Idols (Finland)
Encyclopedia
Idols is a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
reality-television singing competition that airs on MTV3
MTV3
MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. It had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels until Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YLE1 took the lead. The letters MTV stand for Mainos-TV , due to the channel getting its revenue from running commercials...
(and formerly also on Sub
Sub (TV channel)
Sub is a Finnish TV channel owned by Bonnier. The previous owner Alma Media sold Sub and its sister channels to Swedish Bonnier and Proventus in 2005.-Programs and audience:...
). It debuted in the summer of 2003, and went on to become one of the most popular shows on Finnish television. Part of the Idol franchise
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
created by British entertainment executive Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
, which was first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
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 four original judges were music executives Jone Nikula
Jone Nikula
Antti Joonas "Jone" Nikula is Finnish television and radio personality and a jack-of-all-trades in the music industry. He became well-known as a judge in the TV show Idols. He is the only judge to appear in all the seasons of Idols...
and Asko Kallonen, and songwriter-producers Hannu Korkeamäki and Nanna Mikkonen. The current judging panel consists of Nikula, singer Laura Voutilainen
Laura Voutilainen
Sanna Laura Voutilainen , is a Finnish popsinger.-Career:Voutilainen's debut single was called "Muuttanut oon maailman" but her breakthrough came with the 1993 single "Kerran" which reached the Top Ten of the Finnish charts in January 1994...
, and music manager Tommi Liimatainen. The show is hosted by television presenters Heikki Paasonen and Niina Backman. Former hosts include Ellen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas is a Finnish model, PR manager, and television presenter. She is best known for hosting all four seasons of Idols, but her first fame came from competing in the Miss Finland pageant in 1998...
and Jani Toivola
Jani Toivola
Jani Petteri Toivola is a Finnish actor and dancer. He studied in HB Acting Studio, New York in 1999–2002. He has performed in several dance works, television series and plays. Toivola is also openly gay. His father is Kenyan and mother Finnish.Toivola has been a veejay for the chart programme of...
.
In the five seasons to date, its winners have been Hanna Pakarinen
Hanna Pakarinen
Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004...
, Ilkka Jääskeläinen
Ilkka Jääskeläinen
Ilkka Aaron Jääskeläinen is a singer who rose to popularity after winning Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol with a 55% majority of the vote over runner-up Katri Ylander....
, Ari Koivunen
Ari Koivunen
Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists...
, Koop Arponen
Koop Arponen
Koop Juho Alexander Arponen is a Finnish singer and the winner of the fourth series of the Idols in 2008.-Biography:...
and Martti Saarinen
Martti Saarinen
Martti Saarinen is a Finnish singer and the winner of the fifth series of the Idols in 2011....
. Saarinen was the oldest winner at 30 whilst Pakarinen was the youngest at 22. To date, Idols contestants have collectively sold over a million records throughout Finland. Idols is also unique throughout the Idol franchise
Idol series
The British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
because so far, the first or second runner-up of each season has in fact gone on to become more commercially successful than the winner.
Following the completion of its fourth season, Idols was placed on a hiatus and replaced in 2010 by the X Factor
X Factor (Finland)
X Factor is the Finnish version of X Factor, a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions...
, a new reality singing competition originating from the United Kingdom's version
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, created by music executive Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
. In May 2010, it was announced that Idols would return for a fifth season after a two year hiatus. The fifth season was aired from February to May 2011. The series has been renewed for a sixth season that will premiere in early 2012.
Audition cities
Season 1: HelsinkiHelsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
Season 2: Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
Season 3: Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
Season 4: Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
, Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
, Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
Season 5: Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
, Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
Season 6: Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
, Joensuu
Joensuu
Joensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
, Vaasa
Vaasa
Vaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
Judges
| Judges | Role | Seasons | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||
| Jone Nikula | Judge (seasons 1–5) Head Judge (seasons 6–present) |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||||||
| Nanna Mikkonen | Judge | ♦ | |||||||||||
| Asko Kallonen | Head Judge | ♦ | ♦ | ||||||||||
| Hannu Korkeamäki | Judge | ♦ | ♦ | ||||||||||
| Nina Tapio | Judge Head Judge (season 5) |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||||||||
| Jarkko Valtee | Judge | ♦ | |||||||||||
| Kim Kuusi | Head Judge | ♦ | |||||||||||
| Patric Sarin | Judge | ♦ | |||||||||||
| Sami Pitkämö | Judge | ♦ | |||||||||||
| Laura Voutilainen Laura Voutilainen Sanna Laura Voutilainen , is a Finnish popsinger.-Career:Voutilainen's debut single was called "Muuttanut oon maailman" but her breakthrough came with the 1993 single "Kerran" which reached the Top Ten of the Finnish charts in January 1994... |
Judge | ♦ | ♦ | ||||||||||
| Tommi Liimatainen | Judge | ♦ | |||||||||||
- Full time judge
- Guest judge
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 JokikunnasEllen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas is a Finnish model, PR manager, and television presenter. She is best known for hosting all four seasons of Idols, but her first fame came from competing in the Miss Finland pageant in 1998...
and Heikki Paasonen, and the four judges were Finnish musician Jone Nikula
Jone Nikula
Antti Joonas "Jone" Nikula is Finnish television and radio personality and a jack-of-all-trades in the music industry. He became well-known as a judge in the TV show Idols. He is the only judge to appear in all the seasons of Idols...
