Monday Morning Mediabase Update – 12/29/08

Magic Rainbow’s resurgence on AC amuses me. It really wasted no time in recovering the top spot once Christmas was over—Friday morning, it was at #9; Saturday morning, it was at #3; Sunday morning, it had returned to #1.

LOL @ Magic Rainbow jumping back to # 1 on AC. That song has awesome mystical powers.

It’s magic, like David Cook. Everything he touches turns to gold (or platinum, even better!). That song will never go away. So many people identify with it. The same with Light On. David Cook is waiting for it to die out so he can put out another single, but it keeps going, just like the rabbit in the battery commercial. It leaves, then it comes back. You have to admit, both songs are very catchy. Can’t wait to hear Declaration playing on the radio (and hopefully VH1 Top 20 Video countdown). I also want David to release Permanent, Avalanche, and Life on the Moon as singles. Heck, we could live with him releasing all the songs on the album since they will all eventually be hits. He might even do another Beatle thingie with the hot 100 billboard charts again! Wouldn’t that be awesome???? :smile2_ee:

He might even do another Beatle thingie with the hot 100 billboard charts again!

The Beatle thingie is really not an appropriate comparison because there were no digital downloads then.

Does anyone know why Cook doesn’t appear on any of the rock charts? Is it because most of his album are really ballads, except maybe Barbasol?

The only DC songs that have been released as singles are Magic Rainbow (which, obviously, is not a rock song) and Light On, which has gotten some play on two rock formats and on alternative but not enough to chart.

Anya:

Does anyone know why Cook doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t appear on any of the rock charts? Is it because most of his album are really ballads, except maybe Barbasol?

Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs are actually rock ballads and will fit nicely on rock radio. However rock radio does not like to play new artists and they get the he bee gee bees when it comes to Idol music. They may play Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs some day, but donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t count on it in the near future unless something extraordinary happens or after he starts touring.

Coincidentally rock radio appears to be losing audience impressions. And I blame this solely on their snobbery and unwillingness to give new rockers a chance.

Also try requesting some of Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs on your local rock stations because you never know what will happen.

The Magic Rainbow is immortal.

Magic Rainbow is unbelievable! And it’s all Cook’s fault for adding his own twist on the song, and singing so passionately. :clap_tb:

Also try requesting some of Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs on your local rock stations because you never know what will happen.

That’s not a good idea, unless the label has actually targeted rock radio as a format for the song.

A flood of requests to rock radio for DC at this point, will only serve as fodder for DJ snark, and will probably annoy the PD. That would not be a good thing for DC.

Also, just as a reminder, please don’t discuss calling radio stations on the blog.

Eh, I don’t care at all about rock radio. Those aren’t the stations that move many units, and as previously said, they don’t tend to play much new music. Why fight an uphill battle there?
If RCA is going to promote DC, they might as well concentrate on the avenues that will bring the best results overall.

Magic Rainbow will be around forever. Be afraid.

LO was released to rock. Unsurprisingly, the Rainbow was not.

Someone has to say this – die, Magic Rainbow, die!

Both David Cook and David Archuleta went back up on the iTunes charts. Crush was up to 19 though dropping again now, LO still inching upwards, and the David Cook’s album is up to 19 as well after dropping down to forty something.

I don’t know that you want to say that, Hazehel. It seems pretty clear that the Rainbow, despite its generally pleasant and amiable appearance, is aggressive. I wouldn’t want to tick it off. Heh.

I think the only thing that can kill magic rainbow is a magic stake through the heart. Even Christmas it seems only put it into a temporary coma. It really is hysterical though. I don’t think anyone would have imagined when we first heard that song that it would still be kicking, much less be #1 *anywhere*7 months later. In all seriousness though I do wish it could go away quietly as DC tries to to focus on his pop/rock music. I wouldn’t be shocked though to learn it’s helping push some CD’s.

eta: I see soundscene and I are thinking along the same lines. ITA.

^^ Crush benefited from post-Christmas iTunes gift card sales, which seem to benefit primarily former big hits and current top 10 songs (although most songs get a boost, even if their position doesn’t change on the chart). I think I heard that the post-Christmas rush lasts only about 3 days, so that’s over now. Not surprising that Crush is back down to #23, then. Crush had a nice last breath and should avoid moving out of the top 50 on the Hot 100 this week because of it (which means it won’t go recurrent right away).

As for TOML, in all seriousness I really think it needs to die. The sooner it gets out of the way, the better, because songs that come later won’t have such a high threshold to pass before being considered a bigger hit. And I think the last thing Cook wants is for the magic rainbow to be his biggest hit. Plus, just on a personal note, I never cared for the song and it would be nice if I didn’t have to hear it on my AC station anymore during the work day. I’d rather hear LO on that AC station but that won’t happen if TOML stays at #1.

Someone has to say this – die, Magic Rainbow, die!

:guns_tb: Do you feel lucky? Do ya, punk?

^Magic Rainbow is totes gonna go Matrix on y’alls butts.

*runs and dives for cover*

“Canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t wait to hear Declaration playing on the radio (and hopefully VH1 Top 20 Video countdown)”

I can’t wait either. I have this vision of the band on a city roof top singing with intermittent clips of ‘real’ people doing crazy proposals on jumbotrons and sky writing planes….just in time for the superbowl!

Can’t wait to see what they really do with it.

Since ToML and LO are the only singles out off DCTR, it’s rather impossible to predict what future rock radio stations will determine as “too ballady” and/or not rock enough off of the record. Am extremely happy with the radio spins off both of those singles. Glad to see LO is king again.

“I think the only thing that can kill magic rainbow is a magic stake through the heart.”

LOL. Not even a magic silver or titanium bullet will pierce the Rainbow’s exterior. It’ll take some form of alien kryptonite or something. Magic Rainbow reminds me of a Gremlin. When it first came out it was all kinds of cheesy adorkable with its cliche’d ‘tasting moments, and living them out loud”, and then it got all rainbow fierce and lethal on its way up the charts. Heh.

What did Sinatra once say? The best revenge is success. Well, Magic Rainbow certainly is having the last laugh.

I’ve heard the Magic Rainbow can’t be exposed to direct sunlight or garlic.

Actually, since David Cook sings that song, I can tolerate it. Add me to the list of totally-shocked-that-it-has-lasted-this-long-and-would-not-be-surprised-if-it-is-still-kicking-butt-in-American-Idol’s-20th-season.

The lil rainbow that could/did/has is magic, and you can’t kill magic doncha know? It has passed platinum so should it now be considered as eternal? LOL It. Just. IS. Always. Will. Be.

Am I the only one who is happy that this lil rainbow went to the moon, took a look around, and then went on out into the universe? David’s song’s seem to last. Good for him. LO is catching on now, just like the lil rainbow.

It has passed platinum so should it now be considered as eternal?

I’ll take that! And may DCTR and DC’s career follow that very rainbow. No, no I don’t mean rainbow lyrics and sounds, just the life of it, as he wants it to be…;)

A Question because I don’t really follow these stats – Is this considered the “published” chart? Does it mean that the Magic Rainbow has another week at #1 on Billboard as well? I’m asking, because before Christmas an article came out that named it one of the top 15 AC songs by male artists in history, IIRC. It had at least one more week at #1 since, and if this counts, then another one now. I just wonder if it can climb much higher on that list and break some more records.

I actually dont mind magic rainbow. In fact, my radio stations here are on a steady diet of David Cook. They play magic rainbow and Lo on a regular basis all day long. I think alot of people that like magic rainbow might be buying that cd also. It doesnt bother me that rainbow was such a huge hit, and to worry about it being his biggest hit cuz you know what? I dont think it will be. I think there are bigger hits on that little david cook cd that are gonna be huge. Just like I think crush wasnt archies biggest song either…I think the other songs(after buying and listening to his cd) are bigger hits than crush. I think both cook and archuleta are on their way to great careers.

Mediabase is published weekly (at the end of Sunday actually, and these are Monday stats, which are different). So this chart isn’t the published Mediabase one–yesterday’s day-ending chart was. But even so, the Sunday-evening published Mediabase chart isn’t what is published in Billboard. That’s the BDS/Nielson-monitored chart published on Wednesdays at Radio & Records (and then published online at Billboard on Thursdays). You’ll have to check that come Wednesday to find out if TOML is #1 there as well. It likely will be, because the charts tend to be similar, especially in the top 10 range (gets muddier when you go further down the chart), even though they monitor different stations with some overlapping.

Mediabase isn’t even that important, really. It’s more fun to watch because you get daily updates, but the BDS Billboard-published weekly charts are more “official.” And when people look back on a song’s success they’ll likely cite its peak on the BDS chart, not the Mediabase chart (unless that person is an online chart-watcher who is really into daily monitoring). Most of the time the peaks are the same, but like I said, it gets stickier down at the bottom. For example, there’s every possibility that Crush will go recurrent on BDS’s CHR chart, but not on Mediabase’s CHR chart.

Awww, am I the only one that still loves the little rainbow song? I still hear it a lot on KBIG here in Southern California and every time I hear it I still get teary eyed. DON’T KILL THE LITTLE RAINBOW! LOL

Caringgirl, lets be friends!!!!!!

Thank you for explaining that, soundscene. Guess I’ll wait and see what the BDS chart looks like on Wednesday. Hopefully we’ll get quite a few numbers on Wednesday, since Ken Barnes should also be giving us the figures for last week and this week’s sales.
HDD is sorely missed.

DONà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢T KILL THE LITTLE RAINBOW!

Oh, even if we wanted to, it’s not as if anyone could. That rainbow is bullet proof and immortal. It will NOT go down.
BTW – I find it hilarious to think back on how people predicted that song will merely be a blip on the radar. Magic Rainbow has the last laugh.

Actually I love that little magic rainbow song–It will be around for a long time. RCA is in no hurry to have DC release another single as long as the album sales are good, which they are. The only time a label releases another single is when album sales go down and people are only buying singles, hence the label wants to generate interest in the album by introducing another song on radio. You have to sell 10 singles to equal 1 album sale.

Cook is getting plenty of media coverage on national TV and he sings a variety of songs off his album so people know what’s on it. Also–don’t forget to watch:

David Cook – New Year’s Eve Live
December 31, 2008
Length: 1.5 hours @ 11:00pm on FOX

The only time a label releases another single is when album sales go down and people are only buying singles, hence the label wants to generate interest in the album by introducing another song on radio.

I don’t think that is why JIVE is introducing a new song for DA. For him, I think it is because Crush seems to be near the end of running its course. Having a good strong and rising single on the radio keeps selling albums, I think.

The only time a label releases another single is when album sales go down and people are only buying singles, hence the label wants to generate interest in the album by introducing another song on radio.

