American Idol: 10th Anniversary: The Hits, Vol. 1

Recording information: Battery Studios, New York, NY; Bay 7 Studios, Valley Village, CA; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Chalice Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Decibel studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Dr. Luke's, New York, NY; Electrokitty Recording, Seattle, WA; Germano Studios, New York, NY; House Of Blues Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Larrabee Studios, North Hollywood, CA; Lightning Sound Studio; London Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Maratone Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Master Mix, Minneapolis, MN; MIx One Studios, Boston, MA; Olympic Studios, London; Playhouse, Woodland Hills, CA; Red Door Recording Studios, St. David's, PA; Sound Factory Studios, Hollywood, CA; Sparky Dark Studio, Calabasas, CA; Starstruck Studios, Nashville, TN; Storm Studios, Stockholm, Sweden; Studio Atlantis, Los Angeles, CA; The Gallery, Miami, FL; The Gentlemen's Club, Miami Beach, FL; The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, CA; The Underlab, Los Angeles, CA; Vibatorium, Woodland Hills, CA.
To celebrate American Idol's tenth season -- which isn't quite the same as its tenth year despite the suggestion of the title 10th Anniversary: The Hits, Vol. 1 -- RCA issued this 12-track compilation in the spring of 2011. The idea is to round up the biggest post-show hits from the winners and runners-up, often ignoring the first hits from a singer in favor of the tunes that became new millennium standards, like Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," and DAUGHTRY's "Home." Of course, the compilers are sometimes stuck with singers who have bigger names than hits, so they opt for covers -- Ruben Studdard is represented by "Superstar," Taylor Hicks by "Takin' It to the Streets" -- or songs that nobody quite knows, like David Cook's "Light On." That means this isn't wall-to-wall hits, yet the compilation gives a good indication of the fate of the Idol winners: some are stars, some are forgotten, some are pop culture curiosities, and only a handful cut singles that transcended the boundaries of the show. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine