Saturday, May 28, 2011

Barcelona win fourth European championship Third European title in three years

Barcelona win fourth European championship Third European title in three years

Pep Guardiola
Barcelona


David Villa
FINISHING IT OFF: The moment the game was won, Barcelona's David Villa celebrates his team's third goal. CELEBRATION PILE: Barcelona players pile on David Villa after his goal gave them a 3-1 lead over Manchester United and secured their fourth European title. WILLING BATTLE: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney goes over the back of Barcelona's Sergio Busquets during the Champions League final at Wembley.
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Brilliant Barcelona, inspired by the peerless Lionel Messi, delivered a soccer masterclass to overwhelm Manchester United 3-1 in the Champions League final and lift the European Cup for the fourth time today.

Goals by Pedro, Messi and David Villa were a fair reflection of the Spanish side's dominance over United, who they also beat in the 2009 final. Wayne Rooney briefly levelled the scores but could not stop Barca making it three European Cups in six years.

Mesmerising Messi amply lived up to his billing as the world's best player and the champions of Spain left their English counterparts looking like desperate also-rans in the face of relentlessly intricate passing and deadly movement.

"The people watching could see that we not only won but we played a brilliant match," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who was swamped by his players at the end. "We are very happy but to win a Champions League costs a hell of a lot of effort."

United manager Alex Ferguson added: "We were beaten by a fantastic team but I expected to do better. But at the end of the day we have to acknowledge that we were beaten by a better team. I think it was the best team we have faced."

AWESOME SUPERIORITY

Barca's awesome superiority might have ensured it was never the classic showdown many neutrals had hoped for but everyone who witnessed it will cherish the memory of one of the finest final performances for years by a team that truly deserves comparison with the best the game has ever seen.

The opening exchanges were something of a repeat of the 2009 final, with United snapping into every tackle and pressing hard but, just as in Rome, Barcelona soon settled into their rhythm and established control.

Messi was a constant live-wire danger as the probing passes of midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta repeatedly had United's defenders forced into desperate last-ditch tackles.

They held out until what had become the inevitable breakthrough after 27 minutes.

Not surprisingly it was Xavi who delivered the killer pass, delaying it long enough to wrong-foot United's defence and leave space for Pedro to calmly tuck the ball beyond Edwin van der Sar who endured a night to forget in the final game of his career.

UNITED UNDO

United looked almost out of their depth but showed why they have reached three Champions League finals in the last four seasons by conjuring a well-made equaliser after 34 minutes.

Rooney played a one-two with Michael Carrick then another with Ryan Giggs before sweeping the ball high into the net.

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 Wayne Rooney
Messi was soon millimetres away from a second goal after another high-speed give and go with Villa but somehow United reached halftime on level terms.

The parity on the scoreboard gave a false impression though as Barca immediately regained control and, after more near misses, duly went ahead in the 54th minute when United made the fatal error of standing off Messi on the edge of the box.

The Argentine maestro rarely needs a second invitation and duly took a touch before driving the ball in for the 53rd and most important goal of his remarkable season.

It was also his 12th in 13 Champions League games this season, equalling Ruud van Nistelrooy's record tally for United in the 2002/03 campaign.

Messi set up the third too as he surged into the box and, although the ball was half-cleared by United's near-panicking defence, it went straight to Villa who killed it instantly before curling a superb 18-metre shot into the top corner.

Barcelona duly played out the remaining period controlling the ball as only they can, while United became the latest in a long line of sides to be crushed by their wonderful technique.

Amid the fireworks and flashes, the trophy was hoisted by Barca's French fullback Eric Abidal, back in action following an operation to remove a liver tumour in March.

Barcelona 3 (Pedro 27, Lionel Messi 54, David Villa 69) Manchester United 1 (Wayne Rooney 34). Halftime: 1-1

- Reuters

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اهداف مبارة برشلونة يتلاعبون بمانشستر فيديو و صور | مباراة مانشستر يونيتيد و برشلونة نهائي الكاس دوري ابطال اوربا

مباراة مانشستر يونيتيد و برشلونة نهائي الكاس دوري ابطال اوربا 
اهداف مبارة برشلونة يتلاعبون بمانشستر  فيديو و صور | مباراة مانشستر يونيتيد و برشلونة نهائي الكاس دوري ابطال اوربا 

