CMT Awards wrap-up: Carrie Underwood doesn't buckle under pressure

Despite having to sit through a mess of an awards show, Carrie Underwood could do nothing but smile at the 2010 CMT Music Awards. Carrie won two awards, including the coveted Video of the Year distinction for "Cowboy Casanova."

Carrie must've said "awesome" a dozen times upon taking the stage to receive the buckle, as she was as appreciative as always of her fans' support. She was also sure to sneak in a kiss with her fiance, Mike Fisher, before making her way through the crowd, as seen in the photo on the right.

Earlier in the show Carrie took home a buckle for CMT Performance of the Year thanks to her "Invitation Only" performance of "Temporary Home" in addition to introducing Tim McGraw for his performance of "Southern Voice" and taking the stage to perform her current smash hit "Undo It." Watch her performance (including an awkward 10-second mute mic at the beginning and Kara DioGuardi's bumbling intro) below:

Although Carrie was clearly the star of the night, Kellie Pickler also got a lot of face time despite losing out in the only category she was nominated for, Collaborative Video of the Year. Kellie helped Kid Rock kick off the show when she contributed to an all-star performance of the host's "Cowboy." She also presented an award with football bad boy Terrell "T.O." Owens and was seen "partying" backstage with Rock.

As for my predictions, I was right on with Carrie's win for PotY and loss for FVotY and Kellie's loss for CVotY, although I was [gladly] wrong about Carrie not taking home VotY.

Also in the house was Danny Gokey, who found the time to catch up with fish out of water presenters Snooki and "The Situation" from MTV's Jersey Shore. According to a tweet of his, Snooki told him her mother is a fan. Really?

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IDOL LIVE predix: 2010 CMT Awards

Two Idol alums are up for awards at tonight's 2010 CMT Music Awards, with a combined four categories available for them to nab.

Carrie Underwood is shooting for her "Cowboy Casanova" video to earn her a CMT Award in the Video of the Year and Female Video of the Year categories, while she could be victorious in the CMT Performance of the Yearcategory thanks to her live performance of "Temporary Home" for the network. Kellie Pickler, on the other hand, could win in the Collaborative Video of the Year category as a result of her teaming up with friend Taylor Swift on the "Best Days of Your Life" video.

Read my predictions for how things will go tonight below (predicted winners are in bold):

Video of the Year
Kenny Chesney – "Out Last Night"
Brad Paisley – "Welcome to the Future"
Jason Aldean – "The Truth"
Lady Antebellum – "Need You Now"
Miranda Lambert – "White Liar"
Zac Brown Band – "Toes"
Carrie Underwood – "Cowboy Casanova"
Taylor Swift – "You Belong With Me"Toby Keith – "American Ride"
Keith Urban – '"Til Summer Comes Around"

Female Video of the Year
Miranda Lambert – "White Liar"
Taylor Swift – "You Belong With Me"
Reba McEntire – "Consider Me Gone"
Carrie Underwood – "Cowboy Casanova"

Collaborative Video of the Year
Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins – "Hillbilly Bone"
Jason Aldean and Bryan Adams – "Heaven' from 'CMT Crossroads"
Kellie Pickler featuring Taylor Swift – "Best Days of Your Life"
Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews – "I'm Alive"

CMT Performance of the Year
Carrie Underwood – "Temporary Home" from Invitation Only: Carrie Underwood
Lady Antebellum – "Lookin' For A Good Time" from the 2009 CMT Music Awards
Tim McGraw – "Southern Voice" from Invitation Only: Tim McGraw
Reba McEntire – "Consider Me Gone" from Invitation Only: Reba
Brad Paisley – "Then" from the 2009 CMT Music Awards

No real surprises here. Hopefully Carrie does pull through and wins the CMT Performance of the Year, because that is probably where her competition is the weakest for this type of awards show. Watch "Cowboy Casanova" and "Best Days of Your Life" below:

"Cowboy Casanova"

Carrie Underwood   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

"Best Days of Your Life"


The CMT Music Awards will be hosted by Kid Rock and will be broadcast live on CMT at 8 p.m. ET.

