History
''American Idol'' was based on the British show ''Judges and hosts
Judges
The show had originally planned on having four judges following the ''Pop Idol'' format; however, only three judges had been found by the time of the audition round in the first season, namely Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. A fourth judge, radio DJHosts
The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman following the format of ''Pop Idol'' of using two presenters. Dunkleman quit thereafter, making Seacrest the sole emcee of the show starting with the second season in 2003. Seacrest has remained as the sole emcee of American Idol ever since, with the exception of the two-year hiatus between 2016 and 2018 as well as April 8, 2019, when Bobby Bones subbed for Seacrest after the latter fell ill. Dunkleman did, however, return for the initial series finale on Fox in 2016 as a guest.Selection process
In a series of steps, the show selected the eventual winner out of many tens of thousands of contestants.Contestant eligibility
The eligible age-range for contestants is fifteen to twenty-eight years old. The initial age limit was sixteen to twenty-four in the first three seasons, but the upper limit was raised to twenty-eight in the fourth season, and the lower limit was reduced to fifteen in the tenth season. The contestants have to be legal U.S. residents, can not have advanced to particular stages of the competition in previous seasons, and must not have held a current recording or talent representation contract by the semi-final stage (in previous years by the audition stage).Initial auditions
For the first eighteen seasons, contestants went through at least three sets of cuts. The first was a brief audition with a few other contestants in front of selectors which may include one of the show's producers. Although auditions can exceed 10,000 in each city, only a few hundred of these made it past the preliminary round of auditions. Successful contestants then sing in front of producers, where more may be cut. Only then can they proceed to audition in front of the judges, which is the only audition stage shown on television. Those selected by the judges are sent to Hollywood. Between 10 and 60 people in each city may make it to Hollywood. From the nineteenth season onwards, contestants request aHollywood week
Once in Hollywood, the contestants performed individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Until the tenth season, there were usually three rounds of eliminations in Hollywood. In the first round the contestants emerged in groups but performed individually. For the next round, the contestants put themselves in small groups and performed a song together. In the final round, the contestants performed solo with a song of their choice a cappella or accompanied by a banddepending on the season. In the second and third seasons, contestants were also asked to write original lyrics or melody in an additional round after the first round. In the seventh season, the group round was eliminated and contestants may, after a first solo performance and on judges approval, skip a second solo round and move directly to the final Hollywood round. In the twelfth season, the executive producers split up the females and males and chose the members to form the groups in the group round. In the tenth and eleventh seasons, a further round was added in Las Vegas, where the contestants performed in groups based on a theme, followed by one final solo round to determine the semi-finalists. At the end of this stage of the competition, 24 to 36 contestants were selected to move on to the semi-final stage. In the twelfth season the Las Vegas round became a Sudden Death round, where the judges had to choose five guys and five girls each night (four nights) to make the top twenty. In the thirteenth season, the Las Vegas round was eliminated and a new round called "Hollywood or Home" was added, where if the judges were uncertain about some contestants, those contestants were required to perform soon after landing in Los Angeles, and those who failed to impress were sent back home before they reached Hollywood. In the fourteenth season, the "Hollywood or Home" round was dropped, and a Showcase round was added, where the contestants performed at theAudience voting
From the semi-finals onward, the fate of the contestants was decided by public vote. During the contestant's performance as well as the recap at the end, aSemi-finals
In the first three seasons, the semi-finalists were split into different groups to perform individually in their respective night. In the first season, there were three groups of ten, with the top three contestants from each group making the finals. In the second and third seasons, there were four groups of eight, and the top two of each selected. These seasons also featured a wildcard round, where contestants who failed to qualify were given another chance. In the first season, only one wildcard contestant was chosen by the judges, giving a total of ten finalists. In the second and third seasons, each of the three judges championed one contestant with the public advancing a fourth into the finals, making 12 finalists in all. From the fourth through seventh and ninth seasons, the twenty-four semi-finalists were divided by gender in order to ensure an equal gender division in the top twelve. The men and women sang separately on consecutive nights, and the bottom two in each groups were eliminated each week until only six of each remained to form the top twelve. The wildcard round returned in the eighth season, wherein there were three groups of twelve, with three contestants moving forward – the highest male, the highest female, and the next highest-placed singer – for each night, and four wildcards were chosen by the judges to produce a final 13. Starting in tenth season, the girls and boys perform on separate nights. In the tenth and eleventh seasons, five of each gender were chosen, and three wildcards were chosen by the judges to form a final 13. In the twelfth season, the top twenty semifinalists were split into gender groups, with five of each gender advancing to form the final 10. In the thirteenth season, there were thirty semifinalists, but only twenty semifinalists (ten for each gender) were chosen by the judges to perform on the live shows, with five in each gender based on the vote and three wildcards chosen by the judges composing the final 13. In the fourteenth season, the top 24 performed atFinals
The finals were broadcast in prime time from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, in front of a live studio audience (except the eighteenth season, due to theSeason finale
The finale is a two-hour episode which is always the last episode of the season, culminating in revealing the winner. For the first, third through sixth and fourteenth through fifteenth seasons it was broadcast from the Dolby Theatre, which has an audience capacity of approximately 3,400. The second-season finale took place at theRewards for winner and finalists
The winner received a record deal with a major label, which may be for up to six albums, and secures a management contract with ''American Idol''-affiliated 19 Management (which has theSeries overview
Color key ;NotesSeason synopses
