Since its debut in 2002, American Idol has established its supremacy in the world of singing reality shows. With over 19 seasons, the show has turned several of its contestants into household names. Many winners have gone on to pursue not just a successful career in music but some have also established themselves in other fields like acting, theater, and talk shows. Apart from spawning pop idols, the first ten seasons also resulted in 345 Billboard chart-toppers.
In this way, American Idol offered a much-needed platform to these future stars, be it Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood.
10 Season 10 Winner: Scotty McCreery
By 2011, Randy Jackson was the only one from the show's original line-up to continue as a judge. This new season was marked by Simon Cowell's departure while Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez joined the panel.
Scoot McCreery emerged as the season winner at the age of 17 years and 7 months, making him the second-youngest Idol after Jordin Sparks. With singles like Five More Minutes and See You Tonight, McCreery established himself as a prominent country artist, receiving wins and nominations at ACA and BMI Country Awards.
9 Season 9 Winner: Lee DeWyze
The ninth season saw the return of Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi as a judge while comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres served as Paula Abdul's replacement. However, DeGeneres retained her position only for this season.
Lee DeWyze won the season over runner-up Crystal Bowersox. With his niche being folk-rock, DeWyze has had success outside idol. Even before auditioning for American Idol, DeWyze led a local band simply called The Lee DeWyze Band.
8 Season 8 Winner: Kris Allen
American Idol's eighth season marked Paula Abdul's final appearance as a judge while Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi joined the panel as a fourth judge. Even though pop-rocker Kris Allen won the competition, his runner-up Adam Lambert has gained immense popularity as a solo artist and as the touring lead singer for Queen.
Allen, on the other hand, has not only released five studio albums but also dabbled in philanthropic work. Before Idol, he was already involved in missionary work in countries from all over. After his newfound fame, he also collaborated with various children's organizations to promote music education.
7 Season 7 Winner: David Cook
Before the seventh season, every American Idol winner and runner-up had once made it to the bottom group during their tenure. This season broke that streak as both winner David Cook and David Archuleta had not been in the bottom during any of the weeks before the finale.
Since his win, he has established himself as an alt-rock and post-grunge artist. After dabbling with several record labels, Cook has been publishing music under his independent label, Analog Heart Music.
6 Season 6 Winner: Jordin Sparks
At age of 17, Jordin Sparks beat Blake Lewis to become the sixth season's winner. To date, Sparks maintains the record of being the youngest American Idol winner.
Her initial post-Idol fame was cemented with the release of No Air and Tattoo, two singles from her self-titled debut album. In 2010, she also starred as Nina Rosario in Lin Manuel Miranda's In The Heights. Sparks's other ventures include perfume endorsements, Fascinate and Ambition being some of the fragrances released under her name.
5 Season 5 Winner: Taylor Hicks
Taylor Hicks defeated runner-up Katherine McPhee in the fifth season that also turned out to be the most successful season in terms of ratings.
Hicks was often praised for his dynamic energy and stage presence with his mastery being over genres like classic rock, R&B, and blues. Along with releasing two albums, Hicks has incorporated his energic persona at Broadway. Soon after his win, the singer debuted on a Broadway tour playing Teen Angel in Grease.
4 Season 4 Winner: Carrie Underwood
In the fourth season, Carrie Underwood defeated Bo Bice. This season was also significant for being the first one to air in high definition.
Since her victory, country-pop star Carrie Underwood has emerged as one of the most successful American Idol winners, gaining mainstream popularity with her discography. A seven-time Grammy winner, Underwood is renowned for singles like Cowboy Casanova and Jesus Take The Wheel. As a featured artist, she has also gone on to collaborate with Aerosmith, Brad Paisley, and Keith Urban.
3 Season 3 Winner: Fantasia Barrino
Even though Fantasia Barrino defeated Diana DeGarmo, the third season was also notable for introducing Jennifer Hudson. Finishing as one of the finalists, Hudson went on to establish herself as an actress, winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her debut film Dreamgirls.
Barrino kept on producing original R&B music under the mononym of Fantasia. Apart from her musical pursuits, the winner has also authored a memoir titled Life Is Not A Fairy Tale documenting her time on American Idol.
2 Season 2 Winner: Ruben Studdard
The sophomore season began using American Idol as the sole title of the show instead of the first season that was broadcasted as American Idol: The Search for a Superstar. Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner with Clay Aiken as the runner-up.
Apart from initial singles like his coronation song Flying Without Wings and This Is The Night, Studdard drew fame for his rendition of the R&B classic Superstar. The cover resulted in a Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Along with his original music, Studdard has been heavily compared to Luther Vandross. In fact, he released a Vandross tribute called Ruben Sings Luther in 2018.
1 Season 1 Winner: Kelly Clarkson
The debut season of American Idol is unique for it was the only one to feature two hosts. However, after Brian Dunkleman's departure, Ryan Seacrest served as a regular host for every subsequent season. Paula Abdul, Steven Tyler, and Randy Jackson appeared as the judges, eventually crowning Kelly Clarkson as the winner.
After defeating Justin Guarini, Clarkson immediately released two successful singles, A Moment Like This and My Life Would Suck Without You. Over the years, the singer has earned three Grammys for her pop albums and three Daytime Emmys for her ongoing talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show.
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July 03, 2021 at 12:00AM
