'American Idol': Who REALLY Won Each Season?

01 of 29

The Real Winners of 'American Idol'

From Kelly Clarkson to Phillip Phillips, who really came out on top over 14 years of American Idol? Find out, ahead.

02 of 29

Season 1's show winner: Kelly Clarkson

American Idol | The first American Idol has sold over 20 million albums worldwide since she took the crown in 2002. She has had numerous Top 10 songs — Everett Collection

The first American Idol has sold over 20 million albums worldwide since she took the crown in 2002. She has had numerous Top 10 songs on the Hot 100 charts and albums on the Billboard Top 200, including 2013's Wrapped in Red and 2012's Greatest Hits: Chapter One. —MJ Santilli

03 of 29

Season 1's real winner: Kelly Clarkson

American Idol | No one in the first Idol season can remotely match Clarkson's success. (Fourth-place finisher Tamyra Gray has come the closest with roles on TV and — Harper Smith

No one in the first Idol season can remotely match Clarkson's success. (Fourth-place finisher Tamyra Gray has come the closest with roles on TV and Broadway.) Clarkson was even tapped to perform ''My Country, 'Tis of Thee'' at President Barack Obama's 2013 inauguration. This star won't be fading anytime soon. —MJ Santilli

04 of 29

Season 2's show winner: Ruben Studdard

American Idol | The good news is that Ruben has sold more than 2.5 million albums since he won Idol in 2003. The bad news is that the — Michael Becker/FOX

The good news is that Ruben has sold more than 2.5 million albums since he won Idol in 2003. The bad news is that the velvet teddy bear has seen his sales drop precipitously with each album release from his debut album, Soulful (2003), which sold 1,779,000 copies, to 2014's Unconditional Love. Over the years, Ruben has appeared in a handful of television projects (including The Biggest Loser season 15) and had a role in the 2010 independent film Lifted. —MJ Santilli

05 of 29

Season 2's real winner: Clay Aiken

American Idol | Runner-up Clay Aiken's Steadfast album may have stumbled out of the gate—it sold only 4,000 copies the week it was released in March 2012—but he's — Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

Runner-up Clay Aiken's Steadfast album may have stumbled out of the gate—it sold only 4,000 copies the week it was released in March 2012—but he's sold some 5 million albums since 2003. He's also penned a best-selling autobiography, starred in the Broadway musical Spamalot, was named a Top 10 celebrity earner in 2011 (he brought in $2.5 million, according to Forbes), and once again found himself a reality TV runner-up vs. Arsenio Hall on Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice in 2012. He even ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014, winning his district's Democratic primary by a hair—although he was ultimately defeated in the general election. —MJ Santilli

06 of 29

Season 3's show winner: Fantasia Barrino

American Idol | Fantasia has released four studio albums since she took the title in 2004, most recently with Side Effects of You debuting at No. 1 on — Everett Collection

Fantasia has released four studio albums since she took the title in 2004, most recently with Side Effects of You debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 2 on the Billboard 200. She released a best-selling autobiography Life Is Not a Fairy Tale and played herself in the Lifetime biopic of the same name in 2006. In addition to headlining her own reality series, Fantasia For Real, on VH1 for two seasons beginning in 2010, she's flourished in the Broadway spotlight by earning raves for her turn in 2008's The Color Purple and 2013's After Midnight. —MJ Santilli

07 of 29

Season 3's real winner: Jennifer Hudson

American Idol | Though she finished in a shocking seventh place, Hudson rallied like no other American Idol cast-off. After winning an Oscar for her 2006 role as

Though she finished in a shocking seventh place, Hudson rallied like no other American Idol cast-off. After winning an Oscar for her 2006 role as Effie in Dreamgirls, Hudson has been consistently booked in other high-profile projects, including the Sex and the City movie, a lucrative Weight Watchers endorsement gig, a starring role in a Winnie Mandela biopic, and a recurring role on NBC's musical series Smash. December 2013 saw her return to the screen in Black Nativity alongside fellow Oscar-approved actors Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker. —Lanford Beard

