American Idol Runners-up: Where are they now?

American Idol Runners-up: Where are they now?


With the loss of American-Mexican-Pinay contestant Jessica Sanchez on "American Idol, Season 11," many of her supporters are consoling themselves with the idea that the show's runners-up do better than some of the winners post-"Idol." But is this based on fact or mere wishful thinking?

Let's look at the careers of the American Idol Runners-up in the past 10 seasons.

Justin Guarini (Season 1)
Lost to: Kelly Clarkson


Where is he now: The curly-haired lanky crooner was the early favorite before Clarkson transformed into a contender. After “Idol,” Guarini and Clarkson starred in the cheesy flop "From Justin To Kelly.” Guarini’s self-titled debuted album sold only 134,000 copies and he was quickly dropped by RCA Records. His succeeding albums were independently produced and released by his own production company. He also found a career as a commentator on the TV Guide Network, and most recently, moved to Broadway, where he made his stage debut in the short-lived “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.” He was also in “American Idiot,” until its closure last year.

Who wins: Kelly Clarkson by a mile


Clay Aiken (Season 2)
Lost to: Ruben Studdard


Where is he now: After what is widely considered as the closest “Idol” finale ever, Aiken’s post-show career took off immediately with the release of his multi-platinum debut album “Measure of a Man,” which sold 613,000 copies in its first week. He was able to release four more albums with RCA, including a best-selling Christmas CD, before signing with Decca Records, which released two albums, including “Steadfast” last March. Aiken launched several tours, including one with Studdard, and even penned the best-selling book “Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life.” He also made his Broadway debut in “Spamalot.” He also confirmed that he is gay in September 2008, ending years of speculation.

Who wins: While Studdard also posted high numbers for his debut album, Aiken proved to have staying power, long after his “Idol” appearance


Diana DeGarmo (Season 3)
Lost to: Fantasia Barrino


Where is she now: DeGarmo was the clear underdog in the finals -- and after the show. Her debut album “Blue Skies” sold only 168,000 copies. She made a shift to country music, even relocating to Nashville, but was only able to produce an EP that’s available at online stores and during her live shows. She eventually found her career in musical theater. She made her Broadway debut in “Hairspray,” and was set to star in Broadway revival of “Godspell,” which didn’t push through. She also appeared in the LA production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with “Idol” alum Anthony Federov. She returned to Broadway in a revival of “Hair,” which starred another “Idol” alum, Ace Young, who proposed to her during the “Idol” finale last week.

Who wins: Despite her controversial post-“Idol” career, Barrino still wins hands-down -- although DeGarmo seems to be doing better in the love department.


Bo Bice (Season 4)
Lost to: Carrie Underwood


Where is he now: Bo Bice made a lot of noise on his time on “Idol” as the first rocker to make the finals. But he was up against the first country singer to also make the finals. Bice’s debut album, “The Real Thing,” actually turned gold but he was still dropped by RCA Records soon after its release. Bice formed his own label and set up his own studio for his second CD, “See the Light.” He also recorded the theme song of the comedy film “Blades of Glory.” Bice also performed extensively for U.S. troops in Kuwait and Afghanistan, and won the grand prize on the game show “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” – the first celebrity to do so in the show.

Who wins: Underwood is considered the most successful “Idol” contestant ever. ‘Nuff said.


Katharine McPhee (Season 5)
Lost to: Taylor Hicks


Where is she now: It was a slow rise for McPhee after her runner-up finish on “Idol.” Her self-titled debut album did decent numbers, selling 381,000 copies and debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard albums charts, while the CD’s first single, “Over It,” cracked the Top 30 and went gold. She then changed record labels (to Verve) for her second album, “Unbroken.” She was also part of David Foster and Friends and even recorded a duet with Andrea Boccelli for the tenor’s album. She also signed a couple of endorsement deals with Sexy Hair Concepts and Neutrogena. McPhee, however, also had her sights on an acting career. She made her movie debut as a sorority sister of Anna Faris in “The House Bunny” in 2008 and guest-starred on several TV shows before landing a starring role in the NBC hit, “Smash,” which was recently picked up for a second season. Her stint on “Smash” led to a new record deal, this time with Columbia Records.

