Tag Archives: Annie Barrett

Clay Aiken – Who Is Right?

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On Wednesday, I was hunting through YouTube.  I wanted to find a fun video that would make all of us feel good.  Fortunately, I found a great video by the talented SueReu.

After watching the video, I remembered an article from Entertainment Weekly that was written a few years ago.

Written by Annie Barrett and Sandra Gonzalez, the article is titled:

American Idol: Ranking All 12 Finale Matchups

I disagreed with much of the article!

I have never read another article that didn’t have Season 2 at the top so I was surprised when they chose Season 8 with Kris Allen and Adam Lambert at the top of the list. I am sure it was a great show, but besides enjoying Clay and Ruben, there are a few things that make me question their rating.

First, both Kris and Adam released the same coronation song.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t a big hit for either singer.  Season 8 was also the first season of AI in which the winner failed to reach gold album status.  And, no one from Season 8 (When the article was written), had achieved platinum status for an album in the United States.

Lastly, look at the numbers.  The Season 2 viewership for the finale was 38.06 million and the highest in any year.  Season 8 tied with Season 3 for 7th place overall.  Their viewership was only 28.84 million, almost 10 million less than Season 2.

Ruben won Season 2 by only 134,000 votes.  However, there was little personal competition between Clay and Ruben.  It was obvious to the audience that the two were friends and even when the press tried to make it a battle, they just wouldn’t play the game.

So…I vote for Season 2.  How about you?

The following is a list that shows the audience numbers for the finale night of each season.

  • Season 2  –   May, 2003   38.06
  • Season 5 –    May, 2006   36.38
  • Season 7 –    May, 2008   31.66
  • Season 6 –    May, 2007   30.76
  • Season 4 –    May, 2005   30.27
  • Season 10 –  May, 2011   29.29
  • Season 3 –    May, 2004   28.84
  • Season 8 –    May, 2009   28.84
  • Season 9 –    May, 2010   24.22
  • Season 1 –    May, 2002   23.02
  • Season 11 –  May, 2012   21.49
  • Season 12 – May, 2013   14.31
  • Season 15 – May, 2016   13.30
  • Season 13 – May, 2014   10.53
  • Season 16 – May, 2018    8.63
  • Season 14 – May, 2015    8.03

What a difference in the numbers.  American Idol sure isn’t what it used to be!!!

When was the last time you watched American Idol?

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