Australian Idol

Australian Idol is the Australian version of the British TV hit show Pop Idol. It is a talent contest to find a pop performer and is hosted by Andrew G and James Mathison. The first series started on July 27th, 2003, and finished on November 19. The winner was Guy Sebastian, with runners up Shannon Noll (2nd) and Cosima De Vito (3rd). The 2004 season saw Casey Donovan win ahead of Anthony Callea (2nd) and Courtney Murphy (3rd).

Commercial success

The success of Australian Idol has been reflected on the Australian charts with a finalists album and four contestant albums all enjoying considerable success so far with the finalists of the second series to release debut albums within a few months.

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So far, the albums released or due to be released shortly are:

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• ' reached #3 on the charts and achieved double platinum status;
• Just As I Am, the debut album by winner Guy Sebastian debuted at #1 in December 2003 and has achieved 6x platinum status or sales of 500,000, and his second album Beautiful Life debuted at #2 in October 2004 and has so far achieved platinum status (behind Robbie Williams' Greatest Hits);
• That's What I'm Talking About by runner-up Shannon Noll debuted at #1 in early 2004 and has achieved 5x platinum status, selling 350,000 albums, and Noll's forthcoming second album in 2005; and
• Up All Night by finalist Rob Mills debuted in the Australian top 30 of the album charts in late June;
• One Determined Heart by finalist Paulini Curuenavuli was released in late July on Sony Music and debuted at #1 in the album charts after the success of the first single (see below), achieving gold status. A Christmas album full of carols, called ' was also recorded and released by her in December 2004, reaching the top 100;
• Cosima by finalist Cosima De Vito debuted at #2 in the albums in October 2004, so far achieving gold status (behind Maroon 5's Songs about Jane); and
• Hinesight, a covers album by Idol judge Marcia Hines has also reached the top 20 in September 2004.
• Joel Turner and The Modern Day Poets, the self-titled album from "unforgettable" contestant and beatboxer Joel Turner with The Modern Day Poets reached the top 30 in November 2004.
• For You, Casey Donovan's debut album, debuted at #2 in December 2004, behind Robbie Williams' Greatest Hits.
• Cast Album Australian Idol Final 10, an album by the 10 finalists of the second series made the top 20 in February 2005.
• Anthony Callea, Anthony Callea's debut self-titled album, released on 28 March 2005, and debuted at #1 on the albums chart of 4 April 2005, so far achieving double platinum statusl
• Ricki-Lee Coulter's upcoming debut album.

In total, Australian Idol contestants have sold approximately a million albums in Australia since November 2003. BMG who signed up the two original finalists have presented Guy Sebastian with a royalty cheque for a million dollars in July 2004, with Shannon Noll also receiving a similar cheque later in the year. http://entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,10096788%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html/2

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As of November 2004, Australian Idol contestants have enjoyed thirty top 40 hits in Australia since November 2003:

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• "Rise Up" by the Final 12 reached #1 in November 2003;
• Guy Sebastian has had three #1 singles in Australia ("Angels Brought Me Here" and "All I Need is You" from his debut album; "Out with my Baby" from his second album, so far achieving platinum status), and also top 20 singles from his second album with "Kryptonite" and "Oh-Oh";
• Shannon Noll has had two #1 hits with "What About Me?", a cover of the Moving Pictures (also a #1 from 1982) and "Learn to Fly", and a top 5 hit with "Drive", as well as being part of the Dreamtime Christmas All-Stars (also featuring Cosima De Vito, Rob Mills), to record "Twelve Days of Christmas", which reached the top 30 in December 2004, and a new song "Come On Aussie, Come On" reaching #2 in the same month. He also debuted at #1 again in October 2005 with the song "Shine";
• Cosima De Vito's debut single "When The War Is Over", a cover of the ballad by Cold Chisel, debuted at #1 in the charts on 16 August, achieving gold status, as well being part of the Dreamtime Christmas All-Stars (also featuring Shannon Noll, Rob Mills), to record "Twelve Days of Christmas", which reached the top 30 in December 2004, and a second solo single, "Now That You Can't Have Me", reaching the top 50 in the same month;
• Paulini Curuenavuli's first single "Angel Eyes", a cover of the John Hiatt song made famous in 1989 by Jeff Healey, debuted at #2 in the charts on 12 July 2004 behind "Learn to Fly", and officially reaching #1 the week after, achieving platinum status, as having a second single "We can Try" reaching the top 30 in October 2004;
• Rob Mills reached the top ten in late May 2004 with "Ms Vanity", and also reached the top 30 in August 2004 with a second single "Every Single Day"; Rob was also part of the Dreamtime Christmas All-Stars (along with Shannon Noll and Cosima De Vito), who recorded "Twelve Days of Christmas", which reached the top 30 in December 2004,;
• Finalist Levi Kereama enjoyed top 20 success as a member of Lethbridge with the single "In My Room" in May 2004. He then released another single credited to him featuring Lethbridge, called "Handcuffs Off", reaching the top 40 in January 2005;
• Semi-finalist Courtney Act enjoyed a top 40 hit with "Rub Me Wrong" in March 2004;
• Joel Turner also reached #1 with The Modern Day Poets on the single "These Kids" in November 2004, so far achieving platinum status. They also had a second single called "Knock U Out!" (featuring champion boxer Anthony "The Man" Mundine), using the beats of "Eye of The Tiger", made famous by the Rocky movie. The single was released in January 2005, and debuted in the top 20 in February 2005, and a third single "Funk U Up" was also released in May 2005, also reaching top twenty status, even higher than "Knock U Out";
• Casey Donovan debuted at #1 with her debut single, "Listen With Your Heart" in November 2004, so far achieving double platinum status, reached the top 20 with her second single "What's Going On?" in February 2005, and reached #51 with her third single "Flow" in August 2005; and
• Anthony Callea debuted at #1 in December 2004 with his debut single "The Prayer", a cover of the version by Carole Bayer Sager, also made famous by Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion, so far achieving quadruple platinum status, and debuted at #1 again in March 2005 with a double A-side of "Rain"/"Bridge Over Troubled Water". His third single "Hurts So Bad" reached the top ten in July 2005.
• "Good Times", a song originally by The Easybeats, made famous with a cover by Jimmy Barnes and INXS, was covered by the Final 10 of the second series of Idol and it charted in the top 60 in February 2005.
• Finalist Ricki-Lee Coulter reached the top 5 with the song "Hell No!" in June 2005. She also reached the top 20 with her second single "Sunshine" in October 2005.

The strength of the success of Australian Idol contestants in the charts was shown when Shannon Noll's single "Learn to Fly" debuted at #1 ahead of "Angel Eyes" by Paulini Curuenavuli at #2 on the Australian singles charts of 12 July 2004. Paulini's single even climbed up to #1 the week after this.

Related Topics:
12 July - 2004

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