I think Kelly Clarkson is the best vocalist that came out of idol, she’s proving everyday on her talk show that she can sing anything with her incredible range!
Second best.... the best vocalist to win is Candice Glover. Kelly is number 2 far better career but pure vocal ability and technique Candice is unbeatable
@@elmerortizgonzalez2174 since any genre and vocal ability are different thing kelly is a pocket singer, knows her voice and has full control over it. that being said pure vocal ability Candice is/was at a level never seen on idol.
Kelly is just something else. She raped Lose Yourself by Eminem in Detroit and did not make a fool of herself. When I watched in TH-cam. I fell from my chair.
I remembered Adam lambert so well...his performances were beyond amazing...he really knew how to perform...even simon stood up on one of his performances if im not wrong...
Apparently Chris Daughtry actually didn't want to win. He went on the show for exposure and then told everyone he knew to stop voting for him because winners have to sign under the American Idol record label and it would be a solo album and he wanted to have his band with him, so he was actually better off not winning.
I grew up 10 minutes away from Fantasia's hometown, my smile faded so fast when she got put in the middle category😂i definitely appreciate the bump up into top tier
Glad I looked at the comments because this is my first time watching this channel but I was about to post a comment about her being middle and end the video. Lol!
If you get a chance to see Adam Lambert live you really should go. He's incredible live. He does a great job with Queen but on his solo tours he plays at smaller venues and you get the full the full effect of his vocals.
As someone who's not from the states I didn't know that Kelly was in American Idol till recently she is definitely an international star, also honorable mention to Casey Abrams the only dude in American Idol who did Jazz justice in the show.
I always felt like Chris Daughtry and Adam Lambert were better off having lost because it actually gave them more freedom to be the artists they are instead of being tied up in the idol pop star machine.
I mostly agree with your assessment. The only thing I would do differently is create a separate ranking for Adam Lambert who is absolutely in a league of his own, NO ONE else measures up. It's not just my opinion, it's a fact.
Daughtry shouldn’t be iconic, he should only be top tier. Hasn’t had a Top 40 Hot 100 song in 15 years. His last album only reached no. 50 on the charts. I loved his early music, and still love his voice, but he was only really successful in the mid to late 2000s. In my opinion only Kelly, Carrie, Jen and Adam should have iconic ranking. Kat McPhee is also quite successful, although not on the charts as much. She’s an accomplished actress, with roles on film, TV and Broadway, and still plays a lot of shows with her husband David Foster. She should be at the same tier as Fantasia and Daughtry IMO
I was asking that too. I mean if your gonna add third and forth places like Elliot Yamin and Daughtry, why not include the actual second place Kathryn? And Deana degarmo probably wouldn't rank high but she was second and Kimberly locke as well. Probablyow but she did release an album so should b a mention. And then Justin from season 1 and the second place in season.4
Overall, a decent list. Daughtry is a tier too high IMO since while his career was pretty big for a while, he hasn't had a genuine hit in 10+ years. So I don't think he can really hang with everyone else in the iconic tier in that sense. I'd say on the other hand that Kris Allen should be at least a tier higher for his Idol run alone. While it wasn't as good as Adam's, it also wasn't too far behind, and his creativity on the show made him a really solid winner. Respect for putting Haley Reinhart on the list, though! And I think you placed her appropriately based on the size and scope of her career.
Chris Daughtry has had two number one hits on rock radio in the last 18 months. Mind you NONE of his early hits EVER hit number one. He's still killing it.
@ Fair enough. I didn’t realize his recent music was as big as it is in rock circles. But that’s perhaps another reason why he probably doesn’t belong in the icon tier - because I don’t think too many people outside his fanbase and rock circles are aware of what he’s been releasing. That’s not at all a knock on his talent, but I think that top tier is really for artists whose success transcends their niche.
I agree! Maybe down just a notch. I was kinda thinking Katherine McPhee and David Archuleta might appear on the list, but compared to the others in “Mid”, maybe not.
@ David’s on this guy’s tierlist, in “good not great.” Being objective and putting my own admiration of David aside, I’d probably put him a spot higher in the middle tier based on his career. But he definitely has the potential to go up at least one more tier, and I bet he will. 👍
"Listening to any other male singer nowadays besides Adam is like downgrading from a 5 star gourment restaurant to Mcdonald's. To me, he is a vocal phenomenon whose genre flexibility has no precedent in modern pop and rock culture. Live he sounds FANTASTIC!" (Meat Loaf) What l particularly like about Lambert is his versatility. No wonder critics call him a vocal chameleon.
Kris Allen doing Heartless turned me into a major fan but in hindsight Adam should’ve won. Also season 10 had Lauren Alaina who’s doing pretty well for herself in the country scene
Years ago, when Simon Cowell was being interviewed about American Idol winners - he said that Kelly Clarkson was the best singer they ever discovered, that Fantasia was his favorite winner and that Carrie would be the most successful in the music industry. ✔✔✔
@@luchovg86 Carrie Underwood has sold 85 million records worldwide - all ten of her albums debuted in the Billboard 200 top 10, 7 of her albums are certified platinum or multi platinum, she has won 8 Grammy Awards and 17 American Music Awards. Plus 12 Billboard Awards, 25 CMT Awards and 7 CMA awards. She has had far more number one records than Kelly because she is on the Billboard Country Chart. Carrie is the only woman in country music to be named entertainer of the year TWICE. She sells out ARENA tours. She is the biggest selling artist of ANY American Idol contestant and the wealthiest. = SUCCESS
@TombCat only in USA. Kelly is worldwide famoud. Is the biggest selling artist from AI WORLDWIDE. Im from Argentina. We know Kelly here. No one knows Carrie because she sings country. Plus the fact it s way more difficult to have a nr 1 in the HOT 100 than in an specific genre chart. And Kelly is the one with the most nr 1's in this chart.
