Idols

Idols is a Finnish reality-television singing competition airing on MTV3 and Sub. It debuted in the summer of 2003, and has since become one of the most popular shows on Finnish television. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol created by British entertainment executive Simon Fuller, which was first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom.

The program seeks to discover the best unsigned singer in Finland through a series of nationwide auditions, and the outcomes of the later stages of the competition are determined by public phone voting. The format features three judges (previously four) who give critiques of the contestants' performances: EMI music executive Jone Nikula; Finnish singer-songwriter Nina Tapio; and record producer Patric Sarin. The show is hosted by television presenters Ellen Jokikunnas, Heikki Paasonen and Jani Toivola.

In its four seasons, its winners have been Hanna Pakarinen, Ilkka Jääskeläinen, Ari Koivunen and Koop Arponen. Jääskeläinen was the oldest winner at 26 whilst Pakarinen was the youngest at 22. To date, Idols contestants have collectively sold over 800,000 records throughout Finland. Idols is also unique throughout the Idol franchise due to the fact that so far, the runner-up of each season has in fact become more commercially successful than the winner.

Audition Cities

Season 1: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku
Season 2: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu
Season 3: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu
Season 4: Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Kuopio

Season Synopses

Season 1

The first season of Idols premiered in the summer of 2003 and like its sister shows around the world, was an instant ratings success. It was hosted by Ellen Jokikunnas and Heikki Paasonen, and the four judges were Finnish musician Jone Nikula, Helsinki Music Company executive Asko Kallonen, and Finnish songwriters and producers Hannu Korkeamäki and Nanna Mikkonen. The semifinals started on 12 December 2003 and on 9 January 2004 the grand finale was held at the Helsinki Ice Hall. Former forklift truck driver Hanna Pakarinen was declared the first Finnish Idol with 60% of the public votes cast, winning 30,000 euros and a recording contract with Sony BMG.

Winner Hanna Pakarinen released "Love Is Like a Song" as her coronation single after being crowned Finnish Idol. It debuted at number 1 on the Finnish singles chart, a position it held for four weeks. Her debut album When I Become Me was released on 9 June 2004 and it peaked at number 2 for five weeks. It was certified platinum and sold over 52,000 copies in Finland. Her sophomore album Stronger was released in September 2005 and it too peaked at number two, however it did not manage to achieve the same commercial success of her debut, though it did earn gold status, selling almost 17,000 copies. Pakarinen's third studio album Lovers was released on Valentine's Day 2007 and was met with high critical and commercial success, with the album praised as her best to date and a clear change of artistic direction, with Pakarinen moving to a much rockier sound. Despite the fact that it charted lower than her two previous efforts (peaking at number 3), Lovers was active on the chart for fifteen weeks and was certified gold, selling 16,000 copies. Later in 2007 she participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with "Leave Me Alone", the second single from her third album and she finished the contest in 17th place. In January 2009 her fourth studio album Love In A Million Shades was released and charted at number 7, her lowest position to date. The album sold 7,000 and became her first album not be certified.

Runner-up Jani Wickholm signed a recording contract with the RCA division of Sony BMG and his debut album Kaikki muuttuu was released in September 2004. The album held the number 1 spot for two consecutive weeks and was certified platinum, selling 30,000 copies to date. His second album Alumiinitähdet was released a year later, peaked at number 6 but sold only 6,000. His third and fourth albums (Yhden lauseen mies and Ranta-ahon valot) were released in January 2007 and April 2008 respectively, and were met with decreasing sales figures. Neither received a certification, with Yhden lauseen mies selling just 5,000 copies and Ranta-ahon valot fewer than 4,000.

Third place finisher Antti Tuisku also signed with Sony BMG and went on to become the most commercially successful of the season 1 contestants. His debut album Ensimmäinen appeared in May 2004 and peaked at number 1 for three consecutive weeks. It was certified double platinum, selling 71,000 copies. Antti Tuisku, his self-titled sophomore effort also hit the top spot when released a year later in May 2005, and was certified platinum after selling over 37,000 copies. On 4 October 2006 he released his third and fourth studio albums New York and Rovaniemi simultaneously. The former debuted at number 1 and the latter at number 2, making Tuisku the first Finnish artist to release two albums on the same date and have them take the two highest positions on the chart in their first week. New York proved to be more successful and sold 15,000 copies to be certified gold, whilst Rovaniemi sold just under 14,000. In November 2007 Tuisku released Aikaa, his first "greatest hits" collection. Unlike his previous studio albums which had all been top 2 hits however, it stalled in the chart at number 10, selling only 7,000 copies. His fifth studio album Hengitän was released on 23 September 2009 and peaked at number 3. In addition to the success of his albums, Tuisku has also achieved three number 1 singles, more than any other Idols contestant.

