Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss. Dowling then licensed the concept to Screentime in Australia, who then on sold it to TresorTV in Germany before taking it worldwide.
The show was the inspiration for Simon Fuller's Pop Idol franchise which would dominate reality TV, (along with Big Brother) for the next few years.
Although Popstars had started successfully in most countries, the shows gradually began to fail and were dropped by many broadcasters due to poor ratings. The only country where Popstars is still popular and successful is Germany. In Germany ProSieben is producing the ninth season because of the show's massive success in the ratings. In 2007 the show returned to France on M6 for one season. Since August 2008 there is also a new version of "Popstars" on TV in the Netherlands. It's now producing the second season. It remains one of the most successful TV show formats of all time with the format being sold to more than 50 countries.
The girl group Girls Aloud (10,000,000+ record sold) from the United Kingdom version of the show have been the most successful export of the franchise, followed by No Angels (5,000,000+ records sold) from the German version. All of them are all-female groups following the concept of the original show while mixed and all-male groups did not achieve that massive success in their respective countries.
Stars launched by the show
Africa
- South Africa
- Popstars 101 (disbanded)
- Adilah (disbanded)
- Ghettolingo (disbanded)
- Jamali (band)(Runner up, female category)
Asia
Europe
- Belgium
- Vanda Vanda (disbanded)
- Denmark
- EyeQ (disbanded)
- Maria Lucia
- Fu:el (disbanded)
- Jon Nørgaard (with Julie Berthelsen as runner-up)
- Finland
- France
- L5 (disbanded 2007)
- Louisy Joseph (previously in L5)
- Whatfor (disbanded)
- Linkup (disbanded)
- M. Pokora (previously in Link'up)
- Diadems (disbanded)
- Sheryfa Luna
- Germany (see Popstars (Germany))
- No Angels
- Bro'Sis (disbanded)
- Overground (disbanded)
- Preluders (disbanded)
- Nu Pagadi (disbanded)
- Monrose
- Room2012
- Queensberry
- Some & Any
- Greece and Cyprus
- Hi-5 (disbanded)
- Hungary
- Sugar & Spice (disbanded)
- Republic of Ireland
- Six (disbanded)
- Italy
- Lollipop (disbanded)
- Lucky Star (disbanded)
- Netherlands
- Popstars: The Rivals (RTL 4) (2004)
- Men2B (winners, male category, disbanded 2006)
- Raffish (winners, female category, disbanded 2006)
- POPSTARS (SBS 6) (2008)
- RED!
- Popstars: The Rivals (RTL 4) (2004)
- Norway
- Cape
- Portugal
- Romania
- Cocktail
- Bliss
- Russia
- Другие Правила (Drugie Pravila)
- Slovenia
- Bepop (disbanded) (their debut album was the highest-selling Slovenian-language album of all times)
- Unique (disbanded)
- Spain
- Bellepop (disbanded)
- Magnolias de Acero
- Roser
- Carmen Miriam
- Elisabeth Jordan
- Sweden
- Excellence (also known as XLNS) (disbanded)
- Supernatural (pop group) disbanded
- Johannes Kotschy
- Switzerland
- TEARs (disbanded 2004)
- United Kingdom
- Series 1 ("Popstars", 2000/01)
- Hear'Say (winners, disbanded 2002)
- Liberty X (finalists, disbanded 2007)
- Darius Danesh (also appeared on Pop Idol)
- Series 2 ("Popstars: The Rivals", 2002)
- Girls Aloud (winners, female category)
- Javine (finalist)
- One True Voice (winners, male category, disbanded 2003)
- Phixx (finalists, disbanded)
- Clea (finalists, disbanded)
- LoveShy (finalists, Aimee and Emma from Clea)
- The Cheeky Girls
- Series 1 ("Popstars", 2000/01)
- Turkey
- Abidin
- Selçuk
- Simge
- Hasret
North America & Central America
- Canada
- Sugar Jones (disbanded)
- Velvet Empire (disbanded)
- Christa Borden
- Mexico
- T' de Tila (disbanded)
- United States
- Eden's Crush (disbanded)
- Scene 23 (disbanded)
Oceania
- Australia
- Bardot (disbanded)
- Scandal'us (disbanded)
- Series 3
- Scott Cain
- Danielle Stearman - (also known as Danielle) was the runner-up of the Australian Popstars 3 in 2002. Her first official/solo single "Tell Me If You Like It" debuted and peaked at #20 in the same year, but she has not charted in the ARIAnet Singles nor Albums Charts since.