كتب-أيمن مصطفى:
لقن الماتادور الاسبانى فريق برشلونة الشياطين الحمر الانجليز مانشيستر يونايتد درسا قاسيا فى فنون كرة القدم وأمتعوا محبى وعشاق كرة القدم على مستوى العالم بفقرة فنية رائعة باستاد ويمبلى ليقتنص الفريق الاسبانى كأس بطولة دورى أبطال أوروبا عن جدارة واستحقاق بعد فوزة على المان يونايتد بثلاثة اهداف مقابل هدف واحد .
أضاف برشلونة لقب دوري الأبطال إلى لقب الدوري الأسباني الذي أحرزه مؤخرا ليؤكد أنه النادي الأفضل في أوروبا والعالم خلال السنوات الأخيرة، وتأهل برشلونة بهذا اللقب إلى بطولة العالم للأندية والتي تقام في نهاية العام الحالي.
واللقب هو الرابع لبرشلونة في بطولة دوري الأبطال حيث سبق له الفوز باللقب في أعوام 1992 على استاد "ويمبلي" القديم و2006 و2009 قبل أن يتوج اليوم باللقب الثاني له في البطولة في غضون ثلاثة مواسم فحسب.
وانتهى الشوط الأول بتعادل الفريقين 1-1 حيث كان برشلونة هو البادئ بالتسجيل عن طريق بدرو رودريجيز في الدقيقة 27 ثم تعادل واين روني لمانشستر في الدقيقة 34.
وفي الشوط الثاني، أعلن المهاجم الأرجنتيني ليونيل ميسي عن نفسه بقوة ووجه إحدى لدغاته لمانشستر يونايتد بتسجيل هدف التقدم في الدقيقة 54 علما بأنه سجل الهدف الثاني لبرشلونة أيضا في شباك مانشستر خلال نهائي البطولة عام 2009.
والهدف هو الثاني عشر لميسي في دوري الأبطال هذا الموسم حيث يتربع اللاعب على قمة هدافي البطولة هذا الموسم، كما عادل اللاعب بذلك الرقم القياسي لعدد الأهداف التي يسجلها أي لاعب في موسم واحد بالبطولة والمسجل باسم الهولندي رود فان نيستلروي منذ موسم 2002-2003 عندما سجل 12 هدفا لمانشستر يونايتد في دوري الأبطال.
وقضى ديفيد فيا على آمال مانشستر يونايتد في تحقيق التعادل عندما سجل الهدف الثالث لبرشلونة في الدقيقة 69 مترجما التفوق الواضح لفريقه في هذا الشوط إلى فوز مستحق.
وتفوق جوسيب جوارديولا المدير الفني لبرشلونة مجددا على الثعلب العجوز سير أليكس فيرجسون المدير الفني لمانشستر يونايتد وحقق عليه الفوز الثاني في نهائي دوري الأبطال حيث سبق له قيادة برشلونة للفوز على مانشستر 2-0 في نهائي 2009.
وكان حارس المرمى الهولندي المخضرم إدوين فان دير سار هو النجم الأول لمانشستر يونايتد في هذه المباراة حيث أنقذ فريقه من أهداف عديدة ولكن ذلك لم يكن كافيا ليودع الملاعب بلقب جديد حيث كانت المباراة هي الأخيرة له قبل الاعتزال.
وقدم الفريقان عرضا ممتعا أعاد إلى الأذهان ذكريات المباراة النهائية بين الفريقين عام 2009، حيث كان مانشستر هو الأفضل في بداية اللقاء ولكن برشلونة كان البادئ بالتسجيل في الدقيقة العاشرة قبل أن يسيطر على مجريات اللعب.
ولكن الفارق أن برشلونة سيطر على مجريات اللعب في مباراة اليوم بعد الدقائق العشر الأولى وسجل هدفه في منتصف الشوط قبل أن يتعادل مانشستر يونايتد.
ودافع برشلونة مجددا عن أسلوبه في الأداء والذي يبحث عن اللعب الجمالي والتمرير المتقن والاستحواذ على الكرة رغم أنه يتنافى مع مبدأ معظم الفرق في التعامل مع المباريات النهائية، حيث يأتي الفوز دائما في مقدمة الأهداف على حساب الأداء الجمالي.
وبدأت المباراة بضغط هجومي من مانشستر يونايتد بغية هز شباك برشلونة مبكرا ولكن دفاع برشلونة نجح في التصدي لحماس البداية على الرغم من الثقة الزائدة في أداء لاعبيه.
وشكل المكسيكي خافيير هيرنانديز "تشيتشاريتو" والإكوادوري أنطونيو فالنسيا مع رأس الحربة واين روني إزعاجا شديدا لدفاع برشلونة في الدقائق الأولى.
وظن هيرنانديز أن الفرصة وواتته في الدقيقة السابعة عندما وصلت إليه داخل منطقة جزاء برشلونة ولكن الحكم أشار بوجود تسلل قبل أن يطلق اللاعب الكرة فوق عارضة مرمى برشلونة.
وفي الدقيقة التالية مباشرة، سنحت الفرصة لروني اثر كرة طولية كان في طريقه لتسديدها أو الانفراد بها ولكن فيكتور فالديز حارس مرمى برشلونة خرج إلى حدود منطقة الجزاء ليبعد الكرة بقبضة يده من خلف مدافعيه وقبل أن يستحوذ روني على الكرة.
وشهدت الدقيقة العاشرة فرصة أخرى خطيرة لمانشستر إثر تمريرة طولية حاول جيرارد بيكيه إعادتها إلى فالديز تحت ضغط من روني ودون الالتفات لتقدم فالديز أمام مرماه ولكن التوفيق حالف الأخير فأبعد الكرة من حدود منطقة الجزاء.
وبعد سيطرة مانشستر الهجومية في الدقائق العشرة الأولى من المباراة، بدأ برشلونة في فرض أسلوبه في التمرير المتقن والاستحواذ على الكرة.
وسنحت أول فرصة لبرشلونة في الدقيقة 11 بعد هجمة منظمة وصلت فيها الكرة إلى ديفيد فيا ولكن ريو فيرديناند أبعد الكرة بخبرته إلى ضربة ركنية لم تستغل.
وطالب بدرو بضربة جزاء لبرشلونة إثر لمسة يد على الفرنسي باتريس إيفرا مدافع مانشستر داخل منطقة الجزاء ولكن الحكم المجري فيكتور كاساي أشار باستمرار اللعب.
وكاد بدرو يخترق شباك مانشستر يونايتد في الدقيقة 16 اثر هجمة منظمة تناقل فيها لاعبو برشلونة لمدة دقيقة كاملة قبل أن يمرر تشافي الكرة من الناحية اليمنى إلى بدرو الذي لعبها بجوار القائم وهو على بعد خطوات قليلة من المرمى.
وواصل برشلونة هيمنته على مجريات اللعب بالتمرير الدقيق وباغت فيا فريق مانشستر بتسديدة قوية من خارج حدود منطقة الجزاء ولكن الكرة مرت بجوار القائم على يسار حارس المرمى الهولندي إدوين فان دير سار.
وأبعد دفاع مانشستر الكرة من أمام ميسي داخل منطقة الجزاء في الوقت المناسب قبل تسديدها، وارتدت الكرة إلى هجمة إنجليزية سريعة قبل أن يبعد الأرجنتيني خافيير ماسكيرانو الكرة من أمام روني في الوقت المناسب.
واستغل ميسي خطأ في دفاع مانشستر وانطلق بالكرة داخل منطقة الجزاء محاولا مراوغة الدفاع للانفراد بالحارس في الدقيقة 25 ولكن ريو فيرديناند أبعد الكرة في اللحظة الأخيرة.
وترجم برشلونة تفوقه إلى هدف التقدم في الدقيقة 27 عندما مرر تشافي صانع ألعاب الفريق كرة ماكرة إلى بدرو على حدود منطقة الجزاء ليهيء بدرو الكرة لنفسه ويسددها من داخل المنطقة إلى داخل الشباك على يسار فان دير سار.
وأثار الهدف حفيظة مانشستر فحاول الفريق الإنجليزي الرد ولكن برشلونة واصل هيمنته على وسط الملعب وحافظ على نسبة استحواذه العالية على الكرة خلال الدقائق التالية.
وفي غفلة من دفاع برشلونة في الدقيقة 34، سجل مانشستر هدف التعادل اثر تبادل للكرة بين المخضرم رايان جيجز الذي يشتبه في تسلله وروني الذي سدد الكرة مباشرة إلى داخل الشباك على يمين فالديز ليعيد المباراة إلى نقطة البداية.
وعاود برشلونة ضغطه الهجومي وتمريراته المتقنة بينما لجأ مانشستر للدفاع المكثف والهجمات المرتدة، وفرض دفاع مانشستر يونايتد رقابة لصيقة على ميسي وصلت إلى حد الخشونة أحيانا ولكن الحكم اكتفى بالتحذير الشفهي لفالنسيا بعد تدخل قوي مع ميسي في الدقيقة 41.
وأسفرت الضربة الحرة عن فرصة خطيرة لميسي انتهت بتمريرة من سيرخيو بوسكيتس وضعت بدرو في مواجهة المرمى مباشرة ولكنه فشل في تسديد الكرة بدقة لتخرج إلى ضربة مرمى.
وشهدت الدقيقة 43 فرصة خطيرة لبرشلونة اثر انطلاقة رائعة من ميسي أنهاها بتمريرة متقنة إلى فيا غير المراقب في الناحية اليمنى ولكن المهاجم الخطير فضل إعادة الكرة مجددا إلى ميسي بدلا من التسديد ليتدخل الدفاع وتضيع الفرصة من أمام ميسي وهو على بعد خطوة من المرمى لينتهي الشوط الأول بالتعادل الإيجابي بعد أداء مثير من الفريقين وخاصة برشلونة.
هدفي اللقب
وكثف برشلونة من هجومه في بداية الشوط الثاني ولكن مانشستر واصل اعتماده على التكتل الدفاعي ففشلت محاولات ميسي وبدرو وتشافي وفيا في اختراق هذا الدفاع مما دفع تشافي لتجربة التسديد من خارج المنطقة لكن الكرة ارتطمت بالدفاع وخرجت إلى ركنية لم تستغل جيدا.
وحاول روني استغلال إحدى الهجمات المرتدة لتشكيل خطورة على المرمى الكتالوني ولكن بيكيه تعامل مع الهجمة بحرص شديد ونجح في الحصول على ضربة مرمى.
وفي الدقيقة 52، عاند الحظ برشلونة مجددا إثر هجمة خطيرة من الناحية اليمنى أنهاها بدرو بتسديدة قوية تصدى لها فان دير سار وترتد منه الكرة إلى ميسي الذي حاول لعب الكرة ساقطة إلى داخل الشباك ولكنها اصطدمت برأس فيديتش وخرجت إلى ضربة ركنية.
ولكن الحظ حالف ميسي في الدقيقة 54 عندما تلقى تمريرة من أندريس إنييستا فتقدم بالكرة خطوتين ثم أطلقها بيسراه من خارج قوس منطقة الجزاء في حراسة إيفرا لتتهادى الكرة إلى داخل الشباك على يسار فان دير سار.
ونال داني ألفيش إنذارا في الدقيقة 60 للخشونة كما نال مايكل كاريك إنذارا في الدقيقة التالية للخشونة مع إنييستا.
وتصدى فان دير سار لهدف مؤكد لبرشلونة عندما حصل ميسي على الكرة إثر تمريرة من إنييستا في الدقيقة 63 ليستدير النجم الأرجنتيني الشاب مراوغا دفاع مانشستر قبل اختراق منطقة الجزاء وتسديد الكرة زاحفة قوية ليتصدى لها فان دير سار قبل أن يشتتها الدفاع. وعاند الحظ ميسي في الدقيقة 65 إثر هجمة سريعة لبرشلونة اخترق داني ألفيش على إثرها منطقة جزاء مانشستر ثم مرر الكرة إلى ميسي الذي لعبها بعقب القدم ولكن الدفاع أطاح بها قبل خط المرمى.
وتألق فان دير سار مجددا وتصدى لتسديدة صاروخية أطلقها تشافي من خارج منطقة الجزاء في الدقيقة 66 لتخرج الكرة إلى ضربة ركنية لم تستغل.
ووجد فان دير سار الكرة في يده بغرابة شديدة في الدقيقة التالية اثر هجمة خطيرة أنهاها إنييستا بتسديدة أخرى صاروخية من خارج المنطقة ولكنها ذهبت في يد الحارس.
وأبى ديفيد فيا أن تضيع كل هذه الفرص هباء من برشلونة فسجل الهدف الثالث للفريق في الدقيقة 69 ليترجم به هجمة رائعة للفريق الكتالوني تلاعب فيها ميسي وبدرو بدفاع مانشستر قبل تمرير الكرة إلى فيا الذي سددها مباشرة من خارج منطقة الجزاء في زاوية صعبة للغاية على يسار فان دير سار.
وهدأ إيقاع اللعب في الدقائق التالية رغم وجود بعض المحاولات من لاعبي الفريقين لتسجيل مزيد من الأهداف.
وفشلت تغييرات فيرجسون في إعادة فريقه إلى المباراة خاصة مع تراجع مستوى خط الهجوم أمام يقظة دفاع برشلونة وحارس مرماه فيكتور فالديز.















