Didn't Dancing With The Stars beat AI in the ratings last week? If so, there is probably some sweating going on with AI and its advertisers, because when advertisers buy the airtime, they are promised a certain number of viewers and if the show doesn't deliver the viewers, the network has to give "make goods" (free ads) to get to the right numbers.

AI might be a top show, but there are big #'s riding on it.

Adam, they postulate, will be a huge draw for them. IMO the mentoring thing is taking it too far, especially after having Miley and the Disney kids one week.

Adam's album, FYE, has gone gold, selling over 575,000 by now. One of his singles is still gathering steam (What Do You Want From Me has sold gold), while Kris has had a single go platinum and is approaching one of the top ten selling Idol singles, having sold over 1.2 million so far and should be over 1.5 million by summer. (Kris's album, on the other hand, hasn't reached gold in sales.)

There are many other former AIers who should be a mentor for the contestants before Adam (Kelly! Or Carrie. Or Daughtry.) This move to have Adam be the mentor is about numbers. Ratings/ad $ numbers, that is. That way Lambert fans tune in for two nights, and not just performance night.

Idol Top selling singles
(data from idolforums--and their source is the USA Today AI blog)

Summary top 3 sellers of 500,000 or more singles:
Kelly C (11), Carrie (10), Daughtry (7)
Adam's just way down the list comparatively.

Jordin Sparks - No Air 3,000,000+
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats 2,967,000
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You 2,252,000
Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone 2,003,000
Daughtry - It's Not Over 2,000,000+

Jordin Sparks - Tattoo 2,000,000+
David Archuleta - Crush 1,900,000
Daughtry - Home 1,820,000
Carrie Underwood - Jesus, Take The Wheel 1,659,000
Jordin Sparks - Battlefield 1,402,000

David Cook - Time Of My Life 1,306,000
Kelly Clarkson - Already Gone 1,306,000
Kelly Clarkson - Because Of You 1,298,000
Carrie Underwood - Cowboy Casanova 1,259,000
Jordin Sparks - One Step At A Time 1,240,000

Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes 1,212,000
Daughtry - Over You 1,200,000
Kris Allen - Live Like We're Dying 1,200,000 (**still selling more than 40,000 a week)
Carrie Underwood - All-American Girl 1,175,000
Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway 1,157,000

Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away 1,103,000
Kelly Clarkson - Never Again 1,078,000
David Cook - Light On 1,052,000
Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This 1,047,000
Daughtry - No Surprise 1,004,000

Elliott Yamin - Wait For You 1,000,000+
Clay Aiken - This Is The Night 996,000
Kellie Pickler - Best Days Of Your Life 996,000
Carrie Underwood - Last Name 882,000
Carrie Underwood - Just A Dream 882,000

Carrie Underwood - So Small 848,000
Ruben Studdard - Flying Without Wings 779,000
Daughtry - Feels Like Tonight 763,000
Adam Lambert - Whataya Want From Me 756,000
Kelly Clarkson - Miss Independent 719,000

Kelly Clarkson - I Do Not Hook Up 690,000
Taylor Hicks - Do I Make You Proud? 672,000
Daughtry - What About Now 633,000
Carrie Underwood - Wasted 615,000
Daughtry - Life After You 574,000

Carrie Underwood - I Told You So 539,000
Fantasia - I Believe 527,000
Katharine McPhee - Over It 522,000
Kellie Pickler - Red High Heels 513,000
Carrie Underwood - Inside Your Heaven 511,000