Chart WatchChart Watch Extra: Phillip Phillips’ Big Week
Phillip Phillips'
"Home" sold 278K digital copies in its first week, more than any other coronation song (an official single celebrating the winner's victory) in American Idol history. The old record was held by David Cook's "The Time Of My Life," which sold 236K copies in its first week in 2008.
"Home" enters Hot Digital Songs at #2, close behind Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," which grows to 301K in its second week on top. "Home" enters the Hot 100 at #10. It's the first Idol coronation song to crack the top 10 since Cook's hit, which debuted and peaked at #3.
Of the hundreds of songs that have been released by artists who rose to fame on American Idol, only one has sold more digital copies in one week than "Home" did this week. That's Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You," which opened with sales of 280K in January 2009.
The first five Idol winners' coronation songs all reached #1 or #2 on the Hot 100: Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This," Ruben Studdard's "Flying Without Wings," Fantasia's "I Believe," Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" and Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud." The latter song set an inglorious record: It spent the fewest weeks on the Hot 100 (just eight) of any #1 hit in the chart's 54-year history.
Since then, Idol coronation songs (with the exceptions of the Cook and Phillips records) have stopped short of the top 10. Jordin Sparks' "This Is My Now" peaked at #15, Kris Allen's "No Boundaries" reached #11, Lee DeWyze's cover of U2's "Beautiful Day" hit #24 and Scotty McCreery's "I Love You This Big" hit #11.
Phillips' "Home," which is reminiscent of Mumford & Sons, has already climbed higher on the Hot 100 than any of that band's hits. "The Cave" reached #27. The band's previous release, "Little Lion Man," hit #45.
Phillips placed a total of nine songs on this week's 200-deep Hot Digital Songs chart, more than any Idol winner since Allen had 11 three years ago. Cook put 17 songs on Hot Digital Songs four years ago, which is the record for an Idol winner.
Phillips' other songs to make Hot Digital Songs this week were his covers of Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band's "We've Got Tonite" (43K), Damien Rice's "Volcano" (35K), Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" (24K), the 4 Seasons/Madcon's "Beggin'" (20K), Billy Joel's "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" (15K), Usher's "U Got It Bad" (15K), Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" (12K) and Matchbox Twenty's "Disease" (11K).
Journey To The Finale, an iTunes-exclusive collection of Phillips' Idol performances, sold 24K copies to enter The Billboard 200 at #11. That's one notch higher than McCreery debuted with American Idol Season 10 Highlights: Scotty McCreery in May 2011. (That album went on to peak at #10).
A collection of Idol performances by runner-up Jessica Sanchez (also titled Journey To The Finale) sold 4K to enter The Billboard 200 at #126. (So Phillips' collection sold six times as many copies as Sanchez's.) None of Sanchez's songs placed on Hot Digital Songs this week.
Phillips' hit is the sixth different song titled "Home" to crack the Hot 100. The biggest is Daughtry's "Home," which reached #5 in 2007. Chris Daughtry finished fourth in Season 5 of Idol. "Home" was from his band's chart-topping debut album.
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