Album sales are merely one factor in the decision to release a new single. If the single is very doing well a label generally won’t cut it off at its legs. A label may stop a slowing single from advancing further (i.e., giving it more time) if they believe the timing for a second single is better sooner rather than later–both for the second single itself given the climate of the CHR chart and possibly album sales (like LK08 says, a rising single is better for sales than a stalling or falling one). But Lady Gaga’s label isn’t going to prevent “Just Dance” from going #1 just so it can start pushing “Poker Face” because “Just Dance” isn’t selling albums very well (and it’s not).

Besides, some labels simply aren’t as album-dependent. I know that for a long time we’ve lived under the idea that album sales are the end-all be-all, but they’re not anymore (and really, they can’t be). The music industry only looked to album sales starting in the late-60s and 70s. Before then, it was all about singles. It’s getting to that place again, with labels finding new ways to make money besides selling albums. Some of that is selling singles (which can be sold at almost no additional cost to the label and can ultimately sell far more in a shorter period of time than albums), and some of that is concerts, merchandise, etc.

In any event, I don’t think RCA is looking at TOML at all when deciding to release a new single. They’re looking at LO. And as soon as it starts stalling or falling, they’ll release a new single, regardless of his album sales.

Yeah, I’d say you can’t make absolute statements about when labels do what and/or why. There are different strategies involved with different genres and within a genre there will be different strategies. It looks to me like both Davids have strategies that are working well for each of them. They certainly aren’t being KLC’d.

Having a hit on AC, shouldn’t stop the label from releasing a new single to any other format. During Breakaway, Kelly’s 2nd and 3rd single where on the charts and Breakaway was at # 1 on AC for 21 weeks.

Having a hit on AC, shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stop the label from releasing a new single to any other format. During Breakaway, Kellyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s 2nd and 3rd single where on the charts and Breakaway was at # 1 on AC for 21 weeks.

I don’t think it’ll stop RCA from releasing another single, but I do think it’ll stop another one of Cook’s songs from charting well on AC. Not that LO or another song couldn’t chart on AC while TOML is still there, just that it’s unlikely to get very far until TOML gets out of the way. Neither Cook nor Archie are in the position yet where they can dominate a format with two singles at the same time–not even AC. Daughtry can do that now; Jordin can do that now; in a year the Davids can probably do that, but not yet. At least, IMO. But I don’t even think that’s really the problem with TOML. Ultimately, LO doesn’t need AC anyway.

I think the longer TOML stays up there, the more chance that Cook will be identified with that song, and it’ll take one heck of a hit off his album to erase the rainbow. The sooner its gone from AC stations, the sooner Cook can get on with the business of not being the guy with the coronation song as his primary hit.

Mediabase is published weekly (at the end of Sunday actually, and these are Monday stats, which are different). So this chart isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the published Mediabase oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’yesterdayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s day-ending chart was.

Yep, these little numbers we report here are just periodic benchmarks. BDS charts run Sunday night to Sunday night, so these numbers may somewhat predict those BDS numbers (though basket of stations sampled are not identical). Note that the airplay for the combined charts run Wednesday to Wednesday.

The genesis of the Monday Morning Mediabase Update was that people were cluttering the news thread with lots of updates every day (especially Yes.com updates). Then some fans complained because their favourites were not being reported (and didn’t feel like reporting it themselves). So, I started posting a comprehensive list of all airplay on Monday mornings. Back then, we got the full list (down to the single spins) of Mediabase, so there was a lot more to report (sometimes, some station would spin an entire disk). Anyway, it evolved into a thread to keep the radio spin count discussion more or less in one place. So, this is really just a snapshot and isn’t intended to have a higher meaning. Just some history there.

^^ Thanks for the info Kirsten! I wasn’t around then.

This is probably ridiculously presumptuous, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and opine that David Cook probably wants TOML to die ASAP. Sure, he’s making a few more bucks off of whatever additional albums he sells due to the never-ending TOML airplay. But ultimately, he is an artist who is proud of his songwriting abilities and wants to be known for his own material, not some sappy coronation song that he was forced to sing as a result of winning a cheesy reality show (not to diminish the incredible advantages being the AI winner has given him).

This analogy isn’t perfect, but I remember hearing Madonna complain about always being referred to as the Material Girl years and years after that song was a hit, so much so that she now refuses to ever sing it again. Of course, Time of My Life doesn’t carry with it the same negative connotations that a title like “Material Girl” can have, but it does carry the stigma of being the coronation song from a cheesy reality show, which is not the connotation that an aspiring rocker probably wants his target audience to be constantly reminded of. But until he has a bigger hit not associated with Idol, he will continue to be known as the American Idol/Magic Rainbow guy. If I were him, I would be thanking the show for giving him his first hit single while also praying that the Rainbow fades fast.

I don’t think David Cook begrudges TOML in any way whatsoever. It’s given him a great amount of publicity. It’s a song that was played in many venues that most idols can’t hope to be in. I think the worst thing for his credibility was winning. I think his winning with no radio support would be hugely worse than his winning with a successful single. He seems to deal with that just fine. I can’t find it in myself to think that he’d be better off if the song faded away to nothing.

If his songwriting is so very important to him, then why is LO his second single? He didn’t write it or have any part in writing it. I don’t even know if the arrangement is any different than what Cornell and Howes envisioned. I do know he changed TOML enough to fit his style. I guess I just can’t go out on a limb to decipher what he’s thinking or what he wants.

Okay, first off, disclaimer: I’m not about to say that Magic Rainbow has not been a big hit, or that it’s not currently helping sell the album… however, at this point in time it is getting less than half the spins on AC that LO is getting on Pop, and when you add in all the spins that LO is getting on all stations, TOML is currently getting less than 20% of that.

However, I’ve always seen it said that just because an artist has a hit on AC does not automatically mean that the artist will have a successful album. I mean, when you look at the current All Access charts, Magic Rainbow, as the #1 song on AC, has gotten 991 spins in the past week with an audience impression of 7.467. By comparison, Britney’s “Womanizer” as the #1 song on Pop has gotten 9131 with an audience impression of 58.680. Even on HAC, Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” has gotten 3145 with an AI of 18.134. HUGE differences. Even looking at LO’s spin count and AI’s on those charts is a big difference from what Magic Rainbow is currently doing on AC.

As I said – I’m not saying that the Rainbow hasn’t been a hit, that it’s not selling albums, all that shiz. I’m also not saying that having a #1 hit on AC is meaningless. I’m just saying that it doesn’t make some huuuuuuge difference, partially because it doesn’t reach as many people. NOT that those people are not important or not music buyers, and not that they do or don’t buy more music than those who listen to Pop or HAC radio, just that there’s not as many of them.

Now, all that said – as long as MR keeps getting used in montages and stuff, it’s not gonna die. I also don’t think it’s a complete necessity that it dies forever. Hell, when my coworker in the cube over has her radio on during the day, I occasionally STILL hear “A Moment Like This”. 6 or 7 or whatever years later. But that song is not Kelly’s biggest hit. She’s not known as the girl who sings “A Moment Like This.” So, IMO, it’s a bit short-sighted to say yet that MR will be Cook’s biggest hit. JMO.

Just as a note: AC’s spins are low right now because of Xmas. At its height, Magic Rainbow was getting 2,000 spins a week on Magic Rainbow.

I don’t have any particular concerns about DC being too identified with Magic Rainbow. I think that the powers that be at radio stations know what a coronation single is and know that Magic Rainbow is not representative of his sound, except to the degree that it uses his voice. So, if it keeps getting play at AC for a while longer, I can’t see that preventing him from moving on, especially as he’s had the next (and quite different) single outdo Magic Rainbow on Top 40 and look likely to equal or outdo Magic Rainbow on HAC.

We’re only now getting to the point of seeing what, if anything, LO can do on AC. As of today, LO is back up to the number of spins that it had on AC before the Xmas onslaught. My guess is that AC’s adoption of LO will not be affected by Magic Rainbow. It will be affected by whether AC program directors think that LO works in their playlist.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think David Cook begrudges TOML in any way whatsoever. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s given him a great amount of publicity. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a song that was played in many venues that most idols canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hope to be in. I think the worst thing for his credibility was winning. I think his winning with no radio support would be hugely worse than his winning with a successful single.

Well, I wasn’t talking about how TOML did in the past–I’m talking about the fact that it returned to #1 and is still going. It’s been a successful single, that will never change–I think it should go away now, for Cook’s sake. AC doesn’t get as many spins as CHR, that’s true, but at its peak TOML had around an 18 audience impression on AC. That’s a lot, which means people know that song and that song is identified with Cook. They keep hearing it the most out of all songs on their AC station, regardless of its current AI, and it doesn’t leave their mind. Therefore, Cook is still identified with TOML. LO’s current spins can’t make up for what TOML was and the familiarity it still has. People don’t forget a song if they still hear it once a day (even when they used to hear it 4 times a day before). People begin to let a song go when they stop hearing it. And I personally think it would be best for Cook if people let that song go and replace it with a song that is more cohesive with who Cook is as an artist. That will do two things–it will set Cook on a path that is his own, and it will ensure that people see Cook as the artist who happened to win American Idol, not the American Idol winner who happened to put out an album.

I was talking with a friend today in KC when she said DC was on the air giving a local interview…plans included going to Power and Light tomorrow and something with the Royals. Can’t tell you what station.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been a successful single, that will never changeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’I think it should go away now, for Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sake.

Well, I am no big fan of the Rainbow and never have been, but I don’t see what’s so hugely, immediately important about the song going and staying away.

I mean, just as an example – “Home” is not completely indicative of Daughtry’s overall musical style, but it’s been one of the biggest hits from his album. And, while I don’t frequent his fanboards, I don’t believe I ever saw people hand-wringing over the fact that it was a big hit on AC and has pretty much been a staple there since it was released. Before OR after other singles were released and started hitting the charts.

So, pray tell, what’s the difference? That Magic Rainbow was a coronation song and Home was not? Home was used on AI for an entire season, tying it to and associating it with the show pretty directly. Yes, I realize that Daughtry has had other hits. However, Home did not have to go away for other Daughtry songs to pass it. And someone can correct me here if I’m wrong, but I’m not sure that INO was ever a huge hit on AC to begin with. So, if that’s right, Home, a song not completely indicative of Daughtry’s overall style, was his first major hit to AC listeners’ ears.

My point simply is that I don’t think it’s necessary for Magic Rainbow to go away or that it’s damaging to David. As always, YMMV… and it obviously does.

If DC is going to be linked in people’s minds with the Rainbow, the damage is done. It’s already gotten over 1 billion audience impression, not counting the AI finale, various TV appearances such as Oprah, the Olympics, various other sporting events, etc. I seriously, seriously doubt that continued play on a slow-moving format like AC into early 2009 is going to have much of an impact.

