Kris Allen Likely to Score Lowest-Selling Debut Week of All Idol Winners

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Guitar-playing kitten Kris Allen, who shocked some (but not Movieline!) by beating Adam Lambert to win the eighth season of American Idol, released his self-titled album yesterday, and the outlook for a guerrilla chart victory over John Mayer and Norah Jones isn't looking good. The 24-year-old singer is set to sell 75-80,000 units, a woeful figure when compared to other Idol winners (and plenty of non-winners too). But all hope may not be lost for the "Live Like We're Dying"/"It's Elementary (I Love You)" crooner.

The rankings for first-week album sales of Idol winners are listed here:

1. Ruben Studdard, Soulful: 400,000 copies

2. Carrie Underwood, Some Hearts: 315,000

3. Taylor Hicks, Taylor Hicks: 298,000

4. Kelly Clarkson, Thankful: 297,000

5. David Cook, David Cook: 279,000

6. Fantasia Barrino Free Yourself: 240,000

7. Jordin Sparks, Jordin Sparks: 119,000

8. Kris Allen, Kris Allen: 75-80,000

If anything, these figures point to the fact that first-week sales don't necessarily lead to a lasting music career. Clay Aiken, who came in second during his season, sold 613,000 copies of his debut Measure of a Man in its first seven days out, and he ended up severing a contract with RCA after his fourth album On the Way Here sold poorly. Plus, no one would suggest that Ruben Studdard, listed here as #1, is more successful than four-time Grammy-winner Carrie Underwood. I think we're all equally sorry for 2004.

Kris Allen Predicted 75-80K First Week Sales [MjsBigBlog]



Comments

  • Drakulla says:

    Clay severed his contract because his label didn't promote his last 2 albums properly. I'd fire them too if it were me.

  • majal1 says:

    When you start comparing sales, compare sales of all the artist five or four years ago versus 2009 sales when the economy is down and people has lost their jobs. What was Beyonces sales 4 years ago compared to 2009? I bet you its down. Its all the way down. Have you heard about recession.
    Before you compare sales, go take some classes about statistic. If you looked around you, all retail stores are down from fours years to now. GOT IT?

  • frankiel says:

    Are you are economist or analyst? I bet you, you are not. Have you seen around you where people are unemployed, small companies closing its doors? IN 2009 and going forward we have recession that people tend to buy the necessity first before buying CD. Please do not compare sales of Ruben (5 years ago) and Carrie (4 years ago) or Kelly (8 years ago) to 2009 because it is not a great comparison. Just like retail stores, their sales are down? So stop steering things and appreciate that Kris Allen is doing the best he can to stay afloat and he has fans like me to stick by him regardless what.

  • KA says:

    @Louis Virtel
    Have you heard about recession. In 2008, 2009 a lot of people are unemployed and our econonomy is really bad. You cant compare sales of AI 5 or 4 years ago to todays economy. Not a great comparison. Just like all retail stores are suffering sales compared to 4 or 5 years ago. Please get your facts straight.
    By the way, who is counting anyway..... Kris Allen will haul CD sales when our economy is up and he is here to stay.

  • John says:

    The economy is down but record sales are only down 5 percent overall since the economic collapse. So Kris can't blame the economy for his crap album not selling. The album sucks I wouldn't but it. A friend of mine had it and I downloaded it into my itunes I wouldn't pay for it and glad I didn't it was crap! Danny should have won he is much better and even his dead wife could kick Kris's a@@

  • KA says:

    Where in the earth did you get your record that the economy is down 5%? on your manute mind. Thats why the retailers said, their sales is down at least 30%. Be real! Besides, why even bothering downloading Kris Allen song. You are one of those people who is always high on dope, wants flashy, glitsy and be hype all the time. Of course, you will not like Kris Allen CD. Kris Allen CD is for individual who makes sense, appreciate true music and music that you love for a lifetime. On the other hand, when you are high and the glitsy are gone, where would you be?

  • Sunnyforever says:

    19 ENTERTAINMENT spent little time promoting Kris Allen. I found out that Kris had an album out by news stories that Adam Lambert had an album out and researching why Kris was not first. I found that he was by six days.(lacking heavy Lambert fanfare) So it is not a suprise that 19's total disregard for the voting public has led to this. Do a KELLY CLARKSON. Dump the ole farts and join the living. Seek love elsewhere and your fans will follow.

  • lda says:

    Year-year comparisons are deceptive, not only due to the economy but due to several other factors. One factor is audience. If your target market is tweens/teens, there is more selling "through parents". Music critics tend to downplay teen music and tabloids/media give broader exposure to "edgy" or "crude" behavior. Another factor is "newness". When American Idol was new and exciting, there were fewer Idol winners out there saturating the marketplace and more people would have been likely to watch AI and purchase products.

  • TJ says:

    looks like Adam fans must be richer , he outsoldKris close to 3 times and if Kris has such a legion of fans, and won by such a landslide as all his fans say, then where the heck are they? it's easy to vote hundreds of times isn't it, but when it comes down to the real world, my guess is the one voter who voted thousands of times is only going to buy 1 CD if that. what a joke, so quit whining with the economy excuse and omg what slander about havingto get high to buy, now that is paranoid and mean, but understandable logic from a kfans LOL

  • Mr Guitar says:

    Carrie Underwood is amazing. I was lucky enough to see her in concert at the Strawberry Festival. Great singer

  • James, who started the show, picked the most obscure song of the night, "It's OK, It's Alright with Me," by Eric Hutchinson, a singer songwriter who is a former opening act for Kelly Clarkson. "That song was just alright with me too," ...

  • Rocket Scientists would never start building on a brand new booster rocket and not using a detailed set of design specifications. Yet most of us go blindly out into the world without an inkling of an idea about funds and with none plan at all.

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