American Idol is a reality singing competition show that was created by Simon Fuller. Airing since 2002, American Idol has transformed itself into one of the most beloved shows on TV. The concept of the American Idol is to find solo singers based on the votes given by the audience. Viewers are allowed to choose the winners through telephone, internet or SMS text voting.
Over the years, American Idol has become the launching pad for many talented singers including Kelly Clarkson, Kris Allen, Fantasia Barrino, Phillip Phillips, Taylor Hicks, David Cook and many others
Following, we would like to present you with a list of the highest earning American Idols, based on the revenues they generated in 2013. Curious to see who are the most famous former stars of the show? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No.5: Chris Daughtry
Earnings in 2013: $4 million
Chris Daughtry is an American musician best known as a rhythm guitarist and vocalist for the rock band Daughtry. He came fourth on the 5th season of American idol. Nonetheless, after his elimination from the competition, he was still given a chance by RCA records. His ‘Daughtry’ album became one of the fastest selling debut albums with more than 1 million copies after a few weeks of release.
No.4: Adam Lambert
Earnings in 2013: $5 million
Adam Lambert was the runner-up on the 8th season of American Idol in 2009. He used the popularity gained from being on the show to launch his successful career. Adam released his debut album “For Your Entertainment” in 2009. The following year, he conducted his worldwide tour “Glam Nation”, which was a big hit, in the year following his appearance on the show. There are many voices who state that the brightest part of Lambert’s singing career is still ahead of him.
No.3: Phillip Phillips
Earnings in 2013: $5 million
Phillip Phillips was the winner of the 11th season of American Idol, in 2012. His song, ‘Home’ went on to sell more than 4 million copies, a feat never accomplished before. His debut album ‘The World from the Side of the Moon’ released in November 2012 earned him platinum certification. Apart from recording albums, he also performs on The Marilyn Denis show.
No.2: Kelly Clarkson
Earnings in 2013: $7 million
Kelly Clarkson ranks second with an earning of nearly $7 million in 2013. After winning the 1st season of American Idol, her fate was sealed. Her debut ‘A Moment like This’ broke the record for the biggest jump in the chart’s history. In 2012, she released ‘Greatest Hits – Chapter one’. In December 2013, she released ‘Wrapped in Red’ which turned to be one of the biggest hits of her entire career as a songstress. In the more than 10 years that have passed since winning the show, she scored 91 number ones on the Billboard chart.
No. 1: Carrie Underwood
Earnings in 2013: $31 million
Carrie Underwood was the winner of American Idol in 2005. After winning the show, she released 4 albums, including the most popular one ‘Blown Away’ in 2012. She has earned almost $83 million in the past 5 years and is considered to be the one singer who gained the most profit as a result of her exposure during the show.
