Phil Collins, Elton John, and Gloria Estefan dominated Adult Contemporary radio back in the 1980s and '90s, yet have disappeared from modern radio. Seemingly, the only time you ever hear them is at the grocery store or your local CVS. This blog remembers the music, the stories and the quirky characters from my days working in Adult Contemporary radio.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Kelly Clarkson "Already Gone"
Remember the great Feud of 2009? Of course you don't, but here's what you forgot didn't care about what happened during August 2009. Just before releasing "Already Gone", Kelly Clarkson wanted to shelve the ballad because she thought it sounded too similar to Beyonce's "Halo". Before joining Clarkson to co-write "Already Gone", Ryan Tedder worked with Beyonce on her I Am...Sasha Fierce album. One quick listen and you'd pick up notable similarities in "Halo" and "Already Gone": hand claps, mellow piano, and the drum rhythm. Clarkson didn't want to be accused of ripping off Miss Sasha Fierce and wanted to ditch the single. Her record company released it anyway and she blasted them and even ripped Tedder (who defended himself on Myspace -- remember that?). In the end, "Already Gone" went to #13 on the Hot 100 (#3 on Adult Contemporary) and finished #1 and #5 on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40, respectfully. Tedder, you may recall, also went on to fame with One Republic. I think everything worked out just fine.