American Idol’s Bittersweet End
In 2002, American Idol added a fast lane to becoming successful in popular music. Of course that depends on your definition of success.
For some, it represents the opportunity to accomplish a dream that would not otherwise be possible. For others, shows like this are an insult to music. Still yet, for some, it has no impact or relevance on music whatsoever. Regardless of your opinion as to American Idol’s impact on music, there is one thing that we can not deny. The impact it had on television.
How They Did It
Based on the vast popularity of the British version Pop Star, which was, in turn, inspired by the New Zealand show Popstars, the original American singing contest American Idol promised to launch the careers of popular music artists from day one. Shows like America’s Got Talent and The Voice followed suit with similar hopes to the lucky winners.
By now, we all know the format of these shows. Celebrity judges, public voting, Broadway-style production and the hosts that show up everywhere. It is very much a formula. Being the first in the category, how did American Idol become the most watched show in the United States for seven consecutive seasons?
It was the perfect storm of success, embarrassment and entertainment.
When a sharp tongued judge, an adjective savvy host and some people that can really sing collide with the voting opinion of the American public, there will be moments that make good television. The spoof reels of the crazy and delusional wannabes are watched by as many people as the show itself. Yet, the public found some solace in rooting for the “person next door” to take the nation by storm with their hidden talent.
Truth be told, the show needed Kelly Clarkson, the winner of season one, to have a song on the radio. They needed her to anchor the possibility of stardom in order to keep the public coming back for more. The fact that, in 2003, she charted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 faster than the Beatles and marked album sales of more than 23 million units over her career thus far, she alone kept the masses showing up week after week to watch the next hopeful contestants try to emulate her path to the top.
The counterbalance to television success is television failure. We love watching someone make a spectacle of themselves. American Idol created a voyeuristic peek at the uncomfortable failures and made the public feel at total control over making someone a winner. America had proof that they were making people famous, but, also, got much satisfaction in watching the not-so-great moments. A position of having our cake and eating it too created television magic. At least during the early years.
The Best Years
There is no question about American Idols influence on society early on. It became a weekly show for many of the former Friends-aged crowd.
Amy Yessin says she loves the back-stories, but does not always agree with the judges. However, she watches every episode of every year. A loyal Idol fan knows what they are getting into these days. They treat it as a show more similar to the older variety shows like The Lawrence Welk Show, Hee Haw or Solid Gold.
Yessin says that her “favorite season was season four when Carrie Underwood won.” She had Underwood pegged as the winner from the get-go and that gave her more than a right to vote. As I am sure most would agree, Yessin said that she loves the show the most because of “how they find talent in everyday America.” We want to root for the underdogs. In the case of season four, the Underwood.
As in life, every good thing must come to an end. Clay Aiken, former Idol contestant and North Carolina native took to Twitter recently to say “it is VERY clear that @SimonCowell was the reason @AmericanIdol was a hit. I’ve watched root canals more entertaining than these judges.”
But we watch for the singers? Right?
Why Is It Time to Stop?
As time wore on and the internet video platforms grew stronger and stronger, the need for shows like American Idol dwindled. A “Justin Beiber career path” of sorts proved to be a much easier way. Would-be contestants of American Idol can go from a Youtube viral video to international pop stardom in a small amount of time. As a bonus, they do not have to leave their house. It would seem that a shortcut to fame is what we were actually hungry for.
As we introduced varied formats of the same show like TheVoice and America’s Got Talent, American Idol starting showing its age and began fading in popularity. It would seem that it just failed to keep up with the evolving attention span of the masses. Or lack thereof.
Seth Smith, singer/songwriter from North Carolina based jam band Hot Buttered Grits, says “unfortunately, they are just one big-budgeted karaoke contest and, at the end of the day, it is more about the drama and stories.”
During the early years of the show, this notion may have been overlooked by the music community. However, as the seasons passed and the chart-topping success morphed into careers on Broadway or Las Vegas, the “musician” aspect shrank behind the obvious fact that it was a television show.
In regards to the last season of American Idol, Smith says “they’re every other reality show on television. Instead of surviving in the jungle or picking flea market items, they are singing to win the game.”
It would seem that the talent pool has been diluted by other avenues to achieve attention and the lack of entertainment value. One might argue that music lives in a moment on a stage in front of your face or in a three minute, windows down, belting lyrics drive all by yourself, not in the hands of three judges with a free month on their calendar and an unlimited data mobile phone plan by the American consumer.