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Carrie Underwood receives six ACM Award nominations

Carrie Underwood is already having a great week, and it's only Tuesday. The nominees for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced this morning on CBS's The Early Show, which revealed that Carrie nabbed six noms in all, tying Miranda Lambert and just one shy of Lady Antebellum. An interesting tidbit is that Carrie is the only Idol-related artist to be nominated for any awards.

This comes one day after Carrie made her guest appearance on the "Hook" episode of CBS's sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Below are the categories that Carrie has a chance to be victorious in (keep in mind - the "sixth" nomination is Carrie's role as a producer on "Cowboy Casanova" in addition to being the song's artist):

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company(s)]
American Saturday Night - Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Chris DuBois, Frank Rogers
Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville)
Produced by: Victoria Shaw, Paul Worley
Play On - Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Mark Bright
"Quitter" Produced by Max Martin & Shellback for Maratone Productions and Mark Bright
Revolution - Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
The Foundation - Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Bigger Picture / Atlantic)
Produced by: Keith Stegall, Zac Brown

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
Cowboy Casanova - Carrie Underwood
Composers: Mike Elizondo, Brett James, Carrie Underwood
Publishers: Brett James Cornelius Music (ASCAP), Carrie Okie Music (BMI), Rincon Ave Music
(ASCAP), Stage Three Songs (ASCAP)
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Composers: Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott
Publishers: EMI Foray Music (BMI), Darth Buddha (ASCAP), Dwhaywood Music (BMI), Hillary Dawn Publishing (SESAC), Radiobullets Publishing (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Year Of The Dog Music (ASCAP)
People Are Crazy - Billy Currington
Composers: Bobby Braddock, Troy Jones
Publishers: Crozier Music Enterprises LLC (BMI), Mighty Nice Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
White Liar - Miranda Lambert
Composers: Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
Composers: Liz Rose, Taylor Swift
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Taylor Swift Music (BMI)

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (Off Camera Award)
Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins (Reprise Records / Warner Music Nashville)
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Honky Tonk Stomp - Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons (Arista Nashville)
Producer: Ronnie Dunn, Terry McBride
I Told You So - Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis (19/Arista Nashville)
Producer: Mark Bright
I'm Alive - Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews (Blue Chair/BNA)
Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
Seeing Stars - Jack Ingram featuring Patty Griffin (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Jack Ingram, Jeremy Stover

Las Vegas' MGM Grand will be the setting for the ACMs, which will be televised live on CBS on Sun., April 18 at 8 p.m.

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #24 (2/20/10)

Due to the absence of the usual source of sales data for Idol-related tracks on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart for the next few weeks, only rounded numbers courtesy of Brian Mansfield over at "Idol Chatter" are currently available.

Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" was down two notches to #22 this week thanks to a 10% decline in sales to 57k. It's sold 806k to date. Next up was Adam Lambert and his single "Whataya Want From Me," which added 49k to its now total of 373k despite a 17% sales slide and an 11-spot drop to #36.

Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" followed at #52, down one spot from the previous week while it held steady with 34k downloads. It has sold 1.117 million in all. And Daughtry's "Life After You" was off 14% to 30k for a current total of 370k. It was down #50-62 on the chart.

Full chart positions courtesy of chartattack on Pulse as follows, while rounded sales figures are made possible by Brian Mansfield at "Idol Chatter":

24 22 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 57,000 -10% 63,329 806,000
36 25 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 49,000 -17% 58,433 373,000
53 52 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 34,000 0% N/A 1.117 million
62 50 Daughtry, "Life After You" 30,000 -14% 34,296 370,000

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Live Like We're Dying" #26 (2/6/10)

It was primarily a down week for tracks by Idol alums on the latest edition of Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Feb. 6.