, 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
Hanna Pakarinen
Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004...
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
Hanna Pakarinen
Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004...
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
When I Become Me (album)
When I Become Me is the debut album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer and season one Idols winner Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on June 9, 2004. "Love Is Like A Song", Pakarinen's number one hit Idols coronation song is featured as a bonus track on the album...
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 second album Stronger
Stronger (Hanna Pakarinen album)
Stronger is the second album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on September 7, 2005. The album was preceded by the lead single "Kiss Of Life" in August 2005 and followed later in the year by promotional singles "Stronger Without You" and "Damn You"...
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
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
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. Pakarinen's fifth studio album (and her first to be recorded in Finnish), Paperimiehen Tytär
Paperimiehen Tytär
Paperimiehen Tytär is the fifth studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, due for release in Finland by RCA on October 20, 2010. The album marks Pakarinen's first Finnish-language album, with her previous four albums all consisting of songs in English...
was released in October 2010 and debuted at number 9 on the albums chart.
Runner-up Jani Wickholm
Jani Wickholm
Jani Wickholm is a Finnish pop/rock singer. He came in second place on the Finnish MTV3 show Finnish Idols in 2003 after Hanna Pakarinen. Both Wickholm and Pakarinen had previously worked as truck-drivers....
signed a recording contract with the RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
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. Wickholm released his first greatest hits compilation, Kirkkaimmat Tähdet in May 2010, but the album failed to achieve commercial success and as a result, missed the Finnish Top 50.
Third place finisher Antti Tuisku
Antti Tuisku
Antti Tapani Tuisku is a Finnish pop singer, made famous by the 2003 Idols talent show, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Although Tuisku finished third in the show, he has easily become the most popular artist of the three. Currently Tuisku lives in Helsinki.Tuisku has sold over 200,000 records in...
also signed with Sony BMG and has gone on to become the most commercially successful contestant in Idols history, with his albums sales higher than those of all his fellow season one contestants combined. 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. He released a Christmas album, Minun Jouluni in November of the same year which was certified gold and peaked at number 3. 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, peaked at number 3 and was acredited gold for sales of over 15,000 copies. Tuisku's sixth studio album, Kaunis Kaaos was released on 27 October 2010 and debuted at number 2, Tuisku's highest chart debut since 2006. It was certified platinum for sales of over 20,000 copies. 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
Christian Forss
Christian Forss is a Finnish singer who finished fourth in the first Idols-contest of Finland. After Idols he took part in the Finnish national final of the Eurovision song contest in 2005. His singles have gotten reasonably good air play on national radio, and he has released two albums.Forss is...
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 second 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
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 5 December | My Idol | Sonja Nurmela | Anniina Karjalainen | Christian Forss Christian Forss Christian Forss is a Finnish singer who finished fourth in the first Idols-contest of Finland. After Idols he took part in the Finnish national final of the Eurovision song contest in 2005. His singles have gotten reasonably good air play on national radio, and he has released two albums.Forss is... |
| Bottom Two | ||||
| 12 December | 80s Hits | Victoria Shuudifonya | Jani Wickholm Jani Wickholm Jani Wickholm is a Finnish pop/rock singer. He came in second place on the Finnish MTV3 show Finnish Idols in 2003 after Hanna Pakarinen. Both Wickholm and Pakarinen had previously worked as truck-drivers.... |
|
| 19 December | Film Songs | Christian Forss (2) | Jani Wickholm (2) | |
| 2 January | Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku Antti Tapani Tuisku is a Finnish pop singer, made famous by the 2003 Idols talent show, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Although Tuisku finished third in the show, he has easily become the most popular artist of the three. Currently Tuisku lives in Helsinki.Tuisku has sold over 200,000 records in... |
|||
| 9 January | Finale | Jani Wickholm (3) | Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004... |
|
Season 2
The second season of Idols began in the autumn of 2005. The city of OuluOulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
was added as the fourth audition venue, with a total of 1479 people auditioning. Ellen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas is a Finnish model, PR manager, and television presenter. She is best known for hosting all four seasons of Idols, but her first fame came from competing in the Miss Finland pageant in 1998...
and Heikki Paasonen returned to host, but the judging panel saw a significant change, with only Jone Nikula
Jone Nikula
Antti Joonas "Jone" Nikula is Finnish television and radio personality and a jack-of-all-trades in the music industry. He became well-known as a judge in the TV show Idols. He is the only judge to appear in all the seasons of Idols...
staying on the show. The other three judges were replaced by Musicmakers executive Kim Kuusi
Kim Kuusi
Kim Kuusi is a Finnish composer best known for his advertising jingles.Kuusi studied at the Helsinki School of Economics, also teaching there in 1975. Studying alongside the six had been involved in the creation of Ryhmäteatteri a composer and musician, he worked as 1969-73...
