The Most Successful American Idol Contestants

American Idol first debuted on Fox in 2002 and is a singing competition series that has created some of the biggest names in the music industry today. At the height of the show, it reached almost forty million live viewers. Contestants go through several rounds of competition and eventually reach the live shows, where ultimately, one is crowned the winner. During the show's first several seasons, the judges were Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson, with cohosts Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Although the show has different judges, it is still going strong today.

Carrie Underwood was a contestant in season four of the show and ended up winning. After winning the show, she launched her country-pop career, and she is now one of the richest and most successful country music stars. Since the show, she has won many awards, has had many number one songs, and has sold more than sixty-six million records worldwide. 

Kelly Clarkson was a contestant in season one and was crowned the winner, making her the first person to ever win American Idol. Her career skyrocketed from there. 

Adam Lambert was a contestant in season eight of American Idol and finished as the runner-up. His glam-rock style made him stand out during the show and throughout his career. His first album, For Your Entertainment, was certified gold and featured one of his most popular songs, "Whataya Want From Me." 

Jennifer Hudson was a contestant in season three and finished in seventh place. Many thought she should've gone further in the competition, but that didn't stop her career from blowing up. She is one of the most successful people from the show. 

Katharine McPhee was a contestant in season five and finished in second place. She has had great success in both singing and acting. Katharine has released six albums, which included several singles that made it on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Jordin Sparks was a contestant in season six and was crowned the winner. She was the youngest winner of the show at just seventeen years old. "No Air" was her debut single, which sold more than four million digital copies. 

Chris Daughtry was a contestant in season five and finished in fourth place. Chris went on to become a successful rock musician and formed the band, Daughtry. His debut self-titled album became the fastest-selling rock album in Soundscan history. 

Kellie Pickler was a contestant in season five and finished in fifth place. After the show, she launched a wide-ranging career. She has had a successful career in country music, releasing four albums and also won the mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. 

Elliott Yamin was a contestant in season five and finished in third place. The show catapulted him into a famous and successful singer. He has released seven albums and has performed with the funk band Philthy. 

David Cook was a contestant in season seven where he finished as the winner. He has released three full albums and his latest EP, "The Looking Glass." He also recently debuted a new single titled "TABOS" and has written songs with several artists. 

David Archuleta was a contestant in season seven and finished as the runner-up. His debut single, "Crush," reached number two on the charts, and his first album was certified gold. He released his latest album, Therapy Sessions, in 2020.

Clay Aiken was a contestant in season two and finished as the runner-up. He sold five million albums and went on several tours. Clay continued to pursue his singing career for a decade, but then he decided to start a political career. 

Scotty McCreery was a contestant in season ten and took first place. He has made a name for himself in the country music world. His debut album titled Clear as Day was certified platinum and he has had nine songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. 

Kris Allen was a contestant in season eight and was the winner. After winning American Idol, he released four pop-heavy albums. He has had seven songs on the Hot 100, and his self-titled album went to number eleven. 

Ruben Studdard was a contestant in season two and was crowned the winner. While on American Idol, he earned the nickname of 'The Velvet Teddy Bear.' Since the show, he has released seven albums, with his debut album becoming certified platinum. 

Mandisa was a contestant in season five and finished in ninth place. She was infamously mocked by judge Simon Cowell about her weight while she was on the show. However, she went on to earn five Grammy nominations, winning one. 

Josh Gracin was a contestant in season two and finished in fourth place. After completing his military service, he continued his music career in country music. His self-titled debut album was certified gold, and he went on to release two more albums and a six-track EP in 2017. 

Phillip Phillips was a contestant in season eleven and was crowned the winner. Things were a little bumpy at first for Phillip when in 2015, he sued American Idol's production company. He stated that he was manipulated into taking jobs that he didn't want to take. 

Haley Reinhart was a contestant in season ten and finished in third place. Her debut album titled Listen Up! reached number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 200 chart.

James Durbin was a contestant in season ten and finished in fourth place. After the show, he toured with major musical acts such as Evanescence, Steel Panther, Drowning Pool, and Buckcherry. 

Diana DeGarmo was a contestant in season three and finished as the runner-up. She used her exposure to launch a successful singing and acting career. Her song, "Dreams," reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Bo Bice was a contestant in season four and finished as the runner-up. He released four albums and was the lead singer for Blood Sweat & Tears from 2013 until 2018. 

Fantasia Barrino was a contestant in season three and was crowned the winner. She has received twelve Grammy nominations and has won one. She has released six albums, hosts "Taylor Talks" with her husband on Facebook, and has appeared in several Broadway shows. 

