Here's the story:
American Idol fans may have called in votes by the millions each week of each of the show's nine seasons, but winning isn't always everything once the finale's confetti settles. How have the contestants stacked up out in the wider waters of the music industry? By totaling the album sales, individual song sales and radio play counts (as of April 17, 2010), we've figured out the true Top 24 'Idols' of all time.
List after the jump!!
Season 8, 4th Place
Album Sales: 96,000
Track Sales: 161,000
Radio Plays: 4,000
After finishing fourth on 'Idol' last season, the now 18-year-old Iraheta reached the top 40 on the Billboard 200 with her debut album Just Like You. She'll serve as the opening act on Adam Lambert's "GlamNation Tour" this summer.
Season 3, Runner-up
Album Sales: 167,000
Track Sales: 106,000
Radio Plays: 4,000
Since placing second on 'Idol' in 2004, DeGarmo has recorded pop and country while devoting most of her attention to musical theater. She currently stars as "Sheila" in the Broadway production of "Hair."
Season 8, 3rd Place
Album Sales: 124,000
Track Sales: 211,000
Radio Plays: 14,000
Though he only sang one country song during his time on 'Idol' - Carrie Underwood's Jesus, Take the Wheel, incidentally - the season 8 third-place finalist has been warmly welcomed by country fans, reaching the top five of the Billboard 200 and Country Albums with his debut album, My Best Days.
Season 3, Reject
Album Sales: 240,000
Track Sales: 127,000
Radio Plays: 1,000
Although William never hung around long enough to compete after his charmingly off-key audition with She Bangs, cult status ensued, with the "singer" making cameos on several sitcoms and reaching No. 34 on the Billboard 200 with Inspiration in 2004.
Season 2, 3rd Place
Album Sales: 240,000
Track Sales: 299,000
Radio Plays: 250,000
Post-'Idol', Locke has scored three No. 1s apiece on Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Dance/Club Play Songs charts. It's no wonder, then, that judge Randy Jackson chose Locke to be the first artist on his new dance label, DreamMerchant21. She also drew praise for her efforts on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2007.
Season 5, Winner
Album Sales: 780,000
Track Sales: 345,000
Radio Plays: 21,000
Perhaps the unlikeliest 'Idol' winner ever, the Soul Patrol leader made Forbes' 2009 "top 10-earning 'American Idol' stars" tally at number 10, with more than $300,000 earned from album sales and from his role as "Teen Angel" in the national tour of "Grease."
Season 6, Runner-up
Album Sales: 367,000
Track Sales: 796,000
Radio Plays: 11,000
Earlier this month, and three years after placing second on 'Idol', the show's most famous beatboxer earned his first No. 1 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart with Heartbreaker on Vinyl. Better late than never!
Season 4, Runner-up
Album Sales: 738,000
Track Sales: 520,000
Radio Plays: 121,000
How is life five years after 'Idol'? Bice recently told the Huntsville (Ala.) Times, "I've got gold records, really cool guitars, a Harley, all the little toys, but the things that make it so worthwhile are (my three) kids. I get the best of both worlds."
Season , Runner-up
Album Sales: 417,000
Track Sales: 1,300,000
Radio Plays: 36,000
The 2006 'Idol' runner-up to Taylor Hicks scaled the Pop Songs chart with Over It in 2007, then starred in the big screen comedy "The House Bunny" and segued to a more adult sound on her sophomore album, released earlier this year.
Season 5, 3rd Place
Album Sales: 687,000
Track Sales: 1,400,000
Radio Plays: 377,000
Not only has he aided efforts against Malaria in Angola, as documented on this season's "Idol Give Back" special, but Yamin's also assisted in Chile following the country's recent devastating earthquake. The soul singer finished third on season 5, and shortly after debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with his self-titled debut.
Season 2, 4th Place
Album Sales: 787,000
Track Sales: 1,100,000
Radio Plays: 625,000
Before Carrie Underwood ran up nine No. 1s to-date on Billboard's Country Songs chart, this former Marine served as the format's first 'Idol' ambassador, leading the list with Nothin' to Lose in 2005. Gracin stays close to his homebase of Nashville and will perform there in June at the CMA Music Festival, along with other country stars and fellow 'Idol' alumnus Danny Gokey.
Season 3, 7th Place
Album Sales: 798,000
Track Sales: 1,500,000
Radio Plays: 314,000
Perhaps no 'Idol' alumnus has conquered as many media as Hudson. Despite a seventh-place finish on the series' third season, the actress/singer won a Grammy Award for her debut album and an Oscar for her role opposite Beyonce in the blockbuster musical adaptation, "Dreamgirls." Take that, Simon Cowell!
Season 8, Runner-up
Album Sales: 685,000
Track Sales: 2,200,000
Radio Plays: 91,000
No recent 'Idol' contestant has stirred up a media frenzy like Adam Lambert, who drew comparisons to Elvis Presley during his run and returned to the show this season as a mentor during Elvis week. He did so well, in fact, that many have asked: will Glambert replace outgoing 'Idol' judge Simon Cowell? "I would be honored, but at this point I'm just focusing on my career as a recording artist," said Lambert, who two weeks ago posted his first Billboard Hot 100 top 10, Whataya Want From Me.
Season 8, Winner
Album Sales: 310,000
Track Sales: 2,600,000
Radio Plays: 165,000
Last year's 'Idol' champion has sold 296,000 copies of his first album, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and covered radio formats from pop to Christian with the single Live Like We're Dying. Though he's often overshadowed by runner-up Adam Lambert, Allen has plenty of fans drawn to his laidback singer/songwriter vibe. Allen tours with Barenaked Ladies this summer.
