AMERICAN IDOL ICONS

There are hundreds of former Idol contestants, but as the series ends tonight, Emily Yahr recaps the 10 who have made the biggest impact.

1. Kelly Clarkson, Winner, Season 1

Clarkson, 33, recently returned to Idol in its final season and had the audience in tears with an emotional performance of her latest single, Piece by Piece. It’s a fitting bookend, as Clarkson had the same effect when she belted out her coronation song and first single, A Moment Like This, on the finale in 2002. Clarkson’s powerhouse voice and dynamic presence signalled that the music industry should take reality-show contestants seriously. Album sales: 21.5 million Popular songs: Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You), Since U Been Gone

2. Carrie Underwood, (top, second from right), Winner, Season 4

The Oklahoma native, now 33, arrived for her 2004 Idol audition as a 21-year-old college student with every intention of getting a “practical” job. Then she blew the judges away with her rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me and sailed through to the finals. Her first album, Some Hearts, went seven-times platinum, and she has co-written about half of her 23 No. 1 hits since. Album sales: 18 million Popular songs: Before He Cheats, Blown Away

3. Adam Lambert, Second place, Season 8

Lambert’s soaring falsetto made him an instant frontrunner. The Freddie Mercury comparisons started early, and by 2011, he was performing with Queen, eventually standing in for Mercury as the band’s lead singer. Lambert, 34, raked in enough cash last year to land the No. 1 spot on Forbes list of five highestpaid American Idols in 2015, earning about US$10 million. Album sales: seven million Popular songs: Whataya Want from Me, Ghost Town

4. Chris Daughtry, Fourth place, Season 5

Simon Cowell was initially dismissive of Daughtry when he sang a gruff version of Joe Cocker’s The Letter at his 2005 audition. Cowell said no, but Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul’s votes put Daughtry through. Daughtry went on to prove that rock artists could thrive commercially after the competition (sorry, Bo Bice). After Idol, Daughtry, 36, started an eponymous band whose music became a mainstay on Top 40 radio. Album sales: eight million Popular songs: It’s Not Over, Home, Over You

5. Fantasia Barrino, Winner, Season 3

Barrino’s powerful rendition of Summertime in 2004 is often cited as the best performance in Idol history. Her coronation song, I Believe, flew to the top of the charts after the finale. Later, Barrino, 31, released four albums, appeared on Broadway in The Color Purple and After Midnight and won a Grammy Award in 2011 for her single Bittersweet. Album sales: 3.1 million Popular songs: I Believe, When I See U, Free Yourself

6. Phillip Phillips, Winner, Season 11

Would you believe the top-selling song from any contestant in Idol history is Home, the innocuous pop song that was everywhere after Phillips debuted it in 2012? Really! Apparently, “Ahh-ahhahhs” and “Ohh-ohh-oohs” and gentle guitar-strums were just what people craved. Phillips, 25, reminded the world that after years of falling ratings, Idol still existed and it could still lead to success. Album sales: 2.5 million Popular songs: Home, Gone, Gone, Gone, Raging Fire

7. Jennifer Hudson (top left), Seventh place, Season 3

Hudson is known as Idol’s most triumphant story, as she went from seventh-place finisher to Oscar winner very quickly. Though her Dreamgirls song And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going made the biggest impact, she also had several R&B hits, and kept the momentum going with her third record, JHUD, in 2014. Her first album, Jennifer Hudson, resulted in three Grammy nominations. Album sales: 1.8 million Popular songs: Spotlight, If This Isn’t Love, Where You At

8. Kellie Pickler, Sixth place, Season 5

In 2006, the quirky North Carolina native charmed everyone with her naivete and cluelessness about calamari. After she was sent packing, Pickler landed a record deal that resulted in a gold-certified record, Small Town Girl. Though she’s not as dominant as her Idol country counterparts, Pickler, 29, has remained a critical favourite — and a boost to the genre’s credibility — as she prefers a more traditional country sound as opposed to commercial pop. Album sales: two million Popular songs: Red High Heels, I Wonder, Best Days of Your Life

9. Jordin Sparks (top, second from right) Winner, Season 6

At age 17, Sparks’s singing chops were well beyond her years. She had a slew of pop hits right out of the gate. Sparks was also the last female contestant to win for five seasons, until Candice Glover won the crown in Season 12. Album sales: 2.6 million Popular songs: No Air, Tattoo, Battlefield

10. Clay Aiken (top, right) Second place, Season 2

“You don’t look like a pop star,” Cowell said the first time he saw the bespectacled Aiken sing. Didn’t matter: Aiken’s stunning voice won him a legion of loyal followers (Claymates) that fuelled his second-place finish. Aiken’s first album, Measure of a Man, was a monster hit. His follow-ups weren’t as successful, and these days he’s more known for his failed run for Congress, but he proved that even the unlikeliest stars can develop an intense fan base. Album sales: six million Popular songs: Invisible, This is the Night, The Way