, singer-songwriter Nina Tapio
Nina Tapio
Nina Tapio is a Finnish singer, songwriter, musical actor, and session musician. Her singing career started already at the age of five, when she sang on a children's record in 1977....
and Jarkko Valtee. The semifinals started on 13 November, with Harjavalta
Harjavalta
Harjavalta is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Satakunta region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
's Katri Ylander
Katri Ylander
Katri Marianne Ylander is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing second in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Ylander received 45% of votes, while the winner, Ilkka Jääskeläinen, received the other 55%...
the hot favourite to win the contest. However on 18 December 26-year old Ilkka Jääskeläinen
Ilkka Jääskeläinen
Ilkka Aaron Jääskeläinen is a singer who rose to popularity after winning Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol with a 55% majority of the vote over runner-up Katri Ylander....
defeated her in the grand finale with 55% of the vote and took the crown as the second Finnish Idol.
Winner Ilkka Jääskeläinen
Ilkka Jääskeläinen
Ilkka Aaron Jääskeläinen is a singer who rose to popularity after winning Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol with a 55% majority of the vote over runner-up Katri Ylander....
'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
Katri Ylander
Katri Marianne Ylander is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing second in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Ylander received 45% of votes, while the winner, Ilkka Jääskeläinen, received the other 55%...
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 almost 27,000 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, sold 20,000 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
Pete Seppälä
Pete Seppälä is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing third in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol...
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
Agnes Pihlava
Agnieszka "Agnes" Pihlava is a singer who rose to popularity after placing fourth in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol....
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 second 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
| Date | Bottom Three/Two | ||
| 13 November | Pauliina Kumpulainen | Roni Tran | Henna Heikkinen |
| 20 November | Roni Tran (2) | Pete Seppälä Pete Seppälä Pete Seppälä is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing third in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol... |
|
| 27 November | Henna Heikkinen (2) | Pete Seppälä (2) | |
| 4 December | Agnes Pihlava Agnes Pihlava Agnieszka "Agnes" Pihlava is a singer who rose to popularity after placing fourth in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol.... |
Ilkka Jääskeläinen Ilkka Jääskeläinen Ilkka Aaron Jääskeläinen is a singer who rose to popularity after winning Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol with a 55% majority of the vote over runner-up Katri Ylander.... |
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| 11 December | Pete Seppälä (3) | ||
| 18 December | Katri Ylander Katri Ylander Katri Marianne Ylander is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing second in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Ylander received 45% of votes, while the winner, Ilkka Jääskeläinen, received the other 55%... |
Ilkka Jääskeläinen Ilkka Jääskeläinen Ilkka Aaron Jääskeläinen is a singer who rose to popularity after winning Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol with a 55% majority of the vote over runner-up Katri Ylander.... |
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Season 3
The third season of Idols started on 4 January 2007. Ellen JokikunnasEllen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas is a Finnish model, PR manager, and television presenter. She is best known for hosting all four seasons of Idols, but her first fame came from competing in the Miss Finland pageant in 1998...
returned to host the show but Heikki Paasonen did not and was replaced by Jani Toivola
Jani Toivola
Jani Petteri Toivola is a Finnish actor and dancer. He studied in HB Acting Studio, New York in 1999–2002. He has performed in several dance works, television series and plays. Toivola is also openly gay. His father is Kenyan and mother Finnish.Toivola has been a veejay for the chart programme of...
. Neither Jarkko Valtee nor Kim Kuusi
Kim Kuusi
Kim Kuusi is a Finnish composer best known for his advertising jingles.Kuusi studied at the Helsinki School of Economics, also teaching there in 1975. Studying alongside the six had been involved in the creation of Ryhmäteatteri a composer and musician, he worked as 1969-73...
returned as a judge 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
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
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
Ari Koivunen
Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists...
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
Fuel for the Fire (Ari Koivunen album)
Fuel for the Fire is the first album by Ari Koivunen, the winner of the 2007 Finnish Idols competition.Among the metal artists who have contributed material to the album are Timo Tolkki , Tomi Putaansuu Fuel for the Fire is the first album by Ari Koivunen, the winner of the 2007 Finnish Idols...
, 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
Becoming (Ari Koivunen album)
Becoming is the second album by Ari Koivunen, who won the 2007 Finnish Idols competition. The 12th and final track on the album is an acoustic version of "The Evil That Men Do". The song is a cover song from the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden...
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
Show Your Colors
-Personnel:Amoral* Ari Koivunen - vocals, backing vocals* Ben Varon - guitar* Silver Ots - guitar* Juhana Karlsson - drums* Pekka Johansson - bassAdditional* Janne Saksa - recording, producing, backing vocals* Svante Forsbäck- mastering...
, was released in May 2009 and peaked at number 19, selling 2,000 copies to date.
