American Idol Background

Originally, the show could have been called Pop Idol, as in the UK, but the title was changed to American Idol as a symbol of patriotism. For the first season in 2002, auditions took place in the late summer of 2001. There was not much patriotism before that time, but September 11th, 2001 changed everything when two hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, when Flight 93 crashed into Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and when another airline crash severely damaged and killed over 130 people at The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. After 9/11, the nation became much more patriotic, and thus the title of the show was changed to American Idol. Had it not been for 9/11, the show would have still been called Pop Idol, and may not have found as much success as it does today. The show is noted for helping promote and preserve American unity years upon the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Since its debut, the show is highly regarded as a national fad or trend. The show won a 2005 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for favorite television show. In the same year the show won the #1 spot on Nielsen Ratings for two years in a row, favored over the NBA Playoffs, Super Bowl, Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, and the Olympics. The show also inspired other nations to produce their own variations and became the subject of numerous parodies. American Idol has produced successful recording artists who, had it not been for the show, would have never had the chance or opportunity to be recognized in the public spotlight.