Taylor Hicks was a contestant in season five and was crowned the winner. His first single, "Do I Make You Proud," reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In addition, he has had two albums on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. 

Tamyra Gray was a contestant in season one and finished in fourth place. She signed with Simon Cowell's label, 19 Records, and released her first solo album, The Dreamer. 

Ace Young was a contestant in season five and finished in seventh place. Sadly, his singing career pretty much fizzled out after the show, but he did find success as a songwriter. He has earned Grammy nominations for the song "It's Not Over," sung by fellow American Idol alum Chris Daughtry. 

Lauren Alaina was a contestant in season ten and finished as the runner-up. Since the show, she has become a very successful country star, with her albums Wildflower and Road Less Traveled reaching number two and three on the charts. 

Constantine Maroulis was a contestant in season four and finished in sixth place. Before the show, he was touring as part of the production team of Rent, and he returned to the theater after the show. He has starred on Broadway in The Wedding Singer, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Jekyll & Hyde, and Rock of Ages. 

Justin Guarini was a contestant in season one and finished as the runner-up. After the show, he starred in From Justin to Kelly with Kelly Clarkson, but the movie bombed. He released two albums and was a host for the TV Guide Network. In addition, he has starred in several Broadway shows such as Romeo and Juliet, Wicked, and American Idiot. 

Crystal Bowersox was a contestant in season nine and finished as the runner-up. Since American Idol, she has performed alongside musical greats such as Harry Connick Jr., Joe Cocker, and Alanis Morrissette.

Blake Lewis was a contestant in season six and finished as the runner-up. After the show, he released the album Audio Day Dream and his single, "Heartbreak on Vinyl," went to number one on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. 

William Hung was a contestant in season three; however, he didn’t actually make it past the audition round. His rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” led him to achieve viral success. In addition, he has made appearances on Arrested Development and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. 

Danny Gokey was a contestant in season eight and finished in third place. Danny went on the show just one month after losing his wife. Since the show, he has had a successful music career and is a three-time Grammy nominee. 

Kimberley Locke was a contestant in season two and finished in third place. After the show, she continued her singing career, releasing two albums on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. In addition, she has had three number one songs on the Dance Club Songs chart. 

Lee DeWyze was a contestant in season nine and was crowned the winner. Since the show, he has continued to make music, releasing six albums. He has had four songs chart on the Hot 100.

Caleb Johnson was a contestant in season thirteen and was crowned the winner. His first album, Testify, peaked at number twenty-four on the Billboard 200. 

Maddie Poppe was a contestant in season sixteen and was crowned the winner. Since the show, she has had songs chart on the adult contemporary/adult airplay charts. In addition, she received a People’s Choice Award in 2018. 

Trent Harmon was a contestant in season fifteen and was crowned the winner. He released his debut album titled You Got ‘Em All in 2018, and it peaked at number thirty-four on the Top Country Albums chart. 

Siobhan Magnus was a contestant in season nine and finished in sixth place. After the show, she released her debut album titled Moonbaby and released the singles "Beatrice Dream" and "Black Doll." 

Casey James was a contestant in season nine and finished in ninth place. In 2012, he released an album that featured three singles, "Let's Don't Call It a Night," "Crying on a Suitcase," and "The Good Life." 

Haley Scarnato was a contestant in season six and finished in eighth place. The first album she was working on didn't work out after she left her management, but then she started working on her album. 

Alexis Grace was a contestant in season eight and finished in eleventh place. She is a singer-songwriter and has been featured in national commercials. 

Allison Iraheta was a contestant in season eight and finished in fourth place. Since the show, she has been the lead singer of Halo Circus and has been a part of Ricky Minor's house band. She has performed on American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, and The Four. 

Christina Christian was a contestant in season one and finished in sixth place. She now goes by Christina Cewe and has two children. She doesn't perform music for a living any longer and instead has a corporate career. 

Kimberly Caldwell was a contestant in season two and finished in seventh place. Since the show, she has established herself as a successful TV personality. She has appeared on Fox Sports Network's 54321 as a sports correspondent. 

Brooke White was a contestant in season seven and finished in fifth place. Since the show, she released her debut album titled Songs from the Attic in 2005, and in 2009, she released her album titled High Hopes & Heartbreak. 

Ryan Starr was a contestant in season one and finished in seventh place. After the show, she released some music and participated in modeling campaigns and worldwide music tours. 

Bucky Covington was a contestant in season five and finished in eighth place. He ended up signing a recording contract with Lyric Street Records and released his debut self-titled album in 2007. 

Nick Fradiani was a contestant in season fourteen and was crowned the winner. He had some fame before appearing on American Idol as he was part of a pop-rock band called Beach Avenue.