Runner-up Anna Abreu
Anna Abreu
Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who rose to fame as the runner-up of the third series of the Finnish singing talent show Idols in 2007. Her music is primarily pop, though her songs also have R&B, dance and Latin rhythms to them...
was signed to RCA Records and has gone on to become the highest-selling female Idols contestant to date. Anna Abreu
Anna Abreu (album)
Anna Abreu is the self-titled debut album by Finnish singer and season three Idols runner-up Anna Abreu, released in Finland by RCA on August 20, 2007...
, 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 37 weeks on the chart and is certified double platinum with sales of over 86,000 copies - the highest for any album by an Idols alumni. Abreu's second album Now
Now (Anna Abreu album)
Now is the second studio album by Finnish singer Anna Abreu, released in Finland by RCA on October 22, 2008. The album was preceded by the singles "Vinegar" and "Silent Despair" and followed by the release of third and fourth singles "Something About U" and "Come Undone".The album marked a change...
was released in October 2008 and it too was met with similar success to is predecessor. Its 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?
Just a Pretty Face?
Just a Pretty Face? is the third studio album by Finnish singer Anna Abreu, released in Finland by RCA on October 21, 2009. The album was preceded by the lead single "Music Everywhere" and followed by the promotional singles "Impatient" and "Slam"....
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. It has since been certified platinum for sales exceeding 30,000 units. Abreu's fourth studio album, Rush
Rush (Anna Abreu album)
Rush is the fourth studio album by Finnish singer Anna Abreu, due for release in Finland by RCA on March 30, 2011. The album was preceded by the lead single "Hysteria" in January 2011....
was released on 30 March 2011 and debuted at number 1, becoming Abreu's third chart-topping album. The lead single 'Hysteria' was released digitally on 10 January and peaked at number 6.
Third-place finisher Kristiina Brask
Kristiina Brask
Kristiina Maria Brask is a Finnish pop singer. She was a finalist in the third season of Idols in 2007. She was placed third after Ari Koivunen and Anna Abreu....
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
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
for her second 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
Kristian Meurman
Kristian Meurman , is a Finnish singer. He was a finalist in the third series of the Finnish Idols in 2007. His first album Ensiaskeleet was released in 2007 and it sold gold...
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. His third studio album Galaksi was released in June 2009 but failed to chart and sold only 1000 copies. As a result, Meurman was dropped by record label, RCA Records.
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
| Date | Theme | Bottom Three | ||
| 1 March | Birth Year | Johanna Hämäläinen | Panu Larnos | Kristiina Brask Kristiina Brask Kristiina Maria Brask is a Finnish pop singer. She was a finalist in the third season of Idols in 2007. She was placed third after Ari Koivunen and Anna Abreu.... |
| Bottom Two | ||||
| 8 March | Dedications | Mia Permanto Mia Permanto Mia Permanto was a Finnish pop singer and radio host. She was placed sixth in the Idols finals of 2007. She grew up and studied in Stockholm, but decided to move to Finland, the country of her parents... |
Panu Larnos (2) | |
| 15 March | Kings and Queens | Panu Larnos (3) | Anna Abreu Anna Abreu Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who rose to fame as the runner-up of the third series of the Finnish singing talent show Idols in 2007. Her music is primarily pop, though her songs also have R&B, dance and Latin rhythms to them... |
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| 22 March | My Idols | Kristian Meurman Kristian Meurman Kristian Meurman , is a Finnish singer. He was a finalist in the third series of the Finnish Idols in 2007. His first album Ensiaskeleet was released in 2007 and it sold gold... |
Kristiina Brask (2) | |
| 29 March | Finnish Hits | Kristiina Brask (3) | ||
| 5 April | Finale | Anna Abreu (2) | Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists... |
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Season 4
The fourth season of Idols started in the autumn of 2008, with the cities of RovaniemiRovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
and Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
added as the fifth and sixth audition venues. Ellen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas
Ellen Jokikunnas is a Finnish model, PR manager, and television presenter. She is best known for hosting all four seasons of Idols, but her first fame came from competing in the Miss Finland pageant in 1998...
and Jani Toivola
Jani Toivola
Jani Petteri Toivola is a Finnish actor and dancer. He studied in HB Acting Studio, New York in 1999–2002. He has performed in several dance works, television series and plays. Toivola is also openly gay. His father is Kenyan and mother Finnish.Toivola has been a veejay for the chart programme of...
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
Koop Arponen
Koop Juho Alexander Arponen is a Finnish singer and the winner of the fourth series of the Idols in 2008.-Biography:...
was declared the fourth Finnish Idol with 70.3% of the vote.
Winner Koop Arponen
Koop Arponen
Koop Juho Alexander Arponen is a Finnish singer and the winner of the fourth series of the Idols in 2008.-Biography:...
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
New Town (Koop Arponen album)
New Town is the first album by Koop Arponen, the winner of the 2008 Finnish Idols competition.-Track listing:# Every Song I Hear – 03:56# Everything I’m Not – 04:05# Sweet Words And A Lonely Night Away – 03:33# Innocent Eyes – 3:53# Love Is Cool New Town is the first album by Koop Arponen, the...
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. Arponen's sophomore effort, Bright Lights was released on 24 March 2010 and debuted at number 8.
