Kris Allen selling more iTunes that Adam Lambert? The proof or it didn't happen.

Adam is visually and vocally dazzling with an incredible range and with the crystal clear diction of the legendary greats. His passion for his craft can make the audience tremble with emotion. His voice can be as innocent as a child’s or provocatively sexual as a phone sex operator. He mesmerizes the arena into trance as he gyrates all six foot one inches of his beautiful male body. Skin tight pants filled out to perfection and the stripped off jacket heats up the room. The stance the strut the curling lip, the toss of the hair, and penetrating blue gray eyes that can be cool or smoldering, you are his captive when he is on stage. Heaven! Then there is the short guy in the plaid shirt, yawn. Whose music will I buy?

Lisa, here's your proof, gathered the week of the "American Idol" finale: SoundScan released the sales figures for Kris and Adam's version of the "No Boundaries" single. Kris's version sold 134,458 copies. Adam's sold 35,984. On the iTunes Top 100 chart the week following the finale, Kris had TWO songs in the Top 10. Adam's highest charter was No. 20. I haven't checked it recently, but at the time of the finale, those were the facts. Simple as that.

"Allen was selling more singles on iTunes" is untrue, unless you mean post-finale singles sales. (Album and video sales were tilted in Lambert's favor, singles in Allen's.) Leaked iTunes numbers during the season showed clearly that Lambert's recordings were the most popular. Allen and Gokey both ranked in the Top 10 with a few recordings (Allen two, Gokey one, iirc), but Lambert had seven of seven in the Top 10, including the top spot by a clear mile with "Mad World." I can't speak for the rest of it, except to say AI is of course rigged. It's a reality TV show. What do you expect? Integrity?

What is your problem Eric? Obviously you have a bias. Adam was the “anointed one”? Adam, from the moment he auditioned was recognized for what he is, a rare and gifted vocalist. As the idol season progressed it became obvious that Adam’s talent overshadowed the rest. Adam was never praised undeservedly but others were in order to pretend that a contest was going on. Kris’s “win” was the result of an overzealous state that had individuals voting thousands of times each. It is obvious that the win was skewed by Arkansas because it is the only place on the tour where more fans showed up for Kris. As far as the statement you made about I Tune sales you are mistaken. First when numbers were accidentally released during the show, Adam was way ahead of the others. When the show ended Kris got the bump from the win and the winners special pricing. Adam has out sold Kris in album sales and in videos. In tour merchandise Adam has outsold all other contestants combined.

People, people. I think we all need to calm down a little bit here. I can't believe we still need to debate this when it was so long ago. Eric's facts are straight. Just becasue you refuse to believe them doesn't mean they are rubbish. Holy moly.

Ruby: Harlequin called. They want page 73 back.

Kris wasn't selling more on iTunes until after the finale. He got a winner's boost; but to that point, Adam was greatly outselling Kris and all the other Idols.

So trying to use iTunes sales figures to debunk the "Oh my Gosh how did he win" lamentations is pretty lame. Sorry.

Big Adam Lambert fan here, but I thought weeks before the finale it would come down to Adam and Kris and that Kris had a very good chance of winning.

"Ruby: Harlequin called. They want page 73 back."

That is so played out, man.

Eric,
Of course the winner will sell more the week following the finale. Have you not seen the iTunes "sales leak" that came out partway through the competition? It clearly showed Adam FAR ahead of anyone else.

Google Trend Adam, Kris and Danny for 2009 and you will see that Danny and Kris were way below Adam. Even when Kris got the bump from the win he did not go higher then Adam. It is silly to think that Kris's win was deserved. Kris more talented then Adam Lambert? Not on the best day of his life. A recent New York Times review said it best. "After Mr. Lambert’s master class, the meek and limited Mr. Allen could do little but act as a palate cleanser, sending fans into the night with a few benign tunes: an edgeless version of Bill Withers’s “Ain’t No Sunshine,” a scattered “Bright Lights” by Matchbox Twenty and a “Hey Jude” that would barely score change on a subway platform. "

Here is the iTunes sales leak:
http://mjsbigblog.com/the-itunes-popularity-bars-are-back.htm#more-7187

Hmm...I'm sorry, I thought the term "played out" was in an of itself played out. Nice try though.

