Idol Chartwatch, September 29: Clay Aiken and Kellie Pickler Hit the Charts

Although Clay Aiken’s third release, A Thousand Different Ways, sold 205,000 copies in its first week, it wasn’t enough to surpass Justin Timberlake’s second-week sales of Future Sex/Love Sounds (217,000 copies), and ended up in second place on the Billboard 200. This is not too shabby, however, especially considering that Fergie’s The Dutchess, which was #3, sold 142,000 copies.

Clay’s first-week sales are substantially lower than those for Measure of a Man, which sold 613,000 in its first week in 2003, and Merry Christmas With Love, which rang up 270,000 copies in 2004. But these numbers reflect a downward trend in physical album sales, which are down 5 percent for the year to date over last year.

A Thousand Different Ways also hit the Digital Sales chart (#3) and the Internet Album chart (#1).

Neither Mario Vazquez’s self-titled debut nor Hedley, the first album by the band fronted by Canadian Idol 2’s third-place finisher Jacob Hoggard, charted this week.

This Week’s Idols’ Singles’ Charts

Kellie Pickler appears to have a hit on her hands with her new single, “Red High Heels.” The song, which debuted last week at #48 on the Country chart, moved up two spots to #46. Click here for a link to listen to the entire song. The song is totally Kellie and totally country! I remember being concerned that she would sound too much like Carrie Underwood, but if this song is a sample of what’s on the album, that should not be a problem. Look for her album to drop on October 31.

Here’s how the rest of the singles did this week:

• Mario Vazquez’s “Gallery” was up again on all the major charts. It was #48 on the Hot 100, #54 on the Hot 100 Airplay, #24 on the Pop 100, and #18 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart. It also turned up on the Hot Digital Tracks list (#47) and the Hot Digital Songs list (#45).
• Taylor’s “Do I Make You Proud” / “Takin’ it to the Streets” is #2 on the Single Sales chart but dropped off the Adult Contemporary listing.
• Katharine McPhee’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” / “My Destiny” was up to #3 on the Single Sales chart this week.
• Chris Daughtry’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” was up two spots to #38 on the Adult Top 40 chart.
• Ruben Studdard’s “Change Me” was #46 on the Hip Hop/R&B chart and #46 on the Hip Hop/R&B Airplay chart. It also charted on the Hot R&B Adult chart at #9.
• Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” is still rising on the charts. It was up eight more spots to #48 on the Hot 100 and was #11 (Greatest Gainer) on the Country chart. The single was also #54 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
• Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You” was #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Idol Albums

This week, American Idol Season 5 Encores rose three spots to #16 on the Top Soundtracks list.

Carrie Underwood’s Some Hearts was up one spot to #26 on the Billboard 200 and remained #3 on the Country chart. Kelly Clarkson’s CD Breakaway continues to drop, however, and ended up at #142 on this week’s Billboard 200. Miranda Lambert’s Kerosene was #54 on the Country chart.

Here’s how the Idol-related compilation albums charted this week:

• Girl Next featuring Kelly’s acoustic “Breakaway” was #190 on the Billboard 200 and #5 on the Compilation chart.
• Now That’s What I Call Music #22 (Now 22) featuring Kelly Clarkson’s “Walk Away,” along with Nick Lachey’s “What’s Left of Me,” Teddy Geiger’s (from The New Partridge Family) “For You I Will (Confidence),” Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day,” and K.T. Tunstall’s “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” was #20 on the Billboard 200 and remained #1 on the Compilation chart.
• Now That’s What I Call Music #21 (Now 21) featuring Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You” was #3 on the Compilation chart and #126 on the Billboard 200.
• Wow Gospel 2006 featuring George Huff’s “Brighter Day” was #16 on the Top Compilation chart and #6 on the Gospel listing.
• The Gospel featuring Tamyra Gray’s “Now Behold the Lamb” was #29 on the Gospel chart.

Nothing terribly exciting due out next week, so that’ll be good for Clay and maybe even Mario. The next Idol to release an album will be Ruben Studdard, whose The Return drops on October 17.

And that’s Chartwatch for this week!

Donna Reynolds is a freelance writer based in Syracuse, New York. While entertainment sustains her emotionally, she earns her daily bread by writing and editing web copy. Check out her new website at www.idolthoughts.net. Donna loves mail, so shoot her an email at foxydonna@earthlink.net.

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