I also think that RCA is well aware of the need to take the Rainbow into account in marketing DC. Hence, the description of LO from the very outset as a “transitional” single. I suspect that LO, with its very different feel and Chris Cornell connection, was deliberately chosen with that in mind. Since the Idol tour ended, you haven’t seen DC playing Magic Rainbow. AI seems to get that, too: that fabulous AI commercial starring DC played LO, not Magic Rainbow. And the media seems to be consistently talking about DC in terms of rock, and not in terms of AC or the Rainbow.

If DC is going to be linked in peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s minds with the Rainbow, the damage is done. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s already gotten over 1 billion audience impression, not counting the AI finale, various TV appearances such as Oprah, the Olympics, various other sporting events, etc. I seriously, seriously doubt that continued play on a slow-moving format like AC into early 2009 is going to have much of an impact.

If something stays in the public consciousness longer it can get ingrained to a deeper degree. As I mentioned, it just takes one play a day on somebody’s AC station to keep it in the front of their mind; it doesn’t have to be played as much now as it was before to continue the thought that Cook = Rainbow = American Idol. That’s why I think it should just die completely, so people can let go of that notion sooner rather than later. But it’s not like RCA can tell AC stations to stop playing it (well, I suppose they could, but they won’t). So the whole discussion is just in theory and not in practicality. And I never understood why Cook needed a transitional song. Why not shake things up and do something that was the complete opposite of the rainbow? How would that have hurt things? Less album sales? Maybe. Better chance of moving in a direction that is away from American Idol? Most definitely. I’d choose the latter over the former.

I think both TOML and LO are selling the album so I don’t see a problem with having a #1 song on AC. The only problem with a hit on AC is that the audience is “older” and obviously the size of the audience is small compared to Top 40 and rhythmic.

The Davids are doing well in some unusual ways. LO currently is only a modest hit but the album is doing great. Crush which peaked on Top 40 weeks ago and is now off the chart completely still shows tremendous strength in selling downloads and may equal the sales of Tattoo (which was a much bigger radio hit.) They’re not following the usual patterns which is kind of interesting.

Do you have any data to support that theory, soundscene? I’d be quite interested in seeing it.

As for the selection of single, LO may not be the complete opposite of Magic Rainbow, but it is definitely different from it. My guess is that they felt that LO would be a good transition for a variety of purposes. And as every appearance that has involved more than two song performances, other than the acoustic Xmas concert, has included a play of Bar Ba Sol, and that DC in interviews (including the most recent Blender and Billboard videos, which played parts of the Bar Ba Sol performance from the album release party) has highlighted Bar Ba Sol, along with DC playing Hunger Strike and Man in the Box at his Jingle Bell performances, well, they are moving him further away from the Rainbow.

My personal theory is that the transition is an attempt to open doors for Bar Ba Sol that they felt would be closed if they released immediately after Magic Rainbow. But that’s just a theory. There’s another theory out there that the songs most likely to be big radio hits on DCTR are the songs that are more ballady (Lie, etc.), which may also mean that they were concerned about putting out a song that was too similar in form to the Rainbow. Hell, Lie is even a fairly fast tempo waltz.

The Davids are doing well in some unusual ways. LO currently is only a modest hit but the album is doing great. Crush which peaked on Top 40 weeks ago and is now off the chart completely still shows tremendous strength in selling downloads and may equal the sales of Tattoo (which was a much bigger radio hit.) Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not following the usual patterns which is kind of interesting.

Tattoo reached a higher peak, but didn’t have too many more spins than Crush. The chart was different last year and the top songs didn’t eat up tons of spins like they did this year. Crush would have been top 10 had it had the same run last year.

And Crush hasn’t disappeared from the chart completely. lol. It’s still at 42 on mediabase CHR and, on the last published BDS Top 40 chart it was 35 and will likely remain in the top 40 in this week’s chart. That’s hardly disappearing. It’s also still played on AC and Hot AC in the top 20. And it’s currently #1 on Radio Disney. That all helps sales of the song. It just so happens that it’s a song that sells when it’s heard. Sales started to increase again before the post-Christmas rush because it showed up on year-end countdowns.

Oops, I meant Crush is out of the Top 40 songs on the chart. You’re right about the other radip play it’s getting. However, lots of older songs are getting played on year end countdowns and aren’t selling as many downloads as Crush.

Poor David Cook, done in by a single going platinum and dominating a chart at #1 for 12 out of 16 weeks. Shame. If it goes double platinum and stays at #1 for the rest of the year, does David have to return his Rock and Roll certificate?

jpfan probably has it about right. Whatever strategies the labels are doing seem to be working for both of the Davids.

Do you have any data to support that theory, soundscene? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d be quite interested in seeing it.

My personal theory is that the transition is an attempt to open doors for Bar Ba Sol that they felt would be closed if they released immediately after Magic Rainbow. But thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just a theory. Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s another theory out there that the songs most likely to be big radio hits on DCTR are the songs that are more ballady (Lie, etc.), which may also mean that they were concerned about putting out a song that was too similar in form to the Rainbow. Hell, Lie is even a fairly fast tempo waltz.

I use logic to form opinions based on everything I’ve seen while studying particular topics related to music. I’ve followed bands closely before on the charts long before I ever heard of either David. Granted, the last I did it was in the late 90s and early 2000s, so the systems have changed a bit, but the general idea behind the promotion and consumption of music hasn’t. There are just different ways to make money now than there were before. I don’t know everything, and I assume some things, and I use logic from other areas of my life to come to conclusions. We all do, and I didn’t call it a theory because I figured it would be obvious that my thoughts are my own, based on my own logic. So there’s no data. I’m not sure what data there would be, actually. There’s just thoughts and opinions.

This past week my CHR station has been playing “Everything” by Michelle Branch. Now, suddenly, “Everything” by Michelle Branch is ingrained in my head. They don’t play it as much as they did when it was a big huge hit, but just one play a day put this very familiar song back into my head, and I imagine that 17-year-old pop singer from the early 2000s, who is now a country singer who wants to leave pop behind. But just hearing that one play brought me right back to the beginning of her career to what she was, not what she is or what she wants to be. And I’ve met Michelle on a few occasions after she switched to country (she formed a band with my friend–both are now solo). But I still immediately thought Michelle = pop when I heard “Everything.” That was my point with TOML. The longer a song lasts, the more people identify that song with the artist and the harder it is for the artist to escape that song (or that genre, in the case of Michelle Branch). Michelle’s pop image is too far gone to be replaced with a country image unless she has huge country hits–she had two successful pop albums. But I think Cook can disassociate himself from TOML if it goes away and if he has a bigger hit off this album. So I still think TOML should go away.

Soundscene, I totally get your method, because I operate that way too. Like you said, we all do to some extent, when it comes to drawing conclusions. But I have to respectfully, well, not disagree, because I do think there is validity in what you say… but make a counterpoint based on how my brain operates. I am, every so often, blown away by an artist who suddenly comes out with something completely different than what I am used to and what I expect. It excites me and I rush to check it out. If it’s a new single that’s rock instead of pop, or vice versa, I check out the whole album to see if that artist went in new direction. I am sure I’m not the only one who does that. Yes, we respond emotionally, but we’re not dogs and Pavlov can’t condition us. Beyonce is a classic example. Never cared for much Destiny’s Child, nor for much of Beyonce’s work on her first 2 solo albums. LOVE “I am… Sasha Fierce” and bought it. The two singles out could not be more different from one another, and I love both, and they prompted me to check out the new album. Pink has put some wonderful ballads on her new album. It’s not just pop/rock and alternative stuff. I immediately bought Funhouse and it’s one of my faves. It’s a progression for her. So I think TOML will have absolutely NO impact on David Cook’s future if it sticks around a while. Rock fans don’t listen to AC anyway and don’t know it. We sometimes need to get out of our AI bubble LOL! In the outside world, I don’t think anyone one is pondering TOML and connecting it to David when they hear LO, and saying they won’t buy the rest of his music. I just don’t buy that idea.

lol Scott!

Thanks for responding Scott.

In the outside world, no one is thinking about TOML and connecting it to David when they hear LO, and saying they wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t buy the rest of his music. I just donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t buy that idea.

That’s not exactly what I was saying. I think that TOML is actually helping Cook sell albums. I think it’s one of multiple factors, in fact. So it’s not that TOML is hurting album sales or even necessarily conflicting with LO, specifically (I never disagreed that it was a transition single, I just didn’t understand why RCA felt he needed one). It’s just that I think that, if I were in Cook’s shoes, I would want to start moving away from this perception that I am primarily the winner of American Idol. I would want to be seen as an artist based on my own work (be it something I wrote or something that I helped to choose). And I still think some people still see Cook as the American Idol winner, first and foremost. I think part of that is due to the fact that they’re still hearing a coronation song on the radio.

Rock fans aren’t hearing Cook on the radio at all right now if they listen primarily to rock stations. So I’m not really talking about rock fans. I’m talking about people who do hear Cook on the radio. Some are hearing LO and are associating that song with Cook, but I know that I’ve talked to people in my office about American Idol and Cook is associated quite a bit with TOML. And LO does play on the CHR station here. Maybe if TOML were to stop playing and fade away, then some people will pay more attention to what is new rather than what is familiar. That’s all I’m saying. And all of it is in theory because it’s not like AC stations are going to suddenly stop playing the song because soundscene from MJs thinks it would be a good idea.

I’m punchy tonight! That even make sense Judy? LOL!

Oh wait, you must be responding to my post before the last one. LOL!

OK, I see what you’re saying soundscene. That totally makes sense. Well you know, I’ve felt for a long time that Cook’s uniqueness is also a challenge for him. But I think he’ll overcome those challenges because good music is good music. All hybrid rocker-balladeers face the same kind of marketing and image challenges, regardless of AI, and so the AI thing is one more challenge to lay on him. But often those hybrid artists (the talented and versatile ones) reap the biggest rewards on multiple formats and platforms. Cook is an amazing marketer… I often say “nobody sells David Cook better than David Cook.” And if any future acting career is half successful, that changes the whole dynamic even further. He has made it no secret he wants to go there, and he’s very ambitious. But acting is even more fickle and more of a crap-shoot than music. Should be interesting to see how it pans out.

You know, though, while I know Kelly Clarkson’s bigger hits better than I know A Moment Like This, and I didn’t watch any of AI1 other than the finale, when I heard AMLT play the other day, it definitely all came back to me as “Kelly Clarkson, American Idol.” My guess is that there is always some sense of connecting a person with how you first experience that person, especially if that first experience was at all striking—either a very emotional win like Kelly had or really loving a song or connecting it with some important thing in your life. Kelly has worked hard to establish herself as a credible artist, and succeeded with that with some huge hits, but at the same time, I suspect that for a lot of people, the concept that she was the first American Idol and that her first song was that coronation single is there, in the background, ready to be summoned.

You know, I had subconsciously realized that I hadn’t heard anything new from that Michelle Branch country duo, I hadn’t actually heard that they’d broken up. I liked their first song, but didn’t like either song as much as that song that MB did with Santana.

