Javier Colon turned four chairs, then won. Four-chair singers go further.
Javier Colon turned four chairs and won The Voice. Four-chair finalists made the top 3 three times as often as one-chair finalists.
Javier Colon with an acoustic guitar · December 29, 2014
Photo: rcraig09 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source.
Javier Colon turned all four chairs in the blind auditions of The Voice’s first season, in 2011, and won the season. Of the 100 four-chair finalists of seasons 1 to 28, 36 made the top 3. Of the 45 one-chair finalists, 5 did. This story checks how far four-chair singers went, on the show and after it.
1
Four-chair finalists made the top 3 three times as often
Four chairs in a blind audition held up through the live shows: four-chair finalists made the top 3 about three times as often as one-chair finalists. Season by season, chance alone rarely gives a gap this big. Three-chair finalists did almost as well.
Four-chair and three-chair finalists filled most top-3 places
One dot per finalist, by the chairs turned in the blind audition, season by season. Lit: a top-3 finish.
4 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 36 of 100 (top 3: Javier Colon, Tony Lucca, Cassadee Pope, Tessanne Chin, Christina Grimmie, Josh Kaufman, Chris Jamison, Sawyer Fredericks, Barrett Baber, Jordan Smith, Alisan Porter, Billy Gilman, Wé Ani, Brooke Simpson, Kirk Jay, Dexter Roberts, Maelyn Jarmon, Katie Kadan, Ricky Duran, Thunderstorm Artis, Todd Tilghman, Toneisha Harris, Kenzie Wheeler, Girl Named Tom, Wendy Moten, Bodie, Morgan Myles, Huntley, Mara Justine, Ruby Leigh, Shye, Sofronio Vasquez, Sydney Sterlace, Aiden Ross, DEK of Hearts, Ralph Edwards). 3 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 24 of 69 (top 3: Juliet Simms, Terry McDermott, Danielle Bradbery, Michelle Chamuel, The Swon Brothers, Will Champlin, Jake Worthington, Matt McAndrew, Meghan Linsey, Hannah Huston, Aliyah Moulden, Lauren Duski, Chloe Kohanski, Britton Buchanan, Chevel Shepherd, Gyth Rigdon, Jim Ranger, Cam Anthony, Jordan Matthew Young, Bryce Leatherwood, Asher HaVon, Bryan Olesen, Dennis Lorenzo, Jaelen Johnston). 2 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 18 of 99 (top 3: Dia Frampton, Jermaine Paul, Jacquie Lee, Craig Wayne Boyd, Joshua Davis, Emily Ann Roberts, Adam Wakefield, Sundance Head, Addison Agen, Brynn Cartelli, Kyla Jade, Chris Kroeze, Carter Rubin, Paris Winningham, D.Smooth, Gina Miles, Grace West, Josh Sanders). 1 chair: Seasons 1 to 28, 5 of 45 (top 3: Nicholas David, Chris Blue, Jake Hoot, Ian Flanigan, Adam David). No chair: Seasons 1 to 28, 0 of 1.
4 chairs
3 chairs
2 chairs
1 chair
No chair
Point at or tap a dot to see who it is.
2
Chris Blue, Jake Hoot and Adam David turned one chair and won
Only Alicia Keys turned for Chris Blue in 2017. Kelly Clarkson alone turned for Jake Hoot in 2019, and Michael Bublé alone for Adam David in 2025. All three won their seasons.
Four-chair singers won more seasons than any other group. Season by season, their edge over one-chair singers was small enough to be chance.
The winners, by the chairs they turned
The same finalists. Lit: the winner of the season.
4 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 13 of 100 (won the season: Javier Colon, Cassadee Pope, Tessanne Chin, Josh Kaufman, Sawyer Fredericks, Jordan Smith, Alisan Porter, Maelyn Jarmon, Todd Tilghman, Girl Named Tom, Huntley, Sofronio Vasquez, Aiden Ross). 3 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 6 of 69 (won the season: Danielle Bradbery, Chloe Kohanski, Chevel Shepherd, Cam Anthony, Bryce Leatherwood, Asher HaVon). 2 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 6 of 99 (won the season: Jermaine Paul, Craig Wayne Boyd, Sundance Head, Brynn Cartelli, Carter Rubin, Gina Miles). 1 chair: Seasons 1 to 28, 3 of 45 (won the season: Chris Blue, Jake Hoot, Adam David). No chair: Seasons 1 to 28, 0 of 1.
4 chairs
Seasons 1 to 28 Javier Colon, Cassadee Pope, Tessanne Chin, Josh Kaufman, Sawyer Fredericks, Jordan Smith, Alisan Porter, Maelyn Jarmon, Todd Tilghman, Girl Named Tom, Huntley, Sofronio Vasquez, Aiden Ross
3 chairs
Seasons 1 to 28 Danielle Bradbery, Chloe Kohanski, Chevel Shepherd, Cam Anthony, Bryce Leatherwood, Asher HaVon
2 chairs
Seasons 1 to 28 Jermaine Paul, Craig Wayne Boyd, Sundance Head, Brynn Cartelli, Carter Rubin, Gina Miles
1 chair
Seasons 1 to 28 Chris Blue, Jake Hoot, Adam David
No chair
Point at or tap a dot to see who it is.
3
Gold records after the show came from one chair to four
Cassadee Pope turned four chairs and won. Wasting All These Tears (2013) went Platinum. Vedo turned one chair, Usher’s, in 2013; You Got It (2020) went 2× Platinum. With so few gold records, the chair count shows no clear link to what came after.
Gold records after the finale, by chairs turned
The same finalists. Lit: a record released after the finale went gold or higher.
4 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 1 of 100 (gold record after the finale: Cassadee Pope). 3 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 2 of 69 (gold record after the finale: Melanie Martinez, Danielle Bradbery). 2 chairs: Seasons 1 to 28, 2 of 99 (gold record after the finale: Corey Kent White, Koryn Hawthorne). 1 chair: Seasons 1 to 28, 1 of 45 (gold record after the finale: Vedo). No chair: Seasons 1 to 28, 0 of 1.
4 chairs
Seasons 1 to 28 Cassadee Pope
3 chairs
Seasons 1 to 28 Melanie Martinez, Danielle Bradbery
2 chairs
Seasons 1 to 28 Corey Kent White, Koryn Hawthorne
1 chair
Seasons 1 to 28 Vedo
No chair
Point at or tap a dot to see who it is.
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Read the storyPhoto credits (3 photos)
- Koryn Hawthorne performing at Essence Festival: gabriel brooks · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Cassadee Pope performing at a USO show: chief national guard bureau from usa · CC BY 2.0 · Photo source · cropped.
- Morgan Wallen: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Robert Vicens · Public domain · Photo source · cropped.
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