- Series 4 (see Popstars Live)
- Kayne Taylor
- Miranda Murphy (runner-up) released a single called "That Girl" debuted and peaked at #19.
- New Zealand
- TrueBliss (disbanded)
South America
- Argentina
- Brazil - Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (SBT)
- Colombia
- Escarcha (disbanded)
- Ecuador
- Kiruba
- La Coba (disbanded)
Number one singles
The following is a list of singles that reached #1 in the respective nations of the Popstars artists
Artist | Nation | Song Title | Date | Album |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bandana | Argentina | Guapas | December 2001 | Bandana |
Cómo Puede Ser | February 2002 | |||
Maldita Noche | May 2002 | |||
Llega la Noche | August 2002 | Noche | ||
Sigo Dando Vueltas | April 2003 | Vivir Intentando | ||
Mambrú | A Veces | November 2002 | Mambrú | |
Scandal'us | Australia | Me, Myself & I | April 2000 | Startin' Somethin |
Bardot | Poison | April 2000 | Bardot | |
Scott Cain | I'm Moving On | May 2002 | Controlled Folly | |
Rouge | Brazil | Ragatanga (The Ketchup Song) | October 2002 | Rouge |
Brilha La Luna | April 2003 | C'est La Vie | ||
Um Anjo Veio Me Falar | October 2003 | |||
Kiruba | Ecuador | Quisiera | April 2003 | Kiruba |
Camina | June 2003 | |||
Como Extraño Tu Luz | August 2003 | |||
Me Pierdo | November 2003 | |||
Me Quedo Contigo | May 2004 | Baila La Luna | ||
No Angels | Germany | Daylight in Your Eyes | February 2001 | Elle'Ments |
There Must Be an Angel | August 2001 | |||
Something About Us | May 2002 | Now... Us! | ||
No Angel (It's All in Your Mind) | April 2003 | Pure | ||
Bro'Sis | I Believe | December 2001 | Never Forget (Where You Come From) | |
Overground | Schick mir 'nen Engel | November 2003 | It's Done | |
Preluders | Everyday Girl | November 2003 | Girls in the House | |
Nu Pagadi | Sweetest Poison | December 2004 | Your Dark Side | |
Monrose | Shame | December 2006 | Temptation | |
Hot Summer | June 2007 | Strictly Physical | ||
Six | Ireland | There's a Whole Lot of Loving Going On | February 2002 | This Is It |
Lollipop | Italy | Down Down Down | April 2001 | Popstars |
Nonstop | Portugal | Ao Limite Eu Vou | July 2001 | Nonstop |
Men2B | Netherlands | Bigger than that | December 2004 | A Different Way |
Raffish | Plaything | December 2004 | How Raffish are you? | |
TrueBliss | New Zealand | Tonight | May 1999 | Dream |
Hear’Say | United Kingdom | Pure and Simple | March 2001 | Popstars |
The Way To Your Love | June 2001 | |||
Girls Aloud | Sound of the Underground | December 2002 | Sound of the Underground | |
I'll Stand by You | November 2004 | What Will The Neighbours Say? | ||
Walk This Way (with Sugababes) | March 2007 | Stand-alone single for Comic Relief | ||
The Promise | October 2008 | Out Of Control | ||
Eden's Crush | United States | Get Over Yourself (Goodbye) | March 2001 | Popstars |