Pop/Rock » Pop/Rock » Pop Idol

A pop idol is a musician who has built his or her career on participation in a televised singing contest, specifically contests like the Idol brand (American Idol, British Idol, Sweden's Idol, etc.), PopStars!, The X Factor, and, in many cases, Eurovision. Generally speaking, most pop idols sing glitzy, slick, heavily arranged songs that emphasize vocal virtuosity over everything else. Their performances are accessible and hooky, aimed at appealing to the general public and, more importantly, the judges. Genres covered by pop idols often include (but aren't limited to) schlager, dance-pop, teen pop, vocal pop, country pop, and alternative pop/rock. Many pop idols find chart success, however fleeting, following their time in competitions -- regardless of whether they win or lose -- which resulted in many one-hit wonders in the late '90s and early 2000s. Not every singer or band who participates in a song contest necessarily falls into the pop idol category. The Finnish metal band Lordi, for instance, won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006, but they wouldn't normally be considered pop idols in the same sense that someone like Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, or Andy Abraham are considered pop idols.