First, let me say: I do not have a problem with Adam Lambert. I have never had a problem with Adam. I watched the entire season, and while I didn't care for all of his performances (toward the beginning he was much too squealy for my tastes), I did like many of them quite a bit. He has star quality, there is no question about that. He is a performer through and through, and I honestly thought he was going to win this competition.
But he DIDN'T. And what I find frankly infuriating are the constant conspiracy theories about why Adam didn't win -- theories that frequently ignore the facts. Why would the winner OF COURSE outsell the runner-up if the runner-up is allegedly more popular than the winner? How does that make sense? Yes, Google Trends absolutely put Adam and Gokey ahead of Kris during and after the competition. But again: KRIS STILL WON. And it had nothing to do with any one state dialing thousands of times (AT&T debunked that theory immediately after the finale). It had to do with the fact that MORE PEOPLE VOTED FOR KRIS. I do not understand why people find that concept so hard to grasp.
You can argue that Adam was the more talented choice of the two; that's a matter of personal taste. But you can't argue that it was a conspiracy. Yes, "Idol" has serious producer manipulation. Duh. But all of that manipulation was CLEARLY in Adam's favor all season long. Why would the producers NOT want Adam to win? The man was on Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone. He was the story of the season. Katy Perry came out and performed with his name written across her back DURING the competition. And afterward, Seacrest and Simon blatantly bitched about how Adam should have won. Why would the producers give it to Kris when Adam had all this buzz and the supposed legion of fans? And please don't use the "homophobic" line. The "Idol" producers don't care if their winners are white, black, red, yellow, or pink. They just care about green -- the amount of money these singers will put into their pockets.
The answer: The producers didn't let Kris win. The voters of America did. Adam has incredibly supportive, vocal fans, and I hope he appreciates them (I'm sure he does). But the truth that they never seem to grasp is, they were a vocal MINORITY. Kris won this thing fair and square, and it's so ridiculous that four months later there are still people going crazy on message boards trying to turn it into something it's not. There are serious issues facing our country, and this is how we spend our time? Sheesh.

Eric: I just want to say that even if you leave behind the conspiracy theories, that does not mean that more PEOPLE voted for Kris. It just means that Kris received more VOTES. This isn't a one person one vote situation. Just looking at how people have responded to Adam on tour versus Kris- it's entirely possible that more people voted for Adam but more votes were cast for Kris.
Then again why bring this all up again? The future is now! They're on tour with albums coming out. Let this vote thing go entirely. It makes their victory taste bitter.

Well now that the AI competition is over, we will see who is the more successful of the two. Time will tell. The only thing we can go by now are concert reviews, crowd reaction, merchandise sales. etc. Adam CLEARLY outshines the "winner" and all other contestants in these areas.

"There are serious issues facing our country, and this is how we spend our time? Sheesh."
Oh...I must have missed your article on your country's national affairs...can you point me in the right direction?

@Lisa: I'm an entertainment writer. This is my job. What's your excuse?

@Eric
"MORE PEOPLE VOTED FOR KRIS" is a FACT only in Arkansas.
The FACT is: KRIS" fans voted more times but ADAM has more fans than anyone else as proven by the AI tour, ITunes and merchandise sales.
Another PROOF: During the AI season, in one month alone, ADAM has 6 million Google hits against half a million for all the other contestants combined.
So, please stop this nonsense that Kris has more fans. Why can't you concede it's the power texting of Arkansas which delivered 38 million votes for a 2.8 population?
This was published in Arkansas news, in the radio and the state authority itself right the night of the finale.
Not a few Arkansan posted that the whole state was galvanized into vote for Kris frenzy with fundraising for GO phones. These are facts out in the open.
Yes, because of all these Kris won. So be it. But don't twist or deny the facts.
BTW, aside from the bump of a winner having higher sales, since Eric pointed out No Boundaries, it was not announced that two versions came out which never happened before. It's a given it's supposed to be only the winner. Now, since ADAM's fans already purchase the albums and videos, that was unnecessary then.
So, my question now, since you say Kris won because he has more fans, where are they along the tour? And why purchase only No Boundaries and not the album and videos? And why ADAM has 6 in the Top 10, not Kris?

