Apparently a two-night guest mentor gig on American Idol is worth more than a brief clip package.

According to media reports, Neil Diamond has scored the first No. 1 album of his career, selling 146,000 copies of his Home Before Dark CD. Considering that Diamond has placed 15 albums in the Top 10 and 46 in the Top 200 in his legendary career, it's interesting that it took a two-night stand on American Idol to put him over-the-top.

American Idol Season Two runner-up Clay Aiken may be wishing he'd spend less time talking about how his reality show roots are something in his past. The Spamalot co-star, whose only Idol appearance this season was a behind-the-scenes tour of his Broadway show, saw his fourth album, On My Way Here, debut at No. 4, selling only 94,000 copies.

Aiken was all over the dial in recent weeks, promoting the new album on daytime and late night shows alike, but considering his first three albums all sold more than 200,000 copies in their first weeks in release, this has to be considered a bit of a disappointment.

Comments

Clay Aiken was on Broadway in Spamalot until two days before his album release, so if you've seen him "all over the dial" for weeks, you may need to have your eyesight checked. How nice of American Idol to promote his competition instead. Clay's new album is great, BTW. Listen on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/clayaiken

Carrie | May 16, 2008 1:13:44 PM | #

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After listening to Clay Aiken's songs from this album I am betting he stays in the top for awhile. I am not a fan of any of the Idols but I heard Clay's song Everything I Don't Need and HAD to have it!!! The album is HAWT! I played it for my bff's and they got it to. WE SAY IT'S SWEEEEEEEET!

Riley | May 16, 2008 2:04:26 PM | #

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Gee, you'd think American Idol would be proud of their graduate, and stand behind him, and his success. As far as his sales for this CD go, all CD sales are low, across the board. While I love Neil Diamond, he's been a big name for a long time, and even he didn't see close to 200,000. I think Clay's new CD On My Way Here, is an exceptionally great CD. There are enough ears out there for all kinds of music. You go, Clay! You are awesome!

Your review comes off sounding like a middle school fight or something. Kinda like "Gotcha last."

TobyB | May 16, 2008 2:07:49 PM | #

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Gee, I saw Aiken on exactly 1 late night show & a couple of morning programs, not even singing. Is that all over? If the producers of Idol hadn't refused him performing time this month to promote his new CD (yeah, they were actually afraid he'd make their Chosen One Archuleta look bad), he could have easily gotten to #1. But with no video, no single being supported to radio by his label, no print interviews or covers & little TV music promo, including nothing in prime time, what can you expect? Throw in the lousy economy & the fast declining state of the retail music market & it's a recipe for disappointment.

Sam | May 16, 2008 5:13:31 PM | #

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All I can say is: what ARE YOU trying to say. I think everyone above me has stated some actual "facts" while you are just "spinning". Whatever happens with Clay he is a talent. The music biz, unfortunately, seems to be a tight spot. Congrats to Neil for making his 1st career #1. Congrats to Clay for coming in at #4.

Linda | May 16, 2008 5:49:32 PM | #

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There's no way AI was going to allow Clay Aiken be the water cooler moment again. Any Clay appearance always produces a lot of buzz and no one seemed to talk about Taylor Hicks being the winner and even the legend Prince wasn't mentioned as much as two minutes of Clay Aiken surprising a fan.

AI is desperate to create the excitement that the Ruben and Clay produced on AI2. AI manipulated a guy versus guy this year. Do you think they are going to allow Clay Aiken to upstage the chosen two?
Don't think so.

As to CD sales, yes, as a fan,
94,000 is not what I hoped but then when I see all the promo Neil Diamond received and he took the #1 spot with only sold 146,000, well that is just another example of a music business that's on its last leg.

Skye | May 16, 2008 6:14:01 PM | #

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Crushed you say? Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. It took Neil 40 years to finally buy himself a number 1. Good for him but he didn't crush anyone.

HaHa | May 16, 2008 8:23:04 PM | #

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I guess anyone can be a critic nowadays. Just listen here to a song off the new Clay Aiken CD. This song is better than anything on radio now.....http://youtube.com/watch?v=TdrZFJDDBmE

Ted | May 16, 2008 11:00:36 PM | #

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I'm no fan of Clay, but I would hardly call 94,000 sales in one week and a debut at #4 on Billboard as being crushed. Both will probably fall from their positions next week, but Neil will fall further down the chart than Clay.

ghrtt3 | May 17, 2008 7:44:33 AM | #

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Clay's latest album is awesome. I bought 4 copies for family members.
Neil Diamond's album is good, but, as you stated, it took him many, many years to hit #1. You guys should give Clay a break and assess his music instead of your "tongue-in-cheek" competitive remarks.Thank you!

Steve | May 17, 2008 8:04:53 AM | #

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Claymates are infamous with their conspiracy theories. Have you stopped to think Mr. Feinberg is not the ONLY critic that have found this CD a disappointment? Why? Because IT IS and leave it to you Claymates to make people dislike him even more.

Claymates are the reason Clay Aiken is a failure. Even Clay Aiken himself said so (in not so many words) through that blog he wrote that was quickly deleted. He blames the claymates for his failure in radio (I disagree Clay, your music actually sucks) due to their constant harassment of DJs AND critics such as the one here.

Clay's CD is a HUGE disappointment and in spite of the massive multiple buying campaigns to boost his sales (I dare you to deny it claymates) he couldn't even reach 100,000. So if you consider the fact an average rabid claymate bought six CDs (because their BF asked them to) 94,000 is not impressive AT ALL.

You ruined Clay's career and there's no doubt about it. Just watching Jimmy Kimmel's show from last night people will see why his fans are solely to blame. They are creepy and too blinded and/or invested to take ownership. They never got over the fact he came in number two. Sad bunch of elderly women.

