Additionally, Crush debuted on Z100 on 1 August 2008 and was released to Itunes on 12 August 2008. That’s only 11 days, folks. There was barely any radio play, nationally, by the 12th, and so the argument that radio helped Archuleta to some “unfair” competitive advantage (for comparison purposes, only) over Adam or Kris is just flatly false.

At this early date, it would appear the Davids each had a larger and more rabidly loyal core fanbase than either Kris or Adam.

Wow, impressive. Does Crush hold the title for best first week sales for an Idol single. Good for Archie’ ¦that little cutie pie.

Archie is really cute. He is like my 10 year old kid brother who i like to tease. He is so like baby cute.

crush had an ai of 7.669 million the week it went for downloads, and that number increased steadily’ ¦ sales remained remarkably consistent week to week for the song, reaching and selling to an audience outside of the ‘ idol bubble’ ’ ¦it’s sitting now on the cusp of 2 million total downloads’ ¦ ai alums, to me, are no different in their quest for acceptance and credibility than other new artists when they leave idol and go out into the real music world’ ¦ there is always some barrier or ”stigma’  to be overcome ‘“ and it can be overcome’ ¦ it’s the quality and commercial appeal of what they produce after they leave idol that lends to that elusive ‘ cred’ ’ ¦ underwood did it, clarkson did it, daughtry did it, and there will be i’m sure others whose quality of music over the long haul will lend itself to those artists being taken

The only barrier i see with archie is that he will always be this kid in the eyes of people. He might have a good voice but man can we stand seeing him as kid even if he is 25 or 30? mmm That’s the difference with Cook.

RockinAllenFan NO WAY!?! Our bb Kris’s single LLWD is #5 on New Zealand’s Pop iTunes Chart!! People living there are KICK AWESOME!

YAY for Kris!

I would argue that ‘fans like this’  are one of the reasons that artists chose to go the AI route to start with. It’s very difficult in the current music environment to get attention for yourself and your music. A core dedicated fanbase that is buying your record early helps establish momentum, gets you placement on sales charts and on music store racks, and draws the attention of radio programming directors. A dedicated core fanbase also is typically requesting with local radio stations, filling out mediabase surveys and generally helping your songs gain visibility in a crowded music market. For sure in the long run you have to make music people like and want to listen to. No question. That’s the difference between an AI alum who sells a couple hundred thousand and one whose record goes gold or platinum. But that early boost from dedicated fans is a big help.

Sorry for quoting the whole thing, but now THAT is the most articulate post on what AI can do for a new musician.

TfM really is a movie song. But RCA has put incredible resources into Adam’s album ‘“ songs by Pink, Gaga, Muse, Dr. Luke. Top of the line producers.

I agree that RCA is investing in the album based on what I’ve heard about producers and songwriters… what I don’t get is why Sony (whichever branch) put so many resources in TFM if they’re not gonna push it beyond the initial week’s iTunes banner and an ET segment? The music video was a big production, and directed by Wayne Isham, and the song was produced by Rob Cavallo. These people are not cheap. They put all that money on the vid, put it on myspace, showed clips on ET, and that’s it? I’m hearing the trailer before This Is It won’t even show part of this expensive video. What’s the rationale there? Will the vid be pushed after the movie comes out? If so, isn’t that right around when Adam’s real single should be gaining speed on radio, and when ideally the MV for that song should be debuting on VH1′s top 20 countdown? They wouldn’t wanna drop the TFM video to VH1 then to muddy the waters… so the expensive TFM vid just goes largely unused? Maybe it’ll be in more TFM commercials in November? I’m just confuzzled by what RCA was planning for with TFM.

Again, to reiterate, we’re talking here about the hardcore fanbase that will snap everything up the first week

Actually, I don’t know if DC’s 280K opening week comprised of only hardcore fans. Honestly, I buy a lot of albums from artists I like the week they drop simply because that’s when the promo is strongest, and I’m reminded of it. New albums usually get some nice placement at the store, or ads on iTunes, whatever it may be, enough so I’m reminded, and I snap it up. AI alum probably benefit from a lot of casual AI fans who see the album in stores, the ad on iTunes, or whatever and pick it up then. But yeah, good opening week numbers are great, but connecting with a wider fanbase is crucial second step to longevity.