Each season premieres with the audition round, taking place in different cities. The audition episodes typically feature a mix of potential finalists, interesting characters and woefully inadequate contestants. Each successful contestant receives a golden ticket to proceed on to the next round in Hollywood. Based on their performances during the Hollywood round (Las Vegas round from the tenth through twelfth seasons), 24 to 36 contestants are selected by the judges to participate in the semifinals. From the semifinals onward the contestants perform their songs live, with the judges making their critiques after each performance. The contestants are voted for by the viewing public, and the outcome of the public votes is then revealed during a results segment. The results segment feature group performances by the contestants as well as guest performers. The Top-three results also features homecoming events for the Top 3 finalists. The season reaches its climax in a two-hour results finale show, where the winner of the season is revealed. With the exception of the first two seasons, the contestants in the semifinals onward perform in front of a studio audience. They perform with a full band in the finals. The current musical director is Kris Pooley, who has been with the show since the sixteenth season. In previous seasons, the ''American Idol'' band was led by2002–2016: Fox
Season 1
The first season of ''American Idol'' debuted as a summer replacement show in June 2002 on the Fox network. It was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. In the audition rounds, 121 contestants were selected from around 10,000 who attended the auditions. These were cut to 30 for the semifinal, with ten going on to the finals. One semifinalist, Delano Cagnolatti, was disqualified for lying to evade the show's age limit. One of the early favorites,Season 2
Following the success of the first season, the second season was moved up to air in January 2003. The number of episodes increased, as did the show's budget and the charge for commercial spots. Dunkleman left the show, leaving Seacrest as the lone host.Season 3
The third season premiered on January 19, 2004. One of the most talked-about contestants during the audition process was William Hung whose off-key rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" received widespread attention. His exposure on ''Idol'' landed him a record deal and surprisingly he became the American Idol alumni album sales, third best-selling singer from that season. Much media attention on the season had been focused on the three black singers,Season 4
The fourth season premiered on January 18, 2005; this was the first full season of the series to be aired in high definition; the finale of the third season was also aired in high definition. The number of those attending the auditions by now had increased to over 100,000 from the 10,000 of the first season. The age limit was raised to 28 in this season, and among those who benefited from this new rule were Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice, the two rockers of the show. The top 12 finalists originally included Mario Vazquez, but he dropped out citing 'personal reasons' and was replaced by Nikko Smith. Later, an employee of Fremantle Media, which produces the show, sued the company for wrongful termination, claiming that he was dismissed after complaining about lewd behavior by Vazquez toward him during the show. During the top 11 week, due to a mix-up with the contestants' telephone number, voting was repeated on what was normally the result night, with the result reveal postponed until the following night. In May 2005, Carrie Underwood was announced the winner, with Bice the runner-up. Both Underwood and Bice released the coronation song "Inside Your Heaven", with Underwood's version of the song making her the first country artist ever to debut at number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. As of 2015, Underwood has become the most successful ''Idol'' contestant in the U.S., selling 16 million albums in the country, while selling a total of 65 million records worldwide.Season 5
The fifth season began on January 17, 2006. It remains the highest-rated season in the show's run so far. Two of the more prominent contestants during the Hollywood round were the Brittenum twins who were later disqualified for identity theft. Chris Daughtry's performance of Fuel (band), Fuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" on the show was widely praised and led to an invitation to join the band as Fuel's new lead singer, an invitation he declined. His performance of Live (band), Live's version of "I Walk the Line" was well received by the judges but later criticized in some quarters for not crediting the arrangement to Live. He was eliminated at the top four in a shocking result. On May 30, 2006, Taylor Hicks was named ''American Idol'', with Katharine McPhee the runner-up. "Do I Make You Proud" was released as Hicks' first single and McPhee's was "My Destiny (Katharine McPhee song), My Destiny". Despite being eliminated earlier in the season, Chris Daughtry (as lead of the band Daughtry (band), Daughtry) became the most successful recording artist from this season. Other contestants, such as Hicks, McPhee, Bucky Covington, Mandisa, Kellie Pickler, and Elliott Yamin have had varying levels of success.Season 6
The sixth season began on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. The premiere drew a massive audience of 37.3 million viewers, peaking in the last half hour with more than 41 million viewers. Teenager Sanjaya Malakar was the season's most talked-about contestant for his unusual hairdo, and for managing to survive elimination for many weeks due in part to the weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality Howard Stern, who both encouraged fans to vote for him. However, on the Top 7 results, Sanjaya was voted off. This season saw the first ''Idol Gives Back'' telethon-inspired event, which raised more than $76 million in corporate and viewer donations. No contestant was eliminated that week, but two (Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson) were eliminated the next. In the May 23 season finale, Jordin Sparks was declared the winner with the runner-up being Blake Lewis. Sparks has had some success as a recording artist post-''Idol''. This season also saw the launch of the ''American Idol'' Songwriter contest which allows fans to vote for the "coronation song". Thousands of recordings of original songs were submitted by songwriters, and 20 entries selected for the public vote. The winning song, "This Is My Now", was performed by both finalists during the finale and released by Sparks on May 24, 2007.Season 7
The seventh season premiered on January 15, 2008, for a two-day, four-hour premiere. The media focused on the professional status of the seventh season contestants, the so-called 'ringers', many of whom, including Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke White, Michael Johns (singer), Michael Johns, and in particular Carly Smithson, had prior recording contracts. Contestant David Hernandez (singer), David Hernandez also attracted some attention due to his past employment as a stripper. For the finals, ''American Idol'' debuted a new state-of-the-art set and stage on March 11, 2008, along with a new on-air look.Season 8
The eighth season premiered on January 13, 2009. Mike Darnell, the president of alternative programming for Fox, stated that the season would focus more on the contestants' personal life. In the first major change to the judging panel, a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, was introduced. This was also the first season without executive producerSeason 9
