Radio Ranks Season 7 Finalists – Idol Chatter

What™s the difference between winning american idol and simply placing? It™s massive when it comes to radio airplay. I™ve been playing around with Mediabase numbers all week, trying to find the different stories they can tell.

And this one's a doozy: I™ve ranked last season™s 12 finalists according to the radio play they™ve received. Naturally, David Cook, David Archuleta and Kristy Lee Cook outpace the other nine, since they had major-label record deals and a corresponding level of promotion. But the amount of fall-off between the not-really-successful Cook and the next-most-played finalist is simply staggering.By the numbers: Radio ranks Season 7’s finalists – Idol Chatter – USATODAY.com.