Eric,
For starters, I prefer to spend my time reading/discussing the serious issues facing my own country, not yours. There is time for everything. I have no problem balancing my serious and fun side. Adam Lambert is a great distraction from all the ills of the world. Don't act like it is proposterous to be discussing this when you are the one that posted the original article.

Eric, rigged or not, you can't say Kris Allen out sold Adam on itunes... Since you are an entertainement writer, it is your duty to get the facts straight.
http://mjsbigblog.com/the-itunes-popularity-bars-are-back.htm#more-7187

As someone who's never watched a single episode of "American Idol" in her life, I have to admit that this whole chain of comments more amusing than I can possibly describe.

But seriously, don't you all think there are more important things to get yourself into a tizzy about? Don't shout 'til you're blue in the face, just agree to disagree on this one.

Kirs fans wanted it more. Where was this Adam outcry back when it mattered? You know, during voting?

@Lisa: You are completely right, and I was out of line with that last remark. Totally uncalled for. Sincere apologies all around.
@Nadine: The facts I presented were 100 percent accurate at the time of the finale, which is what I said when I posted them. I also said that I have not gone back since to see what the figures look like, and I will not, because it is a gigantic waste of time.

Eric, nothing you are saying is true. I live in Arkansas. AT&T did not debunk the fact that 38 million votes came from here. A radio station announced that figure that they received from an AT&T employee. The 38 million votes were not denied but merely retracted by AT&T by saying that it was information not officially released and would not be. As an attorney, I call that lawyering up. I was in Arkansas at the time. Were you? Arkansas was going Kris crazy. Politicians talked about him. Radio stations had contest to see who could vote the most. Many people voted over 10,000 times each. Erika McMahan of Conway, Ark., who with two of her friends sent in 11,700 votes by text message on the final night of this year’s Idol, another family in Arkansas bragged to an Arkansas newspaper that their family of four was able to text almost 40,000 votes for Kris. The universities were having Go Phone fundraisers so they could buy telephones with California area codes so that they could get 3 more hours of voting in that time zone. When thousands of people are power texting 10 to 20 votes a dial are you really so naive that you think one state could not throw the vote in favor of Kris? Kris got more votes; more people voted for Adam, there is a difference.
Your argument about Kris outselling Adam on I tunes is also not true. Adam’s singles by far outsold Kris’ before the final. Kris got the bump of the winners bump and Kris’s “No Boundaries” that he bombed at singing live during the tour outsold Adam’s because many people did not want to associate Adam with that lame song. In total dollar amount of all I Tune sales Kris did not beat Adam. Your facts are wrong.
You are also confusing the desires of producers with the desires of sponsors. AT&T has a conflict of interest between a fair vote and profits. They make a fortune getting people to vote as many times as possible. The Idol rules have it at their discretion to discard or accept block voting including power texting. They chose to accept power text votes allowing Kris to win. It was sponsor profit over talent. And fairness.
Then Eric, the proof is in the pudding. It is obvious to anyone following the tour that Adam has had the most fan support in every stop except Arkansas, Adam’s fan sites have hundreds of thousands more posts then Kris’. Adam sells the most merchandise at ever stop by far and has never been booed or have the audience walk as Kris has. Adam just received a Teen Choice Award beating Kris in a vote that was less able to be skewed.
Your assessment of “talent” is lame. You may like Kris better but Adam is a far superior singer. Musical experts believe that there is no comparison. Any favoritism showed to Adam on the show was because he is the next world wide musical icon and they recognized that. You started this argument so deal with it.

Just to clarify the sale of No Boundaries. In fact, Adams fans refused to buy the single. We felt the song was horrible - but that isn't the only reason. Our main objection was the fact that we were all incredibly p-o'd with AI re the voting scandal and didn't want to support them in any way - and buying the single that should have been recorded by kris only was seen as supporting AI. It was obvious that AI/Fox and whoever had Adam record the song as well because kris couldn't sing it and they wanted the revenue thinking Adams version would sell huge. We made the decision to disappoint them and boycotted the single. It was not an easy decision to make as we wanted desperately to support Adam. We are also boycotting HiFi's release of a so-called Adam album.
Our support dollars will go towards Adams solo album this fall - we already have requests from fans in countries around the world who won't have access asking us to send them copies - as we did with the RS issue. We will gladly oblige

@Eric
If it's a fact Kris has more fans and not the fact that Arkansas voted more times through power texting, where are the fans during the Teens Choice Award?
Why can't they bring the surfboard trophy to Kris as the winner?
Because, there's no power texting involved. It's one vote per person.
Therefore, Adam wins!

