Clarkson was originally marketed as a pop musician before transitioning onto a more rock approach. Her debut album, Thankful, was released in 2003 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 selling almost 300,000 copies, selling 1 million copies in the first 6 weeks, and 2.7 million to date in the US. Her first single, A Moment Like This, broke the record for largest leap to #1, shooting from #52 to #1, where it remained for two weeks. The second single, Miss Independent, was also a success, hitting #1 on the US chart Top 40 Mainstream and remained there for six weeks. Further singles Low and The Trouble With Love Is were released but did not perform as well as her previous singles, though Low managed to become a hit in Canada and reached #2. Her second studio album, Breakaway, was released in 2004 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and also at #3 in the UK album charts. It is her biggest selling album to date, selling over 6 million copies in the US and 13 million worldwide, making it also the most successful album released so far by an American Idol alumni. The first single in the US, Breakaway, peaked at #6 in the Billboard Hot 100 and when released in the UK chart as the fifth single, it reached a respectable #22. Arguably her biggest single from the album, Since U Been Gone, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the UK singles chart, marking the beginning of a successful worldwide music career. It won a Grammy award in 2006 for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance”. Behind These Hazel Eyes was the next single, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in the UK chart. Because Of You was then released, to huge sucess hitting #1 in 5 countries, peaking at #7 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK singles chart. Clarkson’s final single, Walk Away, peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #21 on the UK singles chart. The album was certified multi-platinum in at least 6 countries, going 7x Platinum in Ireland, 6x Platinum in the US and Australia, 5x Platinum in the UK and Canada, and 3x Platinum in New Zealand. The album won a Grammy award in 2006 for “Best Pop Vocal Album”. Clarkson’s third album, entitled My December, was released in 2007. It peaked at #2 on the US and UK album charts. Her first single, Never Again, was released worldwide and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the UK singles chart. She then released Sober in America, which did not perform as well on the charts as Never Again, peaking at #10 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. One Minute was subsequently released in Australia, peaking at #36 on the Australian singles chart. Don’t Waste Your Time followed, peaking at #14 on the Australian singles chart. The album’s somewhat disappointing performance may be attributed to ongoing negative press and poor publicity. Nonetheless, My December was certified Platinum in the US, Australia and Canada, and Gold in the UK and Ireland. Clarkson’s fourth album titled All I Ever Wanted was released in 2009 and received favourable reviews from American and British critics alike. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. Her single, My Life Would Suck Without You, advanced from #97 to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week of release, breaking the record for the largest leap to the position in chart history. This marks the second time Clarkson has broken that record, the first time being with her single A Moment Like This. My Life Would Suck Without You also reached #1 in the UK charts, making it her first #1 there. She subsequently became the only Idol winner to have acheived a #1 single there to date. Her second single from the album, I Do Not Hook Up, peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #36 on the UK singles chart. The third single from the album, Already Gone, was released on August 11, 2009 in America and the 21st in Australia. It has so far peaked at #12 in Australia, #15 in Canada, #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, #23 in New Zealand, and #66 in the UK. All I Ever Wanted has done reasonably well worldwide, charting at #1 in the US, #2 in Australia and Canada, #3 in the UK and #6 in New Zealand, selling over 1.2 million copies worldwide so far. The album has received a 2010 Grammy nomination for “Best Pop Vocal Album”. In an interview with Chicago radio station Kiss FM 103.5, Clarkson stated that she is looking to release her next album “in the fall of 2010” following the All I Ever Wanted World Tour. Clarkson has had eight of her singles become top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100. As of 2008 she is one of the 10 most played artists on adult contemporary radio. According to Sony Music, Clarkson has sold over 10.2 million albums in the United States and over 23 million albums worldwide, becoming the highest-selling American Idol winner. Clarkson is also ranked on the top 200 album sellers of the Nielsen SoundScan era at number 187. |
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