I liked their first song, but didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like either song as much as that song that MB did with Santana.

OT but my next door neighbor played that song every single morning and I grew to hate it with a passion. Not Michelle’s fault of course.

Michelle and Jessica Harp (the other one) are releasing separate solo albums this spring, I think. Both country, but Jess has a decidedly country-er voice. She dyed her hair brown so she wouldn’t be another blonde female country artist. lol.

Could be just me but TOML is not what will connect me to DC. I think the one DC will have a hard time living down is “Hello”. I know I will always think of DC if I hear “Hello” & when I hear TOML I think of “Hello”. But I am weird that way so YMMV. DC had so many hits on AI with Hello/Eleanor Rigby/Billie Jean/Always Be My Baby/MOTN/Yo Face that those will be harder to break out of than TOML. That probably made no sense to most, but did to me, lol.

ETA.. When I think of Taylor I don’t think of his coronation song either. I think of “Georgia” which he never sang on the show. Next I think of a few he did sing on the show. Taylor was a showman.

I don’t think the success of TOML will hurt DC at all. If people like his music they’ll buy it. As mentioned earlier, DA is enjoying success on Radio Disney and that is a VERY good thing for him. I agree with jpfan. The strategies being used for DC and DA appear to be working.

One more thing I’ve thought about. David identifies as a rocker and wants his music to be rock – what he and many fans define as rock. I never got the sense that he sees himself only on rock radio like KROQ or WMMR. He does NOT want to be an R&B pop guy. But he clearly has progressed from post-grunge Axium to hook-filled Analog Heart (with some very commercial/radio friendly tunes such as The Truth and Makeover), to his current album which is very literate and melodious high quality commercial rock. I think he’s accepted the fact that he’s not a head banging rocker, and is no longer underground and indie. He has discovered just how versatile he is and how much of his vocal range he can use on rock tunes. Yes, I think he’d like to get played on rock and alternative rock radio, as much as his fans would like to see his music there… but if over the next few years he is a king of HAC like Daughtry, I don’t think he’s got a problem with that and I don’t either. He’s often said, there are far worse things than to be compared to Daughtry and his success!

And Lisa, I think it’s just you (LOL, since you suggested as much). Again I think that’s coming from being an AI viewer. The bulk of DC’s fans will not be AI viewers or in the AI bubble and will have no idea about those covers. And since those covers have not been released as singles to radio and went away from itunes once the season ended, we’re not likely to ever hear them again, unless David chooses to sing them in concert.

Yeah, it’s just horrible to have a no.1 song on radio.

Yeah, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just horrible to have a no.1 song on radio.

That’s not what I said, though.

The way I look at it is this, only the people who listen to AC are going to associate TOML with David Cook and those people who listen to AC obviously like the format and obviously like the song. TOML isn’t still on the charts for some random reason, it has been getting good callout scores from the beginning and PDs are keeping it on there because their audience wants to listen to it.

I see you point, soundscene in that TOML could quite possibly be Cook’s biggest “hit” because its not guaranteed that any of his other songs will reach #1 on any format or sell a million downloads. But if we both agree on that I still have to ask what difference does it make? TOML is obviously more than just the coronation souvenir that Idol fans bought to reminisce about the show. All TOML really is a song written by someone else in not the exact style that the artist usually puts out music in. We can name countless examples of when an aritst’s ballad or departure from their norm is their most popular song. As long as Cook can continue to put hits out on the radio and get attention for his new stuff then he’s not only going to be known as the Rainbow guy. And plus TOML has already hit those benchmarks of #1 on AC and a million downloads so what good would it do for the song to all of a sudden die right now? It has already set those loft standards, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle, so why not let TOML have the best possible ride it can get, accumulate the most records and downloads it can and also build confidence among PDs that they can spin the next David Cook song and their audience will respond positively to it.

Ahh, I had forgotten her name. Thx—I’ll watch for that.

I think that the next couple of months will be interesting in terms of radio development for both Davids, including when RCA decides to announce the next DC single and what it will be. I do think that it will depend on RCA’s evaluation of LO’s life cycle, and maybe in part timing connected to DC’s USO tour—as I could see RCA wanting him to be back in the US to promo the new single at the time that it is announced—but otherwise, it’s all kind of a guessing game as to how they’re going to play things.

Choosing from DCTR is like having a wealth of riches. Not a bad position to be in! 12 tracks, 12 potential hit singles. While fans have their faves and least faves, non are clunkers! Half of the album is so radio-friendly it’s ridiculous.

“One more thing Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve thought about. David identifies as a rocker and wants his music to be rock – what he and many fans define as rock. I never got the sense that he sees himself only on rock radio like KROQ or WMMR. He does NOT want to be an R&B pop guy. But he clearly has progressed from post-grunge Axium to hook-filled Analog Heart (with some very commercial/radio friendly tunes such as The Truth and Makeover), to his current album which is very literate and melodious high quality commercial rock. I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s accepted the fact that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not a head banging rocker, and is no longer underground and indie. He has discovered just how versatile he is and how much of his vocal range he can use on rock tunes. Yes, I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like to get played on rock and alternative rock radio, as much as his fans would like to see his music thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ but if over the next few years he is a king of HAC like Daughtry, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a problem with that and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t either. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s often said, there are far worse things than to be compared to Daughtry and his success!One more thing Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve thought about. David identifies as a rocker and wants his music to be rock – what he and many fans define as rock. I never got the sense that he sees himself only on rock radio like KROQ or WMMR. He does NOT want to be an R&B pop guy. But he clearly has progressed from post-grunge Axium to hook-filled Analog Heart (with some very commercial/radio friendly tunes such as The Truth and Makeover), to his current album which is very literate and melodious high quality commercial rock. I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s accepted the fact that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not a head banging rocker, and is no longer underground and indie. He has discovered just how versatile he is and how much of his vocal range he can use on rock tunes. Yes, I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like to get played on rock and alternative rock radio, as much as his fans would like to see his music thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ but if over the next few years he is a king of HAC like Daughtry, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a problem with that and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t either. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s often said, there are far worse things than to be compared to Daughtry and his success!”

Interesting discussion going on here. So here’s my 2 cents before going to bed. I was drawn to DC because he’s established himself as a rocker. I love classic rock music and some alternative rock. However, even though you didn’t use these words Scott (Rock cred) I found myself really liking this post, because I’ve personally grown tired of these words. I have found myself full of angst over DC establishing “Rock cred” after AI.
However, more than anything he’s established himself more, in my eyes, as a gifted artist with the ability for diversity. DCTR demonstrates this because it is an album with diverse songs held together by an amazing cohesiveness showing the depth of David Cook the person.
Magic rainbows is only be special to me because of what it represented back in May, however, it may also be an awesome graduation song for my daughter in seven yrs. Who knows? So I am not going to angst over it’s longevity (kinda like others have stated), but embrace the fact that it is a small drop in the artistry that I believe DC will show us in years to come. (Which I do believe will include rock.)

Having said that, I’m am just thrilled that DC is making a living doing what he loves to do.

Having said that, just so there is no misunderstanding, I feel the same for DA, because I believe the same is true for him. I just “feel” (for what’s that’s worth) a closer connection to DC’s music.

ETA: Edited to sep. my post from Scott’s since i couldn’t work the backquote correctly.

That’s a definite yes, Scott, I was responding to your first post about losing his certificate! lol. I saw where my comment landed, and it wasn’t supposed to be after your longer post, lol. My comment DOES looks kind of odd where it finally went, but just so you know…it did go with the first comment, lol, which was very funny! (to me)

well Crush is up to 11 on ac, lol

LMBO frogcooke! Good to know!

FWIW, ditto Sarah at 11:19 and Scott at 12:20 (or anytime, really. LOL) Also, cookcricket just above too!

:rolleyes_tb:

TOML is here to stay. It’s just that kind of song. It’s suitable to all kinds of special “times of our lives” so, yeah, it’s not going anywhere. That, I believe, is a good thing for a couple of reasons. First, due to airplay, it’s most likely still selling DCTR. Cool. Second, as airplay lessens, because of the type of song that it is, I believe it will morph into a “special occasion” song and, as such, clearly distinguishable (with good reason, practically and musically) from Cook’s other work. Cool.

Angst free. All’s good. :smile1_tb:

Bottom line, TOML won’t hurt David anymore than A Moment Like This hurt Kelly, which is to say, not at all.

Like someone said, only people who listen to AC are going to hear that song a lot, and they like it. Most people will only hear it on rare occasions.

A hit song is a hit song. I think David will have many hit songs, and there are several potential hits on the cd, waiting for their chance to chart.

As soon as Kelly had big hits with songs like Breakaway and Since U Been Gone, she became identified with those songs, which is what will happen to DC.

My daughter, who listens to alternative rock, recognized LO as they are playing it on her stations. She probably has never listened to TOML.

I also don’t worry about “rock cred.” Rock is a big category, and no artist needs to fit themselves into narrow slots in order to have credibility. I think artists should make the music that expresses what they want to say and the music they hear in their head. DC isn’t a particularly hard rocker, he is melodic, and he has expressed that he likes songs with melodies. He sings soft and hard both. This versatility will make him appeal to more people, I think. Anyway, I like his soft side. I don’t think he needs to prove anything. Radio tries to shove artists into genres now but listeners just know what they like, it doesn’t have to fit into a narrow definition.

I love the Magic Rainbow and I celebrate its success and endurance/longevity as I am celebrating LOÂ ´s radio play which is increasing daily and on itunes going merrily up and up. Also DCTR was up to 17 on itunes and is high on Amazon and in the retail outlets. This bodes well for the album.

I would love Bar ba Sol to be the next single but then I love Lie, Avalanche, Heroes, Come Back to Me, in fact all of them. I would particularly love DC to record a cover of Man in the Box because I thought his acoustic performance of that song was EXTRAORDINARY.

I’m with spanishfan. Currently, LO is doing well and there are a LOT of other potentially huge cross-format hits on DCTR (Lie, Declaration, Heroes, Life on the Moon, CBTM, Avalanche, and possibly Bar Ba Sol and Mr. Sensitive on Alternative and HAC stations), so I really don’t think RCA should spend any time worrying about this high class problem of whether their artist’s first single is too big of a hit. If RCA was happy with the album when it first came out (and it seems that they were given the high profile promotion they’ve given DC and DCTR) and given its performance in the charts so far, I’m sure they are comfortable that TOML will not be DC’s biggest hit. And if it turns out that TOML is the biggest hit off DCTR, then I think DC’s got bigger problems than whether he is identified too much with TOML and the AC crowd.