There are some really great comments on here. I agree that the proof will be when Kris's and Adam's albums both drop this fall. I'm predicting a Lambert landslide.

More votes do not equal more voters. The AI voting system is open for anyone to vote however many times they like for a set period, Adam fans and Kris fans as well as Danny fans and whoever else. A system like that means the winner is not by default the most popular with the most fans. It just means more votes got through. There are numerous reasons for that. To say it's all Arkansas is ridiculous. It's equally ridiculous to say that denial is the same as debunking. And if you can't be bothered to go back and check the facts about the iTunes leak, then I wonder why you're so set on standing by the post-finale numbers. You need the whole picture to best argue your case.

Also, the original post brought up all of these hot topics, so I don't think it's fair to then turn around and imply that people commenting are wasting their time and should get over it. I assume you want people to read what you write and have opinions about it. Some people do keep up to date with the big issues in our country but also like to take time out to talk about the little things that interest them.

All the win lose nonsense is so yesterday. Today Adam Lambert is getting the great reviews, winning the awards and mesmerizing audiences every night and having them in the palm of his hands. Poor meek little Kris is like a summer breeze following a tornado. I tried to stay and watch him to be polite but my daughter insisted that we head to the barricades to line up for a possible Lambert appearance. We were not disappointed. Not only can he sing like no other, he is the sweetest nicest guy. Time will tell who will succeed but my money is on the guy with the guyliner and the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen!

Arkansas not only voted for Kris they also intentionally jammed Adam's telephone lines. College students bragged about that as well. In order for Adam to have over come 38 million Arkansas votes and the untold number of go phone votes, he wold have had to have had over 80% of the vote every where else. He was not able to win by that margin.

Everyone calm down. Seriously.

Hey Eric, I think you missed it. Kris' album on was released after his win along with Adam's album. But many many people, like me, had already purchased all of Adam's songs individually and didn't need the whole album. If you go back to the earlier weeks, you'll find that Adam outsold Kris on everything, so basically people already had his music. I have nothing against Kris, but that's the way it is. He is flat at the concert, has a nice voice but very little range. Nice kid, and I wish him well.

eric, dude, you're wasting you're time with these people. no sense in using logic with them. revenge of the adam fans and all that, man.

Eric, all your assetions are correct as far as I'm concerned. And of course people seem to forget that Kris had to be immensely popular in order to get to the finale. He didn't just suddenly appear there. Adam's fans should be content he made it to #2 and let it go.

Power texting instructions were on Adam's websites. Why didn't his fans do the same thing?

Eric:...Every word you said is true!

Not only did AT&T debunk the B.S. rumours about the votes but so did A.I. There were NOT 38,000 votes cast from Arkansas. AT&T and A.I. made a statement after all of this B.S.. hit the media that it was just that; B.S.!!! AT&T stated in a press release that the number of votes cast from each state is not disclosed and this info leaked to the press was FALSE INFO!!! Also, on several shows like ET, EW, etc... it was said that the reason Ryan Seacrest didn't say how many votes Kris won by was because it was huge! The votes weren't even close. This is the only time they didn't give the count. You know why? Because the judges had already given Adam the win several weeks before the finale and it would have looked like a total embarrassment had they divulged the number that Kris won by. Come on people... It doesn't matter! This so called competition was over months ago! Adam and Kris have both said it wasn't a competition against each other, they were only trying to do their best and get exposure so they could do what they love to do and that is create music! Why do some people still have to compare them? Honestly.. You can't! They are both extremely talented but very different. I'm just so tired of all the so call conspiracy theories, etc.. Kris won fair and square and if you can't accept that then you are a very childish excuse of a human being. Come on people.. there are more important things going on besides this B.S.! Kris won, get over it!!! Does it really matter? They are both winners! I say congrats to both... Some of you people obviously don't have any regard for either of these very talented, kind, gifted performers or you would shut the F..k up! Get real and grow up!!!

