long has been Karaoke Idol. And in many cases, it's just that/ There are some here and there who go against the grain a little bit- how they turn out in the post-Idol world, though, depends. Chris Daughtry was a standout on Idol, but in the overall music world, his music's no different than Nickelback.

David Cook showed promise, but his debut was nothing special. I guess if the goal of the show is to find the act with the most commercial appeal, it sometimes does that- his album has sold more than 1 million to date, not too bad in this climate.

Kelly Clarkson's first album wasn't worth much, but her second one was a smash, and yielded some good singles. She has co-written some of the material, far as I know.