Season 2, Winner
Album Sales: 2,600,000
Track Sales: 337,000
Radio Plays: 434,000
Winning "Idol" in 2003 led to even greater joy for Studdard, who met his future wife at a Wal-Mart autograph signing. The "Velvet Teddy Bear's" biggest hit, Sorry 2004, came that year, but Studdard's popularity gets a boost every time he returns to perform on 'Idol'. He'll keep his core fans happy this summer on the "Timeless" tour, which he's co-headlining with Clay Aiken.
Season 3, Winner
Album Sales: 2,300,000
Track Sales: 957,000
Radio Plays: 624,000
If any 'Idol' winner deserves to be known on first-name-only basis, it's Fantasia, who's having her busiest year since winning 'Idol' in 2004. The 24-year-old R&B diva recently unveiled her new single, Beautiful, and will release her third album on July 13. After playing Celie in "The Color Purple" on Broadway, she's also set to reprise her role in the musical's film adaptation. Reality TV is back in Fantasia's life, too, thanks to her hit VH1 show "Fantasia for Real."
Season 7, Runner-up
Album Sales: 968,000
Track Sales: 3,000,000
Radio Plays: 177,000
Currently writing for his sophomore album, David Archuleta is approaching platinum sales of his debut album, which has sold 968,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The 19-year-old also made a memorable solo turn on "Somos El Mundo," the Spanish-Language version of "We Are the World 25", and revisited his performance of John Lennon's Imagine on the 'Idol' stage in April. True to his nice-guy form, Archuleta recently blogged that year's batch of 'Idol' contestants "a group of cool people!"
Season 5, 6th Place
Album Sales: 1,300,000
Track Sales: 2,900,000
Radio Plays: 373,000
Taylor Swift's BFF finished sixth on 'Idol' but has done just fine for herself since, thanks to country hits like Red High Heels and Best Days of Your Life. Pickler opened for Swift's massive headlining tour last summer and will open for another big act, Rascal Flatts, later this year. The gig will no doubt help keep Pickler's star on the rise as she preps her third album for release in the fall.
Season 2, Runner-up
Album Sales: 4,900,000
Track Sales: 532,000
Radio Plays: 195,000
Clay Aiken may have lost to Ruben Studdard in 2003, but he's still the season 2 favorite in the minds of many longtime 'Idol' fans - and he has the sales to prove it. Aiken's Tried and True album is due June 1 on Decca and it's his first studio set since 2008, a year in which the singer also made headlines for revealing he's gay and starring on Broadway in "Spamalot." Aiken will go straight from releasing his album to the "Timeless" tour, a joint summer trek with Studdard.
Season 7, Winner
Album Sales: 1,300,000
Track Sales: 3,900,000
Radio Plays: 536,000
After years of rockers getting the short end of the 'Idol' stick, David Cook broke the genre's bad luck streak in 2008 by trumping another David (Archuleta) in the finale. Cook's self-titled debut album followed and has since sold 1.3 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As it did when he competed on 'Idol', charity drives Cook. Earlier this month, he raised $140,000 at the 13th Annual Race for Hope in memory of his brother Adam, who lost his courageous battle with brain cancer last year.
Season 6, Winner
Album Sales: 1,300,000
Track Sales: 9,000,000
Radio Plays: 1,146,000
Still the youngest 'Idol' winner ever, Jordin Sparks was just 17 when she was voted America's favorite back in 2007, beating out beatboxer Blake Lewis. Sparks' has since racked up radio hits like Battlefield and No Air, her duet with Chris Brown. These days, Sparks is getting ready to take over more than one stage -- she'll embark on a "Battlefield" headlining tour this summer through August, then hit the Great White Way for a 12-week stint with the hit musical "In the Heights."
Season 5, 4th Place
Album Sales: 5,700,000
Track Sales: 9,500,000
Radio Plays: 2,439,000
Chris Daughtry's fourth-place 'Idol' finish in 2006 really hurt his career, didn't it? Not so much. With 5.7 million albums and 9.5 million digital downloads to his name, the gruff rocker ranks ahead of six former 'Idol' winners on this list. His self-titled debut and last year's Leave This Town both topped the Billboard 200 on arrival, and though drummer Joey Barnes recently left the band, Daughtry is still plugging away on tour and will return to perform on 'Idol' on May 12.
Season 4, Winner
Album Sales: 11,500,000
Track Sales: 13,900,000
Radio Plays: 2,426,000
As the first country singer to win 'American Idol', Carrie Underwood leads the show's graduates with U.S. album sales of 11.5 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her third release, 2009's Play On, showed off a more mature side to the 27-year-old and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Most recently, Underwood made history in April by becoming the first woman to be named ACM Entertainer of the Year twice. Keep playing on, Carrie!
Season 1, Winner
Album Sales: 10,600,000
Track Sales: 15,900,000
Radio Plays: 4,260,000
'Idol's' original queen is still its biggest star. Since winning the title in 2002, Kelly Clarkson has notched eight Billboard Hot 100 top 10s - including two No. 1s - from four albums. And eight years later, the pop singer is still inspiring 'Idol' hopefuls: this year's recently eliminated contestant Siobhan Magnus has said that she perfected her trademark "scream" by singing Clarkson songs in the shower. Clarkson hits the road again this summer, on the revived Lilith Fair tour.
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