Fourth place finisher Christian Forss signed with Edel Records and released his self-titled debut album Christian Forss in late 2004. Although it initially peaked at number 6 for two weeks, the album quickly fell down and left the chart after selling 13,000 copies and did not achieve gold status. His sophomore album Hungry Heart was released a year later but achieved little commercial success and failed to chart on the Finnish Top 40.

Sixth place finisher Anniina Karjalainen independently released her first album Traces of Me in 2006 but it did not receive significant success, failing to chart and selling only 3,000 copies.

Elimination Chart

Season 2

The second season of Idols began in the autumn of 2005. The city of Oulu was added as the fourth audition venue, with a total of 1479 people auditioning. Ellen Jokikunnas and Heikki Paasonen returned to host, but the judging panel saw a significant change, with only Jone Nikula staying on the show. The other three judges were replaced by Musicmakers executive Kim Kuusi, singer-songwriter Nina Tapio and Jarkko Valtee. The semifinals started on 13 November, with Harjavalta's Katri Ylander the hot favourite to win the contest. However on 18 December 26-year old Ilkka Jääskeläinen defeated her in the grand finale with 55% of the vote and took the crown as the second Finnish Idol.

Winner Ilkka Jääskeläinen's debut album Vuosisadan rakkaustarina was released on 29 March 2006 and debuted at number two. However, Jääskeläinen failed to achieve significant critical or commercial success, and his debut album spent only three weeks inside the top five. It sold just over 13,000 copies and to date it is the only debut album by an Idol winner or runner-up not to achieve gold status. In December 2006, only one year after his Idols victory, Jääskeläinen was dropped by Sony BMG, becoming the first (and to date only) winner to be dropped by the company.

Runner-up Katri Ylander was also signed up by Sony BMG and would go on to become the most successful of the season 2 Idols contestants. Katri Ylander, her self-titled debut album was a huge critical success and when released in June 2006, spent three weeks at its peak of number 3. In total it spent 28 weeks on the chart and sold just under 20,000 copies throughout Finland, achieving a gold award. Her follow-up album Kaikki nämä sanat only managed to reach number 13, however it enjoyed a lengthy run on the chart and despite its low chart peak, actually sold more than her debut, with 24,000 copies. Ylander's highly-anticipated third studio album Valvojat was released on 2 September 2009 and debuted at number 6, seven places higher than her sophomore effort.

Third place finisher Pete Seppälä released his first single "Energiaa" in March 2006 and it peaked at number 2. His debut album Jos nukun kiltisti sohvalla... was delayed until November however, and as a result failed to match the success of its lead single, failing to chart at all and amassing sales of only 5,000.

Fourth place finisher Agnes Pihlava was signed by RCA Records and her first single "I Thought We Were Lovers" became a great success, peaking at number 2 on the Finnish singles chart. Her debut album When The Night Falls was released in September 2006 and reached number 8, selling 12,000 copies. In 2007, Pihlava parted ways with Sony BMG and signed a new recording contract with Finnish label Scandal Records. Her sophomore album Redemption was released on 21 October 2009. Though critically acclaimed, the album failed to make it into the official Finnish albums chart.

Sixth place finisher Roni Tran received a recording contract with Sony BMG and released his debut album Since 1987 in mid-2006. It peaked at number 26 and spent only three weeks on the chart, selling around 4,500 copies. Tran was later dropped by Sony BMG due to the low success of the album.

Elimination Chart

Season 3

The third season of Idols started on 4 January 2007. Ellen Jokikunnas returned to host the show but Heikki Paasonen did not and was replaced by Jani Toivola. Neither Jarkko Valtee nor Kim Kuusi returned as judges but were replaced by only one judge: Asko Kallonen, who had previously appeared as a judge in the show's first season in 2004. During the finals, singer-songwriter Tarja Turunen also joined the panel as a special guest judge. The grand finale was held at Helsinki Ice Hall on 5 April 2007, and heavy-metal contestant Ari Koivunen was declared winner with 57% of the vote.

Winner Ari Koivunen signed to Sony BMG and his coronation song "On the Top of the World" hit number 1. However, his debut album Fuel for the Fire, released in May 2007 was entirely composed of heavy-metal material, Koivunen's signature style. The album was a huge success, debuting at number 1 and remaining there for a huge twelve consecutive weeks. Fuel for the Fire sold over 71,000 copies and received a double platinum certification. Koivunen's second album Becoming came in June 2008 and it too entered the chart at number 1, however it held the spot for only a single week and its success did not come near that of its predecessor, selling 17,000 units. Later in 2008 it was announced that Koivunen had become the new lead singer of Finnish heavy-metal group Amoral. His first album with them Show Your Colors was released in May 2009 and peaked at number 19, selling 2,000 copies to date.