Who wins: McPhee-ver is back and trumps Soul Patrol. Although Hicks’ debut single, “Do I Make You Proud” outsold McPhee’s coronation song “My Destiny,” McPhee embarked on a slow-but-sure career climb.


Blake Lewis (Season 6)
Lost to: Jordin Sparks


Where is he now: His flipped-out arrangement of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name,” which incorporated his trademark beat-boxing, will probably remain among the most unique performances on “Idol,” but Lewis’s post-“Idol” career is largely forgettable. His debut album “A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)” managed to sell over 350,000 copies, while his single “How Many Words” made the Billboard Dance/Club Play charts. Lewis was dropped by Arista but was signed with Tommy Boy Entertainment, which released his second album, “Heartbreak on Vinyl,” which also charted on the Billboard Dance Charts.

Who wins: Just like in their “Idol” finale showdown, Sparks wins in a no-contest.


David Archuleta (Season 7)
Lost to: David Cook


Where is he now: His season-long rivalry with David Cook brought back viewer interest on “Idol” and this extended after the show. While Cook’s debut album turned platinum, Archuleta’s self-titled debut CD sold over 750,000 copies in the U.S. He also solidified his largely teen fan base by appearing on the TV shows “Hannah Montana” and “iCarly,” and even opened for Demi Lovato on her tour. He also won a Teen Choice Award for Best Breakout Artist. He released two other albums and even penned the memoir, “Chord of Strength,” about his partial vocal paralysis. He has announced that he is taking two years off to become a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Who wins: Just like in “Idol,” this is a close call. Forbes magazine in its list of top-earning “Idol” contestants both estimated their earnings for the year ending May 2011 at $1 million.


Adam Lambert (Season 8)
Lost to: Kris Allen


Where is he now: Heavily favored to take the title, Adam Lambert shrugged off his loss and confidently launched his post-“Idol” career with his debut album “For Your Entertainment,” which reached the Top 10 in many countries worldwide and sold nearly 2 million copies with his singles “Whataya Want From Me” and “If I Had You.” He even embarked on his own worldwide concert tour, Glam Nation – the first “Idol” to so just a year after appearing on the show. And just last week, his critically acclaimed second album, “Trepassing,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. He also won a Grammy nomination. Lambert was recently chosen to perform with the legendary band Queen in London and Moscow.

Who wins: The openly gay Lambert without batting an eyelash and don't forget the guyliner


Crystal Bowersox (Season 9)
Lost to: Lee DeWyze


Where is she now: The first female “Idol” finalist in three years released her debut album “Farmer’s Daughter” by Jive Records and her lead single, “Up to the Mountain.” However, within a year of the CD’s release, RCA announced that it was disbanding Jive, along with Arista and J Records. Bowersox soon found herself with a record label. The dreadlocked, guitar-playing folk artist said she is working on her second album and will release some pre-“Idol” material on an EP.

Who wins: While DeWyze is considered the lowest-selling “Idol” winner ever, Bowersox has not made any great strides in her career either. Maybe Bowersox will create a great second album but until then, DeWyze still has a slight advantage.


Lauren Alaina (Season 10)
Lost to: Scotty McCreery


Where is she now: Alaina was the runner-up in the only country “Idol” finale and like many country artists who joined the show, Alaina seems to be doing well after the show. Her single “Like My Mother Does” made the Billboard Hot 100 chart, debuting at No. 20, while her debut album “Wildflower” debuted at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200 chart. She has made her Grand Ole Opry debut and will open for Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party Tour and some dates of Sugarland’s In the Hands of the Fans tour.

Who wins: McCreery’s debut album has already turned platinum so Alaina still has a lot of catching up to do.

So what does this mean for Season 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez? Only three runners-up clearly outperformed the “Idol” winner in the past 10 years, so the argument that it’s better to finish at No. 2 doesn’t make that much sense. However, even this list proves that many of the runners-up have done well.

Worst-case scenario for Sanchez? Perhaps she can take a look at David Archuleta’s post-“Idol” career moves, which included going to the Philippines, recording an OPM album, maybe even shooting a TV series for a top-rated network and endorsing a clothing brand.

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