The first track from the franchise was Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying," which slipped just one spot to #26. The setback should be only temporary thanks to continued strong sales and airplay. Also down this week was Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone." The remarkably-performing single looks to be officially on the decline as it landed at #33, five spots off its placement a week ago.

This week's big winner on the chart was Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me." Buoyed by an appearance on Oprah, Adam saw his track surge ahead 18 spots to #37.

And then it was back to the downward slide. Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" was off a whole 10 spots to #55, while Daughtry's "Life After You" was down nine spots of its own. Carrie did see good news from this chart, however, with her "Temporary Home" inching ahead #84-82.

On the Bubbling Under chart, Kellie Pickler was the lone alum represented, as her new single "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" was up one spot to #4.

Full chart positions courtesy of chartattack over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
26 25 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
33 28 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
37 55 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
55 45 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
57 48 Daughtry, "Life After You"
82 84 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

Bubbling Under
04 05 Kellie Pickler, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #23 (2/6/10)

More good news for Idol alums was found on the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

A five-spot drop for Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" to #23 was accompanied by a 6% sales dip to 65.3k downloads, putting its total at 685.4k. This showing was shadowed by a 59% boost to Kris's track's main Idol-related competitor, Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me," which sold another 59.4k downloads. The track, which has sold 265.6k to date and saw a 17-spot jump to #29.

Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" was down 10% to 39.4k and slid #38-48 for the week, putting its total at 1.050 million. Her other track, "Temporary Home," moved in the opposite direction, up 10 spots to #119 thanks to a 7% sales increase. It added 17k to its now 128.7k total.

Daughtry's slow-burning single continued its journey up the chart in the face of an 11% dip in sales to 32.3k, falling 11 spots to #61. It now boasts a total of 305.9k.

The first of two new Idol-related entries on the chart came from Jennifer Hudson's collaboration with The Roots on their live recording of "Let It Be," which was done for the "Hope For Haiti Now" special that aired last Friday. The single opened at #142 with 14.6k downloads. And everyone's favorite auditioner General Larry Platt did something few believed he could when his viral hit "Pants On the Ground" debuted at #194 with 10.9k. He now has the biggest digital sales of any Season 9 alum. Go figure.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

023 018 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 65,325 -6% 69,155 685,387
029 046 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 59,421 59% 37,430 265,545
048 038 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 39,354 -10% 43,715 1,049,558
061 050 Daughtry, "Life After You" 32,338 -11% 36,366 305,937
119 129 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home" 17,041 7% 15,932 128,741
142 --- Jennifer Hudson, "Let It Be" (ft. The Roots) 14,626 999% 0 14,626
194 --- General Larry Platt, "Pants On the Ground" 10,863 999% 0 10,863

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Live Like We're Dying" #25 (1/30/10)

It was out with the old and in with the new for tracks by Idol alums on the most recent issue of Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Jan. 30.

"Live Like We're Dying" did not need any assistance from life support as it lunged ahead eight spots to #25. Kris Allen's single shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Kelly Clarkson followed with "Already Gone," which depreciated #25-28, while Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" was off two spots to #45 and her "Temporary Home" was up five spots to #84.

Lower on the chart, Daughtry saw its latest effort "Life After You" emerge into the Top 50 thanks to a #56-48 increase. And Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" was up #65-55.

Full chart positions courtesy of chartattack over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
025 033 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
028 025 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
045 043 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
048 056 Daughtry, "Life After You"
055 065 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
084 089 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #18 (1/30/10)

After an extended break due to other projects, let's see if I can get back into the swing of things here...

Tracks by Idol alums saw mostly positive movement on the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" continued to flex its muscle with an additional 69.2k tracks sold, a 7% gain on the previous week's take. It advanced nine spots to #18 and has sold 620.1k in all.

Carrie Underwood continued to be represented by two singles, as the older "Cowboy Casanova" slid two spots to #38 with a 15% sales decline while the newer "Temporary Home" went ahead #157-129 on a 6% sales uptick. The former moved 43.7k for a total of 1.010 million, officially crossing the platinum threshold, while the latter sold 15.9k for an 11.7k total.