Eric, Dan, & Richard.. You are all SPOT ON!!! I couldn't have said it better myself!

Kris who??
I forgot.
Oops.

Kris beat Adam hands down in sales post Idol. I posted the results on the AI web site so I know! I think Adam will be huge doing videos and future albums will be successful for both Adam and Kris!!! Adam's voice and stage presence are his forte! But I love Kris' voice and passion best.

Wow, does anyone know how to read? What AT&T said is, and I quote, “AT&T does not divulge or confirm how many votes were cast in any state.” I am an attorney and this is not a denial. The information came from an AT&T employee who is the father of one of Kris’ pre idol band members who was bragging about it to a radio station. Everyone in Arkansas knows this. Are you Arkansas deniers going to claim that Arkansas did not get out the vote fro Kris? Do the math; with power texting one person can cast as many as 10,000 votes in four hours. It would only take 3,800 people to cast 10,000 votes each to add up to that 38 million. This does not include the California Go Phone votes dialed from Arkansas, which very well could have been millions of more votes. Are you suggesting that the voting parties thrown fro Kris with 2 to 3 thousand people plus the universities could not have pulled this off? If you want to know why Kris lasted so long, he was getting a split vote with Adam’s fans and then in the last two weeks Arkansas got organized and knocked Danny out first and then Adam. Adam could very well have lost by a million or more votes and still would have won in any kind of fair system because he had more fans. The tour has proven that 27 times.

To WM if you do not give a damn about fundamental fairness in this world maybe it does not matter to you who won. But for those of us that have a sense of justice it matters every time we see injustice weather it be in a cheesy contest or a skewed presidential election. A certain amount of public deception has occurred. Kris’ win may very well have been allowed to happen because sponsors may not have wanted the first openly gay Idol even though judging by fan reaction it was something that America was ready for. It was fundamentally not fair that the man who will be a legend and renown as one of the great singers of all time did not win a cheesy contest because of overzealous state pride or homophobic sponsors or both. Do not dare tell me that Kris plays instruments or is just as talented but different, that is just bull!

Why is it so hard to believe that Kris won fair and square? It's simple, and Kris and Adam both agree with this: Kris has a more mainstream and much wider appeal than Adam does. Adam is amazing, but either you love him or you hate him. No one can really hate Kris, because his image and his music appeals to a broad range of people. Someone who does not follow American Idol will hear Kris's voice and either not care for it because they find it generic, or they will like it. Someone who does not follow American Idol will hear Adam Lambert and either hate him or absolutely love him. Either way, Adam gets strong reactions on both sides of the spectrum, whereas Kris gets more of the middling vote and the yes votes. You guys forget that Kris won because Danny Gokey fans also voted for him. Why they did this, we will never know. It could have been something to do with the religious thing, or maybe not. Maybe they voted for Kris because they preferred him over Adam. But the fact of the matter is, it's not rocket science or conspiracy theory that can explain why Kris won over Adam. Kris peaked at the right time during the competition, when Adam was hitting a plateau. Adam never really matured as an artist, because from beginning to end he was pretty much the same performer. Kris, on the other hand, demonstrated real growth throughout the competition, and America rewarded that. While it may seem to people that Adam has a lot of fans because they are more vocal on the internet, Kris has many fans who do not bother reading blogs or commenting on news articles - a silent majority, if you will. Kris picked up new fans during each performance, and especially with "Heartless", whereas Adam maintained the same fanbase throughout the competition. So there are many reasons why Kris won. It doesn't have to be a conspiracy theory.

for those that say we adam fans scream conspiracy falsely are vastly mistaken...i punched in adams number and would hit redial on my phone....was busy numerous times and then 1 out of 4 times the operator would thank me for voting for kris...never wanted to vote for kris (i think he's a very likable person but too generic). i have first hand experience with the voting and will never vote again on american idol....

i also bought an ipod and learned how to download itunes because of adams performances and bought tickets to the portland, oregon show just to see him...i will also buy any and all cds/albums he brings out......

no, America did not get their votes counted but we WILL make adam a megastar....

I'm a huge fan of Kris and a slightly bigger fan of Adam. I think that Kris winning was best for both of their careers--Kris gets the support that TPTB wouldn't have given him, and Adam gets more freedom to be himself--so I'm really happy with the way things worked out.