اهداف المبارة:
متابعة حية لمباراة برشلونة ومانشيستر


اقرأ المقال الأصلي علي بوابة الوفد الاليكترونية فيديو..سحرة برشلونة يتلاعبون بمانشستر 

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American Idol 2009 Finalist

american idol 2009 finalist
american idol 2009 finalist

Thursday, May 26, 2011

American Idol


American Idol (also known as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar) is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, which began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it is a spin-off from the UK show Pop Idol. The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists, and has since become one of the most popular in the history of American television. As of January 2011, it is the most-watched TV series in the Nielsen ratings and is the only program to have been number one for six consecutive seasons, surpassing All in the Family and The Cosby Show, which were both number one for five consecutive seasons.
The program aims to discover the best singer in the country where the winner is determined by the viewers. Through telephone, Internet, and SMS text voting, viewers have chosen as winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery (listed in chronological order).
File:American Idol logo.png


The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original three judges were Grammy Award-winning record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, Grammy Award-winning pop singer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Paula Abdul and award-winning music executive and music manager Simon Cowell. Since January 2011, the judging panel currently consists of Jackson, award-winning singer/actress and record producer Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Steven Tyler.[1] For all seasons the show has been hosted by radio disc jockey Ryan Seacrest.
The show was described by rival TV executives as "the most impactful show in the history of television."[2] It has also become a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. As Entertainment Weekly puts it, "It's given us Kelly, Carrie, Daughtry, and J. Hud. Idol rules the reality roost because the winners of Fox's ratings juggernaut actually do go on to greatness. And Taylor Hicks? He's the exception that proves the rule."[3]
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Judges and presenters
3 Selection process
3.1 Contestant eligibility
3.2 Initial auditions
3.3 Hollywood week
3.4 Audience voting
3.5 Semifinals
3.6 Finals
3.7 Rewards for winner and finalists
4 Season synopsis
4.1 Show overview
4.2 Season 1
4.3 Season 2
4.4 Season 3
4.5 Season 4
4.6 Season 5
4.7 Season 6
4.8 Season 7
4.9 Season 8
4.10 Season 9
4.11 Season 10
5 Geographical bias
6 Controversy
7 Idol Gives Back
8 Television ratings
9 Impact
9.1 Top-selling American Idol alumni
9.2 Idols in film, television and theater
9.3 Major award–winning American Idol alumni
10 Critical reception
11 Revenue and commercial ventures
11.1 Advertising revenue
11.2 Media sponsorship
11.3 Music releases
11.4 American Idol tour
11.5 Tie-ins
12 Theme park attraction
13 International broadcast
14 Spin-offs
15 See also
16 References
17 External links
History



Former logo of American Idol from 2002 to 2008.
American Idol was created based on the British show Pop Idol, which was in turn inspired by Popstars, a show TV producer Nigel Lythgoe saw in Australia and brought over to Britain.[4] Using the idea from Popstars of employing a panel of judges to select singers in audition, then adding other elements such as telephone voting by the viewing public, which at the time was already in use in shows such as the Eurovision Song Contest, and the drama of backstories and real-life soap opera unfolding in real time, Simon Fuller then created the show Pop Idol.[5] The show debuted in 2001 in Britain with Nigel Lythgoe as the producer and Simon Cowell as one of the judges, and was a big success with the viewing public.[6]
Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell attempted to sell the Pop Idol format to the U.S in 2001, but the idea was met with poor response from U.S. TV networks.[7] However, Rupert Murdoch, head of Fox's parent company, was persuaded to buy the show by his daughter Elisabeth who was a fan of the British show.[7] The show was renamed American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, debuted in the summer of 2002,[8] and became one of the summer hit shows that year.[9] The show, with the personal engagement of the viewers with the contestants through voting, and the presence of the caustic-tongue judge Simon Cowell, grew into a phenomenon. By 2005 it had become the biggest show on U.S. TV, a position it then held on for six straight years.[10] The show is currently scheduled to remain on air until 2011.[11]
Judges and presenters