The ninth season premiered on January 12, 2010. The upheaval at the judging panel continued. Ellen DeGeneres joined as a judge to replace Paula Abdul at the start of Hollywood Week. One of the most prominent auditioners this season was General Larry Platt whose performance of "Pants on the Ground" became a viral hit song. Crystal Bowersox, who has Diabetes mellitus type 1, Type-I diabetes, fell ill due to diabetic ketoacidosis on the morning of the girls performance night for the top 20 week and was hospitalized. The schedule was rearranged so the boys performed first and she could perform the following night instead; she later revealed that Ken Warwick, the show producer, wanted to disqualify her but she begged to be allowed to stay on the show. Michael Lynche was the lowest vote getter at top nine and was given the Judges' Save. The next week Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia were eliminated. That week, Adam Lambert was invited back to be a mentor, the first ''Idol'' alum to do so. ''Idol Gives Back'' returned this season on April 21, 2010, and raised $45 million. A special tribute to Simon Cowell was presented in the finale for his final season with the show. Many figures from the show's past, including Paula Abdul, made an appearance. The final two contestants were Lee DeWyze and Bowersox. DeWyze was declared the winner during the May 26 finale. No new song was used as coronation song this year; instead, the two finalists each released a cover song – DeWyze chose U2's "Beautiful Day", and Bowersox chose Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song), Up to the Mountain". This is the first season where neither finalist achieved significant album sales.Season 10
The tenth season premiered on January 19, 2011. Many changes were introduced this season, from the format to the personnel of the show. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined Randy Jackson as judges following the departures of Simon Cowell (who left to launch the American version of ''The X Factor (American TV series), The X Factor''), Kara DioGuardi (whose contract was not renewed) and Ellen DeGeneres, whileSeason 11
The eleventh season premiered on January 18, 2012. One more finalist would join the Top 24 making it the Top 25, which was later revealed to be Jermaine Jones (singer), Jermaine Jones. However, on March 14, Jones was disqualified in 12th place for concealing arrests and outstanding warrants. Jones denied the accusation that he concealed his arrests. Finalist Phillip Phillips suffered from kidney pain and was taken to the hospital before the Top 13 results show, and later received medical procedure to alleviate a blockage caused by kidney stones. He was reported to have eight surgeries during his Idol run, and had considered quitting the show due to the pain. He underwent surgery to remove the stones and reconstruct his kidney soon after the season had finished. Jessica Sanchez received the fewest votes during the Top 7 week, and the judges decided to use their "save" option on her, making her the first female recipient of the save. The following week, unlike previous seasons, Colton Dixon was the only contestant sent home. Sanchez later made the final two, the first season where a recipient of the save reached the finale. Phillips became the winner, beating Sanchez. During the finale, fifth season finalist Ace Young proposed marriage to third season runner-up Diana DeGarmo on stage – which she accepted. Phillips released "Home (Phillip Phillips song), Home" as his coronation song, while Sanchez released "Change Nothing (song), Change Nothing". Phillips' "Home" has since become the best selling of all coronation songs, with over 5 million copies sold.Season 12
The twelfth season premiered on January 16, 2013. Judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler left the show after two seasons. This season's judging panel consisted of Randy Jackson, along with Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj. This was the first season since the ninth season to have four judges on the panel. The pre-season buzz and the early episodes of the show were dominated by the feud between the judges Minaj and Carey after a video of their dispute was leaked to TMZ (website), TMZ. The top 10 contestants started with five males and five females, however, the males were eliminated consecutively in the first five weeks, with Lazaro Arbos the last male to be eliminated. For the first time in the show's history, the top 5 contestants were all female. It was also the first time that the judges' "save" was not used, the top four contestants were therefore given an extra week to perform again with their votes carried over with no elimination in the first week. 23-year-old Candice Glover won the season with Kree Harrison taking the runner-up spot. Glover is the first female to win ''American Idol'' since Jordin Sparks. Glover released "I Am Beautiful" as a single while Harrison released "All Cried Out (Kree Harrison song), All Cried Out" immediately after the show. Glover sold poorly with her debut album, and this is also the first season that the runner-up was not signed by a music label. Towards the end of the season, Randy Jackson, the last remaining of the original judges, would no longer serve as a judge to pursue other business ventures. Both judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj also decided to leave after one season to focus on their music careers.Season 13
The thirteenth season premiered on January 15, 2014. Randy Jackson andSeason 14
The fourteenth season premiered on January 7, 2015. Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr. returned for their respective fourth, third and second seasons as judges. Eighth season runner-up Adam Lambert filled in for Urban during the New York City auditions. Randy Jackson did not return as the in-house mentor for this season. Scott Borchetta replaced Jackson as the mentor. Changes this season include only airing one episode a week during the final ten. Coca-Cola ended their longtime sponsorship of the show and Ford Motor Company maintained a reduced role. The winner of the season also received a recording contract withSeason 15
Fox announced on May 11, 2015 that the fifteenth season would be the final season of ''American Idol''; as such, the season was expected to have an additional focus on the program's alumni. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, with Harry Connick Jr., Keith Urban, and Jennifer Lopez all returning as judges. The fifteenth season premiered on January 6, 2016. The season was shortened by four weeks compared to previous years. During the finale episode, President Barack Obama praised the millions of young people that voted for contestants and pitched that they vote in the upcoming 2016 United States presidential election, election. The farewell season concluded on April 7, 2016. Seacrest signed off by saying: "And one more time—this is so tough—we say to you from Hollywood, goodnight America", and then he added, "for now." Trent Harmon won the season against runner-up La'Porsha Renae. Harmon released "Falling (Trent Harmon song), Falling" co-written by Keith Urban as his coronation song. Renae's "Battles (La'Porsha Renae song), Battles", third-place finisher Dalton Rapattoni's "Strike A Match" and fourth-place finisher MacKenzie Bourg's "Roses (MacKenzie Bourg song), Roses" were also released as singles.2018–present: ABC revival
