Who are the top 5 most successful American Idol winners?

Since its 2002 premiere, American Idol has been a tremendously entertaining program. While many candidates have gone on to have enormously successful careers, we will examine the five most successful American Idol winners throughout the show’s history.

1. Carrie Underwood

Carrie Marie Underwood was born on March 10, 1983 in the United States. She gained to stardom after winning American Idol’s fourth season in 2005.

What can be said about Underwood that hasn’t already been said? She is the female country singer with the most No. 1s on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and she has won seven Grammys (including best new artist), 11 Billboard Music Awards, 15 American Music Awards, a Guinness world record, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, among other accolades.

She was awarded the best female country artist of the 2000s and 2010s by Billboard. Underwood has sold over 4.3 million concert tickets and was named one of the most important persons by Time magazine in 2014. She has sold 70 million records globally in total. She has 27 number-one hits. It’s astonishing.

Carrie is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and the country singer with the most followers on Instagram, as well as the most followed female country artist on Twitter and Facebook. Inspired by her enthusiasm for health and wellbeing, she has also created a thriving business portfolio.

Carrie Underwood has achieved success in music, television, movies, as a New York Times bestselling author, and as a successful entrepreneur since her 2005 American Idol victory.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood)

2. Kelly Clarkson 

Kelly Clarkson grew up in Burleson, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, where her seventh-grade choir instructor was the first to realize her vocal talent. Clarkson traveled to Los Angeles after graduating from high school, where she unsuccessfully attempted to break into the entertainment industry. After returning to Texas in 2002, she competed in the inaugural season of American Idol, a singing competition hosted by Fox Broadcasting Company and allowing viewers to vote for their favorite singer. The audience was captivated by Clarkson’s captivating voice, charisma, and wit. The winner of the competition was awarded $1 million and a recording deal with RCA.

Her popularity has continued to climb since American Idol. Her top-charting singles include “A Moment Like This,” “My Life Would Suck Without You,” and “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” 

Clarkson, 38, has a profession outside of music as well. Despite the fact that “Idol” put her on the map, Clarkson currently serves as a judge on “The Voice” and has hosted “The Kelly Clarkson Show” since 2019. Her daytime chat show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.

She has achieved three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, is the first singer to top the pop, adult contemporary, adult pop, country, and dance charts, and has eleven Hot 100 top-ten singles (with three No. 1s).

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson)

3. Phillip Phillips

Phillip Phillips stole the hearts of fans because he was one of the most down-to-earth contestants who seemed uninterested in the flash and glamor of the industry and purely concentrated on his music. His song “Home” is the best-selling American Idol coronation song of all time.

Phillips’ versions of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and “Thriller” by Michael Jackson immediately earned him a fan favorite during Season 11. His Top 3 rendition of Damien Rice’s “Volcano” is regarded as one of the greatest performances in the show’s history.

His first two albums, “The World from the Side of the Moon” and “Behind the Light,” reached No. 4 and No. 7 on the charts, respectively.

Other significant songs by this artist include “Gone, Gone, Gone” and “Raging Fire.” He has performed on stage with Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, and the Goo Goo Dolls. In April 2022, Phillips performed his new single “Love Like That” on the show’s 20th anniversary episode.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Phillip Phillips (@phillphill)

4. Fantasia Barrino

Fantasia Monique Barrino is American R&B singer, composer, and actor. At the age of 19, she won the title of ‘American Idol’ and rose to fame. Music was her forte, and her victory on American Idol propelled her career forward. She earned a contract with ‘J Records’ after her victory and released her debut track, ‘I Believe.’ It was the first debut single to debut at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

The singer, whose professional name is Fantasia, has had an impressive career. Her debut album was certified platinum, and her debut song debuted at No. 1. Her next seven albums all debuted on the Billboard 200, and she’s had great success on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts, reaching No. 2 on the Adult R&B chart in 2019.

Fantasia, age 36, was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, appeared in “The Color Purple” and “After Midnight” on Broadway, placed 32nd on VH1’s list of the 100 best women in music, performed at Aretha Franklin’s funeral, and starred in her own Lifetime movie.

Fantasia has won a Grammy after receiving 12 nominations.

5. Jordin Sparks

After winning the sixth season of American Idol, Jordin Sparks begins to feel the burden of fame. In addition to being attacked for portraying an unhealthy image of children, she must attend countless interviews, smile for the camera, and bear the duty of working on a new album.

Soon after, she signed with 19 Recordings/Jive Records. In August of 2007, the vocalist released her debut single, titled “Tattoo.” It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number eight and has sold over two million copies in the United States. In November of that year, Sparks released their self-titled debut studio album. The album produced the single ‘No Air’ featuring Chris Brown, which has sold over three million copies in the United States and has been certified platinum in Australia and New Zealand. In January 2009, she released her sophomore album, “Battlefield.” Her debut album garnered various accolades. In 2010, she embarked on her first headlining tour in the United States, the Battlefield Tour. Sparks was featured on the cover of “People” magazine’s “Most Amazing Bodies” edition in 2011. In 2012, she made her debut in the feature film “Sparkle”; since then, she has been in other films. Sparks released her third studio album, “Right Here Right Now,” in 2015, following a dispute with her record label that led to her joining another label.

Jordin Sparks is a force with 10.2 million singles sold in the United States under her belt. She won the sixth season at the age of 17 and has since earned an American Music Award, a People’s Choice Award, and a Broadway star.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jordin Sparks (@jordinsparks)

To sum it up

Thousands of people have auditioned for “American Idol” in the hopes of becoming the next major pop sensation in the United States. It has been twenty years since the debut of the show and it has created stars.