Adam Lambert continued to see success with his single "Whataya Want From Me," which is now at 206.1k after a 14% increase to 37.4k. It was up 19 spots to #46. Daughtry's latest release "Life After You" added 36.4k for a 273.6k total, as it held steady numbers-wise but was up nine spots to #50.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

018 027 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 69,155 7% 64,667 620,062
038 036 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 43,715 -15% 51,315 1,010,204
046 065 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 37,430 14% 32,801 206,124
050 059 Daughtry, "Life After You" 36,366 0% 36,336 273,599
129 157 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home" 15,932 6% 15,033 111,700

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #26 (1/23/10)

It was another mixed bag for tracks by Idol alums on the latest edition of Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Jan. 23.

Leading the pack was Kelly Clarkson and her single "Already Gone," which should have already been gone from this chart had it not been for consistent sales and a steady climb in airplay. The song was actually up one spot, back into the Top 25 at #25 on the dot. This single just won't die!

Next up was Kris Allen, whose single "Live Like We're Dying" was off three spots to #33. Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" and "Temporary Home" each went in opposite directions chart-wise, with the former declining #35-43 and the latter inclining #97-89.

Daughtry played the staying the same game with its "Life After You," as it held at #56, while Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" advanced five spots to #65.

Over on the Bubbling Under chart, Kellie Pickler saw her single "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" move up two spots to #10.

Full chart positions courtesy of chartattack over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
025 026 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
033 030 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
043 035 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
056 056 Daughtry, "Life After You"
065 070 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
089 097 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

Bubbling Under
10 12 Kellie Pickler, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #27 (1/23/10)

The latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart showed that songs by Idol alums were down, but not out.

One of the big surprises, however, was how Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" fell by 26% but was still able to remain at #27. The song took in 64.7k downloads for a total of 550.9k to date. Expect platinum to come up sooner than many expected just a few months ago.

Carrie Underwood had two tracks on the chart, with "Cowboy Casanova" leading at #36 with 51.3k, down four spots and 38%, while "Temporary Home" made a reappearance back onto the chart at #157 with 15k, up 7%. Current totals are 966.5k and 95.8k, respectively.

Adam Lambert saw his single "Whataya Want From Me" decrease 15% sales-wise to 32.8k, up 15 spots to #65. Its total now stands at 168.7k. Sales data for Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" was not available this week.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

027 027 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 64,667 -26% 86,824 550,907
036 032 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 51,315 -38% 82,400 966,489
065 080 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 32,801 -15% 38,422 168,694
157 --- Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home" 15,033 -7% 16,181 95,768

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #26 (1/16/10)

Tracks by Idol alums seemed to get a mini boost on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Jan. 16.

Once again it was Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" that took the lead among Idol-related singles, as it actually increased two spots to #26 despite a sales drop. Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" was also up two spots, increasing #32-30.

Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova," on the other hand, slid six spots to #35, while she saw her latest release "Temporary Home" make it back onto the chart at #97. Daughtry's "Life After You" actually inched ahead by one to #56.

And Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" fell two spots to #70. On the Bubbling Under chart, however, Kellie Pickler's "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" rose six spots to #12.

Full chart positions courtesy of chartattack over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
26 28 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
30 32 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
35 29 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
56 57 Daughtry, "Life After You"
70 68 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
97 -- Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

Bubbling Under
12 18 Kellie Pickler, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #27 (1/16/10)

The post-Christmas blues started to set in for Idol alums as evidenced by the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart. Still, there were much healthier numbers to go around than usual thanks to continued gift card redemption.

Kris Allen led with 86.8k copies for his single "Live Like We're Dying," which was off 20% but now boasts a total of 486.2k. On the chart side it was actually up six spots to #27. Next up was Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova," which slid #25-32 thanks to a 34% sales decline. Its weekly take was 82.4k and it has not sold 915.2k in all.

Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" took an expected hit, as it was off 28%, but still managed to pull in 62.9k downloads resulting in a 1.068 million sum. It slipped two spots to #43. Daughtry's latest single "Life After You" suffered the smallest drop sales-wise, as it was down 13% to 44.5k for a total of 200.9k, and was actually up 10 spots to #68.

And Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" netted 38.4k after a 16% drop for a #94-80 jump and a total of 135.9k.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

27 33 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 86,824 -20% 109,200 486,240
32 25 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 82,400 -34% 124,008 915,174
43 41 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 62,901 -28% 86,894 1,068,082
68 78 Daughtry, "Life After You" 44,470 -13% 51,212 200,897
80 94 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 38,422 -16% 45,843 135,893

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #28 (1/9/09)

There were more mixed chart movements for tracks by Idol alums on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Jan. 9, some of which saw huge swings in different directions thanks to the big increase in sales from gift cards being redeemed.

Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" was among those tracks that decreased much greater than it probably would have had it not been for these special circumstances, as it was down 10 spots to #28. Carrie Underwood's most popular track at the current time, "Cowboy Casanova," saw the opposite happen, as it was up 10 spots to #29.

Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" was up albeit minimally (one spot) to #32, while Daughtry's "Life After You" followed suit and was up one spot to #57. And Adam Lambert's single "Whataya Want From Me" increased four spots to #68.

Meanwhile over on the Bubbling Under chart, Kellie Pickler's "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" slipped #12-18.

Full chart positions courtesy of chartattack over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
28 18 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
29 39 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
32 33 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
57 58 Daughtry, "Life After You"
68 72 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"

Bubbling Under
18 12 Kellie Pickler, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"

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IDOL LIVE's Top 10 most memorable moments of 2009 - Part 1

Just as I did last year, IDOL LIVE has put together a list of the 10 most memorable moments of 2009 in relation to everything Idol. The countdown includes some exciting moments, some sad ones and a whole lotta Lambert. The top five moments that weren't memorable enough to be included in the Top 5 are listed below:

10) Danny Gokey's scream heard 'round the world

Danny Gokey was responsible for many good performances during his run on the show this season. Top 4 week was an exception, however, as his ending to Aerosmith's "Dream On" was an ear-piercing screech that was enough to send dogs and cats all over the world into a panicked frenzy. At first Danny was oblivious to what had just happened, but upon watching it back on TV he realized his gaffe.

Danny commented on the scream on the results show the following night and multiple times after being eliminated, and he found ways to laugh it off time and time again, much to the dismay of many of his haters. Still, the moment garnered one of the strongest reactions from the public from any on the show this season, as people posted parodies on YouTube and dubbed the performance "Scream On." Danny will probably go on to have a successful country career, but this moment will forever hold a place in Idol history.

09) Joanna Pacitti disqualified prior to semifinals

Most Idol fans will remember Joanna Pacitti as the "failed pop star" who wanted to give a career in the music biz another shot. She auditioned in Louisville and was considered by many to be the leading female front runner. When it came time for Joanna to make the Top 36, however, she was disqualified and replaced by Felicia Barton. The reason: she knew a few 19E personnel and the producers didn't want to open the show up to accusations of favoritism.

There had been calls for Joanna to be canned for weeks because of her past experiences in the business. Before making a splash on Idol, she was set to star as Annie on Broadway after performing in the musical's national tour but was replaced just prior to the Broadway run began. Joanna then went on to release an album in 2006 to little success. Joanna's lengthy past had already been covered heavily in the national media, but it came to a point where they really couldn't hide details of relationships that were leaking out. I mean, when Yahoo! Music's Lyndsey Parker accuses Joanna of "polluting Idol," those are some strong words.

This decision was of course not popular with everyone, but it was something that was necessary for the season to leave behind its earliest (but definitely not last) controversy. Still, it was the show's own fault for allowing Joanna to make it as far as she did in the first place if producers were just going to turn around and DQ her anyway.