@@luchovg86 I love Kelly Clarkson's voice and think she is the best singer in popular music today. But your argument is silly. Success in the music business is measured by Awards, Records sold, MONEY earned, number of hits and how many people will pay to see you LIVE. Carrie beats Kelly by every measure. You chose to argue for no good reason. Kelly became more popular from her time on The Voice and singing on her Talk Show. She is popular on TV. But her music does not sell well for many, many years now. And she has only won 3 Grammy Awards in 21 years! She only had 3 number one songs - the last was 13 years ago. In the music business, in the history books and on the record charts - Carrie has had MUCH more success. These are FACTS. Just as Simon Cowell predicted. My original post was meant to be a point of interest. You chose to argue that Kelly is more successful in the music business than Carrie Underwood. That's not true.
@TombCat You are, in actuality, just arguing semantics. Success in general and music success can be one in the same to many. And some see it as mutually exclusive. Why are so many humans so truculent? So eager to be right when there is no point in doing such but self gratification.
This is very interesting to see from a UK standpoint. I thought I'd disagree a whole lot more but I actually agree with most of them. Jordin Sparks first two albums are two of the greatest 1-2 album combinations from any reality TV show entrant, ever. That run was INSANE! 100% very underrated.
I definitely think the argument could be made that Adam Lambert is the best vocalist to come out of American Idol. As a huge KC, J-Hud, and Fantasia fan, Adam just blows me away when I hear him sing everything.
As someone who grew up in a very Christian social environment I think homophobia was why Adam Lambert didn't win. Everyone I knew was rooting for Kris Allen because he was indistinguishable from a worship pastor lol. Adam Lambert was too risque and too gender non-conforming for the tastes of a lot of Christians at the time. And the early 2000's were a pretty homophobic time in general. It feels totally insane now though.
I could almost sign all of your views BUT you have a HUUUUUUGE blindspot in David Cook! That dude was frekkin awesome on the show! And I've interviewed the guy couple of times and he is such a nice person. Okay, he didn't become as big of a star that many would have liked but he still has pretty darn good songs on his albums. Light on, Permanent, Bar-ba-sol, Paper Heart, Heartbeat...
David Archuleta has been making a comeback recently. It took him a while because he's been fighting with this mormon family, but now that he's free to do whatever he wants, he's been making very good singles for himself. He performed at Disney for the food and wine festival. Like you said, he was on Masked Singer and actually won second place. What is also true was that American Idol really didn't give a shit about LGBT performers. The last few winners of the first ten seasons really showcased the ideal white man pop star and what I found funny in those cases were that they might've had a good debut single, but then they went absolutely nowhere after that while the runner ups ended up having careers in some form. David's story that he told on Jennette McCurdy's podcast was really sad. As a child, I never would've understood that, but as an adult, it makes so much more sense. I'm hoping that David can continue his comeback era. He deserves it.
Fantasia is Iconic! Glad you bumped her up but honestly she was many peoples favorite! Yes JHud is also extremely talented and noteworthy but they both are two of the greatest voices and personas to come out of Idol. I do agree that Kelly is the best of All time
I saw the "Iconic" symbol on the thumb nail and wondered if you had a clue about the first ten seasons. Well... you did. Before watching, I named the five (and only five) that belonged in that category. You nailed it. My ONLY change would be moving David Cook into the top tier area. Not for his post-Idol career, but for winning. Think back... There was doubt (even from Simon Cowell) about Cook advancing in the earlier rounds. He was constantly improving. Incidentally... Your two "Shouldn't have won" entries were also spot on. And yes... I truly believe Adam Lambert losing began Idol's fall into irrelevance.
I was a Chris Daughtry guy and was shocked as well. You should do a list of popular artists that tried out for American Idol and the Voice that didn't make it on the show
David Cook is what I disagree with your list. He is Top Tier Yeah okey, maybe he didn't found fame like the others, but as a contestant and as a singer he was top tier and deffo deserved to win that year. He was original and he has kept himself busy after Idol.
I hate when people talk about season three and discuss Jen’s amazing accomplishments then try to play down Fantasia’s. If we’re judging the winners/contestants on their Music Careers, Fantasia is arguably one of the most successful American idols winners and contestants, millions of records sold, plenty Grammy nominations and a win. She holds a billboard record, and a number 1. Music wise Fantasia is the most successful African American artist to come from Idol and she is still touring and releasing music. Add in her work in musicals on Broadway and Her recent staring in a Blockbuster Musical film.
Putting Fantasia not in the top tier is criminal. Glad you corrected it. She is one of the most well known Idols to this day and a phenomenal actress. People still sing every word to When I See You, Free Yourself, Truth Is, Without Me, and more. She definitely was a great winner.
I feel like Jordin is not the same level as Fantasia. Jordin is pretty popular back in the day but that popularity is very short lived. Fantasia has Grammys and lead a Tony musical and was also in a lead motion picture. And is still quite relevant today. IMO, she is more relevant than Daughtry right now.
Jordin was also the lead on Waitress on Broadway a few years ago and has hosted TV shows. Fantasia has been more consistent. But, Jordin is still relevant and that seems to be growing.
Kris Allen winning over Adam Lambert was the single biggest travesty in the history of the show. Kris is certainly a talented guy, and a pleasant singer, but honestly, nothing really special. Adam, on the other hand, is a truly unique talent, with a highly individual style, absolutely freakishly amazing vocal chops, and is a charismatic, energetic, and wildly entertaining performer. His tours with Queen, his solo albums, and now his star turn in one of musical theater's most iconic roles, The Emcee in Cabaret, on Broadway, are proof of his iconic status. Another performer who had really mad skills, and actually works a lot with his good friend Haley Reinhart, is Casey Abrams. He was totally unique in the American Idol rosters, as a true jazz artist.
Everybody knows the only reason he didn't win was for political reasons.... It wasn't cool yet to make an openly gay person win a major reality show title winner.. even though he deserved the title.
