The 10 Best ‘American Idol’ Winners

As a 2001 girlie, I feel I’m obligated to start off this list with pop superstar, Kelly Clarkson.

While I’m sure “Since U Been Gone” lives on every iPod exiled to the floor of my fellow 2000s girls’ closets (oh–and in the heads of their parents, sorry dad!), the true measure of success for Idol’s first ever winner is a stunning series of career milestones. 

Since her 2002 American Idol debut, three-time Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson has epitomized the modern American dream. She has released ten studio albums, sold 45 million singles, and has even been immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Number 2,733, if anybody is counting). 

More recently, Clarkson has garnered an average of 1.4 million daily viewers to her Emmy award-winning talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, where she continues to charm audiences with the same humor and relatability that earned her the Season One Idol win. 

The season one superstar’s evolution from American Idol winner to entertainment mogul is a testament to her raw talent and lovable authenticity. 

Not long after the show’s premiere, Carrie Underwood charmed the nation with an impressive mane of beautiful golden curls–and an even more impressive rendition of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” 

It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest names in modern country music (and one that lives on the top of every Spotify breakup playlist) started out as a small-town singer who had never even been on a plane prior to her Idol audition, but it’s not hard to believe the success that followed thanks to her incredible vocals. 

Even the unshakeable Simon Cowell was enamored with her humor and talent. 

In 2022, the Oklahoma-born superstar returned to American Idol as a mentor, and in an interview, remarked her own experience on the show as “a decision that changed [her] entire life.” 

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Next on our list, then 17-year-old Jordin Sparks made American Idol history as the show’s youngest winner. Now a multi-platinum singer-songwriter, she dazzled audiences with her youthful energy and secured the win for the sixth season. 

Sparks has gone on to produce her self-titled album, certified platinum, and has won two B.E.T awards, an American Music Award, and a People’s Choice Award. She even earned a Grammy nomination for her collaboration on “Love Me Like I Am,” with For King & Country, an Australian pop duo. 

The 34-year-old pop star relaunched her career in 2021 with The Masked Dancer and is currently teasing the release of a fifth studio album. Although, I’ll probably still be singing Battlefield in the shower until the new album drops.

Fantasia Barrino’s American Idol win is nothing short of inspiring. At the time of her audition, she was a single mother of 19, making her the youngest winner of the show until Jordin Sparks.

Her stunning performance of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” captured the hearts of a record 65 million fans, more than had ever cast votes in the show’s history. And, in case you weren’t sure, that 65 mil ensured Barrino’s 2004 win with 1.3 million more votes than her opponent. But, hey, who’s counting? 

With a journey marked by stunning resilience and the power of never giving up, we all have a thing or two to learn from the Season Three Idol winner. Plus, I could watch her Tina Turner tribute performance from this year’s Grammys every day.

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They often say that the third time’s the charm, and more often than not, whoever says that is in fact a liar. Or, perhaps they are a soft-hearted optimist. 

On rare occasions, however, one is forced to acknowledge that with hard work and determination, the third time really might be the charm–as was the case for our Season Twelve champion. 

Candice Glover became the first female vocalist to win American Idol since Season Six, following a five-season drought of non-white, non-male, non-guitar strumming victors.

Her powerful voice helped her win over Kree Harrison, securing her victory in the competition–for which she had auditioned twice before. Viewers were especially touched by her win due to her perseverance. She was compared to former Idol competitor Jennifer Hudson and even performed a duet with her on the season’s finale. Even her competitor, Harrison, expressed that she was “so thankful” to share the stage with Candice.

The courage and perseverance exhibited by Glover is truly one-of-a-kind, just like her musical talent.

Adam Lambert was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1982. He was performing with the Metropolitan Educational Theater Network by age 9, performing in local professional theater in high school, and after just five weeks at Cal State Fullerton, decided to take a leap with an American Idol audition that would change everything. 

Lambert ascended to the top of the competition thanks to his dynamic vocal range, from a theatrical background to combining modern and classic genres. His soulful rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” seemed to be the perfect foreshadowing of Lambert’s career to follow, and stole the hearts of viewers and judges. 

Following his Idol win, Lambert found himself on the cover of Rolling Stone, and was the first openly gay person to debut with an album at the top of Billboard Charts. And, if you didn’t know already, he’s also performed several times with Queen, filling the shoes of the late Freddie Mercury with a remarkable talent and the utmost charisma and charm. 

There is perhaps no more honorable role to fulfill, and Adam Lambert seems to be the perfect fit.

Next up on the list is Ruben Studdard, a fan favorite who auditioned with Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky”. The “Velvet Teddy Bear,” (a nickname Studdard gained during the competition) was warmly regarded by judges as having “a very good voice,” inspiring a (rare) unanimous seal of approval.

Studdard continued to ascend through Hollywood Week to the top 32 competitors, then covered the Carpenters’ “Superstar” for the semifinals. Paula Abdul, guest judge for the season, called it an “amazing performance” during an embrace with The Velvet Teddy Bear, and Simon Cowell regarded Studdard as having “set the standard for [the] competition.”

A “Superstar” he was indeed, going on to secure the Season Two win against Clay Aiken in “the showdown to end all showdowns.” 

Oh, and if ever you find yourself in Alabama on March 11th, be sure to mark “Ruben Studdard Day” on your calendar, as declared by then-Governor Bob Riley.

This next American Idol alum landed on this list by no mistake. If Phillip Phillips can not only make a name for himself on the competition show, but also carve out a “Home” on my dad’s USB drive from 2010, he truly must be talented. 

(If you think Simon Cowell is tough to impress, then you’ve never tried playing music for my dad. It’s never ended well for me.)

At just 21-years-old, Phillips beat out 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez for the Season 11 crown, and his coronation song, “Home,” reigned in a slew of success unlike any other track featured on the show. The mega-hit song sold 3.3 million copies, and landed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. 

During a five-year hiatus, Phillips experienced some management struggles and dealt with his wife’s serious health issues. Despite all of this, he emerged a proud new father following the COVID-19 pandemic, and allowed himself to “Drift Back” into music with his latest album in 2023. 

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Next on our list is Maddie Poppe, a multi-talented singer-songwriter hailing from Clarksville, Iowa. Her incredible showmanship and heartfelt performances throughout American Idol’s sixteenth season wowed the audience, and her on-screen romance with then-boyfriend (which was revealed in a surprise on-stage announcement) Caleb Lee Hutchinson kept viewers hooked. 

Poppe is not just a dazzling vocalist, but a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in guitar, ukulele, and the piano. Her musical skill added a range and depth to her performances that set her apart from other competitors. 

She closed the season with an honest declaration of nerves. “There were definitely so many moments where I was going to give up,” she said. Her performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” however, begged to differ. 

If Maddie could have known how she’d won the hearts of millions throughout the season, she never would have had a doubt. 

Capping off this list is the Season 22 champion, Abi Carter. As the most recently crowned victor, she is the first woman in four years to take the title. The 21-year-old California native entranced viewers and judges with Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and solidified herself as the undeniable frontrunner of the season. 

She, like Maddie Poppe, set herself apart as a multi-instrumentalist, and she also performed a combination of original and cover songs throughout the season. Her initial performance landed her the coveted Platinum ticket, which allows the competitor to skip the first round of Hollywood Week. 

Carter’s win brought tears to the eyes of many, including judge Katy Perry, who remarked her as “angelic.” As the most recent winner of Idol, I personally cannot wait to see where Abi Carter’s journey will take her. 

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