• Clay Aiken to perform at Miss America pageant

  August 21, 2003
  Clay Aiken's single may no longer be number one, but he's still got what it takes to make the pageant stage. The Associated Press reports that Aiken will be performing his hit "This Is The Night" as one of the opening acts for the Miss America Pageant on September 20 in Atlantic City.

• 'American Idol' runner-up Clay Aiken's single drops to #2 after 10 straight weeks at #1

  August 21, 2003
  All good things must come to an end, and that includes American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken's streak with the #1 single on the Nielsen SoundScan U.S. Singles Sales chart. E! Online reports that Hilary Duff's single "So Yesterday," which had narrowly been #2 in both of its first two weeks of release, bumped Clay's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" / "This Is The Night" out of the top slot for the week ended August 17, 2003.

• 'Idol' runner-up Clay Aiken's single remains #1 in sales for 10th week in U.S.

  August 14, 2003
  The streak lives. American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken's million-selling RCA single, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" / "This Is The Night" remains #1 on the Nielsen SoundScan U.S. Singles Sales chart (presented by Canoe Jam! Showbiz) for the week ended August 10, its 10th straight week on top. For the second week in a row, Clay edged out Hilary Duff's "So Yesterday" for the top slot.

• 'American Juniors' CD single release flying up the Amazon charts on eve of August 12 release

  August 12, 2003
  As true "American Juniors" fan are already no doubt aware, the debut single from Fox's "American Juniors" will be released Tuesday, August 12 via Jive Records. The release will feature the reality talent show's 10 finalists singing the Cathy Dennis-written song "One Step Closer." Also included will be two mixes of the American Juniors performing a cover of Kim Wilde's 1982 hit "Kids in America."

• 'Idol' runner-up Clay Aiken's single hits 9th week as #1 in sales, by 157 copies

  August 7, 2003
  The margin keeps shrinking, but Clay Aiken remains #1. According to E! Online, Clay, who finished second on this spring's edition of Fox's American Idol, registered his 9th straight week atop the Nielsen SoundScan U.S. Singles Sales chart for the week ended August 3, but by his narrowest margin yet. Aiken's single, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" b/w "This Is The Night," which has already been certified platinum for sales of over 1 million copies, edged Hilary Duff's new release "So Yesterday" for the top spot by a mere 157 copies.

• 'American Idol' runner-up Clay Aiken's single hits 8th week as #1 in sales - by 600 units

  July 30, 2003
  E! Online reports that "Bridge Over Troubled Water" b/w "This Is The Night", the million-selling single from American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken, clung to first place on the U.S. Nielsen SoundScan charts for an eighth straight week in today's Top Singles Sales chart. Aiken's single, which was just certified platinum by the RIAA, beat out Korn's new single, "Did My Time," by a mere 600 copies sold.

• 'American Idol' winner Ruben Studdard receives gold single from RIAA

  July 29, 2003
  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Ruben Studdard, the winner of Fox's second American Idol but a runner-up to fellow finalist Clay Aiken on the charts, became the fourth Idol recipient of a Record Industry Association of America ("RIAA") award. Ruben received a gold record, signifying 500,000 copies sold, for his debut single "Flying Without Wings" b/w "Superstar." As discussed in this story, Ruben joins Kelly Clarkson (the first Idol winner), Clay Aiken and the finalists from Idol 2 in selling over 500,000 copies of their debut singles.

• 'American Idol' finalist Clay Aiken awarded first platinum single of 2003

  July 29, 2003
  What do these people have in common: Elton John; Charlie Rich; Pink Floyd; Lee Ann Womack; Clay Aiken? If you answered "million-selling singles," move to the head of the class.

• 'American Idol' finalists Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard have CDs delayed until September

  July 3, 2003
  MTV reports that the upcoming full-length CDs from American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken, both of which were scheduled to be released on August 19, have been delayed until September and will now be released at least a week apart.

• Clay Aiken falls from top spot on Billboard chart but remains top-selling single

  July 3, 2003
  The vague standards for the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart have finally caught up to American Idol finalist Clay Aiken. According to Billboard, Clay's CD single, "This Is The Night" b/w "Bridge Over Troubled Water" fell from first to third on the Hot 100 Singles this week, with Beyonce Knowles's "Crazy In Love" (which is not available as a CD single) taking over at #1. Clay's single retains the top spot on the Billboard/Nielsen SoundScan Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for the third week in a row, however.

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