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For the last few years the world of pop music has been overtaken with the 'get-fame-quick' stars. Plucked from obscurity by TV shows, moulded by audience votes and judges these stars have sold millions of singles and albums. They have toured the world and some have become household names.
On this page we have short histories of all the shows and stars plus some cool music collectables .

Pop Stars : Pop Idol : Pop Stars - The Rivals : American Idol

Fame Academy : More TV Fame Shows : 'TV Fame Show' collectables

POP STARS

The Popstars phenomenon was the brainchild of Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller, two of pop music's most infamous svengalis. Between they have had a hand in the careers of Five, S Club 7 and Westlife. The series has been responsible for the career of two of the UK's biggest pop music phenomenons...

HEAR'SAY

In early 2001 the Popstars TV programme launched in the UK. The premise was to find perfect stars to form the perfect pop group. A nationwide talent search whittled down thousands of hopefuls to just 60 lucky kids. And they then battled against each other each week on national TV with singing, dancing, crying and even more crying to win the chance to join the group.

From this final ten came that one group...the Popstars. And that was the beginning.

The chosen five were Noel Sullivan, Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster and Kym Marsh. Together they were Hear'Say.

On March 18th the debut single Pure and Simple hit #1 becoming the fastest selling debut single... ever. It was followed later by the album Popstars.

For a while the band were massively popular but success soon faded. A second #1 hit with The Way To Your Love was their last, subsequent singles charted lower and lower. The second album and it's first single Everybody were less well recieved.

Click Here for the complete Hear'Say catalogue

Meanwhile their private lives began to take attention away from the music. Early in 2002 Kym left the band after some acrimonious rumours, auditions filled her spot with Johnny Shentall. Tours were scrapped, the previously supportive press turned and with a hopeful final single, Lovin' is Easy as their final 'hit' the band split. In just over a year and a half they had come and gone.

Solo Spice can do it so why can't the Hear'say guys? Kym Marsh was the first to relaunch herself as a solo star in 2003. Her debut single was Cry.

LIBERTY X

While the press and public went crazy for Hear'say the unlucky five contestants from the final ten were plotting. Unlike the winners this 'group' could make their own mind's up and after some discussion they decided that their 'failure' was to become a starting point.

Jessica Taylor, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon and Kelli Young took their collective love of a more edgy R&B sound, called themselves Liberty and grabbed a contract with Richard Branson's label, V2.

The band stormed the charts with their first singles. Thinking It Over (Sept 2001), Doin' It (Dec.2001) and Just A Little (May 2002) were all Top 20 hits. Those who had tagged the band 'Flopstars' were quietly eating their words.

Despite a slight hiccup with a name sharing problem the band have gone from strength to strength. The debut album Thinking It Over charted at #3 and was even followed by a limited edition collector's version in September of 2002. While Hear'say's star has declined Liberty X are on the rise.

:: Liberty X Official Website ::

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POP IDOL

Towards the end of 2001 the next TV fame programme from the Pop Star academy was launched. This time the nation had the opportunity to find a Pop Idol, someone who would stand alone as a fantastic solo performer.

Thousands and thousands of hopefuls were selected and chosen from to find a final 50. They in turn, under the watchful eye of the judges and the TV audience, were reduced further to a select ten. It was this ten that battled LIVE over the weeks before a final phone vote chose the victor.

The final contestants doing battle were Gareth Gates, Zoe Birkett, Hayley Evetts, Laura Doherty, Rosie Ribbons, Jessica Garlick, Will Young, Korben, Rik Waller, Aaron Bayley.

Below are features on the winner, Will Young, and the runner-up Gareth Gates. The other lucky contestants to get record contracts etc. are covered too.

WILL YOUNG

22 year old Will Young won the UK Pop Idol collecting an incredible 4.7 million votes which were cast after the live TV finale.

His prize for winning was a year's record contract and a few million fans !

Since then Will has scored three number one singles, a number one debut album plus numerous awards. He has toured the UK with the other Pop Idol contestants and has been chosen to sing the 2002 BBC Children In Need charity single.

:: Will Young Official Website ::

GARETH GATES

It hardly seems fair to describe Gareth as the loser, in the final phone vote he was beaten by just a few hundred votes.

Although he did not 'win' his recording contract Gareth was swiftly signed to the same record label as Will and he to has been a major success since.

His singles and debut album have sold in their thousands giving Gareth #1s and even the record of being the UKs youngest ever #1 singles artist at only 17 years old.

:: Gareth Gates Official Website ::

THE OTHERS

With such huge TV coverage and national press attention it is no surprise that the defeated finalists, and even some who didn't make it that far, have gone on to have pop careers.

Click Here for the complete Darius catalogue

Darius has been the luckiest non-winner, although with his persistance luck may not be the only reason !!

Originally he appeared on the Pop Stars programme, losing out in the selection process, but undaunted he returned and almost made it to the final of Pop Idol.

His determination and talent (unlike the other 'stars' Darius writes and plays his own material) have led Darius to the pop star career he always wanted.

