This Week’s Theme is Billboard #1 Hits: Confirmed

By On 03/21/2010 · 50 Comments · In AI Season 9, American Idol

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UPDATE!!!! I just spoke with Fred Bronson and…

  • I can confirm that the theme this week (Top 11) HAS been changed to Billboard #1 Hits.
  • Fred Bronson is NOT the mentor. He was filmed in a segment as the author of  The Billboard Book of #1 Hits
  • There IS a mentor, but it’s a secret.
  • The kids didn’t know who the mentor was until they were introduced.

So, is the Top 11 theme “Teen Idols” or not? This week’s theme is up in the air, as I explained HERE last night. But we may have another clue.

Billboard Chart guru, Fred Bronson, just tweeted:

Just got home from a production shoot. What was I doing? Watch “American Idol” Tuesday night and hopefully you will find out.

Bronson is a Billboard chart expert. He’s appeared on Billboard-themed Idol weeks in the past to talk charts with the kids. The Idols tweeted earlier today that they were on their way to meet a “surprise” mentor. Could Fred Bronson be the mentor?

Bronson has written books on the Billboard charts, including one entitled “The Billboard book of #1 Hits” and he wrote Billboard magazine’s Chart Watch column at one time.

So what do you think? Sounds reasonable to assume the theme was changed to Billboard #1s, doesn’t it? But then, Bronson is an expert on all sorts of music, so he could have been called in to chat up the kids on the history of Teen Idols.

We’ll find out!

By the way, Bronson is the guy behind the awesome Idols iPhone app, Idols Now. You can follow his news feed, filled with oodles of Idol news, on twitter: @IdolsNow

 
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  • t2

    It may well be that someone “big” became available for this week so they changed the theme, but my guess is that many of the contestants had a hard time with “teen idol” week.

    And, although she would hate to admit it and she never, ever, came off as her age when a teenager, Ms. Aguilera was quite the teen idol during her day.

    eta: If I hear one more John Mayer or Jason Mraz song sung by this group, I may let out a Siobhan-like scream.

  • suenigma

    I’m hoping for Christina Aguilera. Love her. Especially now that she has quit trying to be Britney 2.0, and is focusing on showcasing her beautiful voice.

  • offside

    I’m hoping for Christina Aguilera. Love her. Especially now that she has quit trying to be Britney 2.0

    I don’t think she was, I have a feeling her label wanted her to be
    like Britney because she was a little mature for a teenager/young adult. She really has turned into a lovely, diverse woman(unlike some of her contemporaries.)
    I would like to see Alicia Keys mentor, too.

  • Lu

    Hmm Miley Cyrus… Yep – I can picture Katie putting on a blond wig and singing “Best of Both Worlds”… totally can picture it.

  • chearts77

    Could it be Kelly Clarkson? There’s been a lot of desire to have her back on the show to mentor. The original idol…returns to show the new idol hopefuls how it’s done.

  • LadyBeBop

    No, I’m sure it’s not Kelly. She’s over in Africa right now, on a two week vacation right after her European/South Africa tour.

  • wonderings

    Could it be Kelly Clarkson? There’s been a lot of desire to have her back on the show to mentor. The original idol…returns to show the new idol hopefuls how it’s done.

    Oh, I’d love to see Kelly back as a mentor. She’s been there, been successful, had some ups & downs and is still around. She’s warm & friendly but also a tell-em-like-it-is straight-shooter.

    But she’s in Africa right now, alas (see @kelly_clarkson ). Perhaps later in the season?

  • chearts77

    Well rats. It was worth the “dream”, right? LOL!! She was the first one that popped into my mind because people have been wanting her to come on; it’s being kept “hush hush”; and I know someone from the staff is reading around the net (based on comments made on the show). I’m curious to know who it is.

  • AndreaH

    Someone posted the following on VFTW:

    According to an email sent to ticket holders, Miley Cyrus and Joe Jonas are the musical guests on Wednesday’s Idol Results show.

    I don’t know if that statement is true but if it is, what a bummer! I guess AI is trying to increase their tween audience.

    I’m hoping that neither one of them is going to be the Top 11 mentor because that would suck big time.

  • thesheriff

    paula abdul…there’s a mentor. that i wouldn’t like.

  • http://www.twitter.com/sarahruth3 Sarah

    There’s actually a lot of potential with this theme, even with hits from the past decade. I could see someone doing a stripped down version of “Umbrella,” for instance – there are TONS of covers on youtube. And there’s a lot of potential with other songs as well, as long as the contestants make smart song choices.

    And I have to say – I’m starting to like Lee after intially hating him. But if he does Nickelback, he will have completely lost me, lol.

    I could totally see Crystal doing “Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb.

    ETA: There are a lot of songs on the wiki chart that was posted on the first page that have been done on the show before. I hope TPTB didn’t majorly limit the list of songs, though, because there ARE some other good songs on there.

  • ross

    This is the guy that did that fantastic interview with Cookie right before his Morongo Casino show, right? Knowledgeble guy

    Is this the guy John Peter Lewis interviewed? Or was that someone else from Billboard?

