Kellie Pickler finished sixth. Then 4 albums reached the Billboard 200
Kellie Pickler left Idol in sixth place, then charted 4 albums. Ten early exits across Idol, The Voice and The X Factor.
Read the storyUnderdog stories
Singers who lost, finished low or went home early, and what they did next.
Fifth Harmony lost The X Factor to Tate Stevens, then had 8 Hot 100 entries to his none
Fifth Harmony finished third on The X Factor in 2012, then went on to 8 Hot 100 entries. Winner Tate Stevens has none.
Read the story
Mandisa finished ninth on American Idol, then won a Grammy for Overcomer
Mandisa finished ninth on Idol in 2006 and won a Grammy in 2014. Jennifer Hudson and Judith Hill also lost their seasons, then won Grammys.
Read the story
Sundance Head went home in Idol’s Top 16. Nine years later he won The Voice.
Sundance Head left Idol in 2007 and won The Voice in 2016. Jake Worthington and Ricky Duran got no chair turn, then finished second.
Read the story
Gabby Barrett finished third on Idol. Then I Hope went nine-times platinum.
Gabby Barrett signed with Warner Music Nashville in 2019. Among Idol finalists, only Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson have more certified single units.
Read the story
Camila Cabello finished third on The X Factor. Her singles out-certify Kelly Clarkson’s.
Camila Cabello has 35 million certified single units to Kelly Clarkson’s 19 million. Her Havana reached No. 1 on the Hot 100.
Read the story
Melanie Martinez went out in The Voice’s Top 6. Her Cry Baby went double platinum.
Melanie Martinez left The Voice in the Top 6 in 2012. Her 6.5 million certified single units are the most of any Voice finalist.
Read the story
Clay Aiken lost and went double platinum. Winners went gold six times as often.
Clay Aiken’s debut went double platinum in 2003. Of 28 winners crowned at least ten years ago, 13 released a gold record within ten years.
Read the story
Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert on Idol. Lambert went on to front Queen.
Kris Allen won Idol in 2009, left RCA and started his own label. Adam Lambert became Queen’s singer and played the Emcee on Broadway.
Read the story
Fantasia won Idol in 2004. Seventh-place Jennifer Hudson went on to an EGOT.
Fantasia won American Idol in 2004 and later played Celie on Broadway and on film. Seventh-place Jennifer Hudson completed an EGOT in 2022.
Read the story
Taylor Hicks won Idol. Fourth-place Chris Daughtry outsold him nine to one.
Taylor Hicks won Idol in 2006 and played Teen Angel in Grease on Broadway. By 2014, fourth-place Chris Daughtry had outsold him nine to one.
Read the story
The Voice cut Morgan Wallen in the playoffs. His albums out-certify Carrie Underwood’s.
Morgan Wallen’s albums carry 26.5 million certified units. His Wikipedia page outdraws every finalist’s. More singers who left early and built careers.
Read the story
Koryn Hawthorne made the Top 12 as Pharrell’s pick, then went platinum
Koryn Hawthorne made The Voice’s Top 12 as Pharrell’s pick. Of 144 finalists the judges or coaches kept in voting rounds, one won.
Read the story
Nicolle Galyon left The Voice in the battles. She co-wrote Tequila and Automatic.
Nicolle Galyon shares Grammy nominations for Miranda Lambert’s Automatic and Dan + Shay’s Tequila and became president of Songs & Daughters in 2019.
Read the story
Myles Frost got no chair turn on The Voice. Then he won a Tony as Michael Jackson.
Myles Frost won the 2022 Tony for MJ the Musical. Fantasia, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert also took singing-show fame to Broadway.
Read the story
Fousheé was cut in The Voice’s battle rounds. Later, a song she co-wrote hit No. 1.
Fousheé co-wrote Steve Lacy’s Bad Habit, a Hot 100 No. 1. Tamyra Gray co-wrote I Believe, Fantasia’s coronation single, which debuted at No. 1.
Read the storyPhoto credits (16 photos)
- Kellie Pickler in concert: craig oneal · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Fifth Harmony: orangesporanges · CC BY 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Mandisa: Jyle Dupuis from Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Sundance Head performing at Freiheit Country Store: carole chiles fuller · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.
- Gabby Barrett: HoityToity13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Camila Cabello: Melissa Rose · CC BY 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Historic recording console: Thank You (22 Millions+) views from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Clay Aiken: Judy Butler (mystuff1) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source.
- Adam Lambert performing with Queen: marcen27 from glasgow uk · CC BY 2.0 · Photo source.
- Fantasia Barrino: Kdrayf01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source.
- Taylor Hicks: Master Sgt. Vanessa Valdez · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.
- Morgan Wallen: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Robert Vicens · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.
- Koryn Hawthorne performing at Essence Festival: gabriel brooks · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum: Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Myles Frost performing with a microphone: u s department of state from united states · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.
- Sheet music and guitar: lucas · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
,_14_January_2014_(2).jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
