No offense to Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper or Don McLean, but I think we may be witnessing the actual day the music died and this time I can even name the man who killed it.
A week after being named the top British manager of all time by Billboard, Simon
Fuller manages or records the acts that produced 17 songs on the magazine's Hot 100. 14 of those songs make their debut this week and all the acts (I refuse to call them artists) got their start on
Fuller's American Idol. To find his closest chart rival, you have to look back to 1964 when the music industry was just coming into own and 14 singles charted in a week by the Brian Epstein-managed Beatles.
I'm sorry Simon Fuller, while this appears to be an epic accomplishment, it's also symptomatic...
of what is wrong with the music industry. When manufactured pablum replaces heartfelt art there is little doubt left why careers last a nanosecond and fans refuse to open their wallets.
If you care, here from the press release is a closer look at Fuller's 17 chart hits:
David Cook, who is managed by Fuller and signed to his 19 Recordings, is the seventh and latest "American Idol" winner to take the throne. He sets the record for the most new entries by an artist in the 50-year history of the Hot 100, with 11 songs entering the chart dated June 7, 2008. That breaks the record of six new entries in one week, set by Miley Cyrus. Cook's 11 songs are led by "The Time of My Life," which debuts at No. 3, making it the highest new entry of 2008. "The Time of My Life" debuts at No 1 on two other charts, Hot Digital Songs and Hot Digital Tracks, bringing the total of No. 1 hits for Fuller's "American Idol" to 179, an amazing run of chart-toppers that began when Kelly Clarkson had the first "American Idol" No. 1 in October 2002 with "A Moment Like This."
David Archuleta, the runner-up on the current season of "American Idol," is also managed by Fuller and has three songs entering the Hot 100 this week, starting with his stunning remake of John Lennon's "Imagine" at No. 36.
Completing the 17 Hot 100 songs by artists managed by Fuller are "No Air" by Jordin Sparks (in a duet with Chris Brown) at No. 5, "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood (taking a wild 37-19 leap) and Daughtry's "Feels Like Tonight."
