American Idol is the reality singing competition show that started the craze in America. While Eurovision Song Contest has been around for decades, it wasn’t until American Idol premiered in 2002 on Fox that America really fell in love with shows where unknowns tried to become stars by competing in singing competitions against each other. With Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson as the judges, fans fell in love with the show, which launched several major music careers.
The first season was shot on a minuscule budget, but the reality TV series launched into the stratosphere when Kelly Clarkson won the crown and became a massive star. Since that time, major singing talents like Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks, and more have achieved superstardom. The show was canceled in 2016, but it was too popular to remain dead, and it ended up moving to ABC, where it remains one of the most-watched reality shows on television today.
10
Season 2
Champion: Ruben Studdard
It’s hard to dismiss the sophomore season of American Idol as one of the best and most memorable in series history. The suspenseful finale between the velvet-voiced Ruben Studdard and the smooth-toned Clay Aiken is simply one for the books. After spending the first year finding their footing and refining the format, host Ryan Seacrest and judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson felt far more comfortable in season 2. The audience also increased by 71% from the first season.
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This improved the show’s overall quality, culminating in a chilling finale with Studdard, Aiken, and third-place finisher Kimberley Locke. The season saw Aiken become the first singer on the show to ever have a Billboard Hot 100 number one hit without actually winning on the show. Since this amazing finale, Aiken and Studdard have developed a strong friendship and continue to tour together randomly to this day.
9
Season 1
Champion: Kelly Clarkson
Due to the sheer novelty of the show and the excited anticipation of seeing something new for the first time, the inaugural season of American Idol is still among the best to date. Moreover, there still haven’t been too many winners as talented as the show’s first champion, Kelly Clarkson. The show also introduced the world to Simon Cowell, the cantankerous know-it-all judge who fans would come to love to hate in subsequent seasons.
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After an intense battle with her eventual movie costar, Justin Guarini, Clarkson took home the top prize en route to becoming an award-winning recording artist. For anyone who hasn’t seen the first season, it might come as a culture shock with the judges sitting at small folding tables and the singers performing in small, darker rooms before the live numbers in small venues. However, the intimate nature of the smaller shows made it something special and launched the show to stardom.
8
Season 17
Champion: Laine Hardy
Under the second-year judgeship of Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, season 17 of Idol remains a standout for several reasons. First, there was a certain nostalgia factor in bringing back former idols, such as Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert, to perform, even after making the network switch to ABC. This was the second season on ABC with the new hosts, and thanks to them getting their footing after season 16, they were ready to deliver better in the new format.
Secondly, the diverse guest performers included Weezer, Kool & the Gang, Montell Jordan, and Andra Day, with a memorable Disney-themed episode and a heated finale between the first-place winner, Laine Hardy, and runner-up, Alejandro Aranda. There were no major players in the competitors, so this was a season that succeeded thanks to the status and talents of all the guest stars that made their way to the show to surprise fans and perform in special moments.
7
Season 6
Champion: Jordin Sparks
With the fresh addition of the American Idol Songwriter contest, season 6 of American Idol overcame dubious mid-round eliminations to finish extremely strong in the final four. All told, Jordan Sparks became the youngest winner in the series’ history, at age 17. While many fans felt Gina Glocksen and Stephanie Edwards were eliminated prematurely, the battle between Sparks, Blake Lewis, and Melinda Doolittle remains highly memorable.
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The finale included performances by every past winner, save for Fantasia Barrino, as well as performances by legends Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, and Tony Bennett. This season brought in a lot of fans for the finale, with a record of 609 million votes cast throughout the season and a record of 74 million votes in the finale. Jordin Sparks was the youngest winner in the show’s history, and she went on to have a hugely successful career after winning American Idol.
6
Season 8
Champion: Kris Allen
Although season 8 retained the original judges, several format changes were made to the show. A deliberate effort was made to weed out comedic novelty acts and focus on serious singers, while the “Judges Save” option was introduced for the first time. There were also four judges on the show for the first time (with Kara DioGuardi as the fourth). With 13 finalists instead of 12, the epic showdown between now-famous rockstar Adam Lambert and eventual winner Kris Allen was a riveting sight to behold.
Very few seasons had as much high-wattage star power as season 8 as the entire list of talented singers in this season was impressive.