I get what soundscene is saying but I also think that unlike Michelle Branch who had two full pop albums behind her, DC is on his first and therefore hasn’t been pigeon-holed just yet — and based on his versatility both as a vocalist and as a songwriter, won’t be pigeonholed quite that easily. Also, I think that very few peeps in America have missed the meme that he’s the first “rocker” to win AI, so there’s always that aspect to counteract the “TOML is all there is to DC” crowd. As for TOML being a constant reminder that he has his roots in AI, so what? Kelly will NEVER shake her persona as the first American Idol and she’s established plenty of cred in the industry. (By the way, I’ve never heard (or remember hearing) A Moment Like This ever. Freakin’ Magic Rainbow is the only coronation song I’ve ever heard (that I can recall). The only thing reminding me of Kelly being the first AI is that Kelly is the first AI. Period.)

I suspect that you heard Taylor Hicks’ coronation single, Keel, as it was used in a Ford commercial that seemed to play all.the.time the summer after Season 5.

Just yesterday, I saw an ad on CMT for a new collection of uplifting songs featuring AMLT. It was pretty random—almost none of the songs were country.

I suspect that you heard Taylor Hicksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ coronation single, Keel, as it was used in a Ford commercial that seemed to play all.the.time the summer after Season 5.

Nope. That was an entirely different song. His coronation song was “Do I Make You Proud” which I’m not sure would have worked to shill trucks. The song for the Ford ad was written specifically for the ad. I think it was called “Possibilities” or something like that. DIMYP is a ballad while the ad was more…er…something other than a ballad.

Interestingly, a lot of people have stated that they hate Hicks for that ad, so I guess it is possible for some artists to hurt themselves with an overplayed song. Please note, I’m not saying that is the case for TOML. That song isn’t in your face and fits the AC format like a glove. I’m pretty sure it’s not annoying people who willingly choose to listen to that format. And it is helping to move units, IMO. It’s mostly harmless (although not a novel by Douglas Adams), so I think RCA should just let it ride. A hit song is a hit song. In this market, I’d go with it.

I don’t think LO is meant to go that high on AC regardless of Magic Rainbow beeing #1 there or not, I can’t imagine that song as #1 there. So, while LO plays on HAC and CHR, I think it’s good he has also a hit single on AC. It’s a different audience. If that audience identifies him with Magic Rainbow, so be it. I’d be willing to say most of them do not know it’s a coronation song or that he didn’t write it. It’s just a song people like. Killing the song now won’t change anything, it doesn’t seem like people are tired of it. I think the HAC and CHR audience are thinking Light On now anyway.

Good for David that he has a #1 song.

Wow. Maybe I’ve blocked out the ads. I’d have sworn on a stack of bibles that the Ford ad was DIMYP. But you would know better than I would, Kirsten.

Being used in ads can be very helpful for songs, but it can also hurt them. When that John Mellancamp song got used in those GM ads maybe a year-and-a-half ago? It led to a big backlash. It may have overall gotten him a bit more in sales, but people got so sick of the song that it led to some really savage posts on various websites. And it wasn’t about selling out of anything, and I don’t think that there was really anything particularly bad about the song—I think that it was largely that those ads just seemed to be playing all the time, especially if you watched a fair amount of sports.

Here’s Taylor’s Ford commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riqzvj3IgSU

Looking at Mediabase the last couple of days, is it me or is LO starting to stall a bit on HAC and Pop? I don’t think the Xmas freeze can even be blamed anymore since TOML made it’s magic recovery on the format the most affected by Xmas music.

That song isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t in your face and fits the AC format like a glove. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m pretty sure ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not annoying people who willingly choose to listen to that format. And it is helping to move units, IMO. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mostly harmless

And then there are the glaring exceptions . . .

My husband happens to like Cook now (despite his being really snarky/immature about my crush on the guy) but he hates HATES Magic Rainbow. Funny story: Back in the summer, I think TOML may have reached #6 or thereabouts on HAC, my husband and I heard it in the car during one of Ryan’s AT40 countdowns. When my husband heard Ryan introduce the song as the #6 song on the countdown, my husband got a look on his face like he just swallowed a piece of rotten fruit. “This song made #6??? How is that even possible??” And my husband’s taste happens to run into the Colbie Callait, Daughtry brand of AC, so I don’t get why he’s so anti-Magic Rainbow. Of course, it didn’t stop my husband from liking David’s own music. But it’s just funny how he’s seems so personally offended by the poor song.

Looking at Mediabase the last couple of days, is it me or is LO starting to stall a bit on HAC and Pop? I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think the Xmas freeze can even be blamed anymore since TOML made ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s magic recovery on the format the most affected by Xmas music.

Actaully, there is good reason for the big difference between TOML’s speedy recovery and LO’s. TOML is mostly on AC. Even though it’s still on HAC as a recurrent, AC is where, by far, its biggest number of spins are. It practically disappeared over the holidays because AC stations go all-holiday music to a much higher degree than HAC. My HAC station, KBIG, not only did NOT go all holiday music, they didn’t play one holiday song. Not even The Waitresses! But many HAC and CHR stations did put plenty of holiday music into the mix, displacing LO and other songs. So, when 12/27 rolled around and AC returned to normal, TOML bounced right back.

Here’s the problem with HAC and CHR. The entire weekend was loaded with year end countdown shows. Hours upon hours of AT40, Ryan Seacrest, Kasey Casem, Rick Dees, etc… on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Today is the first day I’m seeing a nice bounce back by LO. Not enormous, but its spincrease is good in relation to other songs. Let’s see what happens by the end of this week. Not a lot of new music is being released in January.

Keel, it’s a funny thing about “A Moment Like This.” I feel like I never hear it on KBIG, but if you go to yes.com you would find it’s still played daily. I think it’s just such an unmemorable song that I don’t ever realize it’s on when it plays! So it seems like I’ve never heard it! Everytime another Kelly song comes on I’m like, “cool, Kelly!” KBIG still plays all her singles often. So I’m thinking it’s the song. It’s just invisible LOL!

Yup. All of the non-Xmas songs were down to at most 28 AC stations for the last couple of weeks before Xmas. Magic Rainbow was back on 105 stations this morning.

HAC and Top 40 are completely different situations. Our favorite leaker of information basically said that, for Hot 100 airplay purposes, it will take a few days for the Xmas effect to clear out of the system, which makes sense to me. There were some hits in airplay before this week, but those charts went majorly out of whack starting on Wednesday of last week. We should get a better picture of where songs are sitting starting tomorrow, but we probably won’t get a true picture of where songs are at on those formats until Sunday or Monday.

As long as Cook can continue to put hits out on the radio and get attention for his new stuff then heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not only going to be known as the Rainbow guy.

I know people in the AI bubble joke about and call TOML “Magic Rainbow”, but do you think people outside of the AI bubble just think it is a nice song and won’t make such a big deal about it?

LK08 YES!
yes, yes, yes!
I truly do think that.
A huge chunk of America… folks who may or may not watch AI… simply love the song (remember, 30 million on the finale is good by today’s standards, but nowhere near the 40 to 60 million that would watch a high rated I Love Lucy or MASH or Cosby).

I have met many a person in my day, in many states and cities, who like what we used to call “middle of the road” contemporary music. It could be Lionel Richie, it could Streisand, or perhaps a Billy Joel song like “Just the Way You Are,” or maybe a Robert Flack song. We call it AC now, or soft rock. There are a ton of people… many of them older adults, but plenty of younger adults who are just not into R&B or rock… who go for this type of music. TOML has struck a note with them. It’s catchy and David’s vocals are wonderful. It shows off his alpha wave inducing voice. He kept it simple. It’s not over arranged. He doesn’t give it schmaltzy runs. That’s David’s strength, knowing when to hold back and be restrained. The end result: “a nice song that nobody will make such a big deal about.”

LK08 wrote:

I know people in the AI bubble joke about and call TOML à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Magic Rainbowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , but do you think people outside of the AI bubble just think it is a nice song and wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t make such a big deal about it?

LK08, it’s never even occurred to me to be concerned about the damage a platinum single may do, but since reading this yesterday, I’ve checked with some “Outside the Bubble” people who bought DCTR.

Thinking a guy may be a good barometer, I asked about the “Rainbow”…it is, after all, on the record. The ‘subject’ replied..”The winner’s song he ‘had’ to do? What about it? I don’t go past “Kiss on the Neck.” When I explained the single had gone platinum, he said “Good for him. Kid’s got some skillz to make an obligation into an opportunity.” Then he went back to talking about the ‘four on the floor’ drum signature in “Bar Ba Sol” He didn’t actually care, one way or another.

Neither did anyone else I asked….admittedly, they were all ‘Rock’ people….but so am I. I don’t care either, beyond appreciating the talent that allowed David to make the song successful.

Anecdotal, of course…not exactly fact based research. But neither is the speculation. FWIW.

I really think it all kind goes back to the fact that if people like the music, they will buy it. I have 3 young adult children, ages 18 to 23, and they tend toward pop but have songs from many different artists and genres on their ipods. If they like a song, they will buy it.

So, if Cook or Archuleta keep putting out good music, they will probably succeed. If they don’t keep making good music, like some earlier idols, they won’t. I think it is as simple as that.

Of course the fanatic fans will buy anything these guys put out (for now unless some get a new idol in the next season), but many people will just buy what they like to hear on their radio. I guess the key is keeping their songs on the radio and their face out there, which is a whole other game.

For me there is a problem with TOML and it is the fact that casual and non-Idol fans identify Cook by that song and it is definately not what Cook is all about. I guarantee that if anyone buys the album based on that song, they will be disappointed. It is fact people run the risk of being identified with a song that is heavily played on radio and it is fact that LO is not being played as much as fans would like, thus TOML still dwarfs it in familiarity.
As to what Cook is as an artist, his album is not rock. It may be alt rock, but not straight on rock, except for, possibly, one song. The album seems as if it was designed to do well on HAC stations and a few songs could be on alt rock stations, but does not really fit AC and CHR. It will get some play there due to it being a David Cook product however it will not really blow up in those formats.
I am not saying Cook designed his album to be in this style. I believe RCA had a huge hand in this because prior to release of the album, Cook’s comments led me to believe it would be a rock album, and I was somewhat disappointed in the final product based on those comments. I am not disappointed in the album because as far as first albums from AI contestants go, I think it is quite good. It is just not what was promoted by Cook or what some of my friends expected a Cook album to sound like.
And this is where the problem lies IMHO. Those who liked Cook on AI and like TOML may be disappointed in the album. Those who expect rock may be disappointed. But what do I know. The album is selling well. I think the really telling deal will be the sophomore album. If Cook has disappointed people, it will be the second album that will show that. Once again just expressing my thoughts in writing.

I don’t see a problem with TOML being #1. So I hope it’s ok to ask people who do see the problem, what song is it you would want to see take it’s place? Just wondering here…

As far as DC’s album, from what I have heard DC say on many an interview this *is* the album he wanted to make. I think there are plenty of things on the album for anyone to enjoy. From ballads to the great Shaving Cream (my fave).