08 of 29

Season 4's show winner: Carrie Underwood

American Idol | Country superstar Carrie Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums since winning Idol in 2005, and her best-selling single ''Before He Cheats'' has sold

Country superstar Carrie Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums since winning Idol in 2005, and her best-selling single ''Before He Cheats'' has sold more than 3.6 million digital copies. —MJ Santilli

09 of 29

Season 4's real winner: Carrie Underwood

American Idol | Carrie continues to rule with the success of her fourth studio album, Blown Away , which sat at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 its — Jamed White

Carrie continues to rule with the success of her fourth studio album, Blown Away, which sat at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 its first two weeks of release and ultimately went platinum in the U.S. and Canada. Over time, she's racked up five Grammys and seven American Music Awards and has served as a perennial cohost of the CMA Awards with fellow Nashville star Brad Paisley. She's also branched out as an actress, following up a small part in the 2011 film Soul Surfer with a lead role as Maria in NBC's megahit live production of The Sound of Music. —MJ Santilli

10 of 29

Season 5's show winner: Taylor Hicks

American Idol | Taylor Hicks was dropped by his label, RCA, after his self-titled debut stalled at 705,000 copies sold. His sophomore effort, the independently released The Distance — Everett Collection

Taylor Hicks was dropped by his label, RCA, after his self-titled debut stalled at 705,000 copies sold. His sophomore effort, the independently released The Distance (2009), sold significantly less at 50,000 copies. Right after his Idol win in 2006, Taylor received a $750,000 advance to pen his memoir, Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way. He starred as Teen Angel in a touring company of Grease in 2009 and is part owner of a Birmingham, Ala., restaurant called Saw's Juke Joint. Between 2012 and 2014, Hicks also embarked upon a series of residencies in Las Vegas. —MJ Santilli

11 of 29

Season 5's real winner: Katharine McPhee

Though season 5's fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry definitely took the early lead, shooting to the top of the charts with his eponymous band, it's McPhee who's proven her staying power in the seven years since she took second on Idol. Various acting roles and her Idol-honed endurance gave McPhee the tools to snag the lead in NBC's Smash; after the lights dimmed on the Broadway drama, McPhee found a new home on the CBS freshman hit Scorpion. She told EW's Tim Stack, ''I think [Jennifer Hudson and I are] both proud to say we came from a really great show and that it's nice to be recognized for something other than that.'' —Lanford Beard

12 of 29

Season 6's show winner: Jordin Sparks

American Idol | Jordin's self-titled debut album, released in 2007, went platinum, thanks to two smash hits, ''Tattoo'' and ''No Air''—the latter a duet with a pre-Rihanna Chris — Everett Collection

Jordin's self-titled debut album, released in 2007, went platinum, thanks to two smash hits, ''Tattoo'' and ''No Air''—the latter a duet with a pre-Rihanna Chris Brown. ''No Air'' is the second-best-selling Idol single, moving more than 3.5 million digital copies. Both tunes were Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits. Broadway came calling in 2010 when Sparks played the lead in the musical In the Heights for a limited run. Also that year, Jordin released her own fragrance line called Because of You. Her third studio album, Right Here, Right Now, is scheduled for release in early 2015. —MJ Santilli

13 of 29

Season 6's real winner: Jordin Sparks

American Idol | The Idol winner is also her season's champion earner. Blake Lewis, her runner-up, was dropped from his label after his debut album failed to sell, — Alicia Gbur

The Idol winner is also her season's champion earner. Blake Lewis, her runner-up, was dropped from his label after his debut album failed to sell, and the second runner-up, Melinda Doolittle, has released one album on an independent label. Sparks starred in the 2012 remake of 1976's Sparkle, costarring the late Whitney Houston, and appeared in 2014's Left Behind, the adaptation of the popular Christian novel series, with Nicolas Cage. —MJ Santilli

14 of 29

Season 7's show winner: David Cook

American Idol | David Cook's self-titled post- Idol debut went platinum on the heels of his Idol win in 2008. Unfortunately, his next record, 2011's This Loud Morning — Everett Collection

