Joe McElderry is very talented and very cute - he won The X Factor so why hasn't he sold loads of music? Ditto One Direction. And yes, Syco can hype Swagger Jagger to No1 (always a clue of hype when it drops like a stone) but nobody believes she'll be a star... and Steve B, Michelle Fatty, (I've forgotten the name of that other ex winner)... as a label Syco is a total disaster. Even after finding a real hit for Leona I'm Maria Me Lewis, she's vanished into one hit wonderland.

Syco needs a major shakeup. Given the enormous asset of having the TV exposure, it is a disaster area as far as careers are concerned.

According to various websites, the final for this year’s X-Factor will be on Sunday 11th December. If the normal practice of releasing the winner’s single in the week following the show, i.e. Monday, 12th December, is maintained, then for the first time, the single could chart on 18th December, one week before the Christmas Chart, which will be announced on 25th December this year. Is that an oversight by SycoTV, or are they hoping to hold the No.1 spot for two weeks? (Assuming the goal is still to have the Christmas No.1).

"It is a disaster area as far as careers are concerned"


That is because its reality television JK. How many times have I said this. These acts can't be and aren't A&R'd like normal discovered record business acts. Of the 20 or so winners of AI /Pop Idol / and X factor how many have had what in the past would have been considered a real career?

Can Kelly Clarkson sell out a 2,000 seat theater? I don't even know the name or the last winner.

The only one that crops up with anything like a pop career is Will Young - ironic as he left Cowell and went to do his own thing didn't???

I think a few others still have careers, including JLS, Olly Murs, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, Susan Boyle. Though some to a lesser extent with Simon's involvement. All are still with Sony.

JK2006 wrote:


Syco needs a major shakeup. Given the enormous asset of having the TV exposure, it is a disaster area as far as careers are concerned.

Perhaps it's because Syco don't invest in careers. You don't need to, when you know you've got another bunch of "15-minute-stars" coming along twice a year. (X-Factor in December and BGT in June). I'm just amazed that they leave it so long to get the product out into the market place. Yes, it worked well with Leona Lewis, (and that, I understand was because of Clive's involvement), but most other acts will get their best sales if the product is released whilst the "star" is hot.

The proof was with Hear'Say. Their first album was released within weeks of winning the first Popstars series. Their second album was released in December the SAME year, and flopped out.

A most entertaining thread , given the original author JK, presided over an endless series of truly horrible and forgettable one-hit wonders-the Piglets and One hundred ton and a feather anyone?
Syco aren't interested in careers , they are interested in making money for themselves and Sony. Sony should be investing their share in building careers on RCA Epic and Columbia . Sadly, they haven't for 3 years. Doug Morris will hopefully change that.

I agree, this is interesting, and it made me think. If you run an organisation like Syco, and your revenue streams are TV rights and releasing music from the associated TV rights, why would you bother wasting time and money by investing in careers. Unless you knew you’d got somebody really special, surely it’s just better to “make hay whilst the sunshines”? (Better for you and your stakeholders, anyhow). It’s been proven that once the TV exposure fades, the chances of finding somebody with career longevity is remote. So why even bother? Unless you have a Leona Lewis come along, and even with her, it’s arguable if her career will last. Her second album didn’t do much did it?

So, perhaps Syco should concentrate on the short-term return from their competition winners/finalists, and do that better. It’s too risky/expensive to develop careers from these people, who, let’s face it, have been chosen by the public, not professional A&R scouts.

I would agree in many cases (which was why I never tried to create careers for Piglets or Nemo) but some like Joe have terrific potential and Simon should have someone able to build a career and find other hits.

One of the problems with the majors nowadays is: They don't have (enough) A&R-knowledge. All they know & care about is marketing. So the majors are not able to recognise "real talents" (with the potential for a long career).