08) Kelly Clarkson takes on Ryan Tedder over "Already Gone" / "Halo" controversy

Unless you were living over in the Sahara for the past nine months, it's very likely that you've heard both Beyoncé's "Halo" and Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone," both of which were singles written by Ryan Tedder that did fairly well on the charts this year. Before Kelly's song was released, however, there was a war of words that went public between Kelly, her record label and Tedder after some accused Kelly of "copying" Beyoncé because the two songs sounded so similar.

What actually happened was Tedder let Beyoncé listen to "Already Gone" when he was writing for her and she told him he wanted a similar song, and so even though "Already Gone" was penned months before "Halo" it was the latter that was released first, and so Kelly came off looking like she copied Beyoncé. Kelly was understandably not happy with the situation, and when RCA went ahead and decided to release the song as her next single this summer she told the CBC:

"It sucks, but it's one of those things I have no control over," she told the CBC. "I already made my album. At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it. It's kind of a sh---y situation, but ... you know, you learn."

Of course Tedder wasn't one to just sit on the sidelines, as he responded via a MySpace blog post:

"They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically and lyrically and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track, the idea is both hurtful and absurd."

Of course, IDOL LIVE sided with Kelly during this ordeal, and even though she didn't want "Already Gone" to be released as a single, it's a good thing it was because it managed to peak at #12 on the Hot 100 and just officially went platinum. Next year should be another good one for Kelly, but the odds that there won't be more controversies along the way are pretty slim.

07) Carrie Underwood has another good year

As if her career has not been spectacular already, Carrie Underwood continued to defy the odds in '09 with more number ones, award wins and other surprises. She graced the covers of many magazines including Country Weekly, Lucky and Self, all the while handling her relationship with Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher with delicacy. In fact, Fisher proposed to Carrie earlier this month, which topped off her stellar year.

Carrie kept her bond to Idol as strong as ever, as she performed twice during the show's eighth season and recorded the send-off song, "Home Sweet Home," which peaked within the Top 25 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. She also was in attendance at the opening of the "American Idol: The Experience" attraction at Walt Disney World along with many of her fellow alums in addition to countless other appearances, shared hosting duties with Brad Paisley at the 2009 CMA Awards and had her own two-hour variety special on FOX.

Even though she lost out to rising country star Taylor Swift in a host of categories at various awards shows including the CMAs, CMT Awards and AMAs, Carrie took home the prestigious "Entertainer of the Year" award and the "Female Vocalist of the Year" nod at the ACMs in April as well as a Grammy for her single "Last Name" and three People's Choice Awards in January. Carrie also saw her third studio album Play On be released and go platinum before year's end, and she tore up the charts with her #1 hit "Cowboy Casanova" and the #2 duet of "I Told You So" with Randy Travis. All in all, not a bad showing for the final year of the decade.

06) Adam Lambert's "Ring of Fire" performance

Adam Lambert made many waves on Idol's eighth season with his song choices and performance arrangements, but he raised eyebrows early on in the season with his middle eastern-tinged take on Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" during Top 11 week for "Grand Ole Opry" night. The performance was anything but country and garnered either "love it" or "hate it" reactions from the audience. This was probably the moment when his fans really grew attached to him, because as Paula said it was "Adam being true to himself," while a lot of people subscribed to Simon's "indulgent rubbish" opinion of the showcase.

Regardless of what people thought, this performance is what showed Adam was not out to please any particular group but instead he was out to convey an image he was happy with. And for this reason, it was one of the most memorable moments of the year for the franchise.

Stay tuned for the remainder of IDOL LIVE's Top 10 most memorable moments of 2009, as moments #5-1 will be revealed tomorrow. Do you agree with the choices for moments #10-6? And what is your prediction for the most memorable Idol moment of 2009?

