Randy Jackson says even though some of American Idol's lowest-rated episodes have come this season, he has no doubt that TV's hugely popular musical karaoke contest will continue into an eighth season.

"Idol will go on for a long time," the show's sanest judge said by phone from the West Coast this week.

"It's the best music talent show EVER, in terms of just what it is. Ratings-wise, the show is still a mile ahead of everything else, even if it's down."

The current seventh season wraps next Tuesday and Wednesday. Two Davids, Archuleta and Cook, are the finalists.

"I guess you could say Archuleta probably has the lead right now, I guess, because a lot of the young girls love him and a lot of the grandmas love him," Jackson said before this past Wednesday's penultimate elimination show. "I think you know, in the middle there there's a lot of people that love David Cook."

Jackson, who previously worked as a musician, producer, songwriter and A&R executive, claims after seven seasons on that he's not suffering from any kind of judging fatigue.

"I was an A&R guy for 15 years, and now I have my own label and I manage acts and I produce records. Music is what I do, and I'm a musician so I will go throughout my life judging talent. It's what I do ... It's a natural fit for me."

Fellow judge Paula Abdul appears on Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume 1 CD, singing the song Dance Like There's No Tomorrow. As for the ceaseless media digs at Abdul, Jackson says she is treated unfairly at times by the press.

After next week's Idol finale, the second season of Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew (which airs on MTV in the U.S. and MuchMusic in Canada) begins June 7. As well, Real Love -- the second single from Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume 1, a duet featuring former Idol contestants Katherine McPhee and Elliott Yamin, was just released to radio.

And, yes, Jackson insists, there will be a Volume 2 CD.

"At some point, but it'll be completely different from Volume 1," he said.

"I got an idea so we'll see what happens next year with that. It's going to be hot!"