This was fun. I generally agree with your rankings. I did a weekly review for several years and was a guest idol commentator on a large metro radio show, so I was really into it as well. I agree with your iconic tier 100%. I wouldn’t put Kris Allen in the bottom because, while he shouldn’t have won, he was middle tier with 4-5 albums. I’d put Cook a tier above Archeleta, although I expected Cook to be a superstar and he sort of faded. Finally, even though Elliot Yamin didn’t do that much, I also have a soft spot for him. 😊
I actually watched Daughtry live in concert and he is so amazing at what he does man it’s amazing how much his words can actually feel like idk if that made sense but ykwim
I hate to say it, I tried so hard to finish it, but the explanations from someone who is a major Idol fan kind of threw me off. Because if you’re basing this off their careers, some of them were put too high and some of them were put too low, and some people from the seasons were left out that deserve to be included. But again this is all your opinion. And I’m glad you did Idol video.
I was so pissed when you put Fantasia in the middle. Her time on the show is memorable, she won a Grammy, and she has been on Broadway with The Color Purple and received acclaim for her role in the movie too. She is borderline Top Tier and Iconic.
I’m so glad you moved Fantasia up. Her career is definitely top tier and she’s still able to tour today. She has a Grammy and has also been nominated for an Oscar and a Tony
Love this. Only changes I would make Hailey should be up with Fantasia. And David Archuleta is still growing as an artist should be up there as well. Cherrs
How about you rank the AI Judges next? Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen Degeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood.
I love Simon Cowell because he speaks his mind, blunt, dirty and to the point. He doesn't give a rats but what anyone thinks or says, he is right about 99% of the time. Left idol after Adam lost on season 8.
U said Taylor hicks went up against Daughtry but I also said Daughtry came im forth. You did say Taylor went up against Kathryn Mcgee earlier so just wanted to mentioned that. But nice video. How come you didn't rank Kathryn McPhee? Or Deana degarmo the second place who went up against fantasia? They are probably low ranking anyways but so wondering since u said your ranking first and second and second places, but then you added Elliot Yamin and Daughtry.
The algorithm was def doing its thing because I am the target audience for this demo 🤣 I was ready to go off when fantasia was in middle, glad you moved her up but I still think she could be in iconic, especially if Daughtry and Lambert are because I think she is to R&B what they are to their genres and has had the same success (not to mention her stints on Broadway and award nominations for The Color Purple film). Jordin is def top tier and has discography gems, prob the most underrated of the iconic/top tier winners While Kris Allen may be one of my favorite winners, I agree. And SOOO glad for the Haley Reinhart love, maybe the most underrated contestant. Only other note is that season 11 was my last true season, so I wonder where Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez would have fallen, as Phillip probably would have ended up at middle due to the success of “Home.” Jessica probably should have won and had very middling success - so she’d probably also be in middle category with Phillip like the two Davids. And one more thing…speaking of them. I do think David Archuleta could be middle. “Crush” was a l hit…I would equate it to Elliot’s success, plus he is having a big resurgence over the past couple of years hand continues to be a fan favorite.
OK see you lost me with the Fantasia ranking so I’m just gonna cut it off here lol. You listed Jennifer making Time’s most influential people and had a star on the walk of fame. Fantasia just made that list and a star on the walk of fame this year just last year along with the Golden Globe nomination. She’s won a Grammy, she’s had more hits/sold more than Jennifer (who I love and is properly placed) they should both be iconic.
Right. I’m turning it off here too. He clearly doesn’t do his research. Fantasia has one of the best music careers of any Idol contestants. Literally top 5.
Jeez, from American Idoĺ to beiñg on stage with one of the best rock bands of all time! Lucky, talented bude LOL. A Lambert is unbelievable , fantastic voice. Agree, Queen found themselves an incredibie voice and one ģood looking frontman too th-cam.com/video/d8eWy5w01KU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3ISKq_nt7bmsU7OV
I agree with your list. I personally believe that Adam Lambert not winning in his season is the worst reality singing contest result ever. He is miles better than Kris. *Just a little adjustment to include Katharine Mcphee in the list.
หลายเดือนก่อน
He looks stereotypically american in a good way, handsome yankee
I watched American Idol until Philip Philipps, who was great on the show, btw. I have to disagree on some things here: Taylor Hicks was not liked by Simon but was an audience favourite from the get go. I always thought he was awkward dancing and somewhat goofy, but decent singer, his voice reminded me of Michael McDonald. But his style was dated, so it was clear he wasn’t going to have a superstar career. Meanwhile McPhee and Daughtry were very current, so they had better careers. Yamin was never on my favourite list. I didn’t care for his Wait For You song either. I’d change the channel when it played on the radio. I actually thought Daughtry was going to turn into a new Bon Jovi, but he didn’t go that big either, so I wouldn’t say he is iconic. Maybe in the American Idol universe. I don’t see him making rock and roll hall of fame, for example, if his career keeps as is right now. I think the Davids did better than Ruben and Clay, who, just like Hicks, were very dated for the pop music of the 2000s. Archuleta was a favourite from the start but Cook stole the spotlight with more creative and audacious performances (Always Be My Baby and Hello were my favourites). Cook deserved the win, and I’d put him in the top tier based on talent alone. Lee Dwyze shouldn’t have won. Crystal was much better. Scott was very one-note, and Haley should have won just for her Bennie and The Jets performance. Lambert was amazing and didn’t win for the same reason Americans won’t vote for Harris, even though they were much more qualified. Food for thought.
Sooo Jordan Sparks deserves top tier where as Fantasia who has a few #1 albums and far more hits than Jordan isn’t?? No disrespect to Jordan I love her 1st album…. But that’s all!
JHud was never going to win her season, she overhang and was out of her league. Sure she had the most success from that season but she went when she was supposed too
Want to shout out the runner up to Scotty, Lauren Alaina She’s also a great singer with a decent post-Idol career I’ve actually seen her live and I really enjoy her music
Not sure if it’s true, but I read that Daughtry didn’t win because he wanted to use his band he already performed with pre American Idol, so he was basically written out of the show.
I don't believe that... Eliot Yamin, Chris and Katherine McPhee were all better than Taylor Hicks....it was a really hard fought season, but it's the popular vote that counts. Chris came in 4th...he should have been in the top 3 instead of Hicks
i don't know what you've been smoking, but Scotty McCreery has had at least 5 #1's on the country chart...5 More minutes was his first, this is it was #3, and a few others that went #1
I thought season 1 was Uber rich with raw talent. People like Ryan Starr and RJ Helton should have gone much further in their post Idol careers. They had the goods: looks, voice, charisma and the mystique that came from being a first season contestant. It was funny to discover that Justin Guarini was the diet Dr Pepper Prince doppelganger commercial guy.
Dude, David Archuleta has released over a dozen albums, he must be higher than Clay Aiken for that. Give him the respect of being the youngest of them all and nearly as hard working with his music as Kelly.
Pretty decent ranking overall. Your iconic tier is deserving. But honestly, Kelly deserves a tier of her own. Like...a God tier or something. And dude...Carrie Underwood is also country lol. Unless you were referring to male country singers to come out of AI.
Kelly really took her win to the global stage. Her songs and fame have transcended beyond America. No one, not even Jennifer, Carrie or Adam, came close to her.
I beg to differ on those other 4. Jennifer is an EGOT winner along with a talk show like Kelly does. Carrie is top tier country artist and has won numerous awards, NFL uses her song and voice and goodness Adam Lambert is a dang ICON all over the world, collaboration as Queen Front man for past 12 yrs, has 5+ albums, multitude of awards and currently headlining on Broadway in Cabaret. His voice is astounding...
@@lilyz2156 Well, I am talking about international fame. Adam yes, I think he is famous, especially as the frontman for Queen. But his own discography really does not carry much commerical value besides Whataya Want From Me. For Carrie, not so much. My comment says about taking fame onto the global stage. Carrie's genre is what limits her and how many actually watch NFL or listens to her music outside of the U..S? I live in Asia and really, no one really knows of her or plays her music, not even Before He Cheats or JTTW. Her commercial success in the world's largest music market is what catapulted her to great fame, but the world is more than just America. I'd admit I don't know much about Jennifer's fame globally, so I stand corrected. But from her stats, it seems that her commercial success musically is pretty niche and limited.
Pretty solid list. I think the show lost a lot of fandom after these seasons also, it became a bit repetitive after awhile, other competition shows came out and around that time stars started popping out from TH-cam and other social media where vocal prowess played a lesser role in identifying an artist.
Carrie is the American Idol goat within the context of a musical career and ultimately if we are truly keeping true to the context of Idol as the ultimate launching pad to a musical career then she is American idol personified (and the Idol empire, producers , Ryan Seacrest .. *if anyone would know who is the biggest star to come out of idol it’s him and Mr Simon Cowell himself would agree).. she has sold far more records than any previous or present idol winner , is far more accomplished in terms of number 1’s in her genre, and won far more Grammy’s (8 grammy’s to be exact) also has a Hollywood star walk of fame as well and to cap it all off, she has come full circle by being the newly appointed American Idol judge … Kelly’s award winning talk show is great and being the voice coach and all keeps her relevant but it’s not like she is actively promoting new music or going on tours either and if anything mostly does covers for her show In terms of singing ability .. the best singers to ever grace idol is Fantasia , Latoya London and Jennifer Hudson with a honorable mention to Adam Lambert in this category Ps. I will say however that Carrie is still super underrated for her vocal ability (as surprising as that may seem)
No lies detected. It’d be interesting to see more also ran contestants and see where they ranked. Season 5 felt like it had 10 top tier contestants from a talent perspective.
I think Kelly Clarkson is the best vocalist that came out of idol, she’s proving everyday on her talk show that she can sing anything with her incredible range!
Second best.... the best vocalist to win is Candice Glover. Kelly is number 2 far better career but pure vocal ability and technique Candice is unbeatable
@ I guess you haven’t heard Kelly Clarkson enough !
Kelly Clarkson can sing any genre, i’ve heard Candice Glover she is pretty good , but not like Kelly Clarkson
@@elmerortizgonzalez2174 since any genre and vocal ability are different thing
kelly is a pocket singer, knows her voice and has full control over it. that being said pure vocal ability Candice is/was at a level never seen on idol.
Kelly is just something else. She raped Lose Yourself by Eminem in Detroit and did not make a fool of herself. When I watched in TH-cam. I fell from my chair.
Absolutely right about Adam! He was and still is on a completely different level.
Isn't that the truth !
I remembered Adam lambert so well...his performances were beyond amazing...he really knew how to perform...even simon stood up on one of his performances if im not wrong...
Apparently Chris Daughtry actually didn't want to win. He went on the show for exposure and then told everyone he knew to stop voting for him because winners have to sign under the American Idol record label and it would be a solo album and he wanted to have his band with him, so he was actually better off not winning.
Lol. As if his friends and family were the only reason he didn't win haha
I grew up 10 minutes away from Fantasia's hometown, my smile faded so fast when she got put in the middle category😂i definitely appreciate the bump up into top tier
Glad I looked at the comments because this is my first time watching this channel but I was about to post a comment about her being middle and end the video. Lol!
I stopped watching because the disrespect was real there, ain’t no way.
Dante put Carrie Underwood in iconic because he didn’t want her name carved on the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive
🤣🤣🤣
It’s been 14 years and I STILL refuse to accept that Crystal Bowersox didn’t win Season 9
If you get a chance to see Adam Lambert live you really should go. He's incredible live. He does a great job with Queen but on his solo tours he plays at smaller venues and you get the full the full effect of his vocals.
As someone who's not from the states I didn't know that Kelly was in American Idol till recently she is definitely an international star, also honorable mention to Casey Abrams the only dude in American Idol who did Jazz justice in the show.
I always felt like Chris Daughtry and Adam Lambert were better off having lost because it actually gave them more freedom to be the artists they are instead of being tied up in the idol pop star machine.
100%
I mostly agree with your assessment. The only thing I would do differently is create a separate ranking for Adam Lambert who is absolutely in a league of his own, NO ONE else measures up. It's not just my opinion, it's a fact.
Daughtry shouldn’t be iconic, he should only be top tier. Hasn’t had a Top 40 Hot 100 song in 15 years. His last album only reached no. 50 on the charts. I loved his early music, and still love his voice, but he was only really successful in the mid to late 2000s. In my opinion only Kelly, Carrie, Jen and Adam should have iconic ranking. Kat McPhee is also quite successful, although not on the charts as much. She’s an accomplished actress, with roles on film, TV and Broadway, and still plays a lot of shows with her husband David Foster. She should be at the same tier as Fantasia and Daughtry IMO
I was asking that too. I mean if your gonna add third and forth places like Elliot Yamin and Daughtry, why not include the actual second place Kathryn? And Deana degarmo probably wouldn't rank high but she was second and Kimberly locke as well. Probablyow but she did release an album so should b a mention. And then Justin from season 1 and the second place in season.4
Overall, a decent list. Daughtry is a tier too high IMO since while his career was pretty big for a while, he hasn't had a genuine hit in 10+ years. So I don't think he can really hang with everyone else in the iconic tier in that sense. I'd say on the other hand that Kris Allen should be at least a tier higher for his Idol run alone. While it wasn't as good as Adam's, it also wasn't too far behind, and his creativity on the show made him a really solid winner.
Respect for putting Haley Reinhart on the list, though! And I think you placed her appropriately based on the size and scope of her career.
Chris Daughtry has had two number one hits on rock radio in the last 18 months. Mind you NONE of his early hits EVER hit number one. He's still killing it.
@ Fair enough. I didn’t realize his recent music was as big as it is in rock circles. But that’s perhaps another reason why he probably doesn’t belong in the icon tier - because I don’t think too many people outside his fanbase and rock circles are aware of what he’s been releasing. That’s not at all a knock on his talent, but I think that top tier is really for artists whose success transcends their niche.
I agree! Maybe down just a notch. I was kinda thinking Katherine McPhee and David Archuleta might appear on the list, but compared to the others in “Mid”, maybe not.
@ David’s on this guy’s tierlist, in “good not great.” Being objective and putting my own admiration of David aside, I’d probably put him a spot higher in the middle tier based on his career. But he definitely has the potential to go up at least one more tier, and I bet he will. 👍
Adam has left all other contestants in the rear view mirrow❤❤❤
ADAM Lambert is a full artist, a showman, if you could go and watch him sing live...go and do it, he is a true Icon.
David Cook would have been iconic if 19 Recordings would have supported him!
Agreed. Massively underused for an insanely talented artist.
"Listening to any other male singer nowadays besides Adam is like downgrading from a 5 star gourment restaurant to Mcdonald's. To me, he is a vocal
phenomenon whose genre flexibility has no precedent in modern pop and rock culture. Live he sounds FANTASTIC!" (Meat Loaf)
What l particularly like about Lambert is his versatility. No wonder critics call him a vocal chameleon.
I will maintain that once Paula Abdul left American Idol, it wasn't the same.
Last time I watched American Idol was went Adam Lambert didn't win ! I follow him to this day !
Kris Allen doing Heartless turned me into a major fan but in hindsight Adam should’ve won. Also season 10 had Lauren Alaina who’s doing pretty well for herself in the country scene
David Cook was one of my absolute favorites! His renditions of songs were so 🔥!
Years ago, when Simon Cowell was being interviewed about American Idol winners - he said that Kelly Clarkson was the best singer they ever discovered, that Fantasia was his favorite winner and that Carrie would be the most successful in the music industry. ✔✔✔
Define success? Kelly is worlwide famous and has more number one songs .
@@luchovg86 Carrie Underwood has sold 85 million records worldwide - all ten of her albums debuted in the Billboard 200 top 10, 7 of her albums are certified platinum or multi platinum, she has won 8 Grammy Awards and 17 American Music Awards. Plus 12 Billboard Awards, 25 CMT Awards and 7 CMA awards. She has had far more number one records than Kelly because she is on the Billboard Country Chart. Carrie is the only woman in country music to be named entertainer of the year TWICE. She sells out ARENA tours. She is the biggest selling artist of ANY American Idol contestant and the wealthiest. = SUCCESS
@TombCat only in USA. Kelly is worldwide famoud. Is the biggest selling artist from AI WORLDWIDE. Im from Argentina. We know Kelly here. No one knows Carrie because she sings country. Plus the fact it s way more difficult to have a nr 1 in the HOT 100 than in an specific genre chart. And Kelly is the one with the most nr 1's in this chart.
@@luchovg86 I love Kelly Clarkson's voice and think she is the best singer in popular music today.
But your argument is silly. Success in the music business is measured by Awards, Records sold, MONEY earned, number of hits and how many people will pay to see you LIVE. Carrie beats Kelly by every measure. You chose to argue for no good reason. Kelly became more popular from her time on The Voice and singing on her Talk Show. She is popular on TV. But her music does not sell well for many, many years now. And she has only won 3 Grammy Awards in 21 years! She only had 3 number one songs - the last was 13 years ago.
In the music business, in the history books and on the record charts - Carrie has had MUCH more success. These are FACTS. Just as Simon Cowell predicted. My original post was meant to be a point of interest. You chose to argue that Kelly is more successful in the music business than Carrie Underwood. That's not true.
@TombCat You are, in actuality, just arguing semantics. Success in general and music success can be one in the same to many. And some see it as mutually exclusive.