In early 2017, ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' reported that Fremantle Media was in talks to revive the show for NBC or for its original network, Fox. A dispute between Fremantle and Core Media Group derailed these plans. In May 2017, ABC was making a bid to revive the program. ABC acquired the rights to the series, and ''American Idol'' returned for the 2017–18 television season.Season 16
Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were the three judges and Ryan Seacrest returned as host. The sixteenth season premiered on March 11, 2018. The season was again shortened compared to the previous season to twelve weeks, with multiple elimination in the final rounds. Unlike previous seasons where only two finalists remained in the final episode, three finalists performed in the finale. On May 21, 2018 the season concluded with Maddie Poppe crowned the winner, beating Caleb Lee Hutchinson as runner-up and Gabby Barrett in third place. Her winning song was "Going, Going, Gone (Maddie Poppe song), Going, Going, Gone". Caleb Lee Hutchinson released "Johnny Cash Heart" as a single, while Gabby Barrett's song was "Rivers Deep".Season 17
ABC renewed the revival series for another season. Bryan, Perry and Richie returned as judges, while Seacrest returned as host. The seventeenth season premiered on March 3, 2019. For the finale, the show no longer features separate performance and result shows. On May 19, 2019 the season concluded with three finalists, with Madison VanDenburg eliminated in third place after performing two songs, and the final two performing their last song. For the first time, there were no separate performance and grand finale shows this season. Laine Hardy was crowned the winner and Alejandro Aranda runner-up. Hardy released a single, "Flame (Laine Hardy song), Flame", immediately after the win, but Aranda did not. However, Aranda later released a song he performed in the finale, "Tonight", under the name Scarypoolparty on June 28, 2019.Season 18
On May 13, 2019, the series was renewed for an eighteenth season and premiered on February 16, 2020. Seacrest returned as the host. For the first time, due to the ongoingSeason 19
On May 15, 2020, ABC renewed the series for a nineteenth season. In August, it was announced that Seacrest would be returning as host and that Bryan, Perry and Richie would again be judges. Later in October, it was announced that Bobby Bones will return as mentor. On November 10, they announced the season will premiere on February 14, 2021. Chayce Beckham was crowned the winner, while Willie Spence finished as the runner-up. "23", the song Chayce Beckham wrote and performed for Top 4, was released as his debut song.Season 20
On May 13, 2021, ABC renewed the series for a twentieth season. In August, it was announced that Seacrest would be returning as host and that Bryan, Perry and Richie would again be judges. On December 2, they announced the season will premiere on February 27, 2022. On December 31, it was announced that Bones would not be returning as a mentor. Noah Thompson was crowned the winner, with HunterGirl finishing as the runner-up. "One Day Tonight", the song Noah Thompson performed for the Grand Finale, was released as his debut song.Season 21
On May 13, 2022, ABC renewed the series for a twenty-first season. In July, it was announced that Seacrest would be returning as host and that Bryan, Perry and Richie would again be judges. On November 7, they announced the season will premiere on February 19, 2023.Reception
U.S. television ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''American Idol''. It holds the distinction of having the longest winning streak in the Nielsen ratings, Nielsen annual television ratings; it became the highest-rated of all television programs in the United States overall for an unprecedented seven consecutive years, or eight consecutive (and total) years when either its performance or result show was ranked number one overall. :''Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.'' ''American Idol'' premiered in June 2002 and became the surprise summer hit show of 2002. The first show drew 9.9 million viewers, giving Fox the best viewing figure for the 8.30 pm spot in over a year. The audience steadily grew, and by finale night, the audience had averaged 23 million, with more than 40 million watching some part of that show. That episode was placed third amongst all age groups, but more importantly it led in the key demographic, 18–49 demographic, the age group most valued by advertisers. The growth continued into the next season, starting with a season premiere of 26.5 million. The season attracted an average of 21.7 million viewers, and was placed second overall amongst the 18–49 age group. The finale night when Ruben Studdard won over Clay Aiken was also the highest-rated ever ''American Idol'' episode at 38.1 million for the final hour. By the third season, the show had become the top show in the 18–49 demographic a position it has held for all subsequent years up to and including the tenth season, and its competition stages ranked first in the nationwide overall ratings. By the fourth season, ''American Idol'' had become the most-watched series amongst all viewers on American TV for the first time, with an average viewership of 26.8 million. The show reached its peak in the fifth season with numbers averaging 30.6 million per episode, and this season remains the highest-rated of the series. The sixth season premiered with the series' highest-rated debut episode and a few of its succeeding episodes rank among the most-watched episodes of ''American Idol.'' During this time, many television executives begun to regard the show as a programming force unlike any seen before, as its consistent dominance of up to two hours two or three nights a week exceeded the 30- or 60-minute reach of previous hits such as NBC's ''The Cosby Show''. The show was dubbed "the Graveyard slot#Opposite dominant television series, Death Star", and competing networks often rearranged their schedules in order to minimize losses. However, the sixth season also showed a steady decline in viewership over the course of the season. The season finale saw a drop in ratings of 16% from the previous year. The sixth season was the first season wherein the average results show rated higher than the competition stages (unlike in the previous seasons), and became the second-highest-rated of the series after the preceding season. The loss of viewers continued into the seventh season. The premiere was down 11% among total viewers, and the results show in which Kristy Lee Cook was eliminated delivered its lowest-rated Wednesday show among the 18–34 demo since the first season in 2002. However, the ratings rebounded for the seventh-season finale with the excitement over the battle of the Davids, and improved over the sixth season as the series' third most watched finale. The strong finish of season seven also helped Fox become the most watched TV network in the country for the first time since its inception, a first ever in American television history for a non-Big Three television networks, Big Three major broadcast network. Overall ratings for the season were down 10% from the sixth season, which is in line with the fall in viewership across all networks due in part to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. The declining trend however continued into the eighth season, as total viewers numbers fell by 5–10% for early episodes compared to the seventh season, and by 9% for the finale. In the ninth season, ''Idol'' six-year extended streak of perfection in the ratings was broken, when NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 17 beat ''Idol'' in the same time slot with 30.1 million viewers over ''Idols 18.4 million. Nevertheless, ''American Idol'' overall finished its ninth season as the most watched TV series for the sixth year running, breaking the previous record of five consecutive seasons achieved by CBS' ''All in the Family'' and NBC's ''The Cosby Show''. In the tenth season, the total viewer numbers for the first week of shows fell 12–13%, and by up to 23% in the 18–49 demo compared to the ninth season. Later episodes, however, retained viewers better, and the season ended on a high with a significant increase in viewership for the finale – up 12% for the adults 18–49 demographic and a 21% increase in total viewers from the ninth-season finale. While the overall viewer number has increased this season, its viewer demographics have continued to age year on year – the median age this season was 47.2 compared to a median age of 32.1 in its first season. The demographics also became "whiter" over time and less diverse. Nevertheless, in the 2010–11 television season, Fox maintained its lead on over other networks with its seventh consecutive season of victory overall in the 18–49 demographic ratings in the United States. The eleventh season, however, suffered a steep drop in ratings, a drop attributed by some to the arrival of new shows such as ''The Voice (U.S.), The Voice'' and ''The X Factor (U.S. TV series), The X Factor''. The ratings for the first two episodes of the eleventh season fell 16–21% in overall viewer numbers and 24–27% in the 18/49 demo, while the season finale fell 27% in total viewer number and 30% in the 18–49 demo. The average viewership for the season fell below 20 million viewers the first time since 2003, a drop of 23% in total viewers and 30% in the 18/49 demo. For the first time in eight years, ''American Idol'' lost the leading position in both the total viewers number and the 18/49 demo, coming in second to ''NBC Sunday Night Football'', although the strengths of ''Idol'' in its second year in the Wednesday-Thursday primetime slots helped Fox achieve the longest period of 18–49 demographic victory in the Nielsen ratings, standing at 8 straight years from 2004 to 2012. The loss of viewers continued into the twelfth season, which saw the show hitting a number of series low in the 18–49 demo. The finale had 7.2 million fewer viewers than the previous season, and saw a drop of 44% in the 18–49 demo. The season viewers averaged at 13.3 million, a drop of 24% from the previous season. The thirteenth season suffered a huge decline in the 18–49 demographic, a drop of 28% from the twelfth season, and ''American Idol'' lost its Top 10 position in the Nielsen ratings by the end of the 2013–14 television season for the first time since its entry to the rankings in 2003 as a result, and never regained its Top 10 position by the series' end in 2016. The continuing decline influenced further changes for the fourteenth season, including the loss of Coca-Cola as the show's major sponsor, and a decision to only broadcast one, two-hour show per week during the top 12 rounds (with results from the previous week integrated into the performance show, rather than having a separate results show). On May 11, 2015, prior to the fourteenth-season finale, Fox announced that the fifteenth season of ''American Idol'' would be its last. Despite these changes, the show's ratings would decline more sharply. The fourteenth-season finale was the lowest-rated finale ever, with an average of only 8.03 million viewers watching the finale. The show's ratings, however, rebounded in its final season and ended its run in 2016 as Fox's first-ever program to conclude its run without dropping from the Nielsen Top 30 most-watched television shows in each of its seasons. For the revived series on ABC, the ratings were lower but remained stable compared to previous seasons on Fox. The finale of the seventeenth season was slightly more watched than the sixteenth.Critical reception
Early reviews were mixed in their assessment. Ken Tucker of ''Entertainment Weekly'' considered that "As TV, ''American Idol'' is crazily entertaining; as music, it's dust-mote inconsequential". Others, however, thought that "the most striking aspect of the series was the genuine talent it revealed". It was also described as a "sadistic musical bake-off", and "a romp in humiliation". Other aspects of the show have attracted criticisms. The product placement in the show in particular was noted, and some critics were harsh about what they perceived as its blatant commercial calculations – Karla Peterson of ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' charged that ''American Idol'' is "a conniving multimedia monster" that has "absorbed the sin of our debauched culture and spit them out in a lump of reconstituted evil". The decision to send the first season winner to sing the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2002 was also poorly received by many. Lisa de Moraes of ''The Washington Post'' noted sarcastically that "The terrorists have won" and, with a sideswipe at the show's commercialism and voting process, that the decision as to who "gets to turn this important site into just another cog in the 'Great ''American Idol'' Marketing Mandala' is in the hands of the millions of girls who have made ''American Idol'' a hit. Them and a handful of phone-redialer geeks who have been clocking up to 10,000 calls each week for their contestant of choice (but who, according to Fox, are in absolutely no way skewing the outcome)." Some of the later writers about the show were more positive, Michael Slezak, again of ''Entertainment Weekly'', thought that "for all its bloated, synthetic, product-shilling, money-making trappings, ''Idol'' provides a once-a-year chance for the average American to combat the evils of today's music business." Singer Sheryl Crow, who was later to act as a mentor on the show, however took the view that the show "undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism". Pop music critic Ann Powers nevertheless suggested that Idol has "reshaped the American songbook", "led us toward a new way of viewing ourselves in relationship to mainstream popular culture", and connects "the classic Hollywood dream to the multicentered popular culture of the future." Others focused on the personalities in the show; Ramin Setoodeh of ''Newsweek'' accused judge Simon Cowell's cruel critiques in the show of helping to establish in the wider world a culture of meanness, that "Simon Cowell has dragged the rest of us in the mud with him." Some such as singer John Mayer disparaged the contestants, suggesting that those who appeared on ''Idol'' are not real artists with self-respect. Some in the entertainment industry were critical of the star-making aspect of the show. Usher (entertainer), Usher, a mentor on the show, bemoaning the loss of the "true art form of music", thought that shows like ''American Idol'' made it seem "so easy that everyone can do it, and that it can happen overnight", and that "television is a lie". Musician Michael Feinstein, while acknowledging that the show had uncovered promising performers, said that ''American Idol'' "isn't really about music. It's about all the bad aspects of the music business – the arrogance of commerce, this sense of 'I know what will make this person a star; artists themselves don't know.' " That ''American Idol'' is seen to be a fast track to success for its contestants has been a cause of resentment for some in