Comments on: Billboard Chart Preview – Issue 6/7/08

By: ra.chatterbox

ra.chatterbox — Fri, 30 May 2008 19:25:27 +0000

Ya it is a lame song, guys…but I think he made it work. Seriously, I cringed when I first heard the “magic rainbow” line but what’s so cool about Cook is he looked like he enjoyed singing the song.

I really do hope he doesnt get stuck in songs like that. I’ve heard him sing “Creep” by Radiohead and his Analog Heart songs are not exactly cheesy rock ballads.

By: jpfan

jpfan — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:42:49 +0000

Since I doubt Cook’s album will be released until Oct/November, it’ll probably fall down the Amazon charts pretty quickly. I don’t remember them issuing an album to Amazon so early. Once they put out the release date, it’ll probably zoom back up the charts there.
Very cool Elliott news.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:57:31 +0000

Also, Elliott is #2 on Japan’s Pop 100 Airplay chart.

By: lucy

lucy — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:40:18 +0000

On a non-DC note, Elliott’s Wait for You is #5 on Japan’s Hot 100 this week. Top westerner on that chart, with Madonna at #11 currently. Leona Lewis is at #23.

By: spritely

spritely — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:14:34 +0000

The song is “featured” in the Amazon ad for the upcoming album. I suspect he’s going to keep singing it for awhile.

He’s now up to #8 on the Amazon list. He’ll be #1 soon. I don’t know how these things work. Will he go to #1 with presales and then almost have to drop back down for the months in between? And then go back up again when it comes out?

I really love watching him do so spectacularly well on so many charts. So deserved. Such a talented mensch.

By: candie

candie — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:39:06 +0000

jpfan – I agree about this lame song. He has to sing it on every morning show he has been on. It’s starting to grate on my nerves. I suppose AI says he has to sing that song. However, I guess I would buy even a rockers rendition of the phonebook if he recorded that. I think he will continue to be the hit he already is and hoping to buy that cd that is already on the bestseller list and not even made yet! Wow

By: spritely

spritely — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:18:37 +0000

Since this is about rankings, I hope I’m putting it in the proper thread. . .David Cook’s coming album is now up for pre-sale on Amazon and it is already number 13 on their bestseller list, and rising fast. What has me curious is its price. . .$l8 plus, twice the price of other albums. So I’m wondering if this could turn out to be the “boxed set” that they advertised earlier (for Analog Heart) and then removed. Whatever it is, it sounds like two discs, yes? Maybe? Fingers crossed.

I pre-ordered, of course!

By: jpfan

jpfan — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:14:13 +0000

One of the bad things about winning is you have to sing lame crap. Daughtry was very lucky he didn’t have to sing about rainbows. I think Cook would be better off if the song didn’t get much radio play and just died a quick death. Next year, they should just stop the whole coronation song thing completely.

By: candie

candie — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:36:06 +0000

Also, his Analog Heart was pulled off of Amazon because it was selling like crazy. I believe I saw the chart at one time it was close to outselling Mariah Careys #1 new Album.
Wonder why they pulled the sale of his album. Because he was in contract with AI? Anyway, as far as I know you still can’t buy it.
I think he will keep on being a smash hit. The coranation songs are always pretty lame songs, but still people want his cd’s no matter how lame they are because IMO he makes lame sound pretty darn good!

By: candie

candie — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:28:18 +0000

sherryw – I agree. You are so right!!!!!

By: Thea

Thea — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:59:59 +0000

PS: note- we did get TOML on iTunes UK. Only that though.

By: Thea

Thea — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:59:08 +0000

Someone better tell DC to make sure his next releases are available outside the US…. otherwise, lots of lost money for him!!!

There’s MANY of us who are just FORCED to download everything for free. I know it’s called American Idol but come on… These days it costs NOTHING to distribute music also in other countries, that’s the power of digital! How hard is it to understand that if you air the show in other countries there will be fans there too?

We are getting a bit frustrated here!

Wake up iTunes people!!!

By: sherryw

sherryw — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:39:07 +0000

Wow, somehow I think a point has been missed.
Radio play accounts for more on the BB Hot 100 now than it did during all previous seasons except S6. The others also had an entire week to sell vs. 4 days. DC would have had the #1 in a week’s time. He also did not have the benefit of fans being able to purchase 5-10 copies of a physical CD to count towards his sales. If I am not mistaken, itunes does not count multiple purchases.
And, the fact that his older tracks (which had already sold well and had been available for a long time) sold as well as they did before the outcome of the competition was known is a good reflection on his capability to sell music long-term.
I don’t think Billboard would be crediting him with breaking a record if he wasn’t legitimately breaking a record. An AI winner breaking a BB chart record right out of the box is also a good reflection on the show as a whole (given the past couple of sub-par winners, by AI standards). I have no doubt that the producers and Co. were well aware of his sales and I also think they needed him to win this thing.
As was stated in another comment, let’s say DA had won. Let’s give him all of Cook’s TOML sales (although there is no guarantee he would have sold as many). In total downloads for the week, DC would still have outsold him by 300k. Wouldn’t exactly have been a good way for the S7 winner to jump out of the gate. Cook’s jump looks just fine.

By: dulce

dulce — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:35:16 +0000

A songÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s success after having been performed on American Idol is NOT impressive to me.

I agree. It’s not uncommon for a single out of the AI gate to do so well, but I don’t think you can even start to compare the seasons where physical singles were released vs. itunes downloads. Different markets…period. Itunes is gaining in popularity now and people are probably more likely to download their music than to buy physical CD’s…but there still are those who buy physical CD’s.

Do we know what the other songs were on the chart when the other idols went to #1? If there is a big song with big promotion ala. Coldplay’s newest or Leona Lewis Bleeding Love, it’s harder to get to the number one spot with sales alone. Radio needs to get behind it. I don’t think we can take anything away from David Cook. It remains to be seen what all of this will mean in regards to his future, but for now, we can say that the Idol winner spot has finally gotten some juice back after the epic fails of the previous two winners. For the record, Jordin Sparks went to #15 and didn’t go anywhere but down I believe. Post season 5, nobody has done exceptionally well minus Chris Daughtry. So for Cook to do so well now, that’s a good reflection on him.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:02:21 +0000

TOML now sits at #3 on itunes. I canÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t remember the last time a coronation song stayed that high on the chart for over a week.

iTunes didn’t exist during season 1, but I’m pretty sure the equivalent (my guess would be the singles chart) would have displayed how, proportionally, Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” would have exceeded his total, since she stayed at #1 on the Hot 100 chart for two straight weeks. Same with Clay Aiken.

I’m just not surprised that Cook’s songs have all appeared on the Hot 100. Kelly, Clay, Fantasia, Carrie & Taylor have all had their coronation songs skyrocket to #1….while this feat has eluded Cook. I just don’t think it’s too far off to assume that they could have had just as many (if not more) songs chart had their songs been available, given how well their coronation songs performed.

A song’s success after having been performed on American Idol is NOT impressive to me.