But, Eric: It seems weird to say "Kris was selling more singles after the finale" as justification that he won. The mid-season sales showed Adam first and Kris second. My guess is that by the end of the season they were pretty close in sales, as they were both very popular. Then, of course, the winner's boost--which happens whether or not the front-runner is popular--helped push Kris ahead on singles--but Adam was still selling more than Kris in terms of his full album and his music videos. I agree with the basic point that Kris's sales were really good and people clearly loved him (which was clear anyway), but he wasn't outselling Adam, unless you only count singles instead of music videos or albums. Sales are a wash, in that sense, or just proof that both guys were really popular.

I don't think there's any conspiracy to the voting. Adam and Kris were separated by a million votes when they went into the finale. A million votes? That's basically nothing when you have all those texters. So, whoever pulled in the larger portion of Danny's sizable voting block would easily win. And naturally, Kris was going to pull more Danny voters than Adam. I don't really see why there is any confusion about that.

Kris and Adam got to the finale because they were the boldest, most consistently creative and interesting contestants (Allison is insanely talented, but Kris and Adam are just more developed as artists than she is at this point, which only makes sense). And then the win was decided by the Danny voters, which is why I was 100% sure going into that night that Kris would win. And because I like both him and Adam and want them to do well, I was fairly relieved about that because I think that this outcome will prove to be the best possible thing for both of them. :)

My basic point is that I think that Kris won fair and square in terms of the votes, but that you are either factually wrong or at least misleading to suggest that his sales indicate anything about that ignores a) the winner's boost, which is pretty significant given all the radio play and TV appearances the winner gets right after the finale, especially when it comes to the winner's single, which more people are going to purchase from the winner than the runner-up and b) the fact that Adam was outselling him in music videos and albums, which seems just as significant as sales in singles. The sales indicate that they were both popular, but not which one should have won. I agree that people who insist on a conspiracy theory are not being factual, but if you're going to call them out (as you should), you should be factual too.

Of course, it doesn't really matter at this point--the three most talented people from the season (Adam, Kris, and Allison if that wasn't clear) are making albums, which is at it should be.--but facts are facts.

8 seasons of AI and ppl are still complaining about the voting system. Plz read carefully nw, the winner of AI is the person who received the highest amount of votes, and that Kris did!!!
If you look at amount of Adam fans commenting on all things KRIS, compared to the KRIS fans posts on Adam, you see who is really getting the most attention. Kris's name doesn't even need to be mentioned in the article/blog/video and somewhere in the comments column you'll find Kris's name, (extremely funny). And don't get me started on the comments on Kris articles/blogs/videos, its the funniest thing in the world, if you don't like the guy (and keep telling everyone that he's yesterdays news) why the heck do you always find the time to read/watch/comment on everything that involves the guy.

Eric, you are the one rehashing old news. I think most of us Adam fans are finally comfortable with the fact that Kris had more votes--not voters. Arkansas managed to give Kris the crown by power texting, but all those people will not buy multiple CD's, or multiple tickets to the concerts. I have been to two concerts, and there is no question that Adam is the more popular performer. Kris is a super nice guy, and I am very impressed with his graciousness in the fact that he has to follow Adam, and must face people leaving his set (or before it even starts as we did) so they can line up at the barricades to wait for Adam's autograph. This is what my daughter and i did, and I hated it because I thought it was rude and unfair to Kris; still, we wanted Adam's autograph, and that is what is took. We were not disappointed, as we got Adam's signature, when both Adam and Kris came outside to the barricades. Your itunes statements are ridiculous; you should get your facts straight. The facts that the lawyer from Arkansas has stated can not be disputed. Most of Adam's fans are now at peace with the fact that he did not win the AI crown, because we know he will be a bigger star in the end, where it counts. Again , Arkansas did Kris no favors, as he now has to follow Adam, in concert, night after night. Kris has enough talent, and his lack of stage presence would not be so noticeable if he did not have to perform after Adam. Again, Eric, you are the one who brought this issue up. I am at peace with Adam's "loss," but that was the first time I ever voted on AI, and it will be the last. I will spend my energy and money helping Adam to become the iconic star I know he is destined to be.