    If the guest mentor was this guy, why would it be so hush-hush, though? Maybe he’ll be a “talking head” but there’ll also be a celebrity mentor.

  • AndreaH

    Fred Bronson is not the mentor according to MJ:

    Fred Bronson is NOT the mentor. He was filmed in a segment as the author of The Billboard Book of #1 Hits There IS a mentor, but it’s a secret.

    Yes, Fred was interviewed by Jon Peter Lewis.

    Fred is also the guy who did the excellent four-part interviews with Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta for the Los Angeles Times.

  • sammwiz

    I really hope it’s not Miley Cyrus or a Jonas brother. Neither one of them should be telling Crystal or any of the other idol hopefuls really, what or how to sing. Just my opinion.

  • jammasta

    Hmm Miley Cyrus… Yep – I can picture Katie putting on a blond wig and singing “Best of Both Worlds”… totally can picture it.

    You sure you didn’t mean Michael Lynche? He’s perfect for that.

    What if the mentor was…… Simon Cowell? DUN DUN DUN! I can picture that in a way to pitch X Factor >_>. Kara would make a better (yet more annoying) mentor.

    Also, first Ke$ha, now Miley Cyrus and Joe Jonas? Wow, a total sign that the music world has gone to Hell.

  • Grammie Kari

    Aretha Franklin was on the Larry King Show last night. He mentioned (but not by name) that an Idol contestant hit the high note on Think, and did she see it. She mentioned aboiut being busy but she would like to have the performance sent to her. She said she liked Idol and would like to be a mentor on the show but they haven’t asked her. guaranteed that someone from Idol would be contacting her.

    I was surprised she hasn’t been asked. She does have an album coming out, the first since 2003. Maybe this year? I see Kelly Clarkson coming to mentor next year.

  • dancingqueen

    If Cyrus & Jonas are on Thursday, I’ll be using the DVR so I can fast forward through everything, but the actual results. Please tell me Taylor Swift is out of the country, so I don’t have to worry about her being the mentor.

  • lizland

    This group has been lucky. 4 out of 5 weeks with the ability to sing current music. Maybe Idol has finally learned not to keep saddling these singers with moldy oldies – like Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond. On the one hand, I like it as it’s so much more relevant. On the other hand, those oldies can lead to some good comedy on stage.

  • druzilla

    “moldy oldies?” Manilow & Diamond can actually sing and write for themselves and others with hits across multiple decades. Better them as mentors than someone like Jamie Foxx.

    Aretha hasn’t been asked? Well she doesn’t travel much outside of Detroit but it would be great for her to have a shot at mentoring. She can write and play in addition to sing and has been around up and down for a very long time.

  • druzilla

    The Billboard #1 Hits is a tired theme and not far off from what they mangled leading up to the Top 12.

  • Ellessay

    This group has been lucky. 4 out of 5 weeks with the ability to sing current music. Maybe Idol has finally learned not to keep saddling these singers with moldy oldies – like Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond. On the one hand, I like it as it’s so much more relevant. On the other hand, those oldies can lead to some good comedy on stage.

    Nothing wrong with “moldy oldies.” B.A. (before Adam) I only listened to oldies. When I checked out the Billboard #1 list, I went backwards to 1992 before I started to recognize more than 1 or 2 of the song titles for that year. Evidently that was the year I decided current music just wasn’t fun anymore.

    But I gotta say, a good song is a good song and can be remade into something even better than the original as many times as a good singer interprets it. A good example is Whitney Houston singing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” I love Dolly, but I love Whitney’s version too. I remember as a kid hearing a song I thought was really cool and made my father listen to it. He wasn’t as impressed–it was a song that was popular when he was younger. I had no idea it was a remake.

    The bottom line is: I don’t care WHAT this group sings, as long as they sing it well!

  • Lu

    I’m watching AI Rewind for season 5… ahhh memories. Can someone remind me how Taylor Hicks was able to sing Something by the Beatles when the theme was “hits of today”? I know there was an explanation but I can’t remember what it was…
    Just wondering if someone may be able to sing it this week???

  • http://mjsbigblog.com/luvadamlamberts-american-idol-tour-2009-washington-dc-re-cap.htm luvadamlambert

    heeey,i know who fred bronson is! he’s mentioned in the beatles bio im reading…

    Anyway this is a badtheme.Too general and ppl will pick old songs.Teen Idol was better..

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    Can someone remind me how Taylor Hicks was able to sing Something by the Beatles when the theme was “hits of today”? I know there was an explanation but I can’t remember what it was…

    The Beatles Number 1 Hits was at the Top of the Album charts.

  • flicker

    I’m starting to like Lee after intially hating him. But if he does Nickelback, he will have completely lost me, lol.

    Urgh. I totally agree, no Nickelback please.

    The only thing that worries me about Lee is that he sang that awful Hinder song. Other than that, I’ve liked his song choices. This is a great chance for him to sing a Kings of Leon song, and my vote would be Sex on Fire. There’s a youtube vid of him singing it, and it’s really good. (Sorry I can’t link to it, can’t get there from work) I think he’s more KOL than Nickelback. I hope.

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