American Idol Chatter Still Matters
Love it or hate it, there's no lowballing "American Idol's" whopper of an impact on popular culture.
Think of it this way: On a bad week, 20 million people tune into the show. In 2006, the four biggest-selling albums of the year combined couldn't cross that threshhold. And that tally was led by that other phenom, "High School Musical."
Also in 2006, Windy City-bred past "Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson legitimized her springboard even more by taking home an Oscar for her performance in "Dreamgirls" in what is without question the show's best artistic contribution to the entertainment world to date.
Aside from bringing the name Sanjaya into the mainstream vernacular, 2007 will go down in "Idol" lore for Kelly Clarksoon's feud with legendary label honcho Clive Davis over the release of her third effort, "My December."
Following the success of her appropriately titled 2004 set "Breakaway," Clarkson grabbed the creative bull by the horns for what became "December," cowriting each of the set's 13 songs and vetoing submissions from her record label, which is overseen by Davis from waaaaaayyyy up top. The suits didn't approve, but Clarkson stuck to her ground, resulting in a war of words covered by news sites high (CNN) and low (Perez Hilton).
While out-the-door sales put a halt to a stadium tour, "December" has sold respectfully, either closing on or barely passing the million mark. She also had a No. 2 country hit with her new manager's old lady, Reba McEntyre, with a song originally recorded by Clarkson proper on the country great's charttoping duets album.
But let's not take the Clarkson vs. The Man feud too seriously. This is, after all, Kelly Clarkson, who has lived up to and beyond anything her "Idol" makers could ever have hoped for once she stepped off the stage the victor on the show's inaugural season.
We're not talking about a Joni Mitchell here, who spent years off the radar raging rightfully against the music machine that berthed the likes of Clarkson.
And let this be the only place ever, and the last time as well, where Mitchell is compared in ANY way to Clarkson.
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