Ultimate High

Ultimate High is the debut album by Irish-born singer Carly Smithson, released under her maiden name Carly Hennessy in 2001 by MCA Records. Despite a production and promotion budget of over $2 million and good reviews, the album failed to find an audience, selling only 378 copies in its first three months. It became a textbook example of the high-risk economics of the contemporary music industry, in which less than 5% of albums became profitable, and superstar acts subsidized the search for new talent.

The song "Just Missed the Train" was later covered by American Idolseason 1 winner Kelly Clarkson in her debut album Thankful. Oddly enough, Hennessy later auditioned for American Idolseason 7 under her husband's last name Smithson, finishing in 6th place.

Two singles were released off the album: "I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind" and "Beautiful You".