Kris Allen

Season 8 · Winner

Where are they now

Kris Allen records and releases music independently through his own DogBear Records imprint. He released the album Pole Vaulter on August 30, 2024. A December 13, 2025 event listing billed him as a featured guest at Jon McLaughlin's "Home For The Holidays" concert in Bloomington, Indiana.

Key figures

Career score40 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #24 of 365
U.S. albums sold393,000 albums soldRank on Encore Index: #19 of 21
Single units1,000,000 certified single unitsRank on Encore Index: #22 (tie) of 34
Billboard 200 albums4 albums on the Billboard 200Rank on Encore Index: #17 (tie) of 88
Hot 100 entries7 Hot 100 entriesRank on Encore Index: #9 (tie) of 66
Studio albums6 studio albumsRank on Encore Index: #11 (tie) of 182
Wikipedia views, 12 months94,141 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #46 of 303
Wikipedia views since 20151,960,149 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #38 of 303

Known for

Live Like We're DyingSingle · 2009; RIAA certification: Platinum
Kris AllenAlbum · 2009; 346,000 copies sold in the U.S. (reported)Sales as of September 2012
Thank You CamelliaAlbum · 2012; 35,000 copies sold in the U.S. (reported)Sales as of January 2013
Season 8 Favorite PerformancesCompilation · 2009; 16,000 copies sold in the U.S. (reported)Sales as of June 2009
HorizonsAlbum · 2014; 4,000 copies sold in the U.S. (reported)Sales as of August 2014

Interest over time

Monthly views of the English Wikipedia article, July 2015 – September 2026.

Bowie finale tribute

Career

2007
Release · September 16, 2007
Before American Idol, he wrote and self-produced the independent album Brand New Shoes with two college bandmates.
2008
2009
American Idol, season 8
Winner
January 13 – May 20, 2009
2009
Record deal · June 8, 2009
It was announced that 19 Recordings had signed him after his Idol win and licensed his recordings to Jive Records.
2009
Release · November 17, 2009
Released his self-titled major-label album, which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of just over 80,000.
2010
Chart · March 13, 2010
The single "Live Like We're Dying" peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later certified Platinum.
2010
Tour · June 2010 – November 2010
Made his first headlining tour in mid-2010, then opened for Barenaked Ladies, Maroon 5, Keith Urban and Lifehouse later that year.
2011
Songwriting · May 10, 2011
Co-wrote "Still Got Tonight", a single from Matthew Morrison's debut album; he also co-wrote songs recorded by other singers in 2011 and 2012.
2012
Release · May 22, 2012
Released his second major-label album, Thank You Camellia, on RCA and 19; it peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200.
2012
Record deal · September 2012
Left RCA Records in September 2012, after changing management.
2013
2014
Release · August 12, 2014
Released Horizons on his own DogBear Records imprint; it reached number 80 on the Billboard 200 and number 10 on the Independent Albums chart.
2015
2016
Release · March 18, 2016
Released the album Letting You In on DogBear Records.
2017
Other · February 2017
Kris Allen announced in February 2017 that he had formed The Dames; the band released its first song digitally on DogBear Records in May 2017.
2018
Tour · May 6, 2018
Announced on Twitter that he would join the American Idol Live! tour as a special guest; the tour began on July 11, 2018.
2019–2020
2021
Tour
Toured Northern Europe and the United Kingdom with season 7 winner David Cook after COVID-19 postponements.
2022–2023
2024
Release · August 30, 2024
Released Pole Vaulter, a 14-song album on DogBear Records and his first album of new original songs since 2016.
2025
Tour · December 13, 2025
Was billed as a featured guest at Jon McLaughlin's "Home For The Holidays" concert at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, Indiana, on December 13, 2025.

Discography

Releases of Kris Allen
Title	Type	Year	Label	RIAA certification	U.S. sales	Billboard peak	Listen
Brand New Shoes	Album	2007	Independent	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Ain't No Sunshine	Other	2009	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented	No. 37Hot 100
Apologize	Other	2009	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented	No. 66Hot 100
Falling Slowly	Other	2009	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented	No. 94Hot 100
Heartless	Other	2009	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented	No. 16Hot 100
No Boundaries	Single	2009	Not documented	Not documented	Not applicable	No. 11Hot 100
Season 8 Favorite Performances	Compilation	2009	RCA	Not documented	16,000June 2009	No. 50Billboard 200
Live Like We're Dying	Single	2009	Not documented	Platinum	Not applicable	No. 18Hot 100
Kris Allen	Album	2009	Jive/19	Not documented	346,000September 2012	No. 11Billboard 200
Let It Be	Other	2010	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented	No. 63Hot 100
Thank You Camellia	Album	2012	RCA/19	Not documented	35,000January 2013	No. 26Billboard 200
Thank You Camellia (Fan Edition)	EP	2012	RCA/19	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
The Vision of Love (Remixes)	EP	2012	RCA/19	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Waiting for Christmas	EP	2012	My T Mouse	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Horizons	Album	2014	DogBear/+180	Not documented	4,000August 2014	No. 80Billboard 200
Letting You In	Album	2016	DogBear	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Acoustic Tapes	EP	2016	Dogbear Records	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Somethin' About Christmas	Album	2016	DogBear	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Letting You In: Acoustic Performances	EP	2017	Dogbear Records	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
10	Compilation	2019	DogBear Records	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented
Pole Vaulter	Album	2024	DogBear Records	Not documented	Not documented	Not documented	Apple Music: Pole Vaulter

Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).

Sources

Pole Vaulter - Kris Allen — Apple Music.
2025 Jon McLaughlin & Friends: Home For The Holidays — Opendate (Buskirk-Chumley Theater event listing).
Kris Allen discography — Wikipedia, April 23, 2026.
Live Like We're Dying — Wikipedia, September 11, 2025.
RIAA Gold & Platinum search: Kris Allen — RIAA.
Kris Allen (album) — Wikipedia, July 11, 2026.
'American Idol' Kris Allen and RCA Records Part Ways (Exclusive) — The Hollywood Reporter, September 19, 2012.
List of American Idol alumni album sales in the United States — Wikipedia, September 21, 2026.
Ask Billboard: 20 No. 13 Hits For 2013 — Billboard, January 15, 2013.
Idol Chatter — USA Today, June 17, 2009.
Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 'Idol' Hits New Low — Billboard, August 22, 2014.
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.
Kris Allen — Wikipedia, August 23, 2026.
Kris Allen - 19 Recordings Has Signed the American Idol Season 8 Winner and Has Licensed to Jive Records — Sony Music Entertainment, June 8, 2009.
Kris Allen Releases Delivers Impeccable Singer-Songwriter Pop on New Album 'Pole Vaulter' — Culture Fix, August 31, 2024.
Kris Allen - Chart history (Hot 100) — Billboard.
Kris Allen - Chart history (Billboard 200) — Billboard.
Kris Allen, Arkansas Talent Judge, vocalist — Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
Monthly pageviews of the English Wikipedia article "Kris Allen", July 2015 – September 2026 — Wikimedia Foundation.
TV singing shows fail to create stars — USA Today, January 14, 2014.
Highlights: American Idol ends with star-studded finale — Rappler, April 8, 2016.
President Obama, Jennifer Lopez and other highlights from the 'American Idol' finale — USA Today, April 7, 2016.

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