Why are so many humans so truculent? So eager to be right when there is no point in doing such but self gratification.
the show crashed and burned after Adam Lambert didn't win. it's never been the same. Adam DEF belongs on the ICONIC tier! 👑
This is very interesting to see from a UK standpoint. I thought I'd disagree a whole lot more but I actually agree with most of them. Jordin Sparks first two albums are two of the greatest 1-2 album combinations from any reality TV show entrant, ever. That run was INSANE! 100% very underrated.
I definitely think the argument could be made that Adam Lambert is the best vocalist to come out of American Idol. As a huge KC, J-Hud, and Fantasia fan, Adam just blows me away when I hear him sing everything.
I feel like he and Kelly tie
As someone who grew up in a very Christian social environment I think homophobia was why Adam Lambert didn't win. Everyone I knew was rooting for Kris Allen because he was indistinguishable from a worship pastor lol. Adam Lambert was too risque and too gender non-conforming for the tastes of a lot of Christians at the time. And the early 2000's were a pretty homophobic time in general. It feels totally insane now though.
I could almost sign all of your views BUT you have a HUUUUUUGE blindspot in David Cook! That dude was frekkin awesome on the show! And I've interviewed the guy couple of times and he is such a nice person. Okay, he didn't become as big of a star that many would have liked but he still has pretty darn good songs on his albums. Light on, Permanent, Bar-ba-sol, Paper Heart, Heartbeat...
David Archuleta has been making a comeback recently. It took him a while because he's been fighting with this mormon family, but now that he's free to do whatever he wants, he's been making very good singles for himself. He performed at Disney for the food and wine festival. Like you said, he was on Masked Singer and actually won second place. What is also true was that American Idol really didn't give a shit about LGBT performers. The last few winners of the first ten seasons really showcased the ideal white man pop star and what I found funny in those cases were that they might've had a good debut single, but then they went absolutely nowhere after that while the runner ups ended up having careers in some form. David's story that he told on Jennette McCurdy's podcast was really sad. As a child, I never would've understood that, but as an adult, it makes so much more sense. I'm hoping that David can continue his comeback era. He deserves it.
I love the different video concept! And yeah season 11 was a banger, my fav season.
Bro kindred spirits here! Thanks for this video.
Adam Lambert is the Greatest. Kelly and Carrie are as well !
This is something I never expected, but thoroughly enjoyed 😂
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I agree with you with you. Especially in the iconic tab.
Fantasia is Iconic! Glad you bumped her up but honestly she was many peoples favorite! Yes JHud is also extremely talented and noteworthy but they both are two of the greatest voices and personas to come out of Idol. I do agree that Kelly is the best of All time
I saw the "Iconic" symbol on the thumb nail and wondered if you had a clue about the first ten seasons. Well... you did.
Before watching, I named the five (and only five) that belonged in that category. You nailed it.
My ONLY change would be moving David Cook into the top tier area. Not for his post-Idol career, but for winning. Think back...
There was doubt (even from Simon Cowell) about Cook advancing in the earlier rounds. He was constantly improving.
Incidentally... Your two "Shouldn't have won" entries were also spot on. And yes... I truly believe Adam Lambert losing began Idol's fall into irrelevance.
Melinda and Haley belong to the "shouldve won category"
this isn’t wrestling. i didn’t sign up for this……
but i’ll still watch it
same
🤣
Cook sold over 2 million albums…. Saying he didn’t do much post show is WILD
The more you know! I gotta put more respect on David Cook’s name
Yeah but to be fair, how much of that was his first compared to the other 3?
I might know one David Cook song
Thank You for putting up Hailey Reinhardt! JLo even said they all thought she'd win.
Fantasia is everything!!!!
I was a Chris Daughtry guy and was shocked as well. You should do a list of popular artists that tried out for American Idol and the Voice that didn't make it on the show
David Cook is what I disagree with your list. He is Top Tier Yeah okey, maybe he didn't found fame like the others, but as a contestant and as a singer he was top tier and deffo deserved to win that year. He was original and he has kept himself busy after Idol.
Lee Dewyze came out with out of my favorite songs of all time. Sweet Serendipity.
I did like that song!
Adam lambert is the goat
I hate when people talk about season three and discuss Jen’s amazing accomplishments then try to play down Fantasia’s.
If we’re judging the winners/contestants on their Music Careers, Fantasia is arguably one of the most successful American idols winners and contestants, millions of records sold, plenty Grammy nominations and a win. She holds a billboard record, and a number 1. Music wise Fantasia is the most successful African American artist to come from Idol and she is still touring and releasing music. Add in her work in musicals on Broadway and Her recent staring in a Blockbuster Musical film.
I agree with your results. Also never got into idol after season 10. I’ve seen Kelly, Carrie, Doughtry perform at concerts.👍
Putting Fantasia not in the top tier is criminal. Glad you corrected it. She is one of the most well known Idols to this day and a phenomenal actress. People still sing every word to When I See You, Free Yourself, Truth Is, Without Me, and more. She definitely was a great winner.
I feel like Jordin is not the same level as Fantasia. Jordin is pretty popular back in the day but that popularity is very short lived. Fantasia has Grammys and lead a Tony musical and was also in a lead motion picture. And is still quite relevant today. IMO, she is more relevant than Daughtry right now.
Jordin was also the lead on Waitress on Broadway a few years ago and has hosted TV shows. Fantasia has been more consistent. But, Jordin is still relevant and that seems to be growing.
Kris Allen winning over Adam Lambert was the single biggest travesty in the history of the show. Kris is certainly a talented guy, and a pleasant singer, but honestly, nothing really special. Adam, on the other hand, is a truly unique talent, with a highly individual style, absolutely freakishly amazing vocal chops, and is a charismatic, energetic, and wildly entertaining performer. His tours with Queen, his solo albums, and now his star turn in one of musical theater's most iconic roles, The Emcee in Cabaret, on Broadway, are proof of his iconic status. Another performer who had really mad skills, and actually works a lot with his good friend Haley Reinhart, is Casey Abrams. He was totally unique in the American Idol rosters, as a true jazz artist.
