Lambert gets high marks on musical report card
THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2010 AT 10:02 P.M.
When Adam Lambert performed for hometown fans during the “American Idol” tour stop at the
San Diego Sports Arena last July, he was the shiniest cog in the “Idol” machine. One year later, the 2009 “Idol” runner-up and Mt. Carmel High School graduate is the main event. He is back in town with songs on the radio, a media controversy on his résumé and a headlining tour that includes tonight’s sold-out show at Copley Symphony Hall.
The King of “Glambert” Nation was not available for an audience with the press, but with the help of some experts (and his proud father), here is a progress report on his post-“Idol” pop-culture reign.
ON THE CHARTS
Eight months after its release, Lambert’s debut album, “For Your Entertainment,” is still on Billboard magazine’s Top 200 album chart. It peaked at No. 3 and has sold nearly 700,000 copies in the U.S. so far. The single “Whataya Want From Me” peaked at No. 10 on the magazine’s Hot 100 chart, and his new single, “If I Had You,” is at No. 69 and rising.
Lambert’s sales aren’t in the same universe as, say, Carrie Underwood’s first post-“Idol” album, “Some Hearts,” which has sold 7 million copies since 2005. But with album sales at a record low, no one is selling 7 million copies of anything anymore. The debut album from Season 7 winner
David Cook has sold 1.3 million copies since 2008, and 2009 winner
Kris Allen has sold less than 400,000 copies of last year’s self-titled disc.
“I think Adam has done pretty well. His album went gold (selling more than 500,000 copies), which in this day and age is not bad at all,” said Billboard senior editor Ann Donahue. “From the beginning, he was obviously a showman. And now that he’s on tour, people are interested in seeing what he’s going to do.”
GRADE: B
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