So it seems to me that’s it’s still quite possible that Adam’s (and Kris’) hardcore fanbase are waiting for the album rather than buying the first thing that pops up for sale on iTunes, just like it seems a good number of Cook fans did last year.

Again, to reiterate, we’re talking here about the hardcore fanbase that will snap everything up the first week — none of which makes any difference as to the long term success of their Adam’s or Kris’ debut albums. In fact, it may well be the case that the marketing for Adam is what it is (i.e., more outside radio and more TV) because TPTB believe that he will break big outside of the AI bubble and, given his controversial nature, he is likely to lose a lot of his more conservative AI fanbase anyway. Just a thought.

I don’t know how to compare Kris’s LLWD to that. And, I don’t know how to compare Adam’s movie song to that either. Sometimes, the numbers just are what they are.

This. No need for spin or excuses IMO. Adam’s fanbase didn’t give TFM’s sales the big boost many expected, but who knows-the song could go on to sell platinum when all is said and done. The same could be said for LLWD. You just never know how things will play out in the long run.

Archie’s Jive album was very modest in comparison. I doubt even Cook’s album cost near what Adam’s will. Not to mention that supporting an Adam tour with dancers, props, glam will be rather expensive. So sales will matter alot.

I’m thinking he’s actually going to have to make some money befor they even think about a tour with all of that stuff. I don’t think modest numbers will get Adam the spectacle he wants LOL.

Archie’s Jive album was very modest in comparison. I doubt even Cook’s album cost near what Adam’s will. Not to mention that supporting an Adam tour with dancers, props, glam will be rather expensive. So sales will matter alot.

So now it’s bad to have fans supporting your first single? Huh?

only if you’re david cook or archuleta. heh.

Why do I think that if TfM had sold 160K downloads this week, the argument would have been ‘See, he’s broken out of the Idol bubble. He’s making new fans

That would be a hard agrument to sell, his gaining new fans based on TfM. Since any new fans gained would be based on their listening to a movie soundtrack that hasn’t even hit the movie theatres yet… If Adam can gain new fans from TfM when it really isnt being played anywhere, then he really is a glittery alien

Why do I think that if TfM had sold 160K downloads this week, the argument would have been ‘See, he’s broken out of the Idol bubble.
He’s making new fans.’ 

totally agree… the expectation level has been built so high for lambert that i feel his publicity and overwhelming media presence should have more than made up for any lack of radio play the song received prior to its release… with the large and dedicated fanbases for the david’s in place, one can only imagine how much more light on and crush could or would have sold with media saturation like lamberts… just imagining here, not fanning any flames… not begrudging lambert one single moment of the unprecedented media coverage he’s received prior to his debut, but one can’t help but wonder if it had occurred during last season, for either of those two, what the effect would have been on those numbers….

I don’t know how many singles everybody else sold, but I do know Cook sold 236,000 of ‘Time of My Life’  the first week after the Idol finale, so’ ¦ I’m thinking that Crush does not hold the title. Of course, as soon as I say that, somebody will argue that TOML isn’t a real first single, and that digital singles aren’t the same as physical ones, so we can’t compare the previous years contestants and their singles.

I don’t know crap about all of those different variables. There is one thing I’m able to decipher though – the songs closer to the finale (i.e. coronation songs) when the contestants are fresh in everyone’s mind and people are still in the frenzy, clearly do much bigger first week numbers than those that come out months later.

I hate to throw a different variable in the mess LOL, but I really do think that Cook’s LO couldn’t possibly have been expected to sell as much the first week as his TOML. There was just too much time for people to have moved on by that point.

But again, I really don’t know much about this stuff. That’s just my guess. And, I don’t track the numbers, just read them once in a while here – so I could be wrong about lots of stuff!

Also, I think Crush was just a really catchy pop tune. I don’t have a bunch of different theories about why it sold so much, other than people kept hearing it on the radio and obviously, they really liked it.

I don’t know how to compare Kris’s LLWD to that. And, I don’t know how to compare Adam’s movie song to that either. Sometimes, the numbers just are what they are.

Keep in mind also, that this is the first year they’ve done the season pass thing. And, they did it right away for Kris, while people were still in the frenzy. So, those that think his sales are disappointing may really be surprised if his first week album sales are huge because all of his fans purchased that pass while they were still riding the wave.