Published: April 09, 2008 01:33 pm            

MUSIC: Not all Idols make the grade

While another freshman class struggles to make the grade on “American Idol,” a dozen members of the upper class have been tested in a broader arena.

Gannett News Service judges post-grad Idols, grading on record sales, airplay, creative abilities and the level of celebrity buzz sustained since their launch.

Kelly Clarkson

• Sales: A

• Airplay: A

• Artistic merit: B

• Celeb value: A

• Overall: A-

Grades predate 2007’s “My December”

• Evaluation: The show’s inaugural winner remains the most popular member of the “Idol” class, despite the unexpected mood swing and steep sales decline of last year’s angry “My December,” now at 759,000 copies, far short of “Thankful’s” 2.7 million or “Breakaway’s” 5.97 million.

• Needs to improve: The gifted belter could rebound with a swift return to the pop smarts and upbeat tone of 2004’s “Breakaway.”

Ruben Studdard

• Sales: C

• Airplay: C+

• Artistic merit: C+

• Celeb value: D+

• Overall: C

• Evaluation: After winning “Idol’s” second title, Studdard went platinum with debut “Soulful,” scoring on gospel and urban AC formats. But the velvet teddy bear has since disappeared in pop’s backwoods. Third album “The Return” entered Billboard at No. 8 in 2006, then nosedived with sales now stalled at 237,000 copies. J Records dropped him in late 2007.

• Needs to improve: To pull out of his post-grad tailspin, the balladeer needs to bring adrenalin to his delivery and a quicker pulse to his material. This Idol has been too idle, though a new deal and late-spring release may be imminent.

Clay Aiken

• Sales: A-

• Airplay: C-

• Artistic merit: C-

• Celeb value: B+

• Overall: B-

Grades predate alarming dropoff

• Evaluation: Ruben Studdard’s runner-up enjoyed huge popularity initially with early singles and debut album “Measure of a Man,” but sales have steadily fallen.

While mainstream support has eroded, Claymates remain ferociously loyal, and the geeky popster’s odd projects and antics keep him in the headlines (a memoir, “Spamalot” role, in-flight tiff).

• Needs to improve: In his easy-listening niche, he’ll always be second banana to Barry Manilow unless his songs and performances vastly sharpen. A new album arrives May 6.

Fantasia

• Sales: B

• Airplay: B

• Artistic merit: B+

• Celebrity value: B

• Overall: B

• Evaluation: Fantasia has superb pipes and a strong sense of who she is. She’s garnered five Grammy nominations, but sales have waned since her 2004 coronation and “Free Yourself” debut, and she has yet to reach the solid star footing of the R&B greats she aspires to. Her self-titled sophomore album, now at 510,000 copies, enjoyed significant urban AC and R&B airplay but no crossover action. Her profile got a huge boost with her lauded role in Broadway musical “The Color Purple.”

• Needs to improve: A savvy coterie of writers and producers and a mixture of such R&B sizzlers as “When I See U” and more pop-friendly tunes could sweeten Fantasia’s appeal.

Jennifer Hudson

• Sales: Incomplete

• Airplay: Incomplete

• Artistic merit: B-

• Celebrity value: A

• Overall: B

• Evaluation: The third-season finalist might have remained a footnote in “Idol’s” yearbook if not for her Oscar-winning portrayal of Effie White in “Dreamgirls,” a role Fantasia also pursued. Hudson shares a big chunk of credit for the success of the “Dreamgirls” soundtrack, which contained her showstopping “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” but the key test will come with the release of her solo debut later this year.

• Needs to improve: “Dreamgirls” showcased diva bombast. Hudson needs to demonstrate a greater range of emotions and vocal skills to win over a pop audience.

Carrie Underwood

• Sales: A+

• Airplay: A+

• Artistic merit: B+

• Celebrity value: B

• Overall: A-

• Evaluation: A singer of indisputable technical prowess, the fourth season champ has all but hijacked country charts and radio since 2005’s hit-heavy debut “Some Hearts,” which sold 6.3 million copies. That momentum has continued with 2007’s “Carnival Ride,” an artistic leap with sales nearing 2 million. An award magnet firmly established as a country superstar, Underwood seems unstoppable.