Everybody knows the only reason he didn't win was for political reasons.... It wasn't cool yet to make an openly gay person win a major reality show title winner.. even though he deserved the title.
@@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos Agreed
@@Azarath_Metrion_Zinthos absolutely! Nevertheless, Adam's had a fabulous career anyway, and where is Kris? Talent won out in the end.
This was fun. I generally agree with your rankings. I did a weekly review for several years and was a guest idol commentator on a large metro radio show, so I was really into it as well. I agree with your iconic tier 100%. I wouldn’t put Kris Allen in the bottom because, while he shouldn’t have won, he was middle tier with 4-5 albums. I’d put Cook a tier above Archeleta, although I expected Cook to be a superstar and he sort of faded. Finally, even though Elliot Yamin didn’t do that much, I also have a soft spot for him. 😊
I actually watched Daughtry live in concert and he is so amazing at what he does man it’s amazing how much his words can actually feel like idk if that made sense but ykwim
So many great singers that have been on this show, in particular that first decade.
I hate to say it, I tried so hard to finish it, but the explanations from someone who is a major Idol fan kind of threw me off. Because if you’re basing this off their careers, some of them were put too high and some of them were put too low, and some people from the seasons were left out that deserve to be included. But again this is all your opinion. And I’m glad you did Idol video.
I do not hate Lee Dewise, but I remember I could just not get over Crystal Bowersox losing.
I was so pissed when you put Fantasia in the middle. Her time on the show is memorable, she won a Grammy, and she has been on Broadway with The Color Purple and received acclaim for her role in the movie too. She is borderline Top Tier and Iconic.
Fantasia in the Color Purple was iconic.
Nice list! I would love to see this done with america’s got talent if you watched that. And don’t forget David Archuleta was on iCarly!
Fantasia should be top tier
I’m so glad you moved Fantasia up. Her career is definitely top tier and she’s still able to tour today. She has a Grammy and has also been nominated for an Oscar and a Tony
She has not been nominated for an Oscar. She has golden globes nom tho
Kelly is by far the best vocalist out of everyone!! There is nothing this woman can't sing. Pop, rock, blues, country, R&B, jazz and even opera!!!
I’m excited for the ranking of other winners
No mention of Lauren Alaina? She has had some recent success in country music during the last few years.
This! "Road Less Traveled" is one of the best Idol alum songs
The fact that he did season 10 and didn't mention Pia or James is mind blowing
hey unc i wanna see your favorite jcole songs. NEXT VIDEO IDEA IM A GENIUS.
👀
i didn't hear kelly pickler i think she had a moment no? or was that later?
Love this. Only changes I would make Hailey should be up with Fantasia. And David Archuleta is still growing as an artist should be up there as well. Cherrs
How about you rank the AI Judges next? Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen Degeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood.
Carrie's a judge now?
I love Simon Cowell because he speaks his mind, blunt, dirty and to the point. He doesn't give a rats but what anyone thinks or says, he is right about 99% of the time. Left idol after Adam lost on season 8.
@@lilyz2156He tough me how to give criticts and throw better shade.
@@londonbordeaux unfortunately yes! She replaced Katy Perry!
@@londonbordeaux Carrie is Replacing Katy Perry for the new season in February 2025.
I very much disagree with David Cook. Should be higher. Great in concert and on Broadway!
U said Taylor hicks went up against Daughtry but I also said Daughtry came im forth. You did say Taylor went up against Kathryn Mcgee earlier so just wanted to mentioned that. But nice video. How come you didn't rank Kathryn McPhee? Or Deana degarmo the second place who went up against fantasia? They are probably low ranking anyways but so wondering since u said your ranking first and second and second places, but then you added Elliot Yamin and Daughtry.
Taylor Hicks: two words....Soul Patrol!! But yeah I feel you haha
The algorithm was def doing its thing because I am the target audience for this demo 🤣 I was ready to go off when fantasia was in middle, glad you moved her up but I still think she could be in iconic, especially if Daughtry and Lambert are because I think she is to R&B what they are to their genres and has had the same success (not to mention her stints on Broadway and award nominations for The Color Purple film). Jordin is def top tier and has discography gems, prob the most underrated of the iconic/top tier winners
While Kris Allen may be one of my favorite winners, I agree. And SOOO glad for the Haley Reinhart love, maybe the most underrated contestant. Only other note is that season 11 was my last true season, so I wonder where Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez would have fallen, as Phillip probably would have ended up at middle due to the success of “Home.” Jessica probably should have won and had very middling success - so she’d probably also be in middle category with Phillip like the two Davids.
And one more thing…speaking of them. I do think David Archuleta could be middle. “Crush” was a l hit…I would equate it to Elliot’s success, plus he is having a big resurgence over the past couple of years hand continues to be a fan favorite.
Scotty should be in the Top Tier. His career is still going strong, has many hits on country charts.
Why didnt you rank all runner ups as well? I missed Justin Guarini, Diana Degarmo, Bo Bice etcc.. that would have been interesting.
OK see you lost me with the Fantasia ranking so I’m just gonna cut it off here lol. You listed Jennifer making Time’s most influential people and had a star on the walk of fame. Fantasia just made that list and a star on the walk of fame this year just last year along with the Golden Globe nomination. She’s won a Grammy, she’s had more hits/sold more than Jennifer (who I love and is properly placed) they should both be iconic.
Right. I’m turning it off here too. He clearly doesn’t do his research. Fantasia has one of the best music careers of any Idol contestants. Literally top 5.
I never really cared for Fantasia personally. Different strokes
@@samjohnson7869 personal preference doesn’t negate the fact that she is one of the icon status American Idol winners/contestants.
