American Idol’s music market success was minimal despite TV ratings dominance

Evidence

Once American Idol became successful enough, the music became secondary to the drama. This perhaps explains why the show was a long-running hit, yet Clarkson and fourth-season winner Carrie Underwood were the only two champions to achieve major success in the music market. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 137

Categorization

• XREF: Evidence that television and drama displaced genuine subcultural musical signal — relevant to the reader’s omnivore monoculture counter-case.