Music, the type that bridges generations, formats and cultures, does not seem to translate to a full season of television anymore.
Howard Longino, Smith’s bandmate, guitarist and singer for Hot Buttered Grits, says “it reduces to a season how one grows as a musician. Which I think distorts most musicians reality of dedication.”
Just as we line-up full of hope to buy lottery ticket, American Idol gave a quick way for a talented singer to find a world-wide audience without the toils of finding a band, writing music and touring the country to be heard. To some, the fast track was very attractive. To others, the argument is that quick success does not prepare you for a life in music. One of ups and downs. One of being transparent as a writer. One of getting on stage and traveling the world because you love music.
Brian Morrison, guitarist and lead singer for the Myrtle Beach band The Revival, added “back in the day, if you had a good record and did the work, you could get it on the radio. If other stations picked up on it, a contract would follow.”
The initial contacts signed by the finalists of American Idol are reminiscent of the boy-band hay-day. The “boss” gets 90% and the “talent” splits the rest after they pay back their debt for recording and marketing. Just as these groups are the butt of numerous jokes in our society, American Idol was not immune to similar associations.
Morrison says “I spent my life in the trenches and have little to no respect for anyone who obtains fame through a talent show.”
Artists like Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and John Legend would not have the same impact in our music world if they were inclined to position themselves at the discretion of the corporate executives. Meaning, impact comes from people taking authentic action for a long period of time. We are in a resurgence in popular music of artists who play, write and sing. They are gaining more recognition because the mainstream has a tendency to gravitate towards authenticity. Eventually.
Did Idol Impact Music?
Mark Stepro, Los Angeles-based drummer for artists like Jackson Browne, Butch Walker and Keith Urban, said “reality TV stars and real musicians are just two completely different animals.” Explaining that the path and mindset of the two exist with, or without, the other.
Stepro has logged miles around the world playing music for a living. He defines the biggest difference in the career from singing in a televised contest and hitting the road with a band ranges in scope from skills to dedication. He says, “I doubt these belters have spent 10,000 hours honing their craft, basically taking an, almost, monastic oath to a life of low income. I doubt they’ve had to get extra pages in their passport. I doubt they know how to fix the timing belt in the van when it snaps in Montana in February.”
The stories of working musicians may be seen as the fuel to keep them going. When your story consists of a bad craft services table during round three, there may not be enough passion and drive to keep you plugging away when things really get tough. When Simon gets 80% of your earnings or when you exit the charts as quickly as you entered, a contest winner may not have the skills to continue that type of career in music. On the other side, and what Stepro is alluding to, is that trained and dedicated musicians find an audience and do it anyway.
To say that American Idol has had an impact on music depends on which music you are talking about. The music where the producer or executive orchestrates the media buzz around a team of talent that comprises an artists “brand” was surely influenced by American Idol. That music constantly begs for a shortcut to the top of the charts and only wants to be there for a small amount of time.
The more successful recording artists like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood certainly have made their individual marks on music. Growing into their own musicianship over the years, but starting out at the familiar place of the American Idol stage. Others have gone on to successful careers that involved music, but only a rare few transcended the stigma of the show to find staying power in the public eye.
Impacting music is a big statement. One could argue that, in order to have an impact on music, you would have to be dead with a lifetime of great records lingering on the airwaves. It is such a volatile and evolving entity that one song can not scratch the surface of what music is in our world. One record can barely do that for even the most seasoned musician.
We are becoming more and more aware, through modern media, of how many good musicians are in the world. To impact music, as a whole, you really have to commit your life to it and harness a little of that old school magic from time to time. Even then, each genre, subset and musical preference has their own set of hers. It takes a lot to say that someone impacted music. Much more than a few seasons in the limelight.
Aaron Lee Tasjan, Nashville based songwriter and former Drivin N Cryin’ guitarist, said “a contestant did go on there with my lyrics tattooed on her shoulder…clearly, the revolution is working.”
What Is Next?
Superseded by shows like The Voice, which is not all that different after you get past the blind audition portion of the show, the hungry public will fill any void let behind. For most, the final season of American Idol will not make a mark on their music or their lives. It was fun while it lasted.
The real musicians will continue to play live shows and make records. The at-home-fans will replace the entertainment value with something else. Ryan Seacrest has numerous jobs so he will continue to live a good life. Overall, there is no need to squabble too much over losing Idol in our weekly addictions. There are plenty of other things that will consume our time just the same. Until then, why not see a live band play. Like old times.
This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 7:00 AM with the headline "American Idol’s Bittersweet End."