Long live TOML! (or better to be known as) All Hail the Eternal TOML! (yes that was me being snarky). I would not think RCA would pull something that is still sitting at #1 after so long and obviously still extremely popular. I mean why should they? Makes no sense.

I personally like TOML & LO. I am glad LO is creeping up there too!

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see a problem with TOML being #1. So I hope ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ok to ask people who do see the problem, what song is it you would want to see take ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s place? Just wondering hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

You mean what song from another artist that is currently on AC, or what Cook song we would like see become a single?

soundscene, I meant any song. Some people said it should die, so I am very curious to see what other’s thought should take it’s place.

soundscene, I meant any song. Some people said it should die, so I am very curious to see what otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s thought should take ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s place.

Sure, there are a few other songs that deserve the top spot. “Viva La Vida” for one. Shamefully, it didn’t go top 10 on CHR even though I heard it everywhere; it would be great for it to go #1 on the AC format since it’s a great song and it fits the format without being schmaltzy. It deserves the top spot (it’s currently at #2; I can’t remember if it ever took the top spot on AC since its been so long–just checked, it didn’t). I would love for Missy Higgins’ “Where I Stood” to get up there as well, but that’s probably not too likely. I think it’s been out awhile and didn’t make it. It’s a really pretty song. As for songs not currently on the AC chart, I also like Brandy’s “Right Here (Departed)”–that would fit well in the format if it got started there. As would “Human” by The Killers, I think. All those songs are solid songs that fit AC, but are more than just AC songs. They would defy the general idea that AC is a cheesy format. I wouldn’t mind any one of them going to the top there.

Some others–Lifehouse’s “Broken,” Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” Sarah McLachlan’s “U Want Me 2,” Beyonce’s “If I Were A Boy.”

As far as DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s album, from what I have heard DC say on many an interview this *is* the album he wanted to make.

I’m not going to say this isn’t true. I’m just going to say that I take it with a grain of salt. It is rare to hear anybody (Idol or otherwise) who goes on a promo tour telling the interviewers that they did not like the album and they were forced to make it. Sometimes, it later comes out that the Idol (or otherwise) were very unhappy with their CD.

It only makes sense. You can’t tell people to buy your album if you are also saying you hate it. Later, when it flops, you can be bitterly honest. If you didn’t like your CD and it becomes a hit, keep silent or you risk insulting your fans.

PLEASE NOTE: At no point did I say that Cook doesn’t LOVE his CD to bits and that it won’t be the BIGGEST CD EVAH!11!!ELEVENTY-ONE!!!11!! I’m just saying that I no longer consider promo tour statements to necessarily truthful. There are times to be truthful and other times for white lies. The “Do you like your CD” question is the equivalent of the “Does this dress make my butt look big” question. The dress may very will make the butt look tiny, but don’t expect to hear the truth if it does not (and yes, I know that everybody knows somebody who is brutally honest to them, but really, let’s talk generalities here. Even Clive was willing to say Kelly’s last CD was horrible during the promo tour, so there are exceptions).

Regarding the album… I think he’s honest when he says it’s his album. He got to be part of it for the most part so it’s something that had to be very dear to him. However, I have no doubt that the finish product has RCA’s hand on it, and if it was up to DC and RC we’d probably have another thing in our hands.
RC was pretty clear about that in an interview. He said they had to please the Idol fanbase.
My take on that is that, he and DC would probably have liked more balance. More songs like BBS and Mr. Sensitive on it. Kiss On The Neck and Breathe Tonight are more rock than most of the album, maybe more of those there. But they had to go with a more commercial sound that would fit mainstream radio and the idol fanbase.
I agree with a lot luckeee55 said about the album, I just disagree those who liked him on Idol will be disapointed, I think the album fits that audience. The ones who wanted something more Axium, are probably disappointed though.
I do think that David was never going to be that rock anyway (I mean hard rock), but more alt rock. At least judging by the only two songs we know from the non released 2nd album, he wasn’t going the Axium or even Analog Heart route.
And yes, promo is promo, he was never going to say he wasn’t 100% happy with it. He has come with a very interesting reason for naming the album David Cook, but knowing a bit of him I believe if he could he would have actually give the album a real title.

I guess this was probably a bit OT…

I am not saying Cook designed his album to be in this style. I believe RCA had a huge hand in this because prior to release of the album, Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s comments led me to believe it would be a rock album, and I was somewhat disappointed in the final product based on those comments. I am not disappointed in the album because as far as first albums from AI contestants go, I think it is quite good.

Yep. I agree with this. I love the CD very much. I don’t believe every single song is a hit waiting to happen but I do love it, however I was surprised when I first heard it because DC kept insisting he was making a rock record, his friend Neal was assuring fans it’s not pop, but in fact a rock record. It’s so not a ROCK record. Rob Cavallo himself said they tried to find the right balance to please the AI audience while keeping him true to who he is…he also said he would like to see him on the rock charts but expected him to “find an audience” on the pop and Hot AC charts. IMO that’s exactly how this was meant to be positioned.

Re: “DCTR”: DC’s record was more or less what I expected it to be—a combination of alt rock and pop rock. When he said, “rock,” I never really expected straight-up rock or metal, although there is Bar Ba Sol. Looking at his past music (especially Analog Heart), the choices he made on Idol, the musical idols that he cited, and the collaborators that he mentioned, alt rock seemed much more likely to me than hard rock. It’s pretty eclectic, which also fits with the musical influences that he’s cited. The interesting thing about the record is that every song on it has been cited by some critic or other as a highlight, including songs that have not gotten a lot of love from the core Cook fans, like I Did It For You, as well as Magic Rainbow. I think that very much goes to the fact that it is an eclectic record.

I’d bet money that there were compromises made—not only because that’s the nature of the beast, but also because that one Rob Cavallo quote from EW more or less made that clear. If I had to guess, there is probably at least one more power ballad on there than DC and Cavallo would have put on it if left to their own devices. Obviously, DC wants to sell records and is also usually pretty good at the whole “being diplomatic” thing, so no, we’re unlikely to hear him expressing disappointment in it or the label, which means we’ll never be 100% sure what he would say if he were being 100% honest All in all, though, the record seems consistent enough with DC’s musical path that I would suspect that he is proud of it and views it as, overall, representative of him. Just my guess. And it is a good quality record with songs that play well live, which is also something that he has said he wanted.

Re: AC: I’m rather envisioning Coldplay and Jason Mraz taking over the chart for a long time once Magic Rainbow cedes its number one spot. But things more pretty slowly on that chart, so it’s not clear when that will happen, and the odds are that Magic Rainbow would stay in the top ten for a while longer after that. Just the way that AC seems to operate.

I wasn’t expecting a very “rock” album from DC. He didn’t seem to be going in that direction pre-Idol, he wouldn’t fit anywhere as a solo “real” rock artist, and, imo, it’s not even what he does best. I think that he’s ultimately happy with the album – maybe he’d trade off the bonus tracks for some of the more HAC-friendly ballads, but of course there was going to be some compromise. At least he wasn’t give a stack of Daughtry leftovers and the Dianne Warren songbook.

The one thing I’ve noticed is that David hasn’t begun blathering about what he’ll do on the next album, like so many subjected to the post-Idol rush job do. It usually translates to “I know this album is mostly crap, but just you wait until I get to spend a year or two making the next one!”

As for TOML, most people wouldn’t trade in a platinum-selling single. If people like that song and ultimately buy the album because of it, that seems to be a good deal for DC. Any rock cred he’s ever going to have is a loooooong way off and may never come anyway. I don’t think he’s in any danger of becoming permanently known for that song and nothing else. LO is not a big hit, but it’s doing well enough, and the album is doing well enough, for RCA to move forward with another single. There are several songs on the album which could/should/probably will perform better than LO in sales and radio play.

Soundscene so you are just wanting other artists to take over that top spot because they deserve it? I don’t get why DC & TOML don’t deserve it? I get that you like those songs so I see your side of it.

My side is I like TOML (though I have never voted on any site for it, nor requested it to be played on a station). I like that my *idol’s* song is still sitting at #1. That is quite a feat. I can’t say what is keeping it there other than people are loving it. I think the Olympics & Oprah helped alot plus it has sold like crazy.

Kirsten I don’t know if DC was just blowing smoke. What I do know is that it is a great album, really great for a winner’s first album. Sales are fantastic too, so alot of other folks must agree with me on that front.

Speaking of numbers, I hope that whoever is Ken’s source gets him the numbers early tomorrow. Waiting for any estimates or numbers is frustrating. We’ve gotten so spoiled prior to the holiday season….

Soundscene so you are just wanting other artists to take over that top spot because they deserve it? I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get why DC & TOML donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t deserve it? I get that you like those songs so I see your side of it.

Yes, that’s the reason.

TOML has held the top spot for many moons–it’s no longer about whether TOML once deserved the top spot, it’s about the fact that its still there. AC is a slow-moving format but dang, move out of the way, please.

I stated in my very first post in this topic that I don’t care for the song–that’s not a secret. I also think it does Cook no favors for a couple of the very reasons I don’t care for it–I think it’s cheesy as heck and pretty much represents AC at its most middle-of-the-road. That’s not Cook’s fault; he didn’t write it nor did he choose to sing it. But to me, it being #1 is kind of like “Womanizer” being #1 on CHR–I kind of know why its there but I also think that there are far better songs that should be there instead. It’s all just my opinion, of course. I wouldn’t like TOML even if DA had wound up singing it. I think DA singing it would be horrid for his career because the sheer fancifulness of the lyrics would have perpetuated every wrong stereotype people had about him (and I don’t think it would have done as well as Cook’s version because of it). At least with Cook he can counter a line about a magic rainbow with gruff vocals. But I still don’t like the song, no matter the singer. I named songs that I thought were quality songs that I think deserve the top spot rather than TOML at this point in time.

I kind of know why its there but I also think that there are far better songs that should be there instead.

It’s there because people like it and want to listen to it. I’m sorry that it bothers someone, but I think the general audience’s opinion is a good reason for it not getting out of the way. Looks good there at the top, and I don’t see why a #1 song on AC has to fit other formats (although TOML clearly fits HAC and TOP 40 too).
Does Crush belong on #1 there? Because I think Crush is more cheesy than all those songs listed, I still wouldn’t say it doesn’t deserve the top because of that. Of course TOML moving out of the way would help Crush get there too.

One problem DC will have with the Magic Rainbow song is that once he starts touring, there will be a percentage of ticket buyers that will be disgusted that the show isn’t all Magic Rainbows and Always Be My Baby. We can sit here and say “If they listened to DCTR and watched all his Youtube performances, they’d know what to expect.”

But they don’t. They liked him on the TV show and they hear Magic Rainbows on their AC station. We met a few of these same people at Taylor’s concerts last year, who wanted him to be that guy on the TV show. At least Do I Make You Proud was a relative flop, so that he felt no obligation to sing it on tour.

