straying too far from the immediate subject, End of the
Century moves from the band's early years, through to the deaths of Joey
and Dee Dee and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
2002. Together with unseen live and studio footage, extensive interviews
with the ex-bandmates, family, friends and figures from New York City's
punk scene, End of the Century not only documents an important chapter in
music history, but also chronicles the bonds of childhood friendship and
their gradual breakdown.

Colin Geddes

You'll just have to excuse me as I have been grumpy about popular music for a while. When I turn on the radio I can't relate. Maybe it is just me with the problem and everything on the radio is golden. It is possible I just pray it isn't : )

You know I get chastised when I tell me friends I think the Ramones were terrible. Yet again just an opinion. Yeah they do get credit for being one of the first punk bands and I admire their attitude but I didn't like them that much. The Clash were one of my favorite punk bands but they were on the brit side and they were two similar punk movements. It all started in New York with Velvet Underground 1965, The Stooges 1967, and New York Dolls 1971 to name a few. Then it spread to London like wildfire. The worst band out of the lot were the sex pistols. At least the punk movement was interesting but there was some crap there as well. Hard to imagine bands like Talking Heads emerged from that scene.

I must say there is something to be liked from every musical genre. There is good to be found everywhere but sometimes you have to really dig. Personally I like bands with sparks of passion and originality. I try to explore other cultures for new music as well. Lately it has been African High Life jazz influenced music and Italian space age bachelor pad music like the transistors.

It would be nice if there was more diversity. This is one reason satalite radio is so cool. You just pick a genre and it plays any song from any album wether it is a "hit" or not. I have found new bands in genres I thought I knew too well.

At least there is enough good music out there to find : ) Nothing better than finding a new sound that just makes you happy.

[IB Slammin]

I don't watch the actual competition but I do enjoy watching the auditions .

I love a good train wreck !!!

OH YES!!!

I love the auditions too. Now that's entertainment! LMAO (I stop watching after the first few weeks when the comp starts to get........... good(?))

You see, I was a big Gong Show fan. There were some great "out take" tapes around. I remember the hard R rated tape. Man, what some people will do on a stage. Too much.

[Bill Cain]

I would rather sit in a corner and stab myself with a fork than have to listen to that.

Have you considered a spoon?

"I'm sorry Mr. Hendrix. Your enunciation is profoundly lacking."

You lost me there...

The first line was in response to your using a fork; spoons are much more forgiving.

The second line was a continuing comment about how AI would treat former performing legends.

[Islander]

Howard:"Since you've already given your judgemen, I can reveal that this isn't Scott, but rather Josey Scott, who wrote and performed on the song "Hero" and is also in the band Saliva. So what does that tell you?"
Simon: "That we have absolutely no idea what we are doing."

A refreshing bit of honesty from Simon. However, if making money is the goal, he has a very good idea what he's doing.

The show seems to be about wannabe performers imitating actual artists/performers, without any of the originals' scary (to the mainstream culture) creativity and willingness to be different.

[thebes]

For me it was a great time to share with my daughter each week. It provides excellent oppurtunities to talk to her about not only different music types and the artists that performed them, but also that your dreams can come true. It also shows that you can not come in first and still feel good about yourself.

Can't argue with that sentiment nor your using the opportunity to share your love and knowledge of music with your daughter using an avenue she can relate to. It's probably the most wonderful use of an ongoing train wreck I've ever heard of and you should be commended. I'm not being snide nor snarky in this comment, I really do think you are doing a good thing here.

I also can appreciate but not agree with Dtel's Wife, Indy and Cain appreciation for this show. In a venue full of audiophiles they have demonstrated their integrity by honestly expressing themselves.

BUT! (you knew there'd be a rant in here somewheres)

Only the brain dead lobotomized inbred offspring of couplings between donkeys and carnival barkers could bring us such an overblown exhibition of no-talent, tasteless, moronic rendering of insipid, over-emoting warbling our fallen civilization has ever experienced.

Faithful observers of the show, and I am certainly not one of them, could only conclude that the artists that originally recorded these songs these parvenu's cant at us had no grasp of human emotions, rhyme or meter, and probably composed them in 3rd grade or shortly before they entered a home for "Those who Have Gotten Very Old and Lost Their Minds".

Following the lead of Mike Lindsey, as I compose these words I am also sharpening a heretofore dull fork into a deadly blade which I will repeatedly thrust into my groin should I ever find myself watching a whole episode of this dreck.

One can only hope Dupont starts manufacturing Napalm again for a surgical strike on their studios prior to next years debut.

[Marvel]

The show seems to be about wannabe performers imitating actual artists/performers, without any of the originals' scary (to the mainstream culture) creativity and willingness to be different.

I don't think Crosby or Sinatra necessarily wanted to be different. They just wanted to be good.

Carrie Underwood has released some wonderful songs, and like MOST solo performers, doesn't write her own material.

Josh Gracin is still going to do alright over time.

I am quite surprised at how sophisticated the country music audience is becoming. (Except for GW, maybe... [:|]) I am often appalled at the stupid and tacky country songs, but there are great songs in that genre.

Reminds me of seeing Maura O'Connell live, and she said people would come up to her and say, "Oh, you're just a singer." A lot of these are JUST singers, but they are very good at it, taking someone else's lyrics and molding them/interpreting them and making them their own.

I think you all would mostly be as rough as Simon Cowell.

Bruce

[Bill Cain]

The show seems to be about wannabe performers imitating actual artists/performers, without any of the originals' scary (to the mainstream culture) creativity and willingness to be different.

I don't think Crosby or Sinatra necessarily wanted to be different. They just wanted to be good.

To be "different" soley to be different is a waste of time.

Your examples were "different" in that they were themselves, not clones of formerly successful artists.

Does AI embrace unique talent or clones? The answer is obvious.