David Cook's self-titled post-Idol debut went platinum on the heels of his Idol win in 2008. Unfortunately, his next record, 2011's This Loud Morning, sold 118,000 copies — a fraction of his debut. After parting ways with record company RCA, he put his Los Angeles house up for sale in anticipation of a move to Nashville. —MJ Santilli

15 of 29

Season 7's real winner: David Cook

American Idol | David Cook's 1.4 million records sold don't come close to Carrie and Kelly's, but he still remains the top dog of his season. Runner-up David

David Cook's 1.4 million records sold don't come close to Carrie and Kelly's, but he still remains the top dog of his season. Runner-up David Archuleta nearly went double platinum with hit record Crush in 2008, but his self-titled debut sold only about 765,000 copies. He also parted ways with RCA and went to South American for a Mormon mission in South America, cutting his entertainment-based earning prospects significantly. —MJ Santilli

16 of 29

Season 8's show winner: Kris Allen

American Idol | Allen sold around 369,000 copies of his two post- Idol albums, including one hit single from his self-titled debut album. ''Live Like We're Dying'' sold — Michael Becker/FOX

Allen sold around 369,000 copies of his two post-Idol albums, including one hit single from his self-titled debut album. ''Live Like We're Dying'' sold 1.5 million digital copies, peaking at No. 18 on the Hot 100. —MJ Santilli

17 of 29

Season 8's real winner: Adam Lambert

American Idol | Lambert's 2009 debut album For Your Entertainment went gold in the U.S. and platinum in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. ''Glambert'' made history in 2012 — Frank Micelotta/FOX

Lambert's 2009 debut album For Your Entertainment went gold in the U.S. and platinum in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. ''Glambert'' made history in 2012 when he became the first openly gay artist to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 with 2012's Trespassing. The one-time musical theater star also brushed up his acting skills for a recurring role on Glee from 2013 to 2014 and has headlined several blockbuster concerts, as well as a world tour, with the surviving members of Queen. —MJ Santilli

18 of 29

Season 9's show winner: Lee DeWyze

American Idol | After his post- Idol debut, Live it Up , had the lowest sales of any Idol winner in history, DeWyze went on a brief club — Frank Micelotta/FOX

After his post-Idol debut, Live it Up, had the lowest sales of any Idol winner in history, DeWyze went on a brief club tour in 2010 to support the album. He parted ways with his label, RCA, in 2011. —MJ Santilli

19 of 29

Season 9's real winner: Casey James

It's tough to deny that season 9 was Idol's least successful. Simon Cowell was mentally checked out, Ellen DeGeneres couldn't bring herself to critique anyone, and neither DeWyze nor runner-up Crystal Bowersox felt like bona fide, marketable pop stars. (To wit: Though Bowersox's debut outsold DeWyze's, both were eventually dropped by their labels.) Yet, over the past year, third place finisher Casey James has risen from the ashes and established himself as a minor force in the country music world. His 2012 self-titled debut didn't exactly sell Clarkson-size numbers — but it spawned two Top 30 singles: ''Let's Don't Call It a Night'' (which was nominated for a 2012 AMA) and ''Crying on a Suitcase.'' —Grady Smith

20 of 29

Season 10's show winner: Scotty McCreery

American Idol | Season 10 saw the return of the platinum Idol as teen country singer Scotty McCreery sold more than a million copies of his debut album, — Michael Becker/FOX

Season 10 saw the return of the platinum Idol as teen country singer Scotty McCreery sold more than a million copies of his debut album, Clear As Day. —MJ Santilli

21 of 29

Season 10's real winner: Scotty McCreery

American Idol | Fellow country Idol Lauren Alaina sold nearly 300,000 copies of her 2011 debut, Wildflower , but it wasn't enough to unseat McCreery, who later went — Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Fellow country Idol Lauren Alaina sold nearly 300,000 copies of her 2011 debut, Wildflower, but it wasn't enough to unseat McCreery, who later went on to become a Bojangles spokesperson (lucrative!), released a second album (See You Tonight) in 2013, and embarked on the See You Tonight Tour in 2014. —MJ Santilli