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 received huge critical acclaim from the Finnish music industry. It has spent an Idols alumni record of 21 weeks in the top three and 45 weeks in total on the albums chart. It has sold over 70,000 copies to be acredited double platinum and is ranked as the twelfth best-performing album in Finnish music history. In its 45th week on the chart, Anna Puu sat at number 9, and only fell out of the Top 50 the following week because it had been placed in the mid-price chart. Puu's highly anticipated second album Sahara was released on 26 May 2010 and debuted at the top spot, becoming her second consecutive number one album. It held this position for a total of eight weeks.
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. Parkkonen's second studio album, I'm An Accident was released on 18 February 2010. It failed to gain the same success as his debut, peaking at number 21 and dropping out of the albums chart after only one week.
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
| Stages: | Semi-Finals | Finals | ||||||||||||||
| Weeks: | 10/16 | 10/19 | 10/23 | 10/26 | 10/30 | 11/2 | 11/9 | 11/16 | 11/23 | 11/30 | 12/7 | 12/14 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Constestant | Result | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Koop Arponen | Winner | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Anna Puustjärvi | Btm 2 | Runner-Up | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Pete Parkkonen | Btm 2 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 4 | Kalle Löfström | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | Elim | ||||||||||
| 5 | Anna-Kaisa Riitijoki | Btm 3 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 6 | Jaana Leiniäinen | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Saana Liikanen | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| Semi | Marika Tyyvi | Btm 2 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| Vesa Suonto | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Jannike Sandström | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Wellu Rowaltz | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Linda Herranen | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Daniel S. Diago | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Women | Men | Top 7 | Top 13 | Eliminated | Safe | not performed |
Season 5
On 17 May 2010, it was announced that Idols would return for a fifth season, following a two year hiatus. Regional auditions took place in November and December 2010, with the season premiering on MTV3 on 3 February 2011. The Finale was aired in May 2011.Whilst season 4 judges Jone Nikula and Nina Tapio both returned to the panel, Patric Sarin did not and was replaced by music executive Sami Pitkämö. For the first time in the show's history, guest judges appeared during the regional audition, including Katri Helena
Katri Helena
Katri Helena is a Finnish singer who has been performing since the 1960s. She has been married three times and is now living as a single mother....
and season 1 Idols alumni Antti Tuisku
Antti Tuisku
Antti Tapani Tuisku is a Finnish pop singer, made famous by the 2003 Idols talent show, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Although Tuisku finished third in the show, he has easily become the most popular artist of the three. Currently Tuisku lives in Helsinki.Tuisku has sold over 200,000 records in...
. Heikki Paasonen returned as host but neither Jani Toivola nor Ellen Jokikunnas joined him. Instead, Niina Backman was brought in as the show's new hostess.
Idols Extra, a show that featured extra scenes behind the scenes and discussion about the show with varying guest, was replaced by a similar new show, Idols Studio. Even though Idols Extra was aired on Sub, Idols Studio was aired on MTV3 like the main show. Idols Studio was hosted by Janne Kataja, who is a former host of Idols Extra.
This season also saw the first ever Idols charity show, in which contestants, previous Idols alumni and a variety of national and international stars performed and the Finnish public donated money in aid of FinnChurchAid. The show was broadcast on 24 April 2011, and was inspired by Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
, which has been broadcast three times as part of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
This was the first season that did not include separate elimination shows, and the voting results were announced either at the end of the performance show or alternatively at the beginning of the following live performance.
Season 6
On 8 May 2011, it was announced that Idols will return for a sixth season. Regional auditions will take place in fall 2011, and the season will premiere on MTV3 in early 2012.Heikki Paasonen and Niina Backman will both return to host the show, but neither Nina Tapio nor Sami Pitkämö will return as judges. Jone Nikula will be the head judge for the first time; other judges are singer Laura Voutilainen
Laura Voutilainen
Sanna Laura Voutilainen , is a Finnish popsinger.-Career:Voutilainen's debut single was called "Muuttanut oon maailman" but her breakthrough came with the 1993 single "Kerran" which reached the Top Ten of the Finnish charts in January 1994...
and music manager Tommi Liimatainen. Voutilainen appeared in the previous season as a guest judge.
Season 6 will be the first season that does not include semifinals. Instead, two top-15 live shows will be aired, and the finalists will be decided by judges and public's votes.