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.[7] A fourth judge, radio DJ Stryker, was originally chosen but he dropped out citing "image concerns".[12] In the second season, New York radio personality Angie Martinez had been hired as a fourth judge but withdrew only after a few days of auditions due to not being comfortable with giving out deep criticism.[13] The show decided to continue with the three judges format until season 8. All three original judges stayed on the judging panel for eight seasons.
In season eight, Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer–songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge.[14] Paula Abdul left the show before season nine after failing to agree terms with the show producers.[15] Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul for that season, but left after just one season.[16] On January 11, 2010, Simon Cowell announced that he was leaving the show to pursue introducing his show The X Factor to the USA for 2011.[17] Kara DioGuardi also left the show on September 3, 2010 after two seasons.[18] On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would join the judging panel.[1]
Guest judges may occasionally be introduced. In season two, guest judges such as Lionel Richie and Robin Gibb were used from the Top 12 to Top 4. In season three Donna Summer, Quentin Tarantino and some of the mentors also joined as judges to critique the performances in the final rounds. Guest judges were used in the audition rounds for seasons four, six and nine, such as Gene Simmons and LL Cool J in season four, Jewel and Olivia Newton-John in season six, Neil Patrick Harris and Shania Twain in season nine.
The first season was presented by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Dunkleman quit after the first season[19] but would have been fired had he not left,[20] and Ryan Seacrest has presented the show alone since.
Judges
Randy Jackson
Paula Abdul (2002–2009)
Simon Cowell (2002–2010)
Kara DioGuardi (2009–2010)
Ellen DeGeneres (2010)
Jennifer Lopez (2011–present)
Steven Tyler (2011–present)
Presenters
Ryan Seacrest
Brian Dunkleman (2002)
Bold print indicates that the judge/presenter is currently judging/presenting this current season.
Selection process

In a series of steps, the show selects the eventual winner out of many tens of thousands of contestants.
Contestant eligibility
The eligible age-range for contestants is currently 15–28 years old. The initial age limit was 16–24 in the first three seasons, but the upper limit was raised to 28 in season 4, and the lower limit was reduced to 15 in season 10.[21] The contestants must be legal U.S. residents, and must not hold any current recording or talent representation contract by the semifinal stage[22] (in previous years by the audition stage).[23]


Season 9's Denver audition, at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Initial auditions
Contestants go through three rigorous sets of cuts. The first is a brief audition with three other contestants in front of selectors which may include one of the show's producers. The number of auditioners can exceed 10,000 people each city, but only about 100–200 contestants in each city may make it past this round of preliminary auditions. Successful contestants are sent through to audition in front of producers. More contestants are cut in the producers round before they can proceed to audition in front of the judges, which is the only audition stage shown on the show.[24] Those selected by the judges are sent to Hollywood. Between 10–60 people in each city may make it to Hollywood.
Hollywood week
Once in Hollywood, the contestants perform individually or in groups in a series of rounds. For most years there were eliminations in three rounds by the judges. In the first round the contestants emerged in groups but performed individually. For the next round, the contestants split themselves up into small groups and perform a song together. In the final round, the contestants perform solo with a song of their choice a cappella or accompanied by a band depending on the season. In season 2 and 3, contestants were also asked to write original lyrics or melody in an additional round after the first round. In season 7 the group round was eliminated and, on judges approval, contestants may move directly to the final Hollywood round after a first solo performance. The second round that year resembled the first round of previous years. In Season 10 an additional round at Las Vegas and a further solo round were added. At the end of the Hollywood week, 24–36 contestants were selected to move on to the semifinal stage.
Audience voting
From the semifinal onwards, the fate of the contestants is decided by public vote. During the contestant's performance as well as the recap at the end, a toll-free telephone number for each contestant is displayed on the screen. For a two-hour period after the episode ends (up to four hours for the finale) in each US time zone, viewers may call or send a text message to their preferred contestant's telephone number, and each call or text message is registered as a vote for that contestant. Viewers are allowed to vote as many times as they can within the two-hour voting window, however, the show reserves the right to discard votes by power dialer.[25] One or more of the least popular contestants may be eliminated in successive weeks until a winner emerges. Over 110 million votes were cast in the first season, and by season eight the seasonal total increased to 624 million.[26] Voting via text messaging was made available in the second season when AT&T Wireless joined as a sponsor of the show, and 7.5 million text messages were sent to American Idol that season.[27] The number of text messages rapidly increased, reaching a peak of 178 million texts in season eight.[28] Online voting was offered for the first time in Season 10.[29] The votes are counted and verified by Telescope Inc.[30]
Semifinals
In the first three seasons, as well as season eight and ten, the semifinalists were split into different groups to perform individually in their respective night.[31] In season one, there were three groups of ten, with the top three contestants from each group making the finals. In seasons two and three, there were four groups of eight, and the top two of each selected. In season eight there were three groups of twelve, with three contestants moving forward – the highest male, the highest female, and the next highest-placed singer. In season ten, the girls and boys perform on separate nights and five of each were chosen. These five seasons also featured a wildcard round where contestants who failed to qualify were given another chance. In season one, only one wildcard contestant was chosen by the judges, giving a total of ten finalists. In seasons two and three, each of the three judges championed one contestant with the public advancing a fourth into the finals, making 12 finalists in all. In season eight, four were chosen by the judges to produce a final 13. In Season ten, three wild-cards were chosen, again making a total of 13.
From seasons four to seven, as well as season nine, the 24 semifinalists were divided by gender in order to ensure an equal gender division in the top 12. 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 12.[32]
Finals
The finals are broadcast in prime time from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, in front of a live studio audience. The finals lasted for eight weeks in season one, eleven weeks in subsequent seasons until season ten which lasts twelve weeks. Each finalist performs a song or songs selected from a weekly theme. The themes may be based on a musical genre such as Motown, disco, or big band, songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or The Beatles, or more generic themes such Billboard No.1 hits or songs from the contestant's year of birth. Contestants usually work with a celebrity mentor related to the theme. In Season ten, Jimmy Iovine was brought in as a mentor in place of weekly celebrity mentor. Initially the contestants sing one song each week, but this is increased to two song from top four or five onwards, then three songs for the top two or three.
The most popular contestants are usually not revealed in the result show, instead typically the three contestants (two in later rounds) who received the lowest number of votes are called to the center of the stage. One of these three is sent to safety, the two remaining however need not both be ones with the fewest votes.[33] The contestant with the fewest votes is then revealed and eliminated from the competition. A montage of the eliminated contestant is played and they give their final performance. However, starting in season eight, the judges may overturn viewers' decision with a "Judges' Save" – they can save a contestant on a unanimous decision, but two will be eliminated the following week. The save can only be used once, and only before top five.
In the finale, the two remaining contestants perform to determine the winner. For the first six seasons, apart from season two, the finale was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre, which has an audience capacity of approximately 3,400. The finale for season two took place at the Gibson Amphitheatre. From season seven onwards, the venue was changed to the Nokia Theatre, which holds an audience of over 7,000. A special two-hour result show the next night follows where the winner is announced at the end.
Rewards for winner and finalists
The winner receives a record deal with a major label, which may be for up to six albums in seven years,[34][35] and secures a management contract with American Idol-affiliated 19 Management (which has the first option to sign all contestants), as well as various lucrative contracts. All previous winners reportedly earned at least $1 million in their first year as winner.[35] All the runners-up of the first nine seasons, as well as some of other finalists, have also received record deals with major labels. All top ten, eleven in Season ten, finalists earn the privilege of going on a tour where the participants may each earn a six-figure sum.[36]
Season synopsis

