Idols on the Charts. Where is Clay Aiken?

Here's the latest in this past week's sales for AI alumni from Ken Barnes:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ idolch...dol_s.html#more

Elliott's 'Idol' showcase boosts sales big-time

As I work on setting an all-time record for falling behind today, I'm finally getting to the weekly Idol sales post. Fortunately (except for my incipient carpal tunnel syndrome), there's a lot going on, as Idol products continue to be a relative bright spot in a dark sales year.

Let's start with the album chart, where Daughtry still leads the pack but nearly falls out of the top 10, sliding from No. 6 to No. 10 as sales drop from 67,000 to 51,000 (about where he was before a one-week sales spike). His total is now 2.53 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Carrie's right behind him at 11, down from No. 8. Her sales, which also spiked the previous week, drop 17% to 47,000, and her total's 5.48 million.

Elliott has a great week, jumping from No. 67 to 20 as his sales more than double, from 11,000 to 25,000. Could his Idol appearance singing Wait for You have anything to do with this leap? Answers on a postcard. Total is 217,000.

More info on Idols on the album and digital songs chart follows.

After the three Idols in the top 20, we start to crater a bit.

Bucky drops 44-56 on the chart, skidding 30% in sales to 12,000 for a total of 131,000.

Fantasia continues to climb the chart, 93-91 this week, but her sales level off from 8,600 to 7,900. Total is 380,000.

Kellie picks up a little on the chart, 108-100, but her sales are also down, 9% to 7,100. Total is 533,000.

Katharine takes a big drop, 149-186, as sales fall from 5,500 to 4,200 and a total of 326,000.

Off the chart, Taylor sold 2,000, down from 2,800, for a 679,000 total.

Kimberley Locke (remembered this week) sold 1,300 for a three-week total of 8,500.

Ruben sold 900, down from 1,000, to hit 226,000 total.

Clay Aiken sold 500, down from 800, and remains at a rounded 511,000.

And Kelly sold 7,100 of her last album, down from 7,800; its total is 5.7 million.

Idol tracks:Top dog on the digital songs chart, again according to Nielsen SoundScan, is Daughtry, whose Home jumps 10-4 with a 26% sales boost to 74,000 downloads. Total is 517,000. And that's before his live performance on Idol this week makes its impact. It's Not Over inches up 40-39 on the chart, increasing its downloads by 1,000 to 24,000. Total is 1.24 million.

Kelly is also in the top 10, remaining at No. 7 with Never Again, which repeated its 64,000 sales number for a total of 305,000. She's also represented in the top 200 with Since U Been Gone (145-144, 7,000 downloads, up 7% for a 1.65 million total) and Because of You, which returns to the chart at 188 with 6,100 downloads, up 18%. Its total is 993,000, so she's a week or two away from a million on this one.

Carrie has four songs on the chart, led by Before He Cheats, which moves sideways, 12-12, on the chart but had a slight sales uptick, 57,000 compared to 54,000. Total is 1.29 million. I'll Stand by You drops 8-22, with a 37% drop to 39,000, but that 339,000-download total is a nice boost for the Idol Gives Back efforts. Wasted climbs 63-52, selling 17,000 (up 18%) for a total of 2.80 million, definitely the biggest song saleswise of her career so far. And Jesus, Take the Wheel drops 100-110, stabilizing its sales number at 9,500 for a total of 957,000.

Elliott mirrors his album chart leap with a 103-26 jump on this chart with Wait for You, which sold 35,000, compared to 9,200 the week before. Its total is 116,000.

Katharine falls 54-72 with Over It, although it's down in sales only 1,000 to 14,000. Total is 413,000.

Bucky's A Different World is stable, 122-124 on the chart with a slight jump in sales, from 7,600 to 8,000. Total is 49,000.

Kellie jumps on the chart at 151 with I Wonder, which sold 6,900, up from 5,300, for a total of 60,000.

Fantasia's When I See You climbs 170-154, increasing sales by a thousand to 6,900.Total is 41,000.

In related action, Maroon 5's This Love, performed by Blake last week, vaulted back on to the chart at No. 41 with 21,000 downloads, a 365% sales increase. Their She Will Be Loved piggybacks on that move to re-enter the chart at 102 with 10,000 sales, up almost double -- and now that it was performed by Blake this week, it's in line for a bigger jump on the chart next week. The Blake effect also worked for Robin Thicke's When I Get You Alone, which hit the chart at 183 with 6,200 downloads, way up from the previous week's 239.And finally, the Jordin and Blake songs from Bon Jovi night are still on the chart (in the original Bon Jovi versions): Livin' on a Prayer drops 65-96 with 11,000 downloads, while You Give Love a Bad Name (which might get another boost from Blake's reprise of it this week) drops 64-105 with 10,000.