Top-selling Idols alumni albums
This list only includes contestants with at least one certified album, and the totals do not include EPs, digital-only albums and/or pre-Idols recordings.Gold, Platinum, and/or Multi-Platinum (Finnish Sales Only)
Note: In 2010, the IFPI changed the sales thresh-holds for Finnish gold and platinum certification from 15,000 and 30,000 to 10,000 and 20,000, respectively.
| Former contestant Total sales |
Debut album | Second album | Third album | Fourth album | Fifth album | Sixth album | Seventh album | Eighth album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku Antti Tapani Tuisku is a Finnish pop singer, made famous by the 2003 Idols talent show, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Although Tuisku finished third in the show, he has easily become the most popular artist of the three. Currently Tuisku lives in Helsinki.Tuisku has sold over 200,000 records in... (Season 1, 3rd Place) 204,264 |
Ensimmäinen (12 May 2004) RCA 71,163 2xPlatinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 27 |
Antti Tuisku (11 May 2005) RCA 37,520 Platinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 20 |
Minun Jouluni (16 November 2005) RCA 25,121 Gold Peak: #3 Weeks: 6 |
New York (4 October 2006) HMC 15,009 Gold Peak: #1 Weeks: 14 |
Rovaniemi (4 October 2006) HMC 13,749 N/A Peak: #2 Weeks: 7 |
Aikaa - Greatest Hits (7 November 2007) HMC 7,000 N/A Peak: #10 Weeks: 9 |
Hengitän (23 September 2009) HMC 15,817 Gold Peak: #3 Weeks: 16 |
Kaunis Kaaos (27 October 2010) HMC 18,885 Platinum Peak: #2 Weeks: 31 |
| 2. | Anna Abreu Anna Abreu Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who rose to fame as the runner-up of the third series of the Finnish singing talent show Idols in 2007. Her music is primarily pop, though her songs also have R&B, dance and Latin rhythms to them... (Season 3, Runner-Up) 184,181 |
Anna Abreu Anna Abreu (album) Anna Abreu is the self-titled debut album by Finnish singer and season three Idols runner-up Anna Abreu, released in Finland by RCA on August 20, 2007... (20 August 2007) RCA 86,170 2xPlatinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 37 |
Now Now (Anna Abreu album) Now is the second studio album by Finnish singer Anna Abreu, released in Finland by RCA on October 22, 2008. The album was preceded by the singles "Vinegar" and "Silent Despair" and followed by the release of third and fourth singles "Something About U" and "Come Undone".The album marked a change... (22 October 2008) RCA 50,695 Platinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 18 |
Just A Pretty Face? Just a Pretty Face? Just a Pretty Face? is the third studio album by Finnish singer Anna Abreu, released in Finland by RCA on October 21, 2009. The album was preceded by the lead single "Music Everywhere" and followed by the promotional singles "Impatient" and "Slam".... (21 October 2009) RCA 33,278 Platinum Peak: #2 Weeks: 26 |
Rush Rush (Anna Abreu album) Rush is the fourth studio album by Finnish singer Anna Abreu, due for release in Finland by RCA on March 30, 2011. The album was preceded by the lead single "Hysteria" in January 2011.... (30 March 2011) RCA 14,038 Gold Peak: #1 Weeks: 10 |
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| 3. | Anna Puu (Season 4, Runner-Up) 116,146 |
Anna Puu (29 April 2009) RCA 77,925 2xPlatinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 45 |
Sahara (26 May 2010) RCA 38,221 Platinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 44 |
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| 4. | Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004... (Season 1, Winner) 96,462 |
When I Become Me When I Become Me (album) When I Become Me is the debut album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer and season one Idols winner Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on June 9, 2004. "Love Is Like A Song", Pakarinen's number one hit Idols coronation song is featured as a bonus track on the album... (9 June 2004) RCA 52,826 Platinum Peak: #2 Weeks: 17 |
Stronger Stronger (Hanna Pakarinen album) Stronger is the second album by Finnish pop/pop rock singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on September 7, 2005. The album was preceded by the lead single "Kiss Of Life" in August 2005 and followed later in the year by promotional singles "Stronger Without You" and "Damn You"... (7 September 2005) RCA 16,473 Gold Peak: #2 Weeks: 7 |
Lovers Lovers (Hanna Pakarinen album) Lovers is the third studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on February 14, 2007. It was preceded by the lead single "Go Go" and also includes the singles "Leave Me Alone" and "Hard Luck Woman". "Leave Me Alone" served as Pakarinen's entry song in the 2007... (14 February 2007) RCA 16,163 Gold Peak: #3 Weeks: 15 |
Love In A Million Shades Love In A Million Shades Love In A Million Shades is the fourth studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, released in Finland by RCA on January 14, 2009. It was preceded by the single "Make Believe" and followed by the singles "Shout It Out Loud", "Love In A Million Shades" and "Rescue Me".The album debuted and... (14 January 2009) RCA 7,000 N/A Peak: #7 Weeks: 5 |
Paperimiehen Tytär Paperimiehen Tytär Paperimiehen Tytär is the fifth studio album by Finnish singer Hanna Pakarinen, due for release in Finland by RCA on October 20, 2010. The album marks Pakarinen's first Finnish-language album, with her previous four albums all consisting of songs in English... (20 October 2010) RCA 4,000 N/A Peak: #9 Weeks: 4 |
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| 5. | Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists... / Amoral (Season 3, Winner) 92,691 |
Fuel for the Fire Fuel for the Fire (Ari Koivunen album) Fuel for the Fire is the first album by Ari Koivunen, the winner of the 2007 Finnish Idols competition.Among the metal artists who have contributed material to the album are Timo Tolkki , Tomi Putaansuu Fuel for the Fire is the first album by Ari Koivunen, the winner of the 2007 Finnish Idols... (30 May 2007) RCA 71,347 2xPlatinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 30 |
Becoming Becoming (Ari Koivunen album) Becoming is the second album by Ari Koivunen, who won the 2007 Finnish Idols competition. The 12th and final track on the album is an acoustic version of "The Evil That Men Do". The song is a cover song from the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden... (11 June 2008) RCA 17,344 Gold Peak: #1 Weeks: 10 |
Show Your Colors Show Your Colors -Personnel:Amoral* Ari Koivunen - vocals, backing vocals* Ben Varon - guitar* Silver Ots - guitar* Juhana Karlsson - drums* Pekka Johansson - bassAdditional* Janne Saksa - recording, producing, backing vocals* Svante Forsbäck- mastering... (7 May 2009) Universal 3,000 N/A Peak: #19 Weeks: 1 |
Beneath (27 October 2011) Universal 1,000 N/A Peak: #30 Weeks: 1 |
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| 6. | Katri Ylander Katri Ylander Katri Marianne Ylander is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing second in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Ylander received 45% of votes, while the winner, Ilkka Jääskeläinen, received the other 55%... (Season 2, Runner-Up) 53,446 |
Katri Ylander (14 June 2006) RCA 24,068 Gold Peak: #3 Weeks: 28 |
Kaikki Nämä Sanat (31 October 2007) RCA 19,378 Gold Peak: #13 Weeks: 18 |
Valvojat (2 September 2009) RCA 8,000 N/A Peak: #6 Weeks: 4 |
Maailman Ihanimmat (8 June 2011) RCA 2,000 N/A Peak: Did not chart Weeks: 0 |
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| 7. | Jani Wickholm Jani Wickholm Jani Wickholm is a Finnish pop/rock singer. He came in second place on the Finnish MTV3 show Finnish Idols in 2003 after Hanna Pakarinen. Both Wickholm and Pakarinen had previously worked as truck-drivers.... (Season 1, Runner-Up) 49,115 |
Kaikki Muuttuu (8 September 2004) RCA 30,115 Platinum Peak: #1 Weeks: 19 |
Alumiinitähdet (28 September 2005) RCA 6,000 N/A Peak: #6 Weeks: 5 |
Yhden Lauseen Mies (24 January 2007) RCA 5,000 N/A Peak: #10 Weeks: 7 |
Ranta-ahon Valot (30 April 2008) RCA 3,000 N/A Peak: #14 Weeks: 8 |
Kirkkaimmat Tähdet (5 May 2010) RCA 2,000 N/A Peak: Did not chart Weeks: 0 |
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| 8. | Kristian Meurman Kristian Meurman Kristian Meurman , is a Finnish singer. He was a finalist in the third series of the Finnish Idols in 2007. His first album Ensiaskeleet was released in 2007 and it sold gold... (Season 3, 4th Place) 38,949 |
Ensiaskeleet (6 June 2007) RCA 26,465 Gold Peak: #2 Weeks: 17 |
Läpi Yön (18 June 2008) RCA 11,484 N/A Peak: #3 Weeks: 11 |
Galaksi (12 June 2009) RCA 1,000 N/A Peak: Did not chart Weeks: 0 |
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| 9. | Koop Arponen Koop Arponen Koop Juho Alexander Arponen is a Finnish singer and the winner of the fourth series of the Idols in 2008.-Biography:... (Season 4, Winner) 27,720 |
New Town New Town (Koop Arponen album) New Town is the first album by Koop Arponen, the winner of the 2008 Finnish Idols competition.-Track listing:# Every Song I Hear – 03:56# Everything I’m Not – 04:05# Sweet Words And A Lonely Night Away – 03:33# Innocent Eyes – 3:53# Love Is Cool New Town is the first album by Koop Arponen, the... (18 March 2009) RCA 20,720 Gold Peak: #1 Weeks: 17 |
Bright Lights (24 March 2010) RCA 7,000 N/A Peak: #8 Weeks: 5 |
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| 10. | Pete Parkkonen (Season 4, 3rd Place) 26,067 |
First Album (11 March 2009) RCA 24,067 Gold Peak: #1 Weeks: 19 |
I'm An Accident (17 February 2010) RCA 2,000 N/A Peak: #21 Weeks: 1 |
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| 11. | Kristiina Brask Kristiina Brask Kristiina Maria Brask is a Finnish pop singer. She was a finalist in the third season of Idols in 2007. She was placed third after Ari Koivunen and Anna Abreu.... (Season 3, 3rd Place) 23,205 |
Silmät Sydämeeni (7 November 2007) HMC 18,205 Gold Peak: #9 Weeks: 18 |
Kuivilla Susta (9 September 2009) Warner 5,000 N/A Peak: #11 Weeks: 4 |
