"American Idol" is one of the most popular reality talent search shows In the U.S. It produced many of the big names in today's music industry. Carrie Underwood, David Cook, Kelly Clarkson, and Jordin Sparks launched their music careers after winning the title. However, the show also served as a springboard for the careers of some of its alumni, despite them losing the contest.
Here are five famous singers may not have won "American Idol" but made a name anyway.
Haley Reinhart Reinhart is one of the finalists in the tenth season of AI. Some of her most popular performances during the show were Elton John single "Benny and the Jets" and "House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals. She got booted the week before the finale. Scotty McCreery was hailed the season winner, with Lauren Alaina as her runner-up. Reinhart is popular for her yodels and raspy growls voice. One of her most successful projects after the show was her collaboration with the rotating musical collective, Postmodern Jukebox, founded by pianist, Scott Bradlee. PMJ produces live vintage covers of popular modern songs. Reinhart did the vocals for a 1920s-feel version of classic rock song, "Creep" by Radiohead in April 2015. Years after, the cover remains popular. The video has garnered a whopping 76 million views, as of writing. Currently, she has released four albums with various record labels. Adam Lambert Season 8 is one of the most shocking seasons in the show. Its finalists Adam Lambert and Kris Allen had a significant gap in their performances. Although Allen was still surviving the elimination rounds, Lambert was the crowd favorite. He was popular among judges and online voters. In the finals, however, many were shocked that Allen emerged as the winner. Nonetheless, Lambert is still making a name on his own and is the new member of the legendary rock band Queen. Lambert is known to have a powerful vocal ability and stage presence. Hudson is only a seventh placer on the third season of AI, but she is one of the most successful artists today. As of today, Hudson has released 3 albums. She also ventured into acting. Her portrayal of her role as Effie White in the movie "Dreamgirls" alongside Beyonce Knowles won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2007. other top-notch films like The Secret Life of Bees and Sex and the City: The Movie. She also became one of the judges in The Voice Britain. She is also in the cast of the movie version of the musical Cats. In 2006, Daughtry was a finalist in AI's fifth season. He reached the semifinals but was eliminated and landed fourth place. Still, for a fourth placer, Daughtry had made a good career after his elimination. He formed a band named after his last name and released albums like Leave This Town, Cage to Rattle, and Baptized. In 2007, then 16-year-old David Archuleta auditioned for AI despite his hands full for still being in high school. He came in only second to another David, David Cook. Despite losing, Archuleta still made a name. He released his first single Crush in 2008 and was placed number two on Hot 100 Charts on Billboard that year. These famous names revealed that their dreams of being artists did not end in losing in the "American Idol" title. Rather, it was only the beginning. Update: The American Idol Production Team announces the cancelation of live performances due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The taped episodes of AI will be aired instead.
Season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart
Jennifer Hudson
Season 3 seventh placer Jennifer Hudson talking to the press
Chris Daughtry
David Archuleta
Second placer David Archuleta meeting with his fans