Runner-up Anna Abreu was signed to RCA Records and has gone on to become the highest-selling Idols contestant to date. Anna Abreu, her self-titled debut album was released to massive success in August 2007. After peaking in its first week at number 1, the album spent a staggering 37 weeks on the chart, longer than any other album by an Idols contestant to date. It is ranked as the fortieth highest-selling album in Finnish music history and is certified double platinum, with sales of over 86,000 copies. Abreu's sophomore album Now was released in October 2008 and it too was met with similar success to is predecessor. It's lead single "Vinegar" became one of the year's highest selling singles and spent three weeks at number 1, while the album itself sold 50,000 copies and was certified platinum, becoming the highest selling album of 2008. Abreu's third studio album Just a Pretty Face? was released on 21 October 2009 and peaked at number 2. It was certified gold in its first day of release after selling a massive 23,000 copies on that day alone, giving the album one of the highest first-day sales in Finnish music history^[1]. It has since been certified platinum for sales exceeding 30,000 units.

Third place finisher Kristiina Brask was signed to the Helsinki Music Company label and her debut album Silmät sydämeeni was released in November 2007. It peaked at number 9, has sold over 18,000 copies and received a gold certification. Following the release of her first album, Brask left HMC and instead signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records for her sophomore album. Titled Kuivilla susta, Brask's second studio album was released on 9 September 2009 and debuted at number 11.

Fourth place finisher Kristian Meurman signed a contract with RCA Records and his debut album Ensiaskeleet was released in June 2007. It debuted at number 2, a position it held for its first eight weeks on the chart, never quite managing to rise up to the top spot. The album sold over 26,000 copies and as a result was awarded gold status. Meurman's second studio album Läpi yön emerged almost exactly one year later, reached number 3 and sold almost 12,000 copies.

Fifth place finisher Panu Larnos released his debut album Million Miles in early 2008, and although initially billed to be a success, the album failed to chart at all and has sold less than 7,000 copies to date.

Elimination Chart

Season 4

The fourth season of Idols started in the autumn of 2008, with the cities of Rovaniemi and Kuopio added as the fifth and sixth audition venues. Ellen Jokikunnas and Jani Toivola both returned to present the show once again, but were also joined by a third host in the form of Heikki Paasonen, who had previously left the show after season 2. Judge Asko Kallonen left the show once again and was replaced by record producer Patric Sarin. The finals started on 9 November and contestant Pete Parkkonen was considered favourite to win. However, he was unexpectantly eliminated in third place. The grand finale was held on 14 December and Koop Arponen was declared the fourth Finnish Idol with 70.3% of the vote.

Winner Koop Arponen signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and his coronation single "Insomnia" debuted at number 1 on the Finnish singles chart, a position it held for two weeks. His debut album New Town peaked at number 1 in its first week, knocking third-place contestant Pete Parkonen's album off the top spot. The album remained active on the chart for sixteen weeks and has sold almost 21,000 copies, certifying it gold.

Runner-up Anna Puu signed to RCA Records and has since gone on to become the most successful season 4 Idols contestant. Her first single "C'est la vie" reached number 1 in its ninth week on the chart and her debut album Anna Puu went straight in at number 1 a week after its release on 29 April 2009. It held the top spot for a total of twelve weeks and receieved huge critical acclaim from the Finnish music industry. It has spent an Idols alumni record of twenty-one weeks in the top three and has sold over 56,000 copies. It is ranked as the thirty-second best-performing album in Finnish music history.

Third place finisher Pete Parkkonen received a recording contract from Sony BMG and was the first season 4 contestant to release an album. Appropriately titled First Album, Parkkonen's post-Idols debut reached number 1 in its first week. The album went on to sell just over 24,000 copies and was accredited a gold award.

Fourth place finisher Kalle Löfström signed a deal with Edel Records and released his debut album Born in 84 on 10 June 2009. The album failed to attract any success however and did not chart, selling less than 1,500 copies to date.

Elimination Chart

Top-selling Idols contestants

This list only includes contestants with at least one certified album, and the totals do not include EPs, digital-only albums, holiday albums and/or pre-Idols recordings.

Gold, Platinum, and/or Multi-Platinum (Finnish Sales Only)

Uncertified Albums

The following is a comprehensive list of other Idols alumni album sales and reflects that commercial success can be achieved through association with Idols and with post-Idols promotion, although the degree of success varies considerably (this list only includes contestants who have numbers available, and again does not include EPs, digital-only albums, holiday albums or pre-Idols recordings):

References

v • d • e Idol series National franchises United Kingdom (original) • Armenia • Australia • Belgium • Brazil • Canada • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Georgia • Germany • Greece • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Kazakhstan • Malaysia • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Russia • Singapore • Slovakia • South Africa • Sweden • Turkey • United States • Vietnam Regional franchises Arab States • Asia • Czech Republic & Slovakia • East Africa • Latin America • Bulgaria & Macedonia • Serbia, Montenegro & Macedonia • West Africa • World Idol List of winners