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):| Former Contestant | Total Sales | Albums | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | Agnes Pihlava Agnes Pihlava Agnieszka "Agnes" Pihlava is a singer who rose to popularity after placing fourth in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol.... (Season 2, 4th Place) |
14,000 |
|
| 15. | Christian Forss Christian Forss Christian Forss is a Finnish singer who finished fourth in the first Idols-contest of Finland. After Idols he took part in the Finnish national final of the Eurovision song contest in 2005. His singles have gotten reasonably good air play on national radio, and he has released two albums.Forss is... (Season 1, 4th Place) |
13,529 |
|
| 16. | Ilkka Jääskeläinen Ilkka Jääskeläinen Ilkka Aaron Jääskeläinen is a singer who rose to popularity after winning Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol with a 55% majority of the vote over runner-up Katri Ylander.... (Season 2, Winner) |
13,366 |
|
| 17. | Panu Larnos (Season 3, 5th Place) |
6,000 |
|
| 18. | Pete Seppälä Pete Seppälä Pete Seppälä is a Finnish singer who rose to popularity after placing third in Idols Finland 2, the Finnish version of Pop Idol... (Season 2, 3rd Place) |
5,000 |
|
| 19. | Roni Tran (Season 2, 6th Place) |
4,500 |
|
| 20. | Martti Saarinen (Season 5, Winner) |
3,500 |
|
| 21. | Anniina Karjalainen (Season 1, 6th Place) |
3,000 |
|
| 22. | Kalle Löfström (Season 4, 4th Place) |
1,500 |
|
Best-selling Idols alumni songs
NOTE: Singles are only included where sales figures are available.The table is ranked in term of sales, but can be sorted other ways by clicking on the
icon.| Artist | Single | Season | Release Date | Album | Top 20 Peak | IFPI Cert. | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku Antti Tapani Tuisku is a Finnish pop singer, made famous by the 2003 Idols talent show, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Although Tuisku finished third in the show, he has easily become the most popular artist of the three. Currently Tuisku lives in Helsinki.Tuisku has sold over 200,000 records in... |
"En Halua Tietää" | 1 (3rd) | 2004 | Ensimmäinen | 1 | Gold | 8,137 |
| 2 | Anna Puu | "C'est La Vie" | 4 (2nd) | 2009 | Anna Puu | 1 | Gold | 7,588 |
| 3 | Christian Forss Christian Forss Christian Forss is a Finnish singer who finished fourth in the first Idols-contest of Finland. After Idols he took part in the Finnish national final of the Eurovision song contest in 2005. His singles have gotten reasonably good air play on national radio, and he has released two albums.Forss is... |
"Unforgettable" | 1 (4th) | 2004 | Christian Forss | 4 | Gold | 7,076 |
| 4 | Antti Tuisku Antti Tuisku Antti Tapani Tuisku is a Finnish pop singer, made famous by the 2003 Idols talent show, the Finnish version of Pop Idol. Although Tuisku finished third in the show, he has easily become the most popular artist of the three. Currently Tuisku lives in Helsinki.Tuisku has sold over 200,000 records in... |
"Juuret" | 1 (3rd) | 2009 | Hengitän | 1 | Gold | 6,650 |
| 5 | Anna Abreu Anna Abreu Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who rose to fame as the runner-up of the third series of the Finnish singing talent show Idols in 2007. Her music is primarily pop, though her songs also have R&B, dance and Latin rhythms to them... |
"End of Love" | 3 (2nd) | 2007 | Anna Abreu | 8 | Gold | 6,159 |
| 6 | Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004... |
"Love is Like a Song" | 1 (1st) | 2004 | When I Become Me | 1 | Gold | 5,987 |
| 7 | Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Pakarinen Hanna Helena Pakarinen is a Finnish pop and pop-rock singer who rose to fame as the winner of the first series of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2004... |
"Leave Me Alone" | 1 (1st) | 2007 | Lovers | 8 | Gold | 5,537 |
| 8 | Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists... |
"Hear My Call" | 3 (1st) | 2007 | Fuel For The Fire | Gold | 5,359 | |
| 9 | Anna Abreu Anna Abreu Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who rose to fame as the runner-up of the third series of the Finnish singing talent show Idols in 2007. Her music is primarily pop, though her songs also have R&B, dance and Latin rhythms to them... |
"Vinegar" | 3 (2nd) | 2008 | Now | 1 | 4,566 | |
| 10 | Kristian Meurman Kristian Meurman Kristian Meurman , is a Finnish singer. He was a finalist in the third series of the Finnish Idols in 2007. His first album Ensiaskeleet was released in 2007 and it sold gold... |
"Lapin Kesä" | 3 (4th) | 2007 | Ensiakleet | 4,494 | ||
| 11 | Anna Abreu Anna Abreu Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who rose to fame as the runner-up of the third series of the Finnish singing talent show Idols in 2007. Her music is primarily pop, though her songs also have R&B, dance and Latin rhythms to them... |
"Music Everywhere" | 3 (2nd) | 2009 | Just A Pretty Face? | 2 | 3,594 | |
| 12 | Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen Ari Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists... |
"On the Top of the World" | 3 (1st) | 2007 | Fuel For The Fire | 1 | 3,581 | |
| 13 | Anna Puu | "Kaunis Päivä" | 4 (2nd) | 2009 | Anna Puu | 6 | 3,202 |