Clarkson's breakaway success
February 13, 2006
You probably already knew that Kelly Clarkson was big, and this was confirmed at the Grammys last week, when Clarkson snagged three awards, including best pop vocal album. Nowadays, Clarkson is bigger than Britney (although, that's not saying much), and even bigger than Christina Aguilera and Avril Lavigne, who have written songs for her albums. Anyone who doubts the power of our first ''American Idol" winner should grab an album and start counting.
While big pop stars of the past decade -- such as Beyoncé and Justin Timberlake -- have managed to get four singles from one album on radio pop charts, Clarkson just released her sixth radio track in Boston, all from her disc ''Breakaway." Five of her six singles have been local No. 1's, and her latest hit, ''Walk Away," is climbing to the top. In that sense, Clarkson is even bigger than Mariah Carey, whose ''Emancipation of Mimi" was honored with three Grammys but is responsible only for five radio tracks, including the latest, ''Fly Like a Bird."
David Corey, music director at KISS 108 (107.9 FM), says Clarkson's success is ''very rare." The pop music station just started playing a sixth song by Gwen Stefani, from her album ''Love. Angel. Music. Baby.," but Corey says a few of Stefani's songs, such as ''Luxurious," have had mediocre success on the air. ''With Kelly, all of hers have been huge hits," he says.
How does Clarkson's ''Breakaway" stack up? Corey says he can think of only a few other albums that had six songs successfully hit radio. They were made by artists with staying power, he says, the ones who are big enough to go by their first names.
MEREDITH GOLDSTEIN
Michael Jackson, ''Thriller" (1982)
1. ''Wanna Be Startin' Something"
2. ''The Girl is Mine"
3. ''Thriller"
4. ''Beat It"
5. ''Billie Jean"
6. ''Human Nature"
7. ''P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
Bruce Springsteen, ''Born in the U.S.A." (1984)
1. ''Born in the U.S.A."
2. ''Cover Me"
3. ''I'm on Fire"
4. ''I'm Goin' Down"
5. ''Glory Days"
6. ''Dancing in the Dark"
7. ''My Hometown"
Janet Jackson, ''Control" (1986)
1. ''Control"
2. ''Nasty"
3. ''What Have You Done for Me Lately"
4. ''The Pleasure Principle"
5. ''When I Think of You"
6. ''Let's Wait Awhile"
Janet Jackson, ''Rhythm Nation 1814" (1989)
1. ''Rhythm Nation"
2. ''State of the World"
3. ''Miss You Much"
4. ''Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
5. ''Alright"
6. ''Escapade"
7. ''Black Cat"
8. ''Come Back to Me"
Janet Jackson, ''Janet" (1993)
1. ''That's the Way Love Goes"
2. ''You Want This"
3. ''If"
4. ''Throb"
5. ''Because of Love"
6. ''Again"
7. ''Where Are You Now"
8. ''Any Time, Any Place"
Alanis Morissette, ''Jagged Little Pill" (1995)
1. ''All I Really Want"
2. ''You Oughta Know"
3. ''Hand in My Pocket"
4. ''You Learn"
5. ''Head Over Feet"
6. ''Ironic"
Kelly Clarkson, ''Breakaway" (2004)
1. ''Breakaway''
2. ''Since U Been Gone"
3. ''Behind These Hazel Eyes"
4. ''Because of You"
5. ''Gone"
6. ''Walk Away"
Source:
http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/a...kaway_success/
