American Idol was an absolute juggernaut in American culture. During its prime, it propelled many ordinary singers to fame and fortune. Let's take a look at the top 20 American Idol TV show contestants: ranking them, for this List, based on their overall album sales (and not anything else!).
1) Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood was the winner of American Idol season 4, and probably the contestant that transitioned best from the show to mainstream audiences. As of 2022, she has nine albums out, and none of them have peaked below number ten. She's classified as an American country singer but has dabbled in pop sounds. Underwood auditioned in 2004 for American Idol in Missouri. After one of her performances, American Idol judge Simon Cowell deemed her the favorite to win. Cowell was very supportive of Underwood and firmly believed she'd have solid career success after the show. Underwood was consistently ahead of her competition in voting numbers and got a big fan base from the show. As her reward for winning, she got a recording contract, a private jet for a year, and a Ford Mustang convertible.
2) Kelly Clarkson
The very first winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson; April 24, 1982), is also a big star who crossed over to the mainstream. These days not only is she a much-loved singer, but has found a new level of success with The Kelly Clarkson Show, now in its 5th season. Additionally, Clarkson has crossed over into some movies – she was a voice actress in the animated movie Sing. As the first winner, Kelly Clarkson was a big reason American Idol: The Search for a Superstar garnered so much acclaim. She applied to be an American Idol contestant in May 2002 and as a result experienced the birth of a new reality show. Her experience was very chaotic, but she was popular with viewers and won the first season with 58% of the audience votes, vs. runner-up Justin Guarini.
3) Chris Daughtry
Chris Daughtry is a great example that winning the show isn't the only ticket to fame and success. Daughtry was a contestant in season 5 that made it all the way to fourth place but couldn't snag the win. Despite this, he is hugely popular, ranking third in total album sales. After American Idol, he formed a rock band named after himself called Daughtry, which was the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history.
4) Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken was on Season 2 of American Idol, which is when the show was banking on its massive popularity and starting to find its footing in the cultural zeitgeist. Aiken was initially going to apply for The Amazing Race, a traveling competition-based reality show, but a friend persuaded him to audition for American Idol. Although he didn't fit the normal profile for a pop star, the judges were very impressed with his singing skills, and he made it all the way to the runner-up of Season 2.
5) Fantasia Barrino
One of the singers who broke from the traditional pop genre for American Idol, Fantasia Barrino was the season 3 winner and specialized in R&B. After her win, her debut album, Free Yourself, dominated the charts and garnered her three 2006 Grammy nominations. Eventually, it climbed to platinum certification. Her singing on American Idol was praised as emotional and raw after one performance left her in tears. She was only 19 when she won American Idol and kept the title of the youngest American Idol winner until 2007.
6) Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard arguably paved the way for Fantasia Barrino as he was the first R&B singer who won American Idol in season 2. His performances were widely praised by famous singers who were watching the show at the time, such as Lionel Richie, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, and Gladys Knight. His nickname from fans was the "Velvet Teddy Bear," and he had a very specific style that won the heart of his hometown of Birmingham. He would wear shirts with the number 205 because it was the phone area code of Birmingham. He beat Clay Aiken in a very tight vote. Only 134,000 out of 24,000,00 determined the winner of Season 2.
7) Scotty McCreery
For the seventh place on this list, we're jumping all the way to the winner of season 10. Scotty McCreery is an American country singer with five albums out currently. By this time, American Idol was a very well-known and well-established show. He was only 16 when he first auditioned for season 10. His journey on American Idol was tumultuous as there was a drama in one of the group performances, and he forgot the lyrics to a song in a solo performance. However, the judges saw his potential and gave him a second chance. In the finale, he competed against another country singer, Lauren Alaina. She was only 16, and he had just turned 17, which made this the youngest final 2 of the time. He is the series' youngest male winner and the second-youngest winner overall. His debut album was called Clear as Day and made it to a platinum certification in the United States.
8) Kellie Pickler
Despite being 8th on this list, Kellie Pickler has the lowest place so far in the actual competition. This lower placement makes it even more impressive that she had so many album sales because she had less time to gather a fanbase and less attention from the show. She competed in season 5 and made 6th place. Pickler was only 19 years old when she auditioned in North Carolina. One of her first songs was Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," and because of her performances, she made it to Hollywood and climbed to the Top 12. Judge Simon Cowell had a soft spot for Pickler and really praised her performances. He even said she was better than the winner of season 4.
9) David Cook
The winner of season 7, David Cook, actually had a musical history before American Idol. He had a high school band named Red Eye with his friend Bobby Kerr. They later changed the name to Axium. Altogether, the band released three studio albums, an impressive feat. However, the band broke apart before he auditioned for American Idol. Initially, he only went to support his brother's audition but was encouraged by all his family to audition himself. He was quite popular on the show and won with 56 percent of the votes.
10) Phillip Phillips
With only three albums, the winner of season 11 of American Idol is number 10 on this list. That's an impressive feat! Most known for his song "Gone, Gone, Gone," Phillip Phillips is another one of the few American Idol contestants to transition solidly into the mainstream music industry. He auditioned in Georgia, where he grew up, and made it through the initial and Hollywood rounds to go to Las Vegas. However, his journey was not entirely smooth due to health complications. He had eight different procedures related to kidney stones while on the show, and the pain almost made him quit. However, he made it through and had a dominating win with a record 132 million votes being cast on finale night.
