In years past, immediately after an “American Idol” season was over, there would be a commercial single release of the original songs that the final two contestants performed. Typically, these rocketed to the top of the charts. Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken (besting actual winner Ruben Studdard), Fantasia, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks all scored chart-toppers with their initial releases. The first sign that there had to be some kind of retooling came last year when Jordin Sparks’ initial release, “This is My Now”, broke the string.
So, what the “Idol” folks have done in conjunction with iTunes is make all the performaces from each show available digitally, but the sales were not reported to Soundscan until the week of the show finale, which results in one amazing fact for eventual “Idol” winner David Cook, and one other sort of stinging reality.
Cook has 11 songs enter the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart this week, setting a modern-day record for most songs on this chart at one time. The previous record was 8, set by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus about a year and a half ago. I quote this as being a modern-day record because The Beatles actually placed 14 songs on the singles chart back in ’64.
At any rate, this becomes a semi-dubious distinction because none of Cook’s songs make it all the way to the top-where Lil’ Wayne holds for a second consecutive week with “Lollipop”. “The Time of My Life” slides in at #3 this week. Impressive? Yes, but not a number one, and considering the massive slide that “event” singles generally have in their second week, expect Cook’s number of charted singles to halve on next week’s chart.
By contrast, David Archuleta was only able to place three songs on this week’s Hot 100-led by his rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” at #36.