• Needs to improve: With her enviable high profile and commercial clout, Underwood won’t seek a makeover, but her colorless personality and robotic delivery could prove problematic if the quality of her songs begins to slip.

Taylor Hicks

• Sales: D

• Airplay: D

• Artistic merit: B+

• Celebrity value: C-

• Overall: C-

• Evaluation: The Soul Patrol apparently went AWOL after cheering Hicks to victory in the fifth season. Though his self-titled major-label debut entered Billboard at No. 2 in late 2006, the solid, blues-inspired set quickly vanished from the chart, and the independent-minded musician was dropped by Arista a year later. The album has sold 701,000 copies to date, modest by Idol standards.

• Needs to improve: This industry dropout seems content to carry on without aspiring to the higher-profile honors sought by his “Idol” classmates. Like other Most Popular titleholders, he might have peaked during competition. Tutoring and a strong collection of radio-aimed rock-flavored tunes could restore some standing.

Chris Daughtry

• Sales: A

• Airplay: A

• Artistic merit: C

• Celebrity value: C

• Overall: B

• Evaluation: Daughtry, the fifth season’s fourth-place finalist, eclipsed the pack after finding a huge audience with his Fuel-fueled brand of mainstream rock. Debut “Daughtry,” boosted by airplay on several formats, reached No. 1 and broke sales records during its multiplatinum climb. He’s now at 3.9 million copies.

n Needs to improve: Daughtry may need more than Nickelback knockoffs to stay in the game. And he could tweak that surly demeanor to enhance his media magnetism.

Jordin Sparks

• Sales: B-

• Airplay: B

• Artistic merit: B

• Celebrity value: B

• Overall: B

• Evaluation: It’s too early to predict whether the sixth-season and youngest-ever winner will fulfill her potential. The sparkling age-appropriate pop of her eponymous debut album, currently the highest-ranking Idol album on Billboard at No. 25, earned favorable reviews and sold respectably (612,000 copies to date), with downloads especially brisk. Her opening slot on Alicia Keys’ tour is a major coup.

• Needs to improve: The “Idol” stable is getting crowded, and Season 6 was particularly forgettable, so Sparks must hustle to keep an audience tuned to her music. No naps in study hall.

Blake Lewis

• Sales: D+

• Airplay: D

• Artistic merit: C-

• Celebrity value: C-

• Overall: C-

• Evaluation: The beatbox enthusiast’s “Audio Day Dream,” an ambitious but tedious debut, went ignored on radio and sold 261,000 copies before falling off the chart, leaving last year’s runner-up facing a long recess. His total is idling at 284,000.

n Needs to improve: Immediate intervention required to wean Lewis off his unhealthy addiction to an outmoded hip-hop vocal percussion gimmick. Otherwise, he’s on the path to obscurity.

Katharine McPhee

• Sales: C-

• Airplay: C-

• Artistic merit: B-

• Celebrity value: B+

• Overall: C

• Evaluation: McPhee’s undeniable beauty compensated for her unremarkable voice, aiding a steady march to second place in 2006. Post-season, she appealed to celebrity magazines more than music fans. Her self-titled debut bowed at No. 2 after selling 116,000 copies its first week, but has stalled short of gold status at 369,000. She was dropped by RCA.

• Needs to improve: Careful choices and more experience in recording, touring, acting and modeling could pay off in a well-rounded, if low-key, showbiz career.

Elliott Yamin

• Sales: B+

• Airplay: B+

• Artistic merit: B

• Celebrity value: C-

• Overall: B

n• Evaluation: Yamin, a 2006 finalist, is a versatile singer who has performed above expectations but remains mostly invisible. His self-titled, indie-label 2007 debut album landed at No. 3 in Billboard before reaching gold and spawning a top-five hit (“Wait for You”) on AC and top-40 formats.

• Needs to improve: Yamin is battling the proverbial nice-guy syndrome that threatens to keep him beneath the radar. He’s a solid stylist who could build a following with time, patience and mainstream tunes that avoid sap and slickness.



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* Is "American Idol" finally ready to fall? Read Paul Lane's column on the subject only in the April 10 Night & Day.

        

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