Both men earned record contracts after the competition, including Allen’s addition to Jive Records. Very few seasons had as much high-wattage star power as season 8 as the entire list of talented singers in this season was impressive. While Kris Allen had a nice small career after winning the show, Adam Lambert became the bigger star as he used his fame from his time on the show to become the new lead singer of Queen.
5
Season 7
Champion: David Cook
With two male finalists for the first time since season 2, Idol season 7 came down to a narrow 56/44 split between winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta. Both talented crooners joined an extremely likable and diverse cast of contestants. Among the memorable performers in season 7 were Jason Castro, Brooke White, Syesha Mercado, and Carly Smithson, all of whom were serious contenders during their competitive run.
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The heavy-hitting mentors of the season also included Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Mariah Carey, and Andrew Lloyd Webber. However, what people really remember from this season was the finale between David Cook and David Archuleta. The season had a record 97 million votes in the finale, the highest total in the show’s history at the time. While Cook won and went on to have a nice career, Archuleta had the bigger career, but fans had a great love for both singers by the end.
4
Season 10
Champion: Scotty McCreery
Season 10 of American Idol became instantly more enjoyable due to the departure of Simon Cowell. While his replacement, Ellen DeGeneres, lasted only one season, the season marked an upgrade in terms of positive feedback. Cowell has become a little more subdued since he joined America’s Got Talent; he was very cruel at times on Idol, and many fans had tired of it. That made the new season something that seemed a little more fun to watch concerning the singers’ journeys.
Moreover, the top 12 contestants were extremely talented and evenly matched. While Scotty McCreery bested Lauren Alaina for the top prize, the competition was heated until the very end. However, the season’s biggest moments came via performances from Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Steven Tyler, and Enrique Iglesias. McCreery has had six albums over his career, with his first hitting the top of the charts.
3
Season 11
Champion: Phillip Phillips
The season 11 finale of American Idol made history by drawing a franchise-record-breaking 132 million viewers. People were absolutely riveted as they waited to see if Phillip Phillips or Jessica Sanchez would emerge victorious. The judges this season were Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, and they helped deliver a season where no one knew who was going to win until that final episode aired and the final voting results rolled in.
Phillips ultimately wooed voters with his renditions of “Stand By Me” and “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” en route to winning first place.
While the season also made history when Sanchez was the first female contestant to be saved by a judge, Phillips ultimately wooed voters with his renditions of “Stand By Me” and “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” en route to winning first place. Phillip Phillips has remained a solid performer since his victory on American Idol, and he has sold over 7.8 million digital singles and three million albums over his career since the big win.
2
Season 5
Champion: Taylor Hicks
Many hardcore Idol fanatics feel strongly that the series reached its pinnacle around the fourth and fifth seasons. The season featured some of the highest quality of talent, including nine of the 18 contestants being signed to a major record label after their time on the show. As such, it’s the most-viewed season to date. Prince performed during the finale, while original judges Simon, Paula, and Randy remained intact.
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With no shortage of controversial storylines to keep the masses glued to the tube, season 5 ended with a showdown between eventual winner, Taylor Hicks, and runner-up, Katharine McPhee. The entire finale was polarizing for fans, as many felt McPhee should have won and there was a huge notable distinction in Hicks’ age on the show, one of the oldest ever to win American Idol in the show’s history. Other major competing talent include Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry, who had big post-Idol careers.
1
Season 4
Champion: Carrie Underwood
If for no other reason than introducing the world to eventual first-place winner Carrie Underwood, American Idol season 4 is the best season of the series so far. In addition to Underwood’s arrival as a major superstar, the season featured an enormous talent pool that viewers really got to know in depth. Among the season 4 standouts included runner-up Bo Bice and third-place finisher Vonzell Solomon, both of whom gave Underwood a real run for her money. There were over 500 million votes in the season and 37 million in the finale.
While the two prior seasons focused more on R&B singers, season 4 expanded the scope to include more rock and country music. What most people look at when it comes to American Idol and season 4 is Carrie Underwood going on to have a career that allowed her to sell over 85 million records worldwide. She is the highest-certified female country music artist of all time and the female artist with the most number-one singles in the country music industry.
American Idol
- Release Date
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March 11, 2018