22 of 29

Season 11's show winner: Phillip Phillips

Critics complained when Phillips became Idol's fifth ''white guy with guitar'' winner in a row, but the gravel-voiced Georgia boy proved himself a bigger chart star than any of his four predecessors. His lead single (and Idol's freshest coronation anthem ever) ''Home,'' received multi-millions of downloads, thanks in large part to prime placement during women's gymnastics telecasts at the 2012 London Olympics. —Grady Smith

23 of 29

Season 11's real winner: Phillip Phillips

Driven by the appeal of ''Home,'' which reached No. 6 on Billboard's Hot 100, Phillips' debut album The World from the Side of the Moon briskly sold over 500,000 copies in just seven weeks, peaking at the No. 4 position. The similarly Mumford & Sons-esque vibe of Phillips' second single ''Gone Gone Gone'' helped it on the charts, as did its clutch use as Idol's season 12 results-show anthem for departing contestants. —Grady Smith

24 of 29

Season 12's show winner: Candice Glover

Candice Glover's Season 12 victory was somewhat overshadowed by Idol's clumsy attempts to stack the female deck and avoid another ''white guy with guitar'' winner at all costs. Instead, they crowned Glover, who has potential, but has yet to make a real splash. Her debut album, Music Speaks, was released in February 2014 (nearly 10 months after her win) and marked a new low for albums sold by an Idol winner in their first week by moving only 19,000 copies; its first single, ''Cried'' debuted at No. 28 on Billboard's Adult R&B chart. —Jodi Walker

25 of 29

Season 12's real winner: Keith Urban

Candice was a powerhouse, Kree was soulful, and Amber and Angie were cute, but it was the already established country crooner who walked away the real winner. Producers used Urban as a literal buffer between divas Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, and he played his role with aplomb, charm, and (dare I say it?) a pretty vast knowledge of musical critique. That positive attitude made him the only returning 2013 judge on the follow-up season's panel. And that's just the icing on the cake. Urban also debuted his 2013 album Fuse at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, sold out his Light the Fuse tour all over the country, and performed with the Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw, and Taylor Swift, to name a few. And he finally cut that hair! —Jodi Walker

26 of 29

Season 13's show winner: Caleb Johnson

American Idol | The rocker released his debut album, Testify , less than two months after the show's finale. (Can't you just smell Fox's anxiety?) Despite the quick — Michael Becker/FOX

The rocker released his debut album, Testify, less than two months after the show's finale. (Can't you just smell Fox's anxiety?) Despite the quick turnaround, it hit the Billboard charts at No. 24—and moved just 11,000 albums in its first week, officially leaving Johnson with the title of worst-performing Idol champ ever. —Stephanie Schomer

27 of 29

Season 13's real winner: The Voice

Despite a refreshed panel of judges, season 13 of Idol lacked charisma, and its finale attracted just 10.1 million viewers. (Not terrible for a TV show, but terrible for a TV show that used to attract 30 million fans). Over at NBC, season 6 of The Voice pulled nearly 16 million viewers in its premiere. What do you watch when a 13-year-old show gets boring? The younger, more exciting version of that show. —Stephanie Schomer

28 of 29

Season 14's show winner: Nick Fradiani

Fradiani's debut single “Beautiful Life,” which was penned by Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the theme song for 2015's Women’s World Cup. Arguably the most mainstream-marketable winner the show has produced since Phillip Phillips, Fradiani is signed to Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records, but we’re still waiting on that debut album. —Stephanie Schomer

29 of 29

Season 14's real winner: Jax

Ok, we know, this one may still be a bit too early to call. And it’s true, the 19-year-old Jersey girl has a way to go before she reaches superstardom, but her rabid supporters — known as the Jax Pack — have been hungry for new material from the singer, and with her brand new single “La La Land” (released on iTunes Jan. 6, which just happens to be the premiere of Idol’s final season), Jax is poised to give them what they want. —Stephanie Schomer