Adam Lambert
Season 8 · Runner-up
Where are they now
Adam Lambert released his sixth studio album, ADAM, on July 10, 2026, through his own label, More Is More, with distribution by The Orchard. The singles Eat U Alive, Under the Rhythm and Cloud 9 came before it. In 2024 and 2025 he played the Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl. Since 2012 he has also toured as lead singer of Queen + Adam Lambert; their Rhapsody Tour ran from 2019 to 2024.
Key figures
- Career score53 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #10 (tie) of 688
- U.S. albums sold1,242,000 albums soldRank on Encore Index: #11 of 21
- Album units500,000 certified album unitsRank on Encore Index: #18 (tie) of 23
- Single units500,000 certified single unitsRank on Encore Index: #32 (tie) of 38
- Billboard 200 albums10 albums on the Billboard 200Rank on Encore Index: #3 of 94
- Hot 100 entries10 Hot 100 entriesRank on Encore Index: #7 of 80
- Studio albums6 studio albumsRank on Encore Index: #11 (tie) of 238
- Grammy nominations1 Grammy nominationRank on Encore Index: #12 (tie) of 17
- Wikipedia views, 12 months748,764 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #8 of 303
- Wikipedia views since 201517,408,835 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #7 of 303
Known for
Interest over time
Monthly views of the English Wikipedia article, July 2015 – September 2026.
Career
- 2005
Before American Idol, worked in the musical Wicked as an ensemble member and understudy for Fiyero, on the first national tour from 2005 and in Los Angeles from 2007 until 2008.
- 2009
American Idol, season 8
Runner-up
- 2009
Released his first studio album, For Your Entertainment, on RCA and 19; it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 198,000 U.S. copies in its first week.
- 2010
Started his first headlining tour, the Glam Nation Tour, with 113 shows in the United States, Europe and Asia.
- 2012
Released his second studio album, Trespassing, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 77,000 copies.
- 2012
Played the first full Queen + Adam Lambert concert in Kyiv, the start of a six-date collaboration tour.
- 2013
Announced in a letter to The Hollywood Reporter that he would leave RCA Records because of creative differences about his next release.
- 2013
Joined the fifth season of Glee as Elliot "Starchild" Gilbert in a multi-episode arc.
- 2015
Released his third studio album, The Original High, on Warner Bros. Records; it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 42,000 albums sold.
- 2018
Played a limited Las Vegas residency, The Crown Jewels, at the Park Theater at Park MGM.
- 2019
Toured on The Rhapsody Tour, which opened in North America in July 2019 and ran until 2024; five dome concerts in Japan were announced for February 2024.
- 2020
Released his fourth studio album, Velvet, through the independent label Empire and his own label More Is More.
- 2020
Released the live album Live Around the World, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
- 2024
Was announced as a judge on the thirteenth season of The Voice Australia.
- 2024
Made his Broadway debut as the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret, replacing Eddie Redmayne, in a limited engagement announced through March 30, 2025.
- 2025
Played Judas opposite Cynthia Erivo as Jesus in a three-performance concert staging of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl.
- 2026
Released his sixth studio album, ADAM, through his own label More Is More with distribution by The Orchard.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales | Billboard peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Change Is Gonna Come | Other | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | No. 56Hot 100 |
| For Your Entertainment | Single | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 61Hot 100 |
| Mad World | Other | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | No. 19Hot 100 |
| No Boundaries | Single | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 72Hot 100 |
| One | Other | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | No. 82Hot 100 |
| Time for Miracles | Single | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 50Hot 100 |
| Whataya Want from Me | Single | 2009 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 10Hot 100 |
 Season 8 Favorite Performances | Compilation | 2009 | RCA | Not documented | 35,000July 22, 2009 | No. 33Billboard 200 |
 Take One | Compilation | 2009 | Rufftown, Central South | Not documented | 42,000January 15, 2010 | No. 72Billboard 200 |
| For Your Entertainment | Album | 2009 | RCA, 19 | Gold | 863,000April 24, 2015 | No. 3Billboard 200 |
| If I Had You | Single | 2010 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 30Hot 100 |
 Acoustic Live! | EP | 2010 | RCA | Not documented | 28,000date not given | No. 126Billboard 200 |
| Better Than I Know Myself | Single | 2011 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 76Hot 100 |
 Glam Nation Live | Live album | 2011 | RCA | Not documented | 41,000date not given | Not documented |
| Trespassing | Album | 2012 | RCA, 19 | Not documented | 197,000date not given | No. 1Billboard 200 |
 Playlist: The Very Best of Adam Lambert | Compilation | 2014 | Legacy | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
 Ghost Town | Single | 2015 | Warner Bros. | Gold | Not applicable | No. 64Hot 100 |
| The Original High | Album | 2015 | Warner | Not documented | 52,000date not given | No. 3Billboard 200 |
 Velvet: Side A | EP | 2019 | More Is More, Empire Distribution | Not documented | Not documented | No. 148Billboard 200 |
| Velvet | Album | 2020 | Empire, More Is More | Not documented | Not documented | No. 89Billboard 200 |
| Live Around the WorldQueen + Adam Lambert | Live album | 2020 | Hollywood (North America), EMI (worldwide) | Not documented | Not documented | No. 56Billboard 200 |
 High Drama | Album | 2023 | BMG, More Is More | Not documented | Not documented | No. 126Billboard 200 |
 Afters | EP | 2024 | More Is More | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| ADAM | Album | 2026 | More Is More, The Orchard | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Grammy Awards | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance | Whataya Want From Me | Nominated |
Sources
- Adam Lambert — Wikipedia, September 26, 2026.
- Adam Lambert Releases 'Under The Rhythm' Ahead Of New Album Adam — Noise11, June 9, 2026.
- Adam Lambert — Adam Lambert (official site).
- For Your Entertainment (album) — Wikipedia, September 23, 2026.
- Adam Lambert discography — Wikipedia, September 16, 2026.
- RIAA Gold & Platinum search: Adam Lambert — RIAA.
- Ghost Town (Adam Lambert song) — Wikipedia, September 25, 2026.
- Upcoming Releases — Hits Daily Double.
- List of American Idol alumni album sales in the United States — Wikipedia, September 21, 2026.
- Archived sales image cited for The Original High — Twitter image.
- The best-selling Idol albums from 2009 — USA Today (Idol Chatter), January 17, 2010.
- RCA sales note on the official Adam Lambert site — Adam Lambert (official site).
- Daughtry's 'Leave This Town' tops Idol sales — USA Today (Idol Chatter), July 22, 2009.
- American Idol season 8 — Wikipedia, August 31, 2026.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- American Idol Upset: Kris Allen Beats Adam Lambert — ABC News.
- Live Around the World (Queen + Adam Lambert album) — Wikipedia, June 12, 2026.
- Queen + Adam Lambert — Wikipedia, October 5, 2026.
- Press Release: Queen + Adam Lambert Announce 2024 Japanese Tour — QueenOnline.com (official Queen site), August 1, 2023.
- Press Release: Queen + Adam Lambert To Rock Las Vegas — QueenOnline.com (official Queen site), May 7, 2018.
- Adam Lambert and Auli'i Cravalho to Join Cabaret on Broadway — Playbill, July 24, 2024.
- Cynthia Erivo and Adam Lambert in Jesus Christ Superstar — Hollywood Bowl.
- Billboard artist chart history — Billboard.
- Billboard artist chart history — Billboard.
- Adam Lambert Will Tour as Solo Artist 'If People Like This Record' — Billboard, April 24, 2015.
- Queen + Adam Lambert — Wikipedia, October 6, 2026.
- Adam Lambert Grammy Awards and Nominations — Recording Academy.
- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: 2011 winners and nominees — Recording Academy.
- 53rd Annual Grammy Awards — Wikipedia, September 24, 2026.
- Monthly pageviews of the English Wikipedia article "Adam Lambert", July 2015 – September 2026 — Wikimedia Foundation.
- TV singing shows fail to create stars — USA Today, January 14, 2014.
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again — Wikipedia.
- Oscars 2019: Queen, Adam Lambert rev up ceremony with We Will Rock You — Los Angeles Times, February 24, 2019.
- How long has Adam Lambert performed with Queen and when was he on American Idol? — MyLondon, February 26, 2022.
- See Queen + Adam Lambert, Duran Duran, Diana Ross Perform at Platinum Jubilee Concert — Rolling Stone, June 5, 2022.