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Digital sales roundup: "Cowboy Casanova" #25 (1/9/09)

Just two-and-a-half days of gift card using by music fans were enough send all tracks by Idol alums on the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart up in a big way.

Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" returned to the top spot among songs by alums, as it was up 278% to 124k for a total of 832.8k. On the chart itself it was up #36-25, showing that even amid similar increases from the competition, it was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the post-Christmas download rush.

Next was "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen, which slipped five spots on the chart to #33 but was still up 171% in sales to 109.2k. Its 399.4k total shows it is just about a week away from hitting gold status, which is good news after a somewhat slow start to the single. Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" marked a special milestone this week, as it crossed the platinum mark with 1.005 million in all after a weekly take of 86.9k. Even though it slid backwards #29-41, it experienced an increase of 125%.

Daughtry had two tracks on the chart, kicking things off with current single "Life After You" a 111% sales incline to 51.2k downloads despite a 25-spot drop to #78. The band also saw its previous single "No Surprise" jump back on the chart at #175 thanks to a 227% increase to 23.9k downloads. Totals stand at 156.4k and 976.1k, respectively. The Idol-related track with the biggest sales boost was Jordin Sparks's "Battlefield," as the song was up 448% to 51.2k, accompanied by a 95-spot rocket to #80. The song now boasts a total of 1.245 million.

And Adam Lambert rounded out franchise representation with two tracks, as "Whataya Want From Me" was up 127% to 45.8k while "For Your Entertainment" was up 95% to 29.6k. On the chart side, the songs were down #68-94 and #99-138 and have current totals of 97.5k and 175.1k, respectively.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

025 036 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 124,008 278% 32,840 832,774
033 028 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 109,200 171% 40,355 399,416
041 029 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 86,894 125% 38,575 1,005,181
078 053 Daughtry, "Life After You" 51,212 111% 24,297 156,427
080 175 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield" 51,154 448% 9,330 1,245,013
094 068 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 45,843 127% 20,207 97,471
138 099 Adam Lambert, "For Your Entertainment" 29,605 95% 15,169 175,124
175 --- Daughtry, "No Surprise" 23,877 227% 7,306 976,091

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #18 (1/2/10)

There were ups and downs all around for singles by Idol alums on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Jan. 2, the first chart week of the new decade.

This time around, Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" suffered a bigger decline than it has in the recent past, falling three spots to #18. It still will hold the title of "first highest-charting Idol single of the decade," though, so that's not a bad deal. Kris Allen saw positive movement with his "Live Like We're Dying," which was up three spots to #33 on a combination of increased sales and airplay.

Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova," on the other hand, was down a good nine spots to #39, which suggests its headed down for good. Daughtry also saw positive movement with its latest single "Life After You," climbing #64-58. And Adam Lambert's single "Whataya Want From Me" finally made its debut on the Hot 100 at #72 after three weeks on the Bubbling Under chart.

Full chart positions courtesy of bibliotheque over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
18 15 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
33 36 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
39 30 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
58 64 Daughtry, "Life After You"
72 -- Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #28 (1/2/10)

Ahead of what will surely be a digital sales week to remember, Idol alums saw their tracks receive mini-boosts according to the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

Once again it was Kris Allen whose single led the franchise representation, as "Live Like We're Dying" totaled 40.4k downloads as a result of a healthy 14% sales incline. It held steady at #28 and now boasts a total of 290.2k.

Kelly Clarkson followed with "Already Gone," which advanced five spots to #29 on the heels of an 18% sales uptick to 38.6k. Its total stands at 918.3k, meaning it's almost guaranteed the hit single will be platinum before 2009 comes to a close.

And Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" saw its first sales increase in a few weeks, as it inched ahead 3% to 32.8k downloads for a total of 708.8k. It held steady at #36 in the chart rankings.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

28 28 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 40,355 14% 35,553 290,216
29 34 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 38,575 18% 32,608 918,287
36 36 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 32,840 3% 31,919 708,766

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #15 (12/26/09)

Movement was once again mixed among tracks by Idol alums on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Dec. 26.

