Author: Fred Bronson

Getty Images

WELCOME ‘HOME’: It seems like only last week we were writing about Phillip Phillips earning his eighth No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Wait — it was just last week. Well, what a difference seven days can make. The season 11 winner’s coronation song, “Home,” achieves pole position on two more charts this week, bringing his career total of No. 1s to 10. That moves him up into a tie for ninth place among all Idols for the largest grand total of chart-toppers, tied with Adam Lambert and Scotty McCreery.

The current crop of charts are dated Feb. 9 and “Home” first went to No. 1 on a Billboard chart the week of June 9, 2012, so this song has topped nine tallies in exactly eight months. This week, “Home” races 7-1 on the Adult Contemporary Audience chart and debuts at No. 1 on the Mainstream Top 40 Recurrents survey. The song has already topped Rock Digital Songs, Hot Digital Songs, Hot Digital Tracks, Triple A, Triple A Audience, Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary. On that last chart, “Home” spends a second week at No. 1.

With this week’s two new additions, “Home” helps raise the grand total of No. 1s by Idol contestants to 376.

PHOTOS: ‘American Idol’ Season 12: Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj Search for a Winner

DRIVING FORCE: Carrie Underwood can bless the hit-laden road. That’s the path she has been on for nine consecutive years. She first charted on Hot Country Songs in 2005 with a remake of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road,” recorded with the band. Her first top 10 hit on this chart was her single “Jesus, Take the Wheel” in 2006. Since then, she has earned at least two top 10 hits every year, and this week she collects her first top 10 of 2013 as “Two Black Cadillacs” motors 14-10.

“Cadillacs” still has momentum and hasn’t reached its peak position yet. Underwood’s first 16 top 10 hits all reached the top two positions on this chart. If this current hit goes all the way, it will be the season four winner’s 13th No. 1. If the song has to settle for the runner-up spot, it will be her fourth entry to stop at No. 2.

“Two Black Cadillacs” also makes a top 10 breakthrough on Country Airplay, where it rides 11-10 with a bullet.

Here’s a bit of Carrie Underwood trivia that should challenge your knowledge of this best-selling American Idol. After Rascal Flatts, Underwood charted with three more collaborations on Hot Country Songs. Who were the male solo artists who shared credit with her on these three team-ups? Answers at the very end of this column.

STORY: ‘American Idol’ on the Charts: Kelly Clarkson Earns Her 80th No. 1

BITS AND PIECES: In its fourth week on the Adult R&B chart, Fantasia’s “Lose to Win” rises 17-15. Meanwhile, the single debuts at #47 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart… Casey James’ “Crying on a Suitcase” fell off the Hot Country Songs chart last week and was moved to the Recurrent list, where it debuted at No. 1, giving the season nine finalist his first Billboard chart-topper. This week, James moves his luggage back onto Hot Country Songs, where “Suitcase” re-enters at No. 24… After an initial sales blast that allowed it to debut at No. 1 on a couple of Billboard charts, “Battle Scars” by Lupe Fiasco and Australian Idol Guy Sebastian has been rebuilding sales and airplay strength slowly in the U.S., where this week it climbs 19-15 with a bullet on Rap Digital Songs. On the Hot 100, Fiasco and Sebastian improve 88-81 with a bullet… Kelly Clarkson’s “Catch My Breath” inflates 24-22 on the Hot 100 while her pairing with Vince Gill on “Don’t Rush” advances 43-39 on Hot Country Songs.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD’S PLUS ONES: Did you guess the three male singers who have charted with Carrie Underwood on Hot Country Songs? Following her collaboration with Rascal Flatts on “Bless the Broken Road,” Underwood was teamed with Randy Travis on a remake of his “I Told You So,” a No. 2 hit in 2009. Two years later, a duet of “Remind Me” with Brad Paisley spent one week in pole position. Before she worked with Travis and Paisley, Underwood charted in December 2008 with “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” credited to Elvis Presley with Carrie Underwood.

Twitter: @Idol_Worship

Jill Greenberg

WAITING TO EXHALE: If you were holding your breath for Kelly Clarkson to earn her 80th Billboard No. 1 after last week’s prediction that it would happen today, you can exhale. The very first American Idol moves to the top of the Hot Dance Club Play chart with her current hit, “Catch My Breath.” It’s her third consecutive No. 1 on this chart, following “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” and “Dark Side.” This is the first No. 1 rank for “Breath.” Thanks to her latest single, Clarkson is the first Idol to reach a total of 80 No. 1s and she gives the franchise its 372nd Billboard chart-topper, a run that began with Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” in October 2002.

“A Moment Like This” has long held the record as the series’ most successful coronation song, but that title now belongs to Phillip Phillips’ “Home,” which captures its seventh crown this week as it moves to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary song in its 21st week on the list. This ups the grand total of Idol No. 1s to 373. “Home” has already been No. 1 on Rock Digital Songs, Hot Digital Songs, Hot Digital Tracks, Triple A, Triple A Audience and Adult Top 40. “Home” first topped a chart the week of June 9, 2012, so its status as a No. 1 song now stretches out over eight months.

PHOTOS: ‘American Idol’ Season 12: Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj Search for a Winner

Add in Phillips’ four-week reign on Top Rock Albums with The World from the Side of the Moon and his grand total of chart-topers stands at eight, placing him in a tie with David Cook and Kimberley Locke for 11th place among all Idols who have had No. 1s in Billboard.

That’s fitting because Phillips is the first Idol to achieve pole position on the AC chart with a debut single since Cook did it in 2008 with “The Time of My Life,” which stayed on top for 15 weeks. Locke has also triumphed in the AC format, reaching the No. 1 spot with three different singles.