Before I forget, isn't it funny that most of the posts are now written by males? Claymates, you are so transparent, LOL

It figures | May 17, 2008 8:32:00 AM | #

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To the poster above... Clay loves his fans and he has not remotely said anything derogatory about them. If you would ever come to a concert, you'd see the relationship he has with his fans. I am not an elderly woman. I am a successful businesswoman in my early thirties. Posts like yours show a weird fascination with Clay. If you were disinterested you would never take so much time to write a post like that. Either fascination or green with envy. Either way, I think you're the one who's creepy.

slg | May 17, 2008 9:01:17 AM | #

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"Green with envy". Another typical Claymate mantra. What's there to envy? Why is it that every time someone expresses their not so rosy opinions on Clay, it's said to done out of "green envy?
Again, what's there to envy?

The only thing Clay loves about his fans is the money they shell out for him. He loves to tell them to buy seven (MOAM), buy eight (ATDW) and now six OMWH CDs because it's the only way he can boost the sales. If he didn't love them for that he would be a complete fool.

Last night he criticized his OTT fans who "embarrassed" him during his Spamalot run, did he not? Didn't he criticize his fans for making him lose radio play with their antics? Are you going to deny that?

You want to deflect and call ME creepy for being interested in the Claymates dichotomy? Well, so be it. Just like Mr. Feinberg expresses the same opinion many other music critics share about Clay's CD, I'm expressing the same opinion a great majority have about how Claymates are and one Claymates themselves are all too willing to confirm based on last night's show.

You may be one of the few sane fans, but to deny that his creepy fans have pushed others away is just being in denial, plain and simple.

It figures | May 17, 2008 10:01:45 AM | #

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Hey, you forgot to throw in the "nyah, nyah, nyah's" and the "neener, neener, neener's."

Necile | May 17, 2008 10:08:37 AM | #

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Also, to the poster calling themselves It Figures, which one of these haters is you?

http://thetruthaboutclayaiken.blogspot.com/2008/04/hate-and-envy-can-rot-your-soul.html

Necile | May 17, 2008 10:12:12 AM | #

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Necile, look in your own backyard, ;)

| May 17, 2008 10:18:09 AM | #

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Quick interjection here:

I don't have a clue what the quality of Clay Aiken's album is. And this little blog post makes no claims as to the album's QUALITY.

If you love it? Nifty. People should enjoy whatever music they want to listen to. I don't judge you.

But if Clay Aiken has had three consecutive albums sell more than 200,000 in their first week on shelves and the fourth sells under 100,000... That's a disappointment. Not in terms of quality. But in terms of sales.

And I'm not so good with my math, but Neil Diamond's sales, at least for this past week, were more than 50% higher than Aiken's, right? As I said, not so good at math. But a margin of more than 50% is crushing. That's not reflective of how either CD will do next weekend -- I'd expect both of them to fall substantially -- just on how they did in their first weeks.

Again, though, if you liked Clay's CD, that's great.

-Daniel

Daniel | May 17, 2008 5:09:14 PM | #

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"Necile, look in your own backyard, ;)"

Why? Are you hiding in my trash cans?

Necile | May 17, 2008 8:32:11 PM | #

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I will have to agree with the above poster "It Figures" when he said that "You may be one of the few sane fans, but to deny that his creepy fans have pushed others away is just being in denial, plain and simple." I know I have always been a fan of Clay's and his Claymates have made me not like him. I have every CD he's put out and his book. But I am thinking of not buying this one. It's all do to some of the action of his "Claymate".

Karen | May 17, 2008 9:59:29 PM | #

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That's some negative spin you got there Fienstein. You can say he sold slightly less than Jordan Sparks. Her CD sold around 110K in its first week and it was the holiday season. It's recovered, but it still sold less than 700K. For less than even Taylor and she has had some radio hits.
"It figures" sure knows about Clay, and all the inside info posted on his fansite. Yeah you're above it all. FC

Dana | May 18, 2008 12:16:25 AM | #

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"Didn't he criticize his fans for making him lose radio play with their antics?"

What fans? The idiots who called radiostations with the purpose of annoying and insulting DJs? Those were the haters just like you, who have been plotting the ways to screw up Clay's career. Check Necile's link above to see all the crap they've been pulling for the last 5 years.

Jane | May 18, 2008 3:56:23 AM | #

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Gee, you'd think American Idol would be proud of their graduate, and stand behind him, and his success. As far as his sales for this CD go, all CD sales are low, across the board. While I love Neil Diamond, he's been a big name for a long time, and even he didn't see close to 200,000. I think Clay's new CD On My Way Here, is an exceptionally great CD. There are enough ears out there for all kinds of music. You go, Clay! You are awesome!

ally | May 18, 2008 5:21:42 PM | #

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Necile: Then you are missing out on a great CD. You shouldn't let other people keep you from enjoying something. I too have backed off because of "some" of the fans but I will ALWAYS buy a Clay Aiken CD and enjoy it tremendously.

As for radio and calling DJ's. Why shouldn't the fans call? Why shouldn't they be allowed to hear their favorite singer on the radio? Isn't radio supposed to be for everyone?

pk | May 19, 2008 5:59:49 AM | #

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Sorry, my post should have been directed to Karen and not Necile. :)

pk | May 19, 2008 6:01:18 AM | #

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Karen is not a fan. She's one of the haters pretending to be a fan. It's what they've been doing to try and undermine Clay's career for five years now just because he had the audacity to outshine Ruben.

Necile | May 19, 2008 8:25:05 AM | #

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