Taking a break from consistent positive gains on the chart was Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone," which eased two spots to #15 this week. The single is being affected by the heavy rotation of Christmas tunes on AC radio at the moment, and by the time regular radio fare returns to the format come Dec. 26, it might be too late to hope for a new peak on the chart. But never count Kelly out.

Slipping #28-30 was "Cowboy Casanova" by Carrie Underwood. The track should hang on in the middle rungs of the chart for a while if it keeps up at this rate. Kris Allen followed at #36 with "Live Like We're Dying," up eight spots from the previous week. This is the song's highest placement on the Hot 100 to date.

And Daughtry rounded out Idol representation on the chart among rankings that were made public with "Life After You." The song inched ahead #66-64 this week following a healthy bounce last week.

As for the Bubbling Under chart, Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" spent its third week in a row trying to make it onto the Hot 100, and it will have to wait until next week to get that honor. This time it was up nine spots to #3. And Kellie Pickler's newest single "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" made its debut at #17.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
15 13 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
30 28 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
36 44 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
64 66 Daughtry, "Life After You"

Bubbling Under
03 12 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
17 -- Kellie Pickler, "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"

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Digital sales roundup: "Live Like We're Dying" #28 (12/26/09)

There was a significant changing of the guard among Idol-related tracks on the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

For the first time, Kris Allen's single "Live Like We're Dying" was the top-billed entry on the chart from an alum, as it moved forward by 10 spots to #28 with 35.6k copies sold. It was up 29% for the week and has totaled 249.9k to date, showing it will put up a fight to reach gold.

This news means Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" slipped to second among tracks by alums, as it was down 13% to 32.6k. On the chart it was off 10 spots to #24 and has sold 879.7k in all, meaning it will go platinum in either the last week of 2009 or the first week of 2010. Kelly also saw her mega-successful "My Life Would Suck Without You" re-enter at #174, buoyed up 147% by the cover of the song from the cast of Glee that was released last week. It now boasts a total of 2.160 million.

Following Kelly's first track, Carrie Underwood was next with "Cowboy Casanova," which declined #28-36 thanks to an 8% sales decrease to 31.9k downloads. Its current total of 675.9k suggests it will eventually reach platinum status, but don't expect this until early 2010.

Daughtry's "Life After You" came next at #64, up from #81 the previous week thanks to a 21% sales incline. Its additional 20.4k tracks puts its total at 80.9k. And Adam Lambert's new single "Whataya Want From Me" witnessed a 9% sales increase to 10.2k, advancing #163-152 on the chart. It now has a total of 31.4k.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

028 038 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 35,553 29% 27,641 249,861
034 024 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 32,608 -13% 37,466 879,712
036 028 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 31,919 -8% 34,672 675,926
064 081 Daughtry, "Life After You" 20,355 21% 16,890 80,918
152 163 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me" 10,178 9% 9,372 31,421
174 --- Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You" 8,837 147% 3,584 2,160,105

Total sales are in bold.

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #13 (12/19/09)

A huge Idol single continued its ascension on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Dec. 19, reaching a new peak and once again surpassing even the wildest expectations for its performance.

That single is of course Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone," which rose one spot to #13 this week. The song is now just one spot away from tying Kelly's last single from her ultra-successful album Breakaway, as "Walk Away" peaked at #12 on the chart back in 2006.

Next up was "Cowboy Casanova" by Carrie Underwood, which dropped another four spots to #28 for the week. Kris Allens "Live Like We're Dying" followed behind at #44, up from #47 the previous week, and Daughtry's second single off Leave This Town, "Life After You," debuted at #66.

Over on the Bubbling Under chart, Adam Lambert's new single "Whataya Want From Me," increased #22-12 and should debut on the main chart next week.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
13 14 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
28 24 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
44 47 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
66 -- Daughtry, "Life After You"

Bubbling Under
12 22 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"

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