It’s over! Sort of. After almost 14 seasons and a forthcoming one (can’t end on an even double-digit), American Idol is finally being pulled off the air after having a successful, yet aging, run. Ryan Seacrest is finally rich enough to let go of the show that made him, and a few talented artists famous. In its first 8 seasons (when the show was still considered relevant), Idol had huge bragging rights for reviving an industry that was dwindling. In 2007, more than 2% of overall album sales spawned from Idol artists and 30 million plus viewers tuned in per episode. But now in its current season, the show sees less than 9 million viewers per episode, and the departure of all original judges that helped make Idol’s fascination.
The timeline of American Idol for me went as follows: from watching the whole season, to just watching the auditions, to reading about the winner on Twitter the next day, to not even knowing who Caleb Johnson was (or any of the current contestants really) before writing this going away post.
Despite the current lack of interest, American Idol did start a music revolution. And inspired many shows to be created like The Voice, X-Factor, and even that new online EDM-inspired Yahoo show, regardless of Simon Cowell having a hand in all but one of the shows mentioned. Without Idol, the music industry would certainly be different.
The season 14 finale premieres tonight (May 13). And before you know it, the final and fifteenth season will start up again in January of next year. The current judges, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. are set to return.
Check out some of Simon’s insults:
