Last year, the Idol premier began with huge fan fair. Many minutes were devoted to boasting about the many millions of records, the awards and other accomplishments of Idol alumni. This year the show begins with absolutely no horn tooting, despite the fact there are bona fide post-Idol success stories to brag about, like Carrie [...]

MTV.com contacted Idol Executive  Producer Ken Warwick for a statement on the seemingly  ”professional” backgrounds of some of Season 7′s rumored Top 50:

It’s all part of what makes the early-season “Idol” episodes so mesmerizing: a heady mix of the bizarre, the talented and, of course, the talent-less, all hoping to get [...]

American Idol Season 7 Begins tonight with a two-hour episode featuring the Philadelphia auditions.

The peeps who follow my blog know by now that I positively LOATHE the audition phase of the competition. After 6 years, it’s the most predictable phase of the competition. At this point, finding contestants who are totally clueless about their [...]

Fox Starts Ad Bidding for Idol at 1 million during writers strike

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  ratings are already high and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a sellerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s market due to lack of competition

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 1/13/08 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  will premiere [...]

A snapshot of Idolsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ singles radio play culled from Mediabase charts as of this morning. Find out where your favorite Idol stands on the radio after the jump.

Don’t Miss…

Monday 1/14 -Â  Jordin Sparks appears on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Tuesday  1/15 – Blake Lewis appears on The View.

Wednesday 1/16 – Blake Lewis appears on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet.  Jordin Sparks performs a mini-concert on the

I’m way behind on my blogging. Sawry!   I helped a college friend celebrate a birthday this weekend–a nice round number. Heh.   Her husband booked the famed Stone Pony for the night!   (Where Bruce Springsteen got his start.)   It was pretty awesome.   Much fun was had by all. Asbury Park rules!

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An Open Letter To this Year’s Top 24

In January of last year, I flew out to L.A. to the dreaded Long Walk down the Wooded Floor to the judges. I was so nervous. But as soon as I saw Phil come out and making it through, I was okay. I went up the elevator, [...]

‘American Idol’ returns

On Tuesday, the Fox juggernaut roars back onto the airwaves, still sending the rivals fleeing for cover (ABC moved “Lost” to Thursday nights to avoid a head-to-head battle). And proving that fortune truly favors the bold, after what many described as a shaky sixth season (with the franchise showing measurable ratings vulnerability [...]

The lengthy (and really informative–worth the read) USA Today article that leads today’s headlines thread featured a short list of tweaks to look out for in Season 7′s competition:

Letting singers play musical instruments during their performances in the first combined gathering of audition survivors, known as the Hollywood Round. Visiting finalists’ [...]

For those who love NUMBERS–I love numbers. Who doesn’t love numbers?

…check out Ken Barnes’ Ultimate SoundScan Sales/Download Checklist.

Ken has gathered Sound Scan numbers for all the Idol releases and listed them by rank. Check out the Top 10 after the jump.

‘American Idol’ tries to get its groove back in upcoming seventh season

When Season 7 of Idol premieres Tuesday (8 p.m. ET/PT), the show that has shaped pop stars, Grammy winners and even an Oscar recipient à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and boosted sales in a sagging music industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  will return to [...]

TV Guide Reports an “exclusive”:

Straight up now tell me, did you ever think you’d read that headline again in your lifetime? Me, neither. But it’s true. A tipster in close proximity to Abdul’s inner circle tells me that the American Idol judge, who hasn’t released an album of new material since 1995′s Head Over [...]

MSNBC posted two commentaries today, one is from the sharp and cynical Andy Dehnart, who believes American Idol has nowhere to go but down

The signs are everywhere. Ratings for “American Idol 6″ were down (20 percent for the finale alone); RCA Records recently dropped two “Idol” winners, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks, [...]