Main article: List of American Idol episodes


American Idol logo 2008–2010
Show overview
Each season premiers with the audition rounds in different cities where a few hundreds out of many thousands of contestants may be selected by the judges. 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, 24 to 36 contestants are selected by the judges to participate in the semifinals. From the semifinal onwards 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 in the result show typically on the following night. The result shows feature group performances by the contestants as well as guest performers. The top 3 result show also features the homecoming events for the Top 3 finalists. The season reaches its climax in a 2-hour result finale show where the winner of the season is revealed.
With the exception of seasons one and two, the contestants in the semifinals onwards performed in front of a studio audience. They performed with a full band in the finals. From season four to season nine, the American Idol band was led by Rickey Minor, from season ten onwards Ray Chew.[37] Assistance may also be given by vocal coaches and song arrangers, such as Michael Orland and Debra Byrd to contestants behind the scene. Contestants may perform with a musical instrument starting season seven from the Hollywood rounds onwards.[38] The performance was usually aired live on Tuesday night and the result show on Wednesday in the United States and Canada in the first nine seasons, but moved to Wednesday and Thursday in season ten.[39]
Season 1
Main article: American Idol (season 1)


Kelly Clarkson, season one winner
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 auditioned. These were cut to 30 for the semifinal, with ten going on to the finals. One of the early favorites to win the show, Tamyra Gray, was eliminated at the top four, the first of several such shock eliminations that were to be repeated in later seasons. Another surprise elimination was Christina Christian, who was hospitalized before the top six result show due to chest pains and palpitations, and she was eliminated while she was in the hospital.[40] Jim Verraros was the first openly gay contestant on the show. His sexual orientation was revealed in his online journal, however it was removed during the competition after a request from the show producers who were concerned that it might be unfairly influencing votes.[41]
The final showdown was between Justin Guarini, one of the favorites, and Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was not initially thought of as a contender, but impressed the judges with some good performances in the final rounds, such as her performance of Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman", and Betty Hutton's "Stuff Like That There", and eventually won the crown on September 4, 2002.

In what was to become a tradition, Clarkson performed the coronation song during the finale, and released the song immediately after the season ended. The single, "A Moment Like This", went on to break a 38-year-old record held by The Beatles for the biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Justin Guarini did not release a single immediately after the show and remains the only runner-up not to do so. Kelly Clarkson has since become a major international recording artist with worldwide album sales of more than 23 million.[42] Clarkson and Guarini, as contractually obligated, made a musical film, From Justin to Kelly, which was released in 2003 but was widely panned.
Starting September 30, 2006, the first season of American Idol was repackaged as "American Idol Rewind" and syndicated directly to stations in the US.
Season 2
Main article: American Idol (season 2)


Ruben Studdard, season two winner
Following the success of season one, 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. Kristin Adams was originally announced as a co-host,[43] but her role was reduced to special correspondent upon airing.
Corey Clark was disqualified during the finals for having an undisclosed police record, however, he later alleged that he and Paula Abdul had an affair while on the show and that this contributed to his expulsion. Clark also claimed that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show due to their affair. The allegations were dismissed by Fox after an independent investigation.[44] Two other contestants, both semi-finalists, were also disqualified that year – Jaered Andrews after he was arrested on an assault charge, and Frenchie Davis for having previously modelled for an adult website.[45]
Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner, beating Clay Aiken by a small margin. Out of a total of 24 million votes, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Clay Aiken. The slim margin of victory was controversial due to the large number of calls that failed to get through.[46] In an interview prior to season five, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe indicated that Aiken had led the fan voting from the wildcard week onward until the finale.[47]
Both finalists were successful after the show, but Clay Aiken out-performed Ruben's coronation song "Flying Without Wings" with his single release from the show "This Is the Night", as well as in their subsequent album releases. The fourth-place finisher Josh Gracin also enjoyed some success as a country singer.
Season 3
Main article: American Idol (season 3)


Fantasia Barrino, season three winner
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 third best-selling singer from that season.[48]
Much media attention on the season had been focused on the three African American singers, Fantasia Barrino, LaToya London, and Jennifer Hudson, dubbed the Three Divas. All three unexpectedly landed on the bottom three on the top seven result show, with Jennifer Hudson controversially eliminated.[49] Elton John, who was one of the mentors that season, called the results of the votes "incredibly racist".[50] The prolonged stay of John Stevens and Jasmine Trias in the finals, despite negative comments from the judges, had aroused resentment, so much so that John Stevens reportedly received a death threat, which he dismissed as a joke 'blown out of proportion'.[51]
The performance of "Summertime" by Fantasia Barrino, later known simply as "Fantasia", at Top 8 is widely perceived as the best of the season,[52] and Simon Cowell considered it as his favorite Idol moment in the nine seasons he was on the show.[53] Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo were the last two finalists remaining at the finale. Over 65 million votes were cast on the night, more than the first two seasons combined, and Fantasia was crowned as the winner. Fantasia released as her coronation single "I Believe", a song co-written by season one finalist Tamyra Gray, and Diana DeGarmo released "Dreams". Fantasia emerged from the show as a successful recording artist, Jennifer Hudson who was eliminated early also enjoyed considerable success post-Idol as an Oscar-winning actress.
Season 4
Main article: American Idol (season 4)


Carrie Underwood, season four winner
The fourth season premiered on January 18, 2005; this was the first season of the series to be aired in high definition, although the finale of season 3 was also aired in high definition. The number of auditioners 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 to increase the variety of contestants.[23] Among those who benefited from this new rule were Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice, "the two rockers" of the show. The presence of more rock-oriented contestants inspired more rock musicians to audition in later seasons, such as Chris Daughtry in season five.
The top 12 finalists originally included Mario Vazquez, but he dropped out citing 'personal reasons'[54] and was replaced by Nikko Smith. Later, an employee of Freemantle Media which produces the show sued the company for wrongful termination, claiming that he was dismissed after complaining about lewd behavior by Mario Vazquez toward him during the show.[55]
At top 11, due to a mix-up with the contestants' telephone number, the voting was repeated on what was normally the result night, with the result reveal postponed until the following night.
In May 2005, Telescope announced that the fourth season had a total of approximately 500 million votes. The winner was Carrie Underwood, with Bo Bice the runner-up. Both Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice released the coronation song "Inside Your Heaven". Carrie Underwood has since become the most successful Idol contestant in the U.S. in terms of album sales, selling over 12 million units.
Season 5
Main article: American Idol (season 5)


