"American Idol" winner Lee DeWyze failed to crack Billboard's Top 10 singles and digital charts in one of the most tepid debuts yet from a champion of the top-rated reality TV show.
DeWyze's cover version of U2's "Beautiful Day" entered in 12th place on the digital charts with 95,000 downloads, and in 24th place on the Hot 100 singles charts, according to Nielsen SoundScan data on Thursday.
Runner-up Crystal Bowersox fared no better. Her finale song last week, "Up To the Mountain", debuted at No. 57 on the singles charts and 32nd place on the digital charts with 49,000 downloads.
The pair's "Falling Slowly" duet from earlier in the season came in at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts.
Both DeWyze and Bowersox were overshadowed by singer Katy Perry, whose "California Gurls" retook top billing on the digital charts with 269,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Last year's "American Idol" winner, Kris Allen, sold 134,00 digital downloads of the original song "No Boundaries" in its first week, entering at No. 4. The 2008 champion, David Cook, moved 236,000 downloads and grabbed the No.1 digital spot with his single "The Time of My Life", Billboard said.
The lukewarm reception for DeWyze and Bowersox, who both signed recording contracts with Sony Entertainment Group, follows the lowest-rated finale since 2002 for the Fox television network's "American Idol".
Nielsen data showed that 24.2 million viewers tuned in to Fox last week to watch the former paint salesman take the crown in the finale to a 9th season that lost some 9 percent of its audience overall, but remained the most-watched TV show in the United States.
Fans and media watchers say the format for "Idol" is showing its age, and blamed mediocre contestants and lack of chemistry on the judges panel for the dwindling audience.