@ listen!
it is his ranking though... his own opinion
You should watch this upcoming season and give weekly recaps :) Something like Clark Beckham does on his channel, I think you would be good at it
Melinda Doolittle is the Best American Idol we never had! 😢
I’m surprised you haven’t even mentioned her!
Jeez, from American Idoĺ to beiñg on stage with one of the best rock bands of all time! Lucky, talented bude LOL. A Lambert is unbelievable , fantastic voice. Agree, Queen found themselves an incredibie voice and one ģood looking frontman too th-cam.com/video/d8eWy5w01KU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3ISKq_nt7bmsU7OV
I agree with your list. I personally believe that Adam Lambert not winning in his season is the worst reality singing contest result ever. He is miles better than Kris.
*Just a little adjustment to include Katharine Mcphee in the list.
He looks stereotypically american in a good way, handsome yankee
Adam Lambert one the best vocalist alive!
I watched American Idol until Philip Philipps, who was great on the show, btw. I have to disagree on some things here:
Taylor Hicks was not liked by Simon but was an audience favourite from the get go. I always thought he was awkward dancing and somewhat goofy, but decent singer, his voice reminded me of Michael McDonald. But his style was dated, so it was clear he wasn’t going to have a superstar career. Meanwhile McPhee and Daughtry were very current, so they had better careers. Yamin was never on my favourite list. I didn’t care for his Wait For You song either. I’d change the channel when it played on the radio. I actually thought Daughtry was going to turn into a new Bon Jovi, but he didn’t go that big either, so I wouldn’t say he is iconic. Maybe in the American Idol universe. I don’t see him making rock and roll hall of fame, for example, if his career keeps as is right now.
I think the Davids did better than Ruben and Clay, who, just like Hicks, were very dated for the pop music of the 2000s. Archuleta was a favourite from the start but Cook stole the spotlight with more creative and audacious performances (Always Be My Baby and Hello were my favourites). Cook deserved the win, and I’d put him in the top tier based on talent alone.
Lee Dwyze shouldn’t have won. Crystal was much better. Scott was very one-note, and Haley should have won just for her Bennie and The Jets performance.
Lambert was amazing and didn’t win for the same reason Americans won’t vote for Harris, even though they were much more qualified. Food for thought.
Sooo Jordan Sparks deserves top tier where as Fantasia who has a few #1 albums and far more hits than Jordan isn’t?? No disrespect to Jordan I love her 1st album…. But that’s all!
JHud was never going to win her season, she overhang and was out of her league. Sure she had the most success from that season but she went when she was supposed too
She oversang No One Else on Earth.
Want to shout out the runner up to Scotty, Lauren Alaina
She’s also a great singer with a decent post-Idol career
I’ve actually seen her live and I really enjoy her music
On singing reality shows, people always vote for kids whether they are ready or not. Not just teenagers vote for them. Many other people do, too.
I thought Eliot Yamin, Chris Daughtery, Katherine McPhee were all better than Taylor Hicks...
Not sure if it’s true, but I read that Daughtry didn’t win because he wanted to use his band he already performed with pre American Idol, so he was basically written out of the show.
I don't believe that... Eliot Yamin, Chris and Katherine McPhee were all better than Taylor Hicks....it was a really hard fought season, but it's the popular vote that counts. Chris came in 4th...he should have been in the top 3 instead of Hicks
i don't know what you've been smoking, but Scotty McCreery has had at least 5 #1's on the country chart...5 More minutes was his first, this is it was #3, and a few others that went #1
I thought season 1 was Uber rich with raw talent. People like Ryan Starr and RJ Helton should have gone much further in their post Idol careers. They had the goods: looks, voice, charisma and the mystique that came from being a first season contestant. It was funny to discover that Justin Guarini was the diet Dr Pepper Prince doppelganger commercial guy.
Dude, David Archuleta has released over a dozen albums, he must be higher than Clay Aiken for that. Give him the respect of being the youngest of them all and nearly as hard working with his music as Kelly.
Katharine McPhee should be on that list too. She's everywhere. Elliot Yamin who? 😵💫
Pretty decent ranking overall. Your iconic tier is deserving. But honestly, Kelly deserves a tier of her own. Like...a God tier or something.
And dude...Carrie Underwood is also country lol. Unless you were referring to male country singers to come out of AI.
Haley reinhart is my favorite of all time. I’ve seen her in concert twice and she’s just so good
I would have definitely ranked Katharine McPhee and put her in top tier, but overall pretty much agree with the ranking
Touch Me is that bop.
Kelly really took her win to the global stage. Her songs and fame have transcended beyond America. No one, not even Jennifer, Carrie or Adam, came close to her.
I beg to differ on those other 4. Jennifer is an EGOT winner along with a talk show like Kelly does. Carrie is top tier country artist and has won numerous awards, NFL uses her song and voice and goodness Adam Lambert is a dang ICON all over the world, collaboration as Queen Front man for past 12 yrs, has 5+ albums, multitude of awards and currently headlining on Broadway in Cabaret. His voice is astounding...
@@lilyz2156 Well, I am talking about international fame. Adam yes, I think he is famous, especially as the frontman for Queen. But his own discography really does not carry much commerical value besides Whataya Want From Me. For Carrie, not so much. My comment says about taking fame onto the global stage. Carrie's genre is what limits her and how many actually watch NFL or listens to her music outside of the U..S? I live in Asia and really, no one really knows of her or plays her music, not even Before He Cheats or JTTW. Her commercial success in the world's largest music market is what catapulted her to great fame, but the world is more than just America. I'd admit I don't know much about Jennifer's fame globally, so I stand corrected. But from her stats, it seems that her commercial success musically is pretty niche and limited.
Tasia should be higher up
Wait, so why skip over Justin Guarini? Kimberley Locke? If you're adding other notable finalists? Ijs.
have u watched Americas Got Talent?