Daughtry

How does the debut album from reach #2 on the album chart in the first week of its release? It’s the American Idol effect.

The original idea for American Idol (based on a British TV show called ‘Idol’)’ was to have a singing competition with contestants voted off each week until there is a winner with a shot at a pop career – an “iffy” proposition at best.

Chris Daughtry delivered each week, building a solid American Idol fan base. But for a performer with Rock leanings the point was not to win the competition, a virtual impossibility but to impress.

After Daughtry was voted off the show but he immediately got a job offer… and a good one. Fuel (guitarist Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie) suggested Daughtry fill their band’s vacant singer position (formerly occupied by Brett Scallions).

Amazingly, Daughtry passed. Rather, he signed with RCA.

Chris fronted the five-piece band named Daughtry (clever name). Their ’06, effort became the biggest Rock debut, selling over 300,000 copies, since SoundScan began tracking sales fifteen years earlier. The album. which held “It’s Not over” and “Home,” landed at #2 (behind Jay-Z’s “Kingdom Come”).

“Daughtry” eventually sold over 4 million copies and earned a slug of Grammy nominations – Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Despite getting shut out, it was impressive to garner that many nominations with a debut effort.

Working with a variety of musicians ranging from Chad Kroeger (Nickelback) to 80’s popster Richard Marx, Daughtry issued their sophomore effort “Leave This Town.”

Prior to the release of the ’09 album, Chris returned to American Idol for an appearance on the Results Show during Rock Week. Then the group embarked on a sold-out club tour.

With the singles “No Surprise,” “Life After You” and “September,” “Leave This Town” debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 selling 269,000 copies in its first week. The album was also #1 on the Digital Albums chart and the Rock chart.

Two years later, “Break The Spell” went to #8 on the Billboard 200 with 129,000 copies sold during its debut week. The set went on to move over 400,000 copies in the U.S. Impressive, but still a significant drop from previous efforts.

After a six-year run, bassist Josh Paul announced his departure in ’12. “The time has come for me to bow out and let the band continue on without me. This has been a very difficult decision, as these are not only my band mates, but my brothers,” wrote Paul in a statement. But he returned to the fold a short time later.

The band’s fourth album, “Baptized,” dropped the following year. Daughtry co-wrote every track with either one of his bandmates or a heavy hitter collaborator: Marti Frederiksen (writer of Aerosmith’s “Jaded” and Buckcherry’s “Sorry”), Busbee (“Our Kind of Love” for Lady Antebellum) and Brett James (composer of Carrie Underwood’s hit “Jesus, Take The Wheel”). “We came up with some pretty interesting tunes that sound nothing like anything we’ve done before,” stated Daughtry.

“Cage To Rattle,” Daughtry’s first studio album in five years, dropped in ’18. was their first album with drummer Brandon Maclin. Peaking at #10 on the Billboard 200, it was also Daughtry’s last album to be released on RCA Records.

“Dearly Beloved” followed in ’21. While the album only reached #59 on the Billboard 200 it laned on the Top 10 on the Billboard Rock charts.

Daughtry’s EP, “Shock To The System (Part One),” a ’24 release, featured the lead single, “The Reckoning.”

In addition to “The Reckoning,“ the EP had “Pieces” and “Artificial.” Both went to #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart.

###