Photos: FOX
Kelly Clarkson won American Idol and debuted at Number One with her first full-length album, Thankful. Chris Daughtry was booted before he could reach the Top Three and set a chart record with his band’s first album. Taylor Hicks struck up the Soul Patrol and was crowned the Season Five champion, only to lose his label deal after sluggish sales. Sanjaya Malakar became one of the most famous contestants in Idol history during his longer-than-expected run in Season Six … and then disappeared into near obscurity.
So how will Kris Allen and Adam Lambert fare now that Season Eight has ended? After their summer Idols Live tour, the pair will be on their own — along with Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai and other ousted hopefuls who have announced their intentions to pursue music full-time — to record albums, appear on reality shows, hit Broadway or write autobiographies (see Malakar’s hilariously titled Dancing to the Music in My Head).
As Rolling Stone has noted as we examined what’s next for Adam Lambert, sometimes losing the competition guarantees a singer more success, as they can develop a game plan beyond the glare of the spotlight. Kellie Pickler grew into viable country star (and Taylor Swift pal) once the show ended; Jennifer Hudson earned an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls.
Take a look back at Idol’s winners and most memorable contestants here:
• The “American Idol” Rollercoaster: Checking In On the Show’s Biggest Winners and Losers

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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.