Here it is. This week’s Idol’s Billboard Update. Sorry–last weekend’s trip to Florida to see the Idol’s Live Tour meant that I did not get a chance to post an update (although you will find last week’s chart in the chart archives.
Highlights:
- Last week’s big news was Kelly Clarkson’s “My December” debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200, behind Miley Cyrus at #1. This week, Kelly is #3, with a whopping 61% drop in sales from the previous week. Yikes. Still love her record, though. But then, it’s not like my collection is full of chartbusters, exactly… “My December” has sold close to 405,000 copies so far. Interestingly, the so-called non-hit, “Never Again” has sold over 710,000 copies.
- I was driving home from work today, and heard Elliott Yamin’s “Wait For You” on the radio for the first time here in Boston. If I’m being perfectly honest, I got a little goose-pimply. Elliott is still the little engine that could. His single “Wait for You,” entered the charts, stalled a bit, and is now climbing slowly but steadily up the charts. Right now, It sits at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the Pop 100. It’s debuted on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart at #30. Go Elliott!
- I missed this one when it happened: Chris Daughtry’s “Home” debuted on the Christian charts 3 weeks ago. This week it sits at #23 and #20 on the Hot Christian Adult Contemporary and Hot Christian Songs charts respectively.
- Still at #1: Daughtry’s “Home” on the Hot Adult Top 40, Fantasia’s “When I See U” on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts, and Mandisa’s “Only the World” on the Hot Singles Sales (taking the spot Blake Lewis or Jordin Sparks would have right about now if TPTB had released CD souvenir singles of their winning Idol songs.)
- Three Idols sit in the Top 20 of the Hot Country Songs chart: Bucky Covington’s “A Different World” at #11, Kelly Clarkson’s duet with Reba McEntire, “Because of You” at #12 and Kellie Pickler’s “I Wonder” at #15.
Related Posts
MJ - I just read the “little engine that could” link in your blurb about Elliott. Now that was some good stuff - although it did make me cry. You really said it all. Elliott’s story is a great one. It hit me again recently when I watched him perform at the Capitol 4th celebration.
thanks for the Billboard update, MJ! and your reaction to hearing E’s song, still mine, after hearing it dozens of times on my local stations, It has been such a joy to follow Elliott’s rise on the charts,the little engine that could and still is!
When I first heard E’s WFY on the radio, I nearly drove off the road, I was so excited. MJ, thanks for linking the “little engine that could.” It brought back a lot of warm memories of watching E’s journey and confirms in my mind that E was back then and is now The Real Deal.
I know TPTB were just casting someone in a role when they brought E on. So they got a television character for their little show. We got so much more than that: a true star.
Elliot glad for his big fans that the song is a hit it is prettygood but I do not care for the use of the disabilty or underdog status to define him or as marketing. People with disabilties want to be defined as a person not the disabilty. So I do not think of Elliot as a poor guy but a good singer with a good song.
I understand what you’re saying Pop. Let me give you a little different take on it. One of my little girl’s friends is diabetic. I’m a wreck when she’s over here. I have to remind her to check her blood sugar after any kind of high activity, etc. She has a pump also. She has made some very poignant statements to me about Elliott - seeing him achieve so much has been very good for her… The fact that his struggle with diabetes is very public has been very inspirational to a lot of kids struggling with this insidious disease. It runs in my family and I’ve seen first hand how devastating it can be. I really dont think people for the most part see Elliott as a poor guy but rather as a guy who overcame some really crappy stuff. Anyway, I still love you Pop… :)
I think of Elliott as a terrific singer who happens to have some disabilities. If he weren’t a good singer, I wouldn’t like him just because he has diabetes or is partially deaf. The voice is what has gotten him to where he is.
Thanks, MJ, for the link to “the little engine that could”. I had never read that before…very well written.
I think he is a good spokesperson for people with he disease and I guess I fear the way the media will use it in a bad way ..or AI did as thier “story”.(not the fans) No control over that or what it says about others…I just have trouble saying what I mean and putting it into writting. I guess each has a story and have indidvual things they struggle with famouse or not. I do Apologize for any misconception and Lu thanks for your insite it opened my eyes allot ..Glad the girl has someone like Elliot to look up too.I
you.(did not have a heart.)
I anaylize too much but if I goof I do say so.
You didn’t goof at all Pop. You are 100% entitled to your opinion. :)
Mj….thank you for the link Little Engine that Could. It is one of the sweetest Elliott article that I have read. I must have missed it before ! I am very happy for Elliott !! Wait for You gets tons of Radio Play in my area, but it still sounds so wonderful each time I hear it !
Wow, and Elliotts video for that song is #1 in the Video Countdown this week on VH1…made me smile when I saw that, very cool for him!
#1 for the third week in a row! Keep on chuggin little engine.
Thanks for the stats, MJ, and thanks very much for linking your 5-18-06 Top 3 results post. That was a beautiful write-up about Elliott. It made me cry. I never knew that you had written it. At the time that Elliott was eliminated, it was too painful to go to sites that were not Elliott fansites.
Pop, Elliott already had fans and had already made it into the Top 10 before anyone knew about his “disabilities” as you called them. TPTB did not show Elliott much so his voice won us over and kept us voting for 2 hours without a backstory. They did not tell us his backstory until late in the game compared to the others.
Elliott has become an advocate for diabetic causes. He recently co-chaired an event in Washington DC for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) to help raise awareness and to get congressional support and increased funding for research for a cure for diabetes. He will also participate in more JDRF events in DC and in London in July, August and September. He will be at the UN in November for Global Diabetes Day.
My 7-year old nephew is Type 1 diabetic. He was diagnosed when he was 5. Elliott is an inspiration to kids, teens and adults because he shows that you can still go for your dreams and that diabetes can be managed. If Elliott had not openly talked about his diabetes and wearing the insulin pump, my little nephew would probably still be taking the insulin shots instead of wearing the pump. The pump has made his life so much better.
As a Type 1 diabetic, Elliott has a platform to help others. I’m proud that he has used the platform to do that.
Elliott’s fans have become more informed about diabetes and many are supporting organizations which are near and dear to his heart. Many will be making donations to JDRF in his honor as birthday presents to him. (Birthday July 20th)
I’m sure that hearing impaired people and their family members are also inspired by Elliott’s success in music despite his significant hearing loss in one ear. It will encourage more to follow their dreams.
Openly discussing his diabetes and hearing loss has helped a lot of people.
Actually Kelly’s 61% drop wasn’t all that bad, all things considered. However, according to HDD’s weekend update, another 50% drop is coming.
This could be a killer. It’s obvious that MD isn’t going anywhere without radio support. I don’t think that 100-year-old man is going to push(i.e. pay) it around the radio ststions. 
Nice link, MJ. I hated all the AI manipulation and always tried to avoid the back stories, focus on the families, etc. that they use to bring in the fans. However, seeing Elliott in the bottom 3 so often made me realize people vote on Idol for many crazy reasons. But then I always thought the best singer(s) should win singing competitons. I guess I’m just crazy that way. None of that matters now as nobody sells an album or gets played on the radio because they are an underdog or have overcome disabilities It’s just an added bonus that he can use his celebrity for a good cause.
I love Elliott’s story… I just do. :)
I didn’t mean I didn’t love the story. I did. It’s just that I always thought he should have won based purely on his talent. Anyway, I ended up missing all that back story stuff this Season. More teenagers whose fathers are in prison and work as roller skating waitresses next season please.
Clive and Simon were right about My December (MD).
I give up! Elliot going threw it and showing what he did is good for others with the desease. I do know it was his voise that helped him threw ai ,the story was at the end, and he has a hit song..I know other passed idols also support charities also and that is a good thing for them . Thats all I think him and all these contestants are very fortunate. Please do not respond agian I am happy for him that he respresents that charity and for others that do it for thiers.
Lol Pop… Hope to see you in chat later…
This looks like an Elliott thread, but I’m not complaining. LOL
Tha was indeed a nice blog, mj. (I guess I had not yet discovered you at the time so I missed reading it before now.) Thanks for linking to it. :)
PopOrange - I agree with your statement that “people with disabilties want to be defined as a person not the disabilty” - for sure Elliott wants to be defined that way. It’s great that he is using the publicity about his disabilities to enlighten and help others.
MJ - Loved that you said you “got a little goose-pimply” when listening to Wait For You - now lock yourself in a room, listen to the entire album, and have yourself a little goose pimple party.