Taylor Hicks, season five winner
The fifth season of American Idol 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.[56]
Chris Daughtry's performance of 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.[57] His performance of 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.[58] He was eliminated at the top four in a shock result.
On May 30, 2006, Telescope announced that a total of 63.5 million votes were cast in the finale round. A total of 580 million votes were cast in the entire season.[59] Taylor Hicks was named American Idol, with Katharine McPhee the runner-up. "Do I Make You Proud" was released as Taylor Hicks' first single and "My Destiny" Katharine McPhee's.
Despite being eliminated earlier than expected, Daughtry became the biggest star to emerge from this season. Many other contestants from this season, such as Kellie Pickler, Elliott Yamin, Bucky Covington, Mandisa, the winner Taylor Hicks and runner-up Katharine McPhee, also enjoyed varying level of success, and this season remains the most productive in the number of successful recording artists it generated.
Season 6
Main article: American Idol (season 6)


Jordin Sparks, season six winner
The sixth season began on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. The premiere episode of the season drew a massive audience of 37.3 million viewers, peaking in the last half hour with more than 41 million viewers.[60]
Teenager Sanjaya Malakar was the season's most talked-about American Idol contestant,[61] as a weak singer who managed to survive elimination for many weeks, as well as for his widely commented-on hairdo.[62] The weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality Howard Stern both encouraged fans to vote for Sanjaya. However, on April 18, after over 38 million votes, Sanjaya was voted off.[63] Semi-finalist Antonella Barba also drew some attention due to racy photographs of her which emerged during the show.
This year saw the first ever Idol Gives Back telethon-inspired event, which raised more than $76 million in corporate and viewer donations.[64] No contestant was eliminated that week, but two, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson, were eliminated the next. Melinda Doolittle, an early favorite, was eliminated on top three.
Jordin Sparks was declared the winner on May 23, 2007, with a new record of 74 million votes in the finale against runner-up Blake Lewis. Sparks has enjoyed some success as a recording artist post-Idol.
This year saw the launch of the American Idol Songwriter contest which allowed 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 the winner Jordin Sparks on May 24, 2007.
Season 7
Main article: American Idol (season 7)


David Cook, season seven winner
American Idol returned for its seventh season on January 15, 2008 for a two-day, four-hour premiere.[65] The media focused on the professional status of the season seven contestants, the so-called 'ringers',[66] many of whom had prior records deals, such as Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke White, Michael Johns, and in particular Carly Smithson.[67] Contestant David Hernandez also attracted some attention due to his past working as a stripper.[68]
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. David Cook's performance of "Billie Jean" on top ten night was lauded by the judges, but controversy erupted when the judges apparently mistook the Chris Cornell arrangement to be David Cook's own even though the performance was introduced as Cornell's version. Chris Cornell himself said he was 'flattered' and praised David Cook's performance.[69] David Cook was taken to the hospital after top nine performance due to heart palpitations and high blood pressure.[70]
David Archuleta's semi-final performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" was considered by many as one of the best of the season. Jennifer Lopez, who was brought in as a judge in season ten, cited it as a beautiful-song moment that she will never forget.[71] Jason Castro's semi-final performance of "Hallelujah" also received considerable attention, and it propelled Jeff Buckley's version of the song to the top of the Billboard digital song chart.[72][73] This is the first season whereby contestants' recordings were released onto iTunes after their performances, and although sales information were not released so as not to prejudice the contest, leaked information indicated contestants' songs frequently reached the top of iTunes sales chart.[74]
Idol Gives Back returned on April 9, 2008 and raised $64 million for charity.[75] The finalists were David Cook and David Archuleta, the first time in the show's history where neither of the top two were ever in the bottom three. David Cook was announced the winner of American Idol season seven on May 21, 2008, the first 'rocker' to win the show.
The American Idol Songwriter contest was also held this season. From ten of the most popular submissions, each of the final two contestants chose a song to perform, although neither of their selections was used as the "coronation song". The winning song, "The Time of My Life", was recorded by David Cook and released on May 22, 2008 and is the best-selling of all coronation songs to date. Both David Cook and David Archuleta are successful as recording artists.
Season 8
Main article: American Idol (season 8)


Kris Allen, season eight winner
The eighth season of American Idol began on January 13, 2009. This season featured fewer drawn-out semifinal episodes. Mike Darnell, the president of alternative programming for Fox, stated that the season would focus more on the contestants' reality and emotional state,[76] much early attention on the show was therefore focused on the widowerhood of Danny Gokey as well as characters like Tatiana Del Toro and Nick Mitchell.
In the first major change to the judging panel, a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, was introduced; Paula Abdul, however, left the show after the season ended. This was also the first season without executive producer Nigel Lythgoe who left to focus on the international versions of his show So You Think You Can Dance.[77] The Hollywood round was moved to the Kodak Theatre for 2009 and was also extended to two weeks. Idol Gives Back was cancelled this season due to the ongoing global economic crisis.[78]
There were 13 finalists this season, but two were eliminated in its first result show of the finals. A new feature introduced was the "Judges' Save", and Matt Giraud was saved from elimination at the top seven by the judges when he received the fewest votes. The next week, Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai were eliminated.
The two finalists were Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, both of whom had previously landed in the bottom three at the top five. Kris Allen won the contest in the most controversial voting result since season two. It was claimed,[79] later retracted,[80] that 38 million of the 100 million votes cast on the night came from Kris Allen's home state of Arkansas alone, and that AT&T employees unfairly influenced the votes by giving lessons on power-texting at viewing parties in Arkansas.[81]
Both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert released the coronation song, "No Boundaries" which was co-written by Kara DioGuardi.
Both Adam Lambert and Kris Allen have enjoyed some success as recording artists, although this is the first season in which the winner has failed to achieve gold album status, and none from that season achieved platinum album status in the US.
Season 9
Main article: American Idol (season 9)


Lee DeWyze, season nine winner
The ninth season of American Idol 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, which aired February 9, 2010. However, she left after the season finished, so did Simon Cowell who left to launch the US version of The X Factor. Kara DioGuardi's contract was not renewed for the next season.
One of the most prominent auditioners that season was General Larry Platt whose performance of "Pants on the Ground" became a viral hit song.[82]
Crystal Bowersox, who has 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.[83] The schedule was rearranged so the boys performed first and she could perform the following night instead. Later she revealed that Ken Warwick, the show producer, wanted to disqualify her but she begged to be allowed to stay on the show.[84]
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.
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.
This was the second season where neither of the final two contestants had been in the bottom two or three. Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox join Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and David Archuleta as members of the final two who had never been in the bottom two or three. Lee 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 – Lee DeWyze chose U2's "Beautiful Day", and Crystal Bowersox chose Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain". This is the first season where neither finalist achieved significant album sales.
Season 10
Main article: American Idol (season 10)


Scotty McCreery, season ten winner
The tenth season of the series premiered on January 19, 2011 on Fox. Many changes were introduced this season, from the format to the personnel of the show. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined Randy Jackson this season as judges.[1] Jimmy Iovine, chairman of the Interscope Geffen A&M Records group, the new partner of American Idol, acts as the in-house mentor in place of weekly guest mentor.[85] Nigel Lythgoe returned as executive producer.[86]
Season 10 is the first to include online auditions. Contestants could submit a 40 second video audition via Myspace, between September 15 and October 10, 2010.[87] Karen Rodriguez was one such auditioner and reached the final rounds. One of the more prominent contestants this year was Chris Medina, whose story of caring for his brain-damaged fiancée received widespread coverage.
Casey Abrams, who suffers from ulcerative colitis, was hospitalized twice and missed the Top 13 result show. He was the lowest vote-getter on Top 11 but was saved by the judges on top 11 week, and as a result, the tenth season will be the first season to have eleven finalists go on tour instead of ten.
Pia Toscano, one of the presumed favorites to advance far in the season, was unexpectedly eliminated on April 7, 2011, finishing in 9th place.[88] Her elimination drew criticism from some former Idol contestants, as well as actor Tom Hanks.[89]
The two finalists this year were Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery, both teenage country singers. Scotty McCreery won the competition, being the youngest male winner at the age of 17, and the fourth male in a row to win American Idol. McCreery released his first single, "I Love You This Big", as his coronation song, and Alaina released "Like My Mother Does".
Geographical bias