11) Jennifer Hudson
Cast in season 3, Jennifer Hudson made it to seventh place on the show but eleventh place on this list. In fact, American Idol is really just a blip on her very impressive resume. Hudson is a singer, actress, and even talk show host who became the youngest woman ever to get an EGOT. An EGOT is reserved for a select few who can win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. She was the second African-American woman ever to achieve this status and got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013. While she went on to do many things after American Idol, it was likely what helped her break into the entertainment world. When she made it to the Top 9, the American Idol audience gave Hudson a record number of votes. Just two rounds later, her elimination from the Top 7 was widely considered shocking due to her great talent. Luckily, she managed to stay in the industry and went on to do many more things.
12) Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks remains the youngest American Idol winner ever at 17. She won season 6 of American Idol and debuted with an album that quickly went platinum after the show. She also released "No Air" with Chris Brown, which garnered her recognition at the Grammies with a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. American Idol was not Sparks' first talent competition. She appeared before when she was even younger in competitions like Coca-Cola's Rising Star, the Gospel Music Association Academy, and America's Most Talented Kids. She was very popular on the show, and her fans were called the "Sparkplugs."
13) Adam Lambert
American Idol's season 8 runner-up was Adam Lambert, who has since released five albums. He is best known for his dynamic vocal range and impressive technical command. He is also known for his very theatrical performances, which come from his background as a performer on the European tour of Hair. After that, he appeared in several different shows that really influenced his style as an artist. He delivered extremely strong performances on American Idol and was considered a favorite. However, his final time on the show was marred by controversy because he was outed after images of him kissing a man were spread online. Many conservative commentators ran the story in a negative light, and the outing may have caused Lambert to lose the necessary votes to secure a win. The winner of season 8, Kris Allen, went on the record praising Adam Lambert, who went on to have a successful music career.
14) David Archuleta
The runner-up of season 7 was David Archuleta, a pop singer who has released nine albums since the show. He started off singing as a child and won the junior division of the Utah Talent Competition. This win prompted him to continue auditioning, and he made several other television appearances, becoming the Junior Vocal Champion on Star Search 2. He was only 16 when he conducted Hollywood auditions for American Idol and made the strategic decision to play piano and sing. He had a very strong finale performance but ultimately only received 44 percent of the votes and lost to David Cook.
15) Gabby Barrett
Jumping all the way to season 16, Gabby Barret was the third-place finisher of American Idol. She has the fewest number of albums released out of everyone on this list, which makes her placement at 15 very impressive. Barret has only released a single album, "Goldmine," which peaked at number 4 and reached platinum certification. Her single, "I Hope," was hugely popular and hit number three on the Billboard 100, which is very rare for female country artists. The last artist to achieve such acclaim was Taylor Swift.
16) Mandisa
Now a well-known Christian and gospel singer, Madisa Hundley competed in American Idol season 5 and made it to ninth place. She professionally goes by her first name only, and she won a Grammy for the Best Contemporary Christian Music Album category. On the show, Mandisa had to endure several inappropriate comments from Simon Cowell about her weight, including when he said, "Do we have a bigger stage this year?" However, right before the semi-finals elimination, Mandisa told Cowell that his words were painful, but that she forgave him. After a strong performance, she made it to the Top 12 as a finalist. Her elimination was a bit of a shock because it was the first time she had ever been in the Bottom Three, but she had a very successful career in the Christian music industry.
17) Josh Gracin
Josh Gracin competed in season 2 of American Idol and made it all the way to fourth place. He is a country music singer and formerly served in the United States Marine Corps. Because of his service in the Marine Corps, he couldn't make the American Idol Finalists tour, which is a crucial way for former contestants to gain more popularity. After four years of service, he was honorably discharged in 2004.
18) Taylor Hicks
Known for his energetic stage performances, Taylor Hicks is the winner of season 5 of American Idol. However, Hicks was working as a professional musician before his win as a teenager. He even had two independent albums out. After his win on American Idol, he was signed by an official company called Arista Records. His fanbase on American Idol gave him the nickname "Soul Patrol" for his performances with heavy R&B, blues, and classic rock nods. After his Las Vegas audition, Simon Cowell famously did not give his performance a pass, even though the other two judges did. Cowell did not believe Hicks would progress in the show, but after Hicks' first performance that the public could vote on, Cowell retracted his initial assessment. When Hicks won, he was 29 years old, which made him the oldest contestant to win American Idol.
19) Bo Bice
Bo Bice is American Idol's season 4 runner-up, who lost to Carrie Underwood. His real name is Harold Bice Jr., but he goes by "Bo" as a stage name. Before his American Idol appearance, Bice released one solo album and a few other albums with bands he was in at the time. Bice barely made the new age limit for American Idol, as it was raised from 24 to 28 in 2005. In 2004, he would turn 29, and his family urged him to try out. Although he ended up losing the competition, Governor Bob Riley of Alabama declared May 24th "Bo Bice Day" to celebrate his journey.
20) Elliott Yamin
Rounding out our list, Elliot Yamin was the third-place finisher on season 5 of American Idol. He has five albums out currently and originally auditioned in Boston, Massachusetts. After several performances, he made it to the finals, and guest coach Stevie Wonder encouraged him in his career as a musician. He was widely praised for his vocal command and left the show after a very tight race. The top three contestants almost tied with a very close percentage of viewer votes between them.