Now I’m not saying it will be a lot of people, but Magic Rainbows has been huge, so maybe it could be.

And for some reason I don’t think Daughtry has this problem.

I fully expect the next time I check in here that soundscene will have been challenged to a duel at midnight. haha

I hope we get singles number tomorrow. I’m curious to see what the Christmas season does with Crush and Rainbow.

Let’s be careful not to turn this conversation into a fanwar…OK? Disagree with out baiting, or questioning or assuming your fellow poster’s motives. Thank you.

ETA:

I fully expect the next time I check in here that soundscene will have been challenged to a duel at midnight. haha

Except that I’ll probably delete it before anyone sees it. Hopefully. Please read my reminder above.

It will probably depend on where he tours. He starts with the USO tour, then does a college tour, then my guess would be open for an established act in some portion of the rock genre. Those seem less likely contexts for those kinds of problems.

Does Crush belong on #1 there? Because I think Crush is more cheesy than all those songs listed, I still wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t deserve the top because of that. Of course TOML moving out of the way would help Crush get there too.

What does Crush have to do with it? I never mentioned Crush. Nor do I think Crush will go #1 on AC.

Well I hope mine was not starting a fanwar that was not my intent. I honestly do not get why TOML should not be #1 or why it should die. I wanted to openly ask anyone who would answer. Soundscene did which I thank her for doing.

One problem DC will have with the Magic Rainbow song is that once he starts touring, there will be a percentage of ticket buyers that will be disgusted that the show isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t all Magic Rainbows and Always Be My Baby.

That’s not that unusual for any artist that’s had a number of successful songs. It’s pretty common for artists to stop singing their older hits and for some fans to be upset about it. I remember Sting complaining once at a concert that he had to sing Roxanne (which was about 10 years old at the time) every night of his life. He then proceeded to sing it, but with an arrangement that made it almost unrecognizable. John Mayer has also dropped some of his first hits from his concerts. David has already shown he’s willing to rearrange songs to suit his mood. If there’s a big backlash that he’s not singing TOML on tour, which I doubt, he can always add it back in. The various appearances where he’s done multiple song sets since the album came out seem to have been well received, even though the Rainbow wasn’t included. Beyond that, if you’re willing to spend your $$ on a concert without checking out the performer’s current music, then you need to accept that you’re going to have a musical adventure.

On the subject of disappointment with DCTR- even Axium’s albums, which are the hardest rock we’ve heard from David, IMHO, each had a slower song or 2 on them (Peace of Mind, Still, Therapy for Me, Unlucky, Incarcerate…). He’s always had an eclectic sound. The ratio of slower songs might be a little higher on DCTR, but if you add up all of the songs available, including the bonus tracks, the mix isn’t that lop-sided, except maybe if you only define rock as hard rock.

One problem DC will have with the Magic Rainbow song is that once he starts touring, there will be a percentage of ticket buyers that will be disgusted that the show isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t all Magic Rainbows and Always Be My Baby. We can sit here and say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“If they listened to DCTR and watched all his Youtube performances, theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d know what to expect.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Yep, and I’ve said all along, David is going to lose some AI fans and gain a whole bunch of new ones in his first year after the show. Seriously though, I have no sympathy for anyone who spends bucks for concert tickets – especially in this economy – without checking out the artist’s most recent album. Or any albums they’ve put out. I give AI fans more credit that that. They know once the winner or runner-up “graduates” from AI, it’s no longer only about the covers. So in my final analysis, my “yep” is an agreement that some fans will be turned off (IMO a very small percentage). I don’t agree with this being a “problem” though. What you state might happen is likely to be a fact, but I think it’s such a small number of fans that it’s not any kind of a real problem to be worried about. So, I’m in the camp that TOML is not any kind of a problem and that its continued success can only help, and that if damage WAS to be done by having that kind of a song succeed, then it’s already done and there’s no going back. So it might as well continue its reign of terror!

Margaux wrote:

“And for some reason I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Daughtry has this problem.”

And that caught my attention, for several reasons. No, Daughtry didn’t have any problem with a winners single that had nothing to do with who he is as an artist. But he would have, if he had won American Idol.
Which begs the question I’ve never seen answered.. the winners in every. single. season. are stuck with these types of cheesy songs …why in the world is that? These are the best AI can afford? I hardly think so. Is it some kind of final test for the winner, to see what they can do with drek? It’s a puzzlement.

The other thing I’m so sorry not to know: well obviously who deserves to be Number One is completely subjective, and dependent on whether or not one likes the artist or the song, and of course ‘deserving’ has nothing to do with getting that spot. So what does?

How is the Number One position on AC decided? I really don’t know – but then, I’m not a NumberNerd, I just benefit from their knowledge.

In the best of all possible worlds, the AI winner would have a great song to sing, and only deserving songs would be Number One, I suppose, (Because I sure agree about “Womanizer”) but that’s still subjective, and couldn’t possibly please everyone.

Incipit there were a few songs that AI let us vote on that were really good. I have no idea why TOML was chosen over some of the other’s. Cook did a good job with it for *me*. Again tho I like a wide range of things from opera/rock/celtic/ballads and the list goes on except I can’t get into rap. I have tried but really it does nothing for me. LOL

I too would love to know how the #! position is chosen? Is it the PD? Call in’s? I know back in the day (I won’t say how long ago, lol) it was call in. Kirsten, MJ, Soundscene, can someone tell us please? Thanks!

Its true that a percentage of any audience will be disappointed when an artist doesn’t do a particular song in a concert. I can remember leaving a three-hour Elton John concert once and over-hearing someone complain that he hadn’t performed one of her favorites. Mind you Sir Elton had just performed the whole three hours – no warm-up act. But he still managed to leave out something and this woman was very disappointed. You just can’t please everyone. But Cook himself has expressed those sentiments in interviews so I think he at least understands that. I just hope that, as Scott says, his audience is wise enough to check out his other material before attending his concert or be open-minded enough to enjoy what they will hear when they get there.

Which begs the question Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never seen answered.. the winners in every. single. season. are stuck with these types of cheesy songs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦why in the world is that? These are the best AI can afford? I hardly think so. Is it some kind of final test for the winner, to see what they can do with drek? Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a puzzlement.

Not all had to deal with them. Somebody wise either at 19 or Jive buried Jordin’s coronation single so deep that it never saw the light of day. She got to debut with “Tattoo.” And while that song isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, is a light, clean and catchy pop song that wound up doing very well in a very big format (CHR). Her coronation single would never have done that. So hats off to whoever made that decision. I think RCA should have done that, even knowing that the song ultimately sold a million.

Lisa wrote:

Incipit there were a few songs that AI let us vote on that were really good. I have no idea why TOML was chosen over some of the otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. Cook did a good job with it for *me*.

Lisa, I have a sneaky suspicion that whoever chooses the winners songs is the same person who chooses the Theme Weeks, because they both have something in common….little to no relevance to a music career in this century….but that’s just an observation.

(whispers, looking around for Ninja Rainbow)I didn’t care for the song, but I’ll grant it’s application for feel good special occasions of all sorts, from Olympics to graduations to awards ceremonies…probably enough to guarantee a long shelf life, and I do credit that to the way it was sung, because I’ve heard other versions. It is what it is, and for what it is, an AI winners song,…it’s doing extremely well.

ETA: Soundscene, I just saw your answer. So someone had enough clout to bury Jordin’s coronation song, because it wouldn’t make any money? Well, that explains quite simply why RCA would never do that to the Magic Rainbow. It’s made plenty of money, and it’s not finished yet.

I think RCA should have done that, even knowing that the song ultimately sold a million.

Are you serious? Why would RCA want to bury a song that was so popular and sold over a million downloads? This is My Now if I remember correctly, did horrible in sales its first week (something like 75K). TOML sold very well after the finale and then continued to sell well for a long time afterwards. TOML sold 236,000 copies in its first week of release. Those figures gave it the strongest first week sales of an Idol coronation single since season 2. Seriously, why would RCA want to bury it? That does not make any sense to me.

DC has played at several shows since the release of his album. I don’t believe anyone has ever called out for him to play TOML – not at the fancy David Wright Gala, not at the Album Release Show, not at any of the Jingle Balls. People have called out for songs though – Hunger Strike, Creep, and Analog Heart and Axium songs. Most of his fans know him pretty well. His first tour is going to be a college tour. I don’t believe the college students will be calling out for TOML.

Are you serious? Why would RCA want to bury a song that was so popular and sold over a million downloads?

For the many reasons I stated under this topic in my comments. Besides, they wouldn’t know the week after the finale that it would ultimately sell 1 million copies or that it would go #1 on AC. I was saying that, if it were up to me, and I did know all that, I would still choose to not release it. It’s not always about sales.

Think about it. If he hadn’t released TOML he could have done the following:

- Released a single from his album earlier
- Released a single that wasn’t a “transition” single
- He wouldn’t have to put TOML on his album
- His very first single would have been “him” and not something else entirely
- He wouldn’t have the problem with anybody thinking that TOML is who he is and he could start building a fan base that knows who he is earlier

All that may not have meant better album sales. In fact, it could mean worse album sales. But better artistry. I think the sacrifice would be worth it.

I am counting on MJ and kind folks to supply some of the college tour vids! I am too old (for me) to go to the college tours. That college crowd is what David needs and he does not need old folks like me there, lol. I got to see him at the AI show, that was good enough for me.

The only college concert I ever attended was *The Wallflowers* quite a few years back, and it was an awesome concert! It was Dylan’s kid and he was great!

Others like Kirsten have been looking at this sort of thing for longer than me, so they may have more developed thoughts on the matter.

Number one (like all rankings) on the format charts is purely based on spins at monitored stations in that format. They don’t take into account the audience for a given spin or what time of the day it is played at—if it’s a spin on a monitored station, it counts. (Other charts, such as the Hot 100 airplay chart, look at the audience impression, such that a spin at 1 am in a small market is unimportant relative to a spin at a peak time in that same market or just about any spin in a huge market.)

As to how a song manages to get enough spins to make it high on a chart, it seems to vary by song and format. There are a variety of means that a label can use to push a song (ads, giving the artist’s time through interviews, performances, etc.). Some labels also have particularly strong relationships with particular stations. Depending on the format and particular stations involved, audience requests can have an effect. With some formats, such as rock, they seem to care less about requests, and some stations are more top-down than others—some DJs have some say as to what gets played, sometimes only the program director does, and sometimes it is completely driven by the corporate owner of the station.

With Magic Rainbow on AC, it was an almost immediate embrace by the format. It charted the very next week, as soon as it could. Flew up the chart to the top ten, then to top 5, and has more or less stayed there every since. But I think that sort of fast movement is pretty odd for that format.