Since the show's inception in 2002, seven of the ten Idol winners, including its first five, have come from the Southern United States.[90] The three exceptions are Jordin Sparks who came from Arizona, David Cook from Missouri, (which is considered part of the "Upland South",[91] and Cook was born in Houston and was living in Tulsa at the time of his audition) and Lee DeWyze from Illinois. A large number of other notable 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.[90] At the time of the 2004 finals, which pitted North Carolina's Fantasia Barrino against Georgia's Diana DeGarmo, their Southern character, or character appealing to the South, was cited as reason for their success.[92] 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.[90]
The show itself is particularly 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.[90] When asked about the appeal of Southern contestants, season five winner Taylor Hicks, from the state of Alabama said, "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."[90] Scotty McCreery, from North Carolina, was the winner of season ten.
Controversy

Main article: List of American Idol controversies
The show had been criticized in earlier seasons over the onerous contract contestants had to sign that gave excessive control to 19 Entertainment over their future career,[93] and handed a large part of their future earnings to the management.[94][95]
Individual contestants have generated controversy in this competition for their past actions,[45][96] or for being 'ringers' planted by the producers.[66] A number of contestants had been disqualified for various reasons, for example Joanna Pacitti in season eight for having alleged connections to executives at 19 Entertainment,[97] and Chris Golightly of season nine for having an existing contract in violation of the rules,[98] although the show had been accused of double standard for disqualifying some but not the others.[99]
Voting results have been a consistent source of controversy, for example when Jennifer Hudson was eliminated in season three. The mechanism of voting had also aroused considerable criticisms, most notably in season two when Ruben Studdard beat Clay Aiken in a close vote,[100] and in season eight, when the massive increase in text votes (100 million more text votes than season 7)[28] fueled the texting controversy.[101] Concerns about power voting have been expressed from the very first season.[102] Since the 2004 season, the vote has also been affected to some degree by online community services such as DialIdol.com and VotefortheWorst.com.
Idol Gives Back

Main article: Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is 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.[75]
Television ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of American Idol on Fox. It is one of the highest-rated TV shows in the history of television.
Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.
Season Premiered Ended TV Season Timeslot Rank
Date Viewers
(in millions) Date Viewers
(in millions)
1st[103][104][105] June 11, 2002 9.85 Final Performances: September 3, 2002 18.69 2001–2002 Tuesday 9:00 pm
(performance show) #30
Season Finale: September 4, 2002 23.02 Wednesday 9:30 p.m.
(results show) #25
2nd[103][104][106] January 21, 2003 26.50 Final Performances: May 20, 2003 25.67 2002–2003 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #5
Season Finale: May 21, 2003 38.06 Wednesday 8:30 pm
(results show) #3
3rd[103][104][107] January 19, 2004 28.96 Final Performances: May 25, 2004 25.13 2003–2004 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #1
Season Finale: May 26, 2004 28.84 Wednesday 8:30 pm
(results show) #3
4th[103][104][108] January 18, 2005 33.58 Final Performances: May 24, 2005 28.05 2004–2005 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #1
Season Finale: May 25, 2005 30.27 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) #3
5th[103][104][109] January 17, 2006 35.53 Final Performances: May 23, 2006 31.78 2005–2006 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #1
Season Finale: May 24, 2006 36.38 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) #2
6th[103][104][110] January 16, 2007 37.44 Final Performances: May 22, 2007 25.33 2006–2007 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #2
Season Finale: May 23, 2007 30.76 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) #1
7th[103][111][112] January 15, 2008 33.48 Final Performances: May 20, 2008 27.06 2007–2008 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #1
Season Finale: May 21, 2008 31.66 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) #2
8th[103][113][114] January 13, 2009 30.45 Final Performances: May 19, 2009 23.82 2008–2009 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #2
Season Finale: May 20, 2009 28.84 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) #1
9th[103][115][116] January 12, 2010 29.95 Final Performances: May 25, 2010 20.07 2009–2010 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) #1
Season Finale: May 26, 2010 24.22 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) #2
10th[117][118][119] January 19, 2011 26.23 Final Performances: May 24, 2011 20.57 2010–2011 Tuesday 8:00 pm
(performance show) TBA
Season Finale: May 25, 2011 29.29 Wednesday 8:00 pm
(results show) TBA
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.[120] 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.[121] That episode was placed third amongst all age group, but more importantly it led in the 18–49 demographic, the age group most valued by advertisers.[9]
The growth continued into the next season, starting with a season premiere of nearly 27 million.[122] The season attracted an average of 21.7 million viewers, and was placed second overall amongst the 18–49 age group.[123] 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.[124] By season three, the show had become the top show in the 18–49 demographic[125] a position it has held for all subsequent years up to and including season nine. By season four, American Idol had become the most-watched series amongst all viewers on American TV, with an average viewership of 26.8 million.[126] The show reached its peak in season five with numbers averaging 30.6 million.[126]
Season six started with some the most-watched ever episodes of American Idol, and many television executives began to regard the show as a programming force unlike any seen before.[2] American Idol's consistent dominance of an hour two or three nights a week exceeded the 30- or 60-minute reach of previous hits such as The Cosby Show. As a result, competing networks, whose personnel called the show "the Death Star",[127] often rearranged their schedules in order to minimize losses. However, season six also showed a steady decline in viewership over the course of the season. The season finale saw a drop in ratings of 19% from the previous year.[128]
The loss of viewers continued into season seven. The premiere was down 11% among total viewers,[129] and the results show in which Kristy Lee Cook was eliminated delivered its lowest-rated Wednesday show among the 18–34 demographic since the first season in 2002.[130] However, the ratings rebounded for the season seven finale with the excitement over the battle of the Davids, improving over season six as the third most-watched finale. The strong finish of season seven also helped Fox become the most popular TV network for the first time since its inception.[131] Overall ratings for the season were down 10% from season six.[132] General attrition of television audiences may be a reason for this ratings decline, in line with the fall in viewership across all networks due in part to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.[133][134]
The declining trend however continued into season eight, as numbers fell by 5–10% for early episodes compared with similar episodes from season seven,[135] and by 13% for the finale.[136] In season nine, Idol's 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 with 30.1 million viewers compared with 18.4 million for the results show.[137] Later in that same season, Dancing with the Stars on ABC drew more viewers than Idol on some episodes.[138] Nevertheless, American Idol 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.[10]
For season ten, the total viewer numbers for the first week of shows fell 12-13% compared to corresponding episodes from the year prior,[117] and by up to 23% in the 18-49 demographic.[139] Later episodes, however, retained viewership better and by the Top 9 episode, the season-to-date total viewership was on par with those in season 9, although the audience among persons 18 to 49 continued to decline and was down 7% in that demographic compared to season 9.[140] The final episode of season ten also had a 9.2 rating among adults 18-49 — up 12 percent from season nine's final episode and also had 21% increase in viewers from the season nine finale.[141][142]
Impact

