Winning American Idol is a huge achievement for any musician. It’s the beginning of what winners hope will be a long and successful career, but that doesn’t always happen. Some winners have gone on to become big stars in the music industry, while others haven’t managed to keep their early success going
Kelly Clarkson, Season 1
The first American Idol winner quickly became popular with her debut single, “A Moment Like This,” which topped the charts and was the number one song of 2002 on the Billboard Hot 100. She has sold over 25 million albums and built a successful career beyond music. This includes hosting her daytime talk show and being a coach on The Voice for several seasons.
Carrie Underwood, Season 4
Her success on American Idol made her a big name in the country music world. She’s a regular at award shows and has won eight Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. She’s also won Entertainer of the Year three times from the Academy of Country Music. Besides her music career, she started her own SiriusXM show in 2023.
Fantasia Barrino, Season 3
Fantasia Barrino’s music career is amazing. With seven albums, she has sold over three million records. She’s won awards at the Grammys and the Billboard Music Awards. Her biggest achievement came in 2023 when she starred in The Color Purple. This role earned her the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture award at the NAACP Image Awards and a nomination at the Golden Globe Awards.
Scotty McCreery, Season 10
His deep voice made him a must-watch when he won in 2011. His journey is tied with another country star and runner-up, Lauren Alaina. Scotty McCreery is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, showing his success. He has released five albums so far, with a sixth coming in late 2024. He also had five singles in a row reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
Jordin Sparks, Season 6
Jordin Sparks has had an impressive music career since winning in 2007. At 17, she was the youngest winner in Idol history. She has won nine awards and received a Grammy nomination in 2023. Two of her biggest hits are “Tattoo” and her collaboration with Chris Brown on “No Air,” both of which did very well on the charts.
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Phillip Phillips, Season 11
His winning song on Idol, “Home,” was a huge hit for both the show and himself. He followed up with four albums, including “Drift Back” in 2023. He took a break from his career after 2018, but his early hits like “Home” and “Gone, Gone, Gone” are still his most famous songs.
Ruben Studdard, Season 2
Not many Idol winners have been nominated for a Grammy like Ruben Studdard. He won awards at the Billboard Music Awards and the Image Awards too. He has eight albums and has been in nine movies from 2004 to 2011.
Chayce Beckham, Season 19
Beckham’s second album is set to drop in April 2024, but he’s already doing well. His first single, “23,” hit gold in May 2023. Plus, he’s been on tour with Luke Bryan, who’s not just a country music star but also a judge on American Idol.
David Cook, Season 7
Since winning in 2008, the winner has released four albums. He has also released many singles over the years, like “TABOS” in 2022. In the final showdown, he beat David Archuleta, setting a record for the most votes at that time.
Kris Allen, Season 8
After Idol, Kris Allen became famous for his song “Live Like We’re Dying.” The album featuring this song started at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 chart. He has made six studio albums so far.
Taylor Hicks, Season 5
Taylor Hicks was loved by fans when he was on Idol, but his career afterward didn’t go as fans hoped. He made two albums, but he’s been pretty quiet for the last ten years. In 2023, he released a cover of “Jingle Bells” for Christmas. Some people think he might be thinking about making more music.
Iam Tongi, Season 21
Tongi, the latest winner, hasn’t had much time to grow famous after winning. He’s released three songs, like “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Tongi did a short tour in the summer of 2023 after winning. Many people liked his audition video a lot, breaking records.
Maddie Poppe, Season 1
Maddie Poppe won people’s hearts with her soothing voice. After winning in 2018, she only released one album. She also went on two tours, one of them with Joshua Radin in 2023.
Lee DeWyze, Season 9
Though not as famous as Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson, Lee DeWyze has done pretty well for himself, with eight albums under his belt. His latest one, “Ghost Stories,” came out in 2021. His most popular song so far is “Sweet Serendipity,” released in 2010.
Candice Glover, Season 12
After winning in the early 2010s, the R&B singer only released one single. She also showed up on Broadway and tried out TV stuff.
Noah Thompson, Season 20
Thompson, who won recently, hasn’t dropped a complete album yet. He’s got his 2023 EP and three singles so far. His song “One Day Tonight” reached No. 48 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart.
Caleb Johnson, Season 13
The rocker has made one album by himself and released another one with his band, Caleb Johnson and the Ramblin’ Saints, in 2019. After that, he put out several independent albums. Lately, he’s been doing well by joining forces with Meat Loaf’s backup singer group, the Neverland Express band.
Trent Harmon, Season 15
Trent Harmon won in 2016 and only put out one album after that. He hasn’t released any music since 2018. In the Idol world, he’s famous for being the last winner when the show was on its original network, Fox. The series took a break for two years after he won.
Nick Fradiani, Season 14
Fradiani, who won in 2015, hasn’t had it easy finding success. He has two albums, with the latest one released in 2022. In that season, Jax, who finished third, became the most well-known contestant, especially for her popular song “Victoria’s Secret.”
Just Sam, Season 18
Just Sam, previously known as Samantha Diaz, hasn’t fully embraced the spotlight since winning Season 18. They haven’t put out an album and even parted ways with Hollywood Records. Just Sam has released a couple of singles since then, but they’ve gained more attention for busking in New York City subway trains, which was their gig before Idol.
Laine Hardy, Season 17
Things were looking good for this country singer until he got into trouble in 2022. He was arrested for allegedly spying on his ex-girlfriend’s college dorm. He only has one album from 2021, and he’s taken a break from making music since then. Some people might remember him from The Bachelor, where he sang “Memorize Me” during a date.