Somebody wise either at 19 or Jive buried Jordin’s coronation single so deep that it never saw the light of day.

IMO, it was more that nobody was really very interested in buying what Jordin was selling. She had the least amount of buzz coming off Idol than any other winner. She won because she was the last one standing…not because her fan base was particularly passionate.

Jive did a great job building her career from the ground up, I don’t believe burying her coronation single was part of the plan.

AI should not be allowed to pick the songs. LOL Last year was a bit better where we got to supposedly vote for our favorites. I don’t see TOML being the top vote getter. I know Cook fans were voting for two other songs, and the Archie fan’s were voting for two different ones also.

If AI was smart, they would let the Top 3 choose their own songs from a list in their genre. I don’t see it happening since AI wants the *This is my winning moment* song. Those songs have their place at graduations etc, but do they have to be the winner’s song? At least last year the Top 2 were not saddled with having to both sing it in the finale.

I agree that the contestants should be able to choose their own coronation song.

TOML had voters that had nothing to do with DC or DA. I read somewhere that fans and friends of Regie Hamm were alerted to vote for the song.

Besides, they wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know the week after the finale that it would ultimately sell 1 million copies or that it would go #1 on AC.

They did have clues after the finale as I stated in my first post. Jordin – 70K and weak sales afterward (label buried it like a dog’s bone). Cook – 275K right after finale and strong sales continued (obviously didn’t bury it). The label obviously could not see into the future to see 1 million sales down the road, but the signs were there don’t you think?

All that may not have meant better album sales. In fact, it could mean worse album sales. But better artistry. I think the sacrifice would be worth it.

I don’t think Cook’s artistry was sacrificed one teensy tiny bit. So I am glad that history played out the way it did!

Interesting information. Thank you! There sure are a lot of variables in how a song can chart….and enough factors seem to be present to make the Rainbow very popular.

Soundscene, I must respectfully disagree that it’s not about money…everything I’ve ever read here, including your own posts, reinforces the artist doing well enough financially to keep their label happy, and make another album…and the label figuring out ways to capitalize on their investment…that’s the name of the game…

I did think about what you wrote, but it stalls at the very first point, the winner’s single is released immediately, and sung on the tour…. DC couldn’t release an earlier single from an album that did not yet exist….there would have been no single at all until the album dropped. Bad merchandising.

The transition is from the mandated songs on Idol to the winners own style, not from the winners single to the album…and therein lies the irony of any necessary transition at all – the songs on Idol seldom have relevance.

I really think DC had sacrificed enough for Artistry, the ten year DIY music career that made great music, with no exposure and and no money…hard to keep that up and still eat and pay the bills. At least it gave him the experience to negotiate a compromise.

I too am glad things went down as they did.

Ah well, most interesting conversation, thanks all…but it’s time for the Mirage cellcast. ~Another time

I did think about what you wrote, but it stalls at the very first point, the winnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s single is released immediately, and sung on the tourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. DC couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t release an earlier single from an album that did not yet existà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.there would have been no single at all until the album dropped. Bad merchandising.

Yes. I totally agree with this. I think the most important thing right after the Idol finale is to keep the momentum going and keep the idol fans interested. Having the coronation song ready to go does that. Of course it all goes out the window if the coronation song sucks and has awful sales like TIMN. But I think the grand plan is to have a song right from the get go to keep the idol fans happy. And since most of the people attending the idol concerts are idol fans, I think they want to hear the coronation song because it reminds them of the “winning” moment. (At least for me, that is why I get all teary eyed when I hear the song!)

Soundscene, I must respectfully disagree that ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not about moneyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦everything Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve ever read here, including your own posts, reinforces the artist doing well enough financially to keep their label happy, and make another albumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦and the label figuring out ways to capitalize on their investmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the name of the gameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Respectfully, I never said it wasn’t about money. But I do think that it’s not always about squeezing every last dime out of an artist if it means perpetuating an image of an artist that is false. And RCA can always adjust expectations based on the type of music an artist puts out and what that genre generally does. Ultimately, though, the debate is pointless because RCA will let TOML ride, regardless what one meager person (me) thinks.

BTW, Cook’s single could have been released earlier–in August, when Crush was released. I didn’t mean right after the finale.

Anyway, I’m burned out on this topic lol.

Here’s some news–Christmas week saw a 126% increase in digital single downloads from the week prior, including triple digit percentage increases for every song on the Hot Digital Songs chart except 2 songs. Sales of digital downloads also increased 27% from the same week last year. The Top 15 songs all sold over 200K, with the #1 download being Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” selling a staggering 419,000 downloads, the second-highest single week total ever. This week saw 47.7 million digital downloads–a single-week record.

My guess, based on last year’s numbers, that the top 30 probably all sold more than 100K each (last year, the top 27 all sold over 100K).

Number one (like all rankings) on the format charts is purely based on spins at monitored stations in that format. They donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t take into account the audience for a given spin or what time of the day it is played atà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a spin on a monitored station, it counts.

That’s true of most formats, but not for Country and Latin (which, like the combined charts are based on audience impressions).

A handy guide is the Billboard Methodology page.

Which begs the question Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never seen answered.. the winners in every. single. season. are stuck with these types of cheesy songs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦why in the world is that?

TPTB seem to love their cheesy coronation song. Be glad that the Idol Choir seems to have been kept at bay for the past few years. In the beginning, coronation songs were picked by unknown malfeasant forces. Starting in Season 6, it was changed to allow viewers to vote. At first, people naively thought this would bring about an improvement until the choices were revealed and people realized we would be asked to select from 20 different crappy cheesy coronation songs. Who knows who picked Magic Rainbow. Neither Davids’ fan bases were vocally voting for the song.

BTW There were some rumours a while ago that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Feels Like Tonightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was the coronation song that was selected for Chris Daughtry before he got the boot (some years there were multiple singles. Some years, not. Again, it is all a mystery). So, it may be that he did end up with a coronation song on his record.

This is My Now if I remember correctly, did horrible in sales its first week (something like 75K).

Here are the numbers for Jordin’s first week.

9 Jordin Sparks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“This is My Nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  74,303 (New) Total: 74,303 (-)

We also, to be fair, should add in the approximate 27K in EPs she sold that week. So, it’s closer to 100K which isn’t bad for a 4 day sales week (and to be fair, Idol buyers hadn’t been previously conditioned to pick up weekly songs on iTunes so many of them might not have thought to look there. Poor Jordin, I need to throw her a few bones). EPs (Extended Plays) contain more content than a commercial single and less than a full CD (exact definitions of EPs have varied over the years). EPs chart on the album chart, but back in the day (before The Eagles big debut), albums offered by a single vendor were not eligible for the Top 200 chart. So, we had to interpolate the numbers based on placement on the catalog chart.

The Top 15 songs all sold over 200K, with the #1 download being Lady Gagaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Just Dance,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  selling a staggering 419,000 downloads, the second-highest single week total ever. This week saw 47.7 million digital downloadsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’a single-week record.

Stunning. Yay for good news!

Lady Gaga came pretty close to beating the record number of downloads in a week (467K). Maybe if she’d had another day.

Different labels, different strategies. And different life cycles of the coronation singles.

But I’d rather talk about numbers anyway. Awesome news about the digital downloads. It will be interesting to see what the numbers look like tomorrow. Unfortunate that the usual leaker is traveling tomorrow and may not be able to give download info until later in the day….

^^ Ken Barnes better wake up early. lol.

BTW There were somerumours a while ago that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Feels Like Tonightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was the coronation song that was selected for Chris Daughtry before he got the boot (some years there were multiple singles. Some years, not. Again, it is all a mystery). So, it may be that he did end up with a coronation song on his record.

Wow! I didn’t know that. That is very interesting. It most definitely sounds like a coronation type song with the lyrics and all. Mmmmm….the things we learn on this blog.

Be glad that the Idol Choir seems to have been kept at bay for the past few years.

Aww, am I the only one that liked the choir in their lovely robes? I was so disappointed when they got rid of them. I just love the total cheesefest of the choir and the winning moment and the cheesy song and the tears flowing from the idol. Just awesome TV.

I don’t think TPTB could have known so early that TOML would have exploded the way it ended up doing even just with the big first week sales. Idol coronation songs often do have big first week sales then sort of slow down and fade away. Then again IIRC Simon Fuller said shortly after DC won he would go on to sell millions for them so they may have had an idea based on downloads through the season it would have been a big seller but IMO it was more than DC himself that ended up selling it in the longrun. the Olympics, SYTYCD, etc surely contributed. Even so I doubt they could have also expected it to still be hanging around 7 months later lol

Lady Gaga came pretty close to beating the record number of downloads in a week (467K).

Who holds the record? What was the song?

Soundscene, I have to tell you I LIKE YOU! You believe what you believe and stick with it! In my book that means passion and passion *to me* it a good thing! This is by no means snarky. You are a solid person to me. Thank you for your great debate. Even though I only participated once earlier, I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread.

I also have to add that I am so HAPPY for the writer of TOML. He has a great story! I love it! Perhaps David Cook was chosen to sing this song, to make it so “popular” (tm DC idol concerts). Why, I just had to listen to it once again on my ipod this week! I usually skip over it, but lo and behold, I think it’s here to stay. What does that mean? IDK.

Oh and thank you Kirsten for the definition of EP’s. (Extended plays). I love how I can learn so much on this sight. I honestly didn’t know what this meant before and had asked at one time and was told episodes. Extended plays makes so much more sense to me.

mj, to me you have the greatest blog evah! *so do I sound kewl*? Sorry, I’m just lovin’ this!

Amen to that, soundscene. Here’s hoping that Ken and his source both want to get out of the office early to start celebrating the New Year’s.

Thanks, Kirsten. I learn something new all the time over here about the charts. Also, if Feels Like Tonight really was the planned coronation song for CD, I tend to think that it would have been wildly unfair to whomever was matched up with him. FLT is a much better song that DIMYP and whatever crap song Kat McPhee had to sing. (I remember thinking that hers was a particularly bad example of a coronation song. Which is not exactly a genre of song known for its high quality of songcraft) And “In the beginning, coronation songs were picked by unknown malfeasant forces.” Heh. Too damn true.

I’ll admit to liking the choir with Fantasia’s coronation single, mac. Otherwise, um, no.

Soundscene, I have to tell you I LIKE YOU! You believe what you believe and stick with it! In my book that means passion and passion *to me* it a good thing! This is by no means snarky. You are a solid person to me. Thank you for your great debate. Even though I only participated once earlier, I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread.

Aw, thanks. And I echo that right back at you. Looking back, it actually was a good debate.

Who holds the record? What was the song?

I could be remembering wrong but I think it is “Low” by Flo Rida.

I could be remembering wrong but I think it is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Lowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  by Flo Rida.

That’s the one. IIRC, that was achieved with post-Christmas iTunes sales as well. It truly is amazing how many downloads sell during this week.