The enormous success of the show and the revenue it generated was transformative for Fox Broadcasting Company,[143] and helped push Fox becoming the leading TV network in 2008.[131] Its success also helped lift the ratings of other shows that were scheduled around it such as House and Bones.[2] The show, its creator Simon Fuller claimed, "saved Fox".[144]
As one of the most successful shows on U.S. television history, American Idol has a strong impact not just on television, but also in the wider world of entertainment.[145] The intent of the show, as indicated in its original title, is to 'search for a superstar' amongst undiscovered talents, and it had some success doing so. It helped created a number of highly successful recording artists, such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, as well as others of varying notability. 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.[146] Towards the end of 2009, American Idol alumni had sold a total of over 46 million albums and 56 million download tracks in the U.S., and 66 million albums worldwide.[146] In 2007, they accounted for 2.1% of all music sales.[147] Its alumni have a massive impact on radio; in 2007, American Idol had become "a dominant force in radio" according to the president of the research company Mediabase which monitors radio stations Rich Meyer.[148] By 2010, four winners each had more than a million radio spins, with Kelly Clarkson leading the field with over four million spins.[149]
Top-selling American Idol alumni
Main articles: American Idol alumni album sales and American Idol alumni single sales
As of 2011 American Idol alumni in their post-Idol career have amassed a total sales of over 50 million albums and 80 million singles and digital track downloads in the U.S.
Idols in film, television and theater
Main article: American Idol alumni in film, television and theater
The impact of American Idol is 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.[150][151][152] 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,[153] won a role in Dreamgirls and subsequently received a Academy Award for her performance.
Major award–winning American Idol alumni
Further information: List of awards and nominations for American Idol contestants
Idol Contestant & Season American Music Awards Billboard Music Awards Grammy Awards Academy Awards
Kelly Clarkson
(Season 1, Winner) 4
2005 Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist
2005 Artist of the Year
2006 Favorite Pop/Rock Female
2006 Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist 12 2
2006 Best Female Pop Vocal
2006 Best Pop Vocal Album 0
Clay Aiken
(Season 2, Runner-Up) 1
2003 Fan's Choice Award
3 0 0
Fantasia Barrino
(Season 3, Winner) 0 3 1
2011, Best Female R&B Vocal 0
Jennifer Hudson
(Season 3, 7th Place) 0 0 1
2009 Best R&B Album 1
2007 Best Supporting Actress
Carrie Underwood
(Season 4, Winner) 6
2006 Breakthrough artist
2007 Artist of the year
2007 Favorite Country Album
2007 Country Female Artist
2008 Favorite Country Album
2010 Favorite Country Album 15 5
2007 Best New Artist
2007 Best Female Country Vocal
2008 Best Female Country Vocal
2009 Best Female Country Vocal
2010 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 0
Chris Daughtry
(Season 5, 4th Place) 4
2007 Breakthrough Artist
2007 Best Adult Contemporary Artist
2007 Best Pop/Rock Album
2008 Favorite Band, Duo or Group- Pop/Rock 6 0 0
Jordin Sparks
(Season 6, Winner) 1
2008 Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist 0 0 0
Critical reception

Early reviews noted the excessive product placement in the show negatively.[154] 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."[155] On its early episodes, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly considered that "As TV, American Idol is crazily entertaining; as music, it's dust-mote inconsequential".[156] Others, however, thought that "the most striking aspect of the series was the genuine talent it revealed".[9] Other aspects of the show have attracted criticisms, for example the decision to send the season one winner to sing the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2002 was poorly received by many. Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post noted with satirical flair 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).[157]
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."[158] 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."[159]
Some in the entertainment industry were critical of the star-making aspect of the show. 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".[160] 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".[161] 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",[162] and Steven Tyler, appearing on Late Show with David Letterman on January 17, 2011 in a publicity drive as a judge for American Idol, said that "I've always thought that to be an American Idol or any kind of idol, you have to pay your dues, but today it's a different world." Others such as John Mayer disparaged the contestants, suggesting that those who appeared on Idol are not real artists with self-respect.[163] Sheryl Crow, who was later to act as a mentor on the show, criticized the show as it "undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism."[164]
American Idol was nominated for Emmy's Outstanding Reality Competition Program for eight years but never won. Director Bruce Gower won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series in 2009, and the show won two Creative Arts Emmys in 2007 and one in 2008. 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 and 2011.[165]
Revenue and commercial ventures

The dominance of American Idol in the ratings has 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.[144] By season seven, the show was estimated to earn around $900 million from its ad revenue alone, not including ancillary sponsorship deals and other income.[166][167] One estimate puts the total TV revenue for the first eight seasons of American at $6.4 billion.[168] 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.[169] Other off-air promotional partners pay for the rights to feature "Idol" branding on their packaging, products and marketing programs.[170] 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 season four,[171] 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,[172] and reaching up to $1.3 million for the finale.[173] Its ad prices reached a peak in season seven at $737,000.[167] Estimated revenue more than doubled from $404 million in season three to $870 million in season six.[174] While that declined from season eight onwards, it still earned significantly more than its nearest competitor,[175][176] with advertising revenue topping $800 million annually.[177]
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 season one,[178] rising to $35 million by season 7,[170] and between $50 to $60 million in season 10.[179] The third major sponsor AT&T Wireless joined in the second season. iTunes joined in season seven.
American Idol prominent display of its sponsors' logo and products had been noted since the early seasons.[9][121] By season seven, Idol showed 4,151 product placements in its first 38 episodes, according to Nielsen Media Research.[180] The branded entertainment integration was beneficial for both the show and its advertisers. Promotion of AT&T text-messaging as a means to vote successfully introduced the technology into the wider culture,[27][181][182] Coca-Cola has seen its equity increased during the show,[183] and Ford used the show to promote the "think" technology of its cars with a series of adverts featuring the contestants as well as the winner in 2009.[169]
Coca-Cola – Cups bearing logo of Coca-Cola, and occasionally its subsidiary Vitaminwater,[184] 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 traditional green room. (The Coca-Cola logo however is obscured during rebroadcast in the UK which until 2011 banned product placement.[185])
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 seasons four, five and six, Ford Escape Hybrid in season seven, Ford Fusion Hybrid in season eight, and Ford Fiesta in season nine. 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 seasons two and three, contestants sometimes donned Old Navy clothing for their performances with celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru assisting with their wardrobe selection,[186] and contestants received Clairol-guided hair makeovers. In the season seven finale, both David Cook and David Archuleta appeared in "Risky Business"-inspired commercials for Guitar Hero, a sponsor of the tour that year.[187]
Coca-Cola's archrival PepsiCo declined to sponsor American Idol at the show's start. "[M]issing 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 will sponsor the American version of Cowell's The X Factor in hopes of not repeating its Idol mistake.[188]
Music releases

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