‘CRYING’ GOES RECURRENT: At least, not on the Hot Country Songs chart, where Casey James “Crying on a Suitcase” has fallen off the list. That might sound like bad news for the season nine finalist, but don’t jump to conclusions.

Songs that have been around a long time can be removed from current Billboard charts but if they are still collecting sufficient airplay, they can be moved to tallies known as recurrent charts. And that’s where James’ “Suitcase” has traveled — right to No. 1 on the Country Songs Recurrents list.

STORY: ‘American Idol’ Kelly Clarkson: ‘I’m Engaged!’

This is the first chart that James has topped, making him the 34th Idol contestant to be No. 1 on a Billboard chart. “Crying on a Suitcase” is the 374th chart-topper for the franchise.

While James’ single has moved to recurrent status on this particular chart, it’s still very current on other Billboard surveys, including the Hot 100, where it’s up 98-95, Heatseekers Songs, where it advances 11-10 and Country Airplay, where it moves up one notch to No. 15, establishing a new peak position.

BITS AND PIECES: Phillip Phillips’ “Home” continues to achieve new heights, as noted above, but there’s more good news for the season 11 champ. His follow-up single, “Gone, Gone, Gone,” is off to a terrific start, with a 43-25 leap on the Rock Songs chart, where it makes the greatest digital sales gain of any song on the list … Jason Castro’s new release, Only a Mountain, enters the Top Christian Albums chart at No. 14, while the single of the same name re-enters Christian Digital Songs at No. 23 … Colton Dixon’s “You Are” surges 33-21 on Christian Digital Songs … Fantasia’s “Lose to Win” makes more progress on the Adult R&B chart, where it’s up 20-17… Carrie Underwood’s “Two Black Cadillacs” could make two top 10 breakthroughs next week. The single is up 13-11 on the Country Airplay chart and 15-11 on Country Digital Songs.

Twitter: @Idol_Worship

‘HOME’ FOR THE HOLIDAYS: With dozens of holiday songs plunging or dropping off the Billboard charts completely, singles that were hits before the holiday rush are resurging, especially Phillip Phillips’ “Home” and Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away.” The former regains its Adult Contemporary glory with a 17-6 rebound while the latter reverses course and jumps 11-4 on Hot Country Songs, almost matching its peak position of No. 2.

“Home” holds at No. 2 on the Hot Rock Songs chart, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The song makes the greatest gain in digital sales and airplay of any track on the chart. “Home” is also No. 2 on the Rock Digital Songs list, which only measures sales, and on the Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) tally, where it is a former No. 1. On the Hot 100, “Home” stays the course at No. 9 with a bullet, just two rungs lower than its peak position of No 7. And on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, which only measures radio spins, “Home” is up 8-6.

“Blown Away” had a great sales week, which explains its 50-35 leap on Hot Digital Songs and its 7-4 jump on Country Digital Songs. The parent album of the same name also rebounds, with a 6-3 move on Top Country Albums.

PHOTOS: ‘American Idol’ iHeartRadio Concert: Colton Dixon, Phillips Phillips and Jessica Sanchez Take the Stage in New York

Another beneficiary of the post-Christmas chart week is Jason Castro. His current single, “Only a Mountain,” was pushed off the Christian Adult Contemporary song by the large number of holiday-related tunes. This week, “Mountain” is back, re-entering at a lofty No. 13. On the same chart, and for the same reason, Colton Dixon’s “You Are” returns at No. 20. On the Christian Songs chart, “You Are” advances 39-29. Over on Hot Country Songs, “Don’t Rush” by Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill re-enters at No. 47.

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP CARRIE: The comeback of “Blown Away” is just one part of Underwood’s great week on the charts. Some of her earlier hits — going back eight years — also make big moves on the charts dated Jan. 12. “Good Girl,” the first single from the Blown Away album, makes an amazing 49-15 leap on Country Digital Songs. Her longest-charting pop hit, “Before He Cheats,” which first appeared on a Billboard survey in 2006, re-enters that same chart, at No. 37.

On the Christian Digital Songs chart, the 2005 release, “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” soars 20-6, almost equaling the single’s No. 4 peak on the chart dated March 4, 2006. Also relocating on that chart is “Temporary Home,” a single that charted in 2009-10. The “Temporary” track races 37-14.

And defying the trend of falling Christmas songs, Underwood’s “Do You Hear What I Hear” makes a big noise on the Holiday Airplay chart, with a leap of 46-22.

PHOTOS: The Next Season of ‘American Idol’: Will It Work?

BITS AND PIECES: While Phillip Phillips’ “Home” goes from strength to strength, the follow-up single is gaining steam. “Gone, Gone, Gone” goes 37-28 with a bullet on the Hot Rock Songs chart… Casey James’ “Crying on a Suitcase” has made it onto the Hot 100. The single debuted last week at No. 100 and this week takes a 10-point jump to No. 90. The track is selling well; it rises 36-31 on Country Digital Songs… “Battle Scars” by Lupe Fiasco and Australian Idol Guy Sebastian continues its upward march, with a bulleted 34-30 climb on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Down under, “Battle Scars” resurges 27-11 in its 20th week on the Australian Singles chart and is now certified 7x platinum, one of only 10 singles in the history of the Australian charts to sell that many copies… Lauren Alaina’s Wildflower re-enters Top Country Albums at No. 71… Kelly Clarkson’s “Catch My Breath” breaks into the top 10 of the Hot Dance Club Play chart, with a bold move of 15-9.

Twitter: @Idol_Worship