the industry. LeAnn Rimes, commenting on Carrie Underwood winning Best Female Artist in Country Music Awards over Faith Hill in 2006, said that "Carrie has not paid her dues long enough to fully deserve that award". It is a common theme that has been echoed by many others. Elton John, who had appeared as a mentor in the show but turned down an offer to be a judge on ''American Idol'', commenting on talent shows in general, said that "there have been some good acts but the only way to sustain a career is to pay your dues in small clubs". ''American Idol'' revolutionized American pop culture and the pop idol process and has provided an opportunity for many to bypass the small club scene and allow a much larger audience to participate in and select the next potential chart topping performer. The success of the show's alumni, however, has led to a more positive assessment of the show, and the show was described as having "proven it has a valid way to pick talent and a proven way to sell records". While the industry is divided on the show success, its impact is felt particularly strongly in the country music format. According to a Country Music Television, CMT exec, reflecting on the success of Idol alumni in the country genre, "if you want to try and get famous fast by going to a cattle call audition on TV, Idol reasonably remains the first choice for anyone", and that country music and Idol "go together well". ''American Idol'' was nominated for the Emmy's Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, Outstanding Reality Competition Program for nine years but never won. Director Bruce Gower won a Primetime Emmy Award for 61st Primetime Emmy Awards#Directing, Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series in 2009, and the show won a Creative Arts Emmy Award, Creative Arts Emmys each in 2007 and 2008, three in 2009, and two in 2011, as well as a Emmy Award#Other Emmys, Governor's Award in 2007 for its Idol Gives Back edition. It won the People's Choice Award, which honors the popular culture of the previous year as voted by the public, for favorite competition/reality show in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. It won the first Critics' Choice Television Award in 2011 for Best Reality Competition. In 2013, TV Guide ranked the series No. 48 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.Geographical, ethnic, and gender bias
Throughout the series, twelve of the seventeen ''Idol'' winners, including its first five, had come from the Southern United States. A large number of other finalists during the series' run have also hailed from the American South, including Clay Aiken, Kellie Pickler, and Chris Daughtry, who are all from North Carolina. In 2012, an analysis of the 131 contestants who have appeared in the finals of all seasons of the show up to that point found that 48% have some connection to the Southern United States. The show itself was popular in the Southern United States, with households in the Southeastern United States 10% more likely to watch ''American Idol'' during the eighth season in 2009, and those in the East Central region, such as Kentucky, were 16 percent more likely to tune into the series. Data from Nielsen SoundScan, a music-sales tracking service, showed that of the 47 million CDs sold by ''Idol'' contestants through January 2010, 85 percent were by contestants with ties to the American South. Theories given for the success of Southerners on ''Idol'' have been: more versatility with musical genres, as the Southern U.S. is home to several music genre scenes; not having as many opportunities to break into the pop music business; text-voting due to the South having the highest percentage of cell-phone only households; and the strong heritage of music and singing, which is notable in the Bible Belt, where it is in church that many people get their start in public singing. Others also suggest that the Southern character of these contestants appeal to the South, as well as local pride. According to fifth season winner Taylor Hicks, who is from the state of Alabama, "People in the South have a lot of pride ... So, they're adamant about supporting the contestants who do well from their state or region." For five consecutive seasons, starting in the seventh season, the title was given to a white male who plays the guitar – a trend that ''Idol'' pundits call the "White guy with guitar" or "WGWG" factor. Just hours before the eleventh-season finale, where Phillip Phillips was named the winner, Richard Rushfield, author of the book ''American Idol: The Untold Story'', said, "You have this alliance between young girls and grandmas and they see it, not necessarily as a contest to create a pop star competing on the contemporary radio, but as .... who's the nicest guy in a popularity contest", he says, "And that has led to this dynasty of four, and possibly now five, consecutive, affable, very nice, good-looking white boys."Controversy
The show was criticized in earlier seasons over the onerous contract contestants had to sign that gave excessive control toCultural impact
Television
The enormous success of the show and the revenue it generated were transformative for the Fox Broadcasting Company. ''American Idol'' and other shows such as ''Survivor (U.S. TV series), Survivor'' and ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (U.S. game show), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' were credited for expanding reality television programming in the United States in the 1990s and 2000s, and ''Idol'' became the most watched non-scripted primetime television series, which it remained for almost a decade, from 2003 to 2012, breaking records on U.S. television (dominated by drama shows and sitcoms in the preceding decades). The show pushed Fox to become the number one U.S. TV network among adults aged 18–49, the key demographic coveted by advertisers, for an unprecedented eight consecutive years by 2012. Its success also helped lift the ratings of other shows that were scheduled around it such as ''House (TV series), House'' and ''Bones (TV series), Bones'', and ''Idol'', for years, was Fox's strongest platform primetime television program for promoting eventual hit shows of the 2010s (of the same network) such as ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' and ''New Girl''. The show, its creator Simon Fuller claimed, "saved Fox". The show's massive success in the mid-2000s to early 2010s spawned a number of imitating singing-competition shows, such as ''Rock Star (TV series), Rock Star'', ''Nashville Star'', ''The Voice (U.S. TV series), The Voice'', ''Rising Star (American TV series), Rising Star'', ''The Sing-Off'', and ''The X Factor (U.S.), The X Factor''. The number of imitative singing shows on American television had reached 17 by 2016. Its format also served as a blueprint for non-singing TV shows such as ''Dancing with the Stars (American TV series), Dancing with the Stars'' and ''So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series), So You Think You Can Dance'', most of which contribute to the current highly competitive reality TV landscape on American television.Music