Starr, I think the tour is showing that Adam has more than adequate appeal. The merchandise, the barricades, the audience reactions, the reviews... in every city but Little Rock, Adam is by far in the most demand. I agree with you about Kris, though. The very fact that he has that middling, inoffensive vibe for sure played a large part in why he won. "Safe" wins reality TV shows geared to conservative middle America. AI has proven that every season, so it's no miraculous upset that Kris won. Adam winning would have been the upset. Anyway, what happens after the show is a test of their appeal as individual artists rather than in the limited context as contestants in a reality show.

MGP, your logic is hilarious.

Clarissa, thank you for your sanity. Your comments were just about the only ones worth reading.

Adam has had far more fans at all the concerts except Arkansas. Adam can sing any genre. When you talk about broad appeal, Simon predicted that only Adam out of all American Idol contestants is the first one with the capability of being an international superstar. Kris on the other hand has been compared, unfavorably I might add, to niche singers such as John Mayer. Mayer does not fill large stadiums. Adam is compared to front men for iconic bands such as Queen�s Freddy Mercury and Robert Plant. You are repeating something that is untrue and just plain silly. Go to the official fan websites and see who has appeal. It is not Kris. When you say that Kris, matured, as an artist and Adam did not. Remember, Adam has never performed on tour before, he learned how to put on a stellar performance in front of a large audience at the same time Kris did. Adam has the audience wild and entertained while Kris is putting them to sleep. It is pathetic when Kris fans insist that he is something he is obviously not.

This debate will never end, but let me just say that the tour is telling us what should have happened - Adam gets the most screams BY FAR and he's getting the best reviews BY FAR. I like Kris, but AT&T and Arkansas cheated and I'll never believe otherwise. Also, at one point in time, right after his win, Kris's SINGLES outsold Adam's on iTunes, but Adam's ALBUMS outsold everybody else, which means ppl wanted Adam's entire songbook. I'm not mad anymore, really, b/c I really believe Kris needed the title more and I'm glad Adam is not slave to AI for 2 years. Go see him live, it's UNBELIEVABLE how talented he is.

Anyone who says that Kris won because of Danny’s votes is incorrect. Adam was way more popular in Danny’s home state then Kris. Check Google Trends. In fact Google Trends wrote an article pointing that misconception out. Think for a minute, who was suppose to be in the final, it was Danny and Adam, as a Danny fan would you vote for the guy who displaced your favorite? There is no doubt that Kris won because of Arkansas. The votes were accepted: Kris is the winner. Is that fair? No! In spite of that Adam will be a superstar when Kris fades into oblivion.

i don't REALLY GET IT... WHO IS ADAM? AND WHY THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT HIM ALL ALONG...I DON'T KNOW HIM.. BECAUSE HE IS FORGETTABLE.. WHAT HIS FAMILY NAME????.. OPPS SORYYY LOL!!! ALL I KNOW IS THE FIRST EVER HUMBLE AND TALENTED MAN... ONLY KRIS ALLEN FROM ARKANSAS... AND 2ND BEST IS DANNY GOKEY....NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS! LOL... ADAM IS ONLY SCREEEEECCCCHIINGGGGG ANG SCREAAAAAAAMMMMMIINNNG ALL THE TIME!!! LOL

The only reason Mr. What's His Name won was because Arkansas cheated.
End of story.
What a joke.

I'm not quite sure why some people insist on reminding everyone that Kris won. So what? If you're thinking that reminding us will cause us to switch our loyalties over to Kris, think again. Ruben Studdard beat Clay Aiken, but flopped in CD sales. Taylor Hicks beat Chris Daughtry, but he too flopped in CD sales. People vote for a lot of things that have nothing to do with choosing the best person for the job. That fact is clearly evidenced by previous Presidential elections. Maybe Americans shouldn't be allowed to vote for anything because we're not very good at it.

Eric:
Adam's fans bought up everything he recorded on AI the second it became available on iTunes ... before the songs were allowed to chart. Maybe Kris's fans waited to see if he won before buying anything. When iTunes screwed up and showed the contestants' sales rankings in the middle of the season, Adam was way ahead of everyone else.

Simmer down, folks. Seriously. This is getting both repetitive and ridiculous.

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Please note that at this point, we will not be accepting any more comments regarding the voting controversy for the "American Idol" 2009 season finale. Everything that needs to be said has been said, and the comments are taking over this site. If you'd like to comment on American Idols Live concert coming to Rochester this weekend, or about the performers generally, feel free to post. But we will not be approving any more comments regarding the contentious outcome of the competition.

JUST SAW ADAM PERFORM LIVE FROM 6th ROW last night. I cannot stress in any words how unbelievable seeing him perform live in front of me was. It was like the sun rising, it was like taking a drink of luscious water in a desert. It was so incredible, I’m still reeling. Seeing him on tv was great, but live was just beyond words. When I say Adam lights the stage on fire, it’s an understatement. He just has so much charisma and magnetism, I felt like those who first saw Elvis or the Beatles perform. Seeing him live 20 feet away is on my top ten life experiences ever. Unbelievable. He is really a gift.

Here's the deal; No doubt Adam is the better performer- no contest, Kris (in my opinion) however is the better artist. Just listen to the studio recordings of their AI songs. While Adam's song's doesn't quite have the same sting as it does without the theatrics of a live performance, Kris's sounds like it came directly off his album. I'm not saying that overall Kris is better than Adam (or vice-versa), they are completely different artists, with completely different styles, operating in completely different Genres, therefore their fan bases are, well, Different. It is for this reason, along with the fact that they competed against each other on the same show, that neither Kris nor Adam fans can respect each others views on music. Adam fans feel that its a tragedy that Adam never won and Kris fans is annoyed by all the attention Adam is getting on tour, why the heck can't ppl just support their favorite, and let the other one be. AI end over 4 months ago, C'mon lets get on with our lives ppl.

What Adam’s fans do not like is for Kris’s fans to suggest that there is any comparison in talent whatsoever. Adam has a vocal range and technical ability that compares to the legendary greats. A recent article named Adam as one of the few singers who do not need Autotone. Another website named Adam as the second best Rock Singer ever, above Freddy Mercury and Robert Plant. One only has to look at the body of work Adam has on the Internet, which includes songs such as “Brigadoon”, “Is Anybody Listening” and songs from “Wicked” to see that his vocal talent and perfect pitch are natural abilities that Adam has refined far beyond what Kris will ever accomplish. When someone suggests that Kris is a more “artistic” singer it is again a foolish thing to say. Adams studio recording of “Feeling Good” is one of the most artistically beautiful songs I have ever heard recorded. The experts point out that it is Adam that is the real artist. He sang two different versions of “Mad World” on Idol, changing the feel of the song completely. On Good Morning America he took “Starlight” and in a matter of minutes change it completely from what he is singing in concert, causing someone who witnessed his brief sound check and rehearsal to call Adam the best technical singer she had ever witnessed, even though she was there as a David Cook fan. Kris’ fans can like him all they want, some people like Champaign others like beer, just because you like it do not tell us it is just as good or better.

Why are some people so jealous of Adam that they keep blaming him for being the "anointed one" .....Adam is a gifted singer. And that's it...he isnt claiming to be anybody...

Who the most artistic singer is, is no more than a matter of personal opinion, be it from the "professionals" or the common music listener"s point of view. Why get annoyed when someone prefers one thing over the other (its not that uncommon you know). My problem isn't with ppl who feel Adam is better, my problem is with people who feel the need to comment on every single thing involving Kris when they don't even like the dude. If you's claim you don't like him why the hell are you ppl reading up on him and watching his videos, and then feel the need to smash the guy? Its stupidity. Reviewers, Bloggers, Reporters... fair enough its their job to stir things up, but its seriously annoying reading the same things over and over and over again. Kris won AI, which to my knowledge is no crime, so let the guy be for heavens sake! I could care less who is considered "better", Kris's music fits MY taste more, and that's the reason I supported him during AI and that's the reason I'll be buying his Album, not to say that I won't buy Adam's (or any of the rest).

Kris outsold Adam AFTER he won. Adam was outselling others throughout the season. mjsbigblog.com/the-itunes-popularity-bars-are-back.htm
19 is a business making business decisions to maximize their return on investment. They do not base their decisions on votes, they base them on dollars earned. And they know which contestant of season 8 has sold the most albums, music videos and songs on itunes.