:: Darius Official Website ::

Many of the other finalists have been finding their ways in the world of pop too. They all appeared together on a Pop Idol album singing big band tunes.


	Pop Idol The Big Band Album POP IDOL/VARIOUS The Big Band Album (2002 UK 13-Track CD album) All your Pop Idol stars together on one album !! The ten finalists - Darius Danesh, Jessica Garlick, Zoe Birkett, Rosie Ribbons, Hayley Evetts, Laura Doherty, Korben, Aaron Bayley, Gareth Gates and, eventual winner, Will Young - each performing a classic Big Band/Swing era tune. Also features the fab duet from Zoe and Gareth singing 'Oh Look At Me Now'. Pop Idol catalogue \| more info \| only £3

Rosie Ribbons, Rik Waller and Jessica Garlick have all had singles released to varying degrees of success. Jessica was the UK's representative at 2002's Eurovision Song contest too. The others meanwhile have been appearing up and down the country.

One contestant who didn't even make the final ten was Sarah Whatmore. However she impressed Simon Fuller, he of the Spice Girls, S Club 7 and others, and she too has had a record contract.

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POP STARS: THE RIVALS

The next instalment in the Pop Stars onslaught was The Rivals. This time the show created TWO groups, one boys and one girls. The two then did battle over the coveted UK Christmas #1 single.

The show began in September 2002 and each week the unlucky ones were selected and removed by way of a TV vote.

The PopStars:The Rivals decisions have been made and both the groups have settled on names and images. The next choice to be made was which single to buy...

Adding to their victory as the chosen girls it was Girls Aloud who beat One True Voice to be the UK's Christmas 2002 #1 single.

:: Official One True Voice Website ::

:: Official Girls Aloud Website ::


GIRLS ALOUD Sound Of The Underground GIRLS ALOUD Sound Of The Underground (Deleted 2002 UK 6-track 2-CD single set from the 'Popstar - The Rivals' Girl winners including remix plus exclusive interview. Both parts are housed in their original artwork picture sleeves) GIRLS ALOUD catalogue \| more info \| only £12.99


	ONE TRUE VOICE Sacred Trust/After You're Gone [I'll Still Be Loving You] ONE TRUE VOICE Sacred Trust/After You're Gone [I'll Still Be Loving You] (2002 UK 2-track CD single from the 'Pop Rival' boyband, picture sleeve) ONE TRUE VOICE catalogue \| more info \| only £6.99

If the theory behind the success of Liberty X and failure of Hear'Say runs true again then The Cheeky Girls are the band to watch. This Transylvanian duo are aiming to prove that failure means success.


	CHEEKY GIRLS Cheeky Song [Touch My Bum] CHEEKY GIRLS Cheeky Song [Touch My Bum] (2002 UK 7-track enhanced 2-CD single set including CD-Rom video) CHEEKY GIRLS catalogue \| more info \| only £9.99

:: The Cheeky Girls Official Website ::

:: 'PopStars:The Rivals' Official Website ::

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AMERICAN IDOL

Pop Idols has been exported around the world to huge record sales and millions of TV viewers.

The first US version of the show, called American Idol was held in 2002 and swept the nation conquering TV viewing figures, phone voting records and eventually creating a star in the form of Kelly Clarkson.

Kelly, a 20 year old Texan, scooped the top prize of a $1 million recording contract after being voted the nation's American Idol. She topped the US charts with her first single, 'A Moment Like This'.

The show ran from early 2002 and by the final stages in late September it's viewing figures were enormous. The simple idea and highly addictive interactive format was such a hit that many of the 'losers' have also picked up record contracts and a second series is planned for 2003. The ten finalists from the show have released a CD and completed a sell-out tour across the country.

:: 'American Idol' Official Website ::

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FAME ACADEMY

Another aspect of the success of the Pop Stars and Pop Idol format is that many TV companies have begun their own interpretations.

Both in the USA and the UK alternative shows have begun.

The most popular so far in the UK was the BBC's 'Fame Academy'


	DAVID SNEDDON Stop Living The Lie DAVID SNEDDON Stop Living The Lie (2003 UK 3-track CD from the 'Fame Academy' winner! featuring Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me Acoustic Version) DAVID SNEDDON catalogue \| more info \| only £2.99

The show took 12 hopefuls from over 30,000 applicants to a luxury mansion for training and the necessary TV attention. They were trained for stardom by experts as they competed for the �1m record deal and a year of living a life of luxury !!

The eventual winner was a young Scottish Frank Sinatra obsessive called David Sneddon. He and the other 'stars' of the series all appear on this BBC 'Fame Academy' compilation album.


	FAME ACADEMY Fame Academy FAME ACADEMY/VARIOUS ARTISTS Fame Academy (2002 UK 18-track CD album) Featuring performances from all of the final 12 contestants - both solos and collaborations. It reflects the highlights of the BBC show with 16 covers of classic tracks plustwo original compositions: Lemar's "Back To You" and Ainslie & Lemar's "Lullaby". FAME ACADEMY catalogue \| more info \| only £11.99