As one of the most successful shows on U.S. television history, ''American Idol'' has had a strong impact not just on television, but also in the wider world of entertainment. It helped create a number of highly successful recording artists, such as Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood, as well as others of varying notability. The alumni of the show have received between them 54 Grammy nominations and 13 Grammy awards by 2016, with Carrie Underwood winning seven. Various ''American Idol'' alumni had success on various record charts around the world; in the U.S. they had achieved 345 number ones on the '' Billboard'' Billboard charts, charts in its first 10 years, and 458 by its last year of broadcast in 2016, with 100 achieved by Kelly Clarkson alone. According to Fred Bronson, author of books on the Billboard charts, no other entity has ever created as many hit-making artists and best-selling albums and singles. In 2007, ''American Idol'' alums accounted for 2.1% of all music sales. Its alumni have a massive impact on radio; in 2007, ''American Idol'' had become "a dominant force in radio" according to Rich Meyer, president of the radio station monitoring research company Mediabase. By 2010, four winners each had more than a million radio spins, with Kelly Clarkson leading the field with over four million spins. At the end of the show's run on Fox in 2016, Idol's contestants have sold more than 60 million albums in the US, resulting in more than 80 Platinum records and 95 Gold records. Its participants have generated more than 450 Billboard No. 1 hits and sold more than 260 million digital downloads.Film and theater
The impact of ''American Idol'' was also strongly felt in musical theatre, where many of ''Idol'' alumni have forged successful careers. The striking effect of former ''American Idol'' contestants on Broadway has been noted and commented on. The casting of a popular ''Idol'' contestant can lead to significantly increased ticket sales. Other alumni have gone on to work in television and films, the most notable being Jennifer Hudson who, on the recommendation of the ''Idol'' vocal coach Debra Byrd, won a role in ''Dreamgirls (film), Dreamgirls'' and eventually went on to win an Academy Award for her performance. She later became the show's first and only alumnus ever to List of EGOT winners, win the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). In 2007, a musical based on the show, ''Idol: The Musical'', played off-Broadway. The musical closed after its official opening night.Revenue and commercial ventures
The dominance of ''American Idol'' in the ratings had made it the most profitable show in U.S. TV for many years. The show was estimated to generate $900 million for the year 2004 through sales of TV ads, albums, merchandise and concert tickets. By the seventh season, the show was estimated to earn around $900 million from its ad revenue alone, not including ancillary sponsorship deals and other income. One estimate puts the total TV revenue for the first eight seasons of American at $6.4 billion. Sponsors that bought fully integrated packages can expect a variety of promotions of their products on the show, such as product placement, adverts and product promotion integrated into the show, and various promotional opportunities. Other off-air promotional partners pay for the rights to feature "Idol" branding on their packaging, products and marketing programs. ''American Idol'' also partnered with Disney in its theme park attraction The American Idol Experience.Advertising revenue
''American Idol'' became the most expensive series on broadcast networks for advertisers starting the fourth season, and by the next season, it had broken the record in advertising rate for a regularly scheduled prime-time network series, selling over $700,000 for a 30-seconds slot, and reaching up to $1.3 million for the finale. Its ad prices reached a peak in the seventh season at $737,000. Estimated revenue more than doubled from $404 million in the third season to $870 million in the sixth season. While that declined from the eighth season onwards, it still earned significantly more than its nearest competitor, with advertising revenue topping $800 million annually the next few seasons. However, the sharp drop in ratings in the eleventh season also resulted in a sharp drop in advertising rate for the twelfth season, and the show lost its leading position as the costliest show for advertisers. By 2014, ad revenue from had fallen to $427 million where a 30-second spot went for less than $300,000. For the relaunched ''Idol'' on ABC, it has been reported that a 30-second spot may cost between $120,000–$160,000.Media sponsorship
Ford Motor Company and Coca-Cola were two of the first sponsors of ''American Idol'' in its first season. The sponsorship deal cost around $10 million in the first season, rising to $35 million by the seventh season, and between $50 to $60 million in the tenth season. The third major sponsor AT&T Wireless joined in the second season but ended after the twelfth season, and Coca-Cola officially ended its sponsorship after the thirteenth season amidst the declining ratings of ''Idol'' in the mid-2010s. iTunes Store, iTunes sponsored the show since the seventh season. ''American Idol'' prominent display of its sponsors' logo and products had been noted since the early seasons. By the sixth season, ''Idol'' showed 4,349 product placements according to Nielsen Media Research. The branded entertainment integration proved beneficial to its advertisers – promotion of AT&T text-messaging as a means to vote successfully introduced the technology into the wider culture, and Coca-Cola has seen its equity increased during the show. * Coca-Cola – Cups bearing logo of Coca-Cola, and occasionally its subsidiary Energy Brands, Vitaminwater, are featured prominently on the judges table. Contestants are shown between songs held in the "Coca-Cola Red Room", the show's equivalent of the green room. (The Coca-Cola logo however is obscured during rebroadcast in the UK which until 2011 banned product placement.) * Ford – Contestants appear in the special Ford videos on the results shows, and winners Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks, and Kris Allen have also appeared in commercials for Ford. The final two each won a free Ford Mustang in the fourth through sixth seasons, Ford Escape Hybrid in the seventh season, Ford Fusion Hybrid in the eighth season, Ford Fiesta in the ninth season, and 2013 Ford Fusion (Americas), Ford Fusion in the eleventh season. In the tenth season Scotty McCreery chose a Ford F-Series, Ford F-150 and Lauren Alaina chose Shelby Mustang. In the red room, there is a glass table with a Ford wheel as its base. * AT&T – AT&T Mobility is promoted as the service provider for text-voting. AT&T created an ad campaign that centered on an air-headed teenager going around telling people to vote. * Apple iTunes – Ryan Seacrest announces the availability of contestants' performances exclusively via iTunes. Videos are regularly shown of contestants learning their songs by rehearsing with iPods. * Previous sponsors include Old Navy and Clairol's Herbal Essences. In the second and third seasons, contestants sometimes donned Old Navy clothing for their performances with celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru assisting with their wardrobe selection, and contestants received Clairol-guided hair makeovers. In the seventh-season finale, both David Cook and David Archuleta appeared in "Risky Business"-inspired commercials for Guitar Hero, a sponsor of the tour that year. Coca-Cola's archrival PepsiCo declined to sponsor ''American Idol'' at the show's start. What the ''Los Angeles Times'' later called "missing one of the biggest marketing opportunities in a generation" contributed to Pepsi losing market share, by 2010 falling to third place from second in the United States. PepsiCo sponsored the American version of Cowell's ''The X Factor'' in hopes of not repeating its ''Idol'' mistake until its cancellation. For the revived series on ABC, Macy's and Johnson & Johnson's Zyrtec signed on as the major sponsors of the show.American Idol tour
The top ten (eleven in the tenth season, five in the fourteenth season, and seven in the sixteenth season) toured at the end of every season except for the fifteenth and seventeenth seasons. In the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2013, twelfth season tour a semi-finalist who won a sing-off was also added to the tour. Kellogg Company, Kellogg's Pop-Tarts was the sponsor for the first seven seasons, and Guitar Hero was added for the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008, seventh season tour. M&M's Pretzel Chocolate Candies was a sponsor of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010, ninth season tour. The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2006, fifth season tour was the most successful tour with gross of over $35 million. However no concert tour was organized in the fifteenth and seventeenth seasons, the only seasons not to have an associated tour. The American Idol Live! 2018, sixteenth season tour featured the band In Real Life (band), In Real Life as an opener on select dates.''Idol Gives Back''
''Idol Gives Back'' was a special charity event started in season six featuring performances by celebrities and various fund-raising initiatives. This event was also held in seasons seven and nine and has raised nearly $185 million in total.Music releases
''American Idol'' has traditionally released studio recordings of contestants' performances as well as the winner's coronation single for sale. For the first five seasons, the recordings were released as a compilation album at the end of the season. All five of these albums reached the top ten in Billboard 200 which made then ''American Idol'' the most successful soundtrack franchise of any motion picture or television program. Starting late in the fifth season, individual performances were released during the season as digital downloads, initially from the ''American Idol'' official website only. In the seventh season the live performances and studio recordings were made available during the season from iTunes when it joined as a sponsor. In the tenth season the weekly studio recordings were also released as compilation digital album straight after performance night. 19 Recordings, a recording label owned by 19 Entertainment, currently hold the rights to phonographic material recorded by all the contestants. 19 originally partnered with Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) to promote and distribute the recordings through its labels RCA Records, Arista Records, J Records, Jive Records. In 2005–2007, BMG partnered with Sony Music Entertainment to form a joint venture known as Sony BMG Music Entertainment. From 2008 to 2010, Sony Music handled the distribution following their acquisition of BMG. Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music was partnered with ''American Idol'' and distribute its music, and In 2010, Sony was replaced by as the music label for ''American Idol'' by UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records.Tie-ins
''American Idol'' video games * ''American Idol (video game), American Idol'' – PlayStation 2, Personal Computer, PC, Game Boy Advance, mobile phone * ''Karaoke Revolution, Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol'' – PlayStation 2 * ''Karaoke Revolution, Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore'' – PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360 * ''Karaoke Revolution, Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2'' – PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360Theme park attraction
On February 14, 2009, The Walt Disney Company debuted "The American Idol Experience" at its Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. In this live production, co-produced by 19 Entertainment, park guests chose from a list of songs and auditioned privately for Disney cast members. Those selected then performed on a stage in a 1000-seat theater replicating the ''Idol'' set. Three judges, whose mannerisms and style mimicked those of the real ''Idol'' judges, critiqued the performances. Audience members then voted for their favorite performer. There were several preliminary-round shows during the day that culminated in a "finals" show in the evening where one of the winners of the previous rounds that day was selected as the overall winner. The winner of the finals show received a "Dream Ticket" that granted them front-of-the-line privileges at any future ''American Idol'' audition. The attraction closed on August 30, 2014.Other broadcasts
''American Idol'' is broadcast to over 100 nations worldwide. In most nations these are not live broadcasts and may be tape delayed by several days or weeks, except for other season finales that are aired live in several countries simulcast with the U.S. broadcast on Fox (2002–2016) and ABC (since 2018). In Canada, the first thirteen seasons of American Idol were aired live countrywide by CTV Television Network, CTV and/or CTV Two, in simulcast with Fox. CTV dropped ''Idol'' after its thirteenth season and in August 2014, Yes TV announced that it had picked up Canadian rights to ''American Idol'' beginning in its 2015 season. In 2017, it was announced the show would return to CTV Two for its sixteenth season. Since season nineteen, the show started airing on Citytv. In Latin America, the show is broadcast and subtitled by Sony Entertainment Television (Latin America), Sony Entertainment Television. In Southeast Asia, it is broadcast by Sony Channel (Southeast Asia), Sony Channel every Monday and Tuesday nine or ten hours after since its revival. In Philippines, it is aired every Thursday and Friday nine or ten hours after its United States telecast; from 2004 to 2007 on The 5 Network, ABC 5; 2008–11 on Q (TV network), QTV, then GMA News TV; and 2012–16, 2018–19 on ETC (Philippine TV network), ETC. In Australia, it aired a few hours after the U.S. telecast. It was aired on Network Ten from 2002 to 2008 and then again in 2013. Between 2008 and 2012 it aired on Fox8 and the thirteenth and fourteenth seasons (2014–15) it aired on digital channel, Eleven (TV Channel), Eleven, a sister channel to Network Ten. Its final season (2016) aired on Fox8 hours after the original U.S. broadcast. The show enjoyed a lot of popularity in Australia throughout the 2000s before declining in the ratings. In the United Kingdom, episodes were aired one day after the U.S. broadcast on digital channel ITV2. In the twelfth season, the episodes aired on 5*. It was also aired in Ireland on TV3 (Ireland), TV3 two days after the telecast. In Brazil and Israel, the show airs two days after its original broadcast, and broadcast live during the season finale. In the instances where the airing is delayed, the shows may sometimes be combined into one episode to summarize the results. In Italy, the twelfth season was broadcast by La3. In Singapore, The show was broadcast on Channel 5 (Singaporean TV channel), Mediacorp Channel 5 for the American Idol (season 9), ninth and American Idol (season 10), tenth seasons.Spin-offs
*''Idol: The Musical'' * ''American Juniors'' * ''See also
* List of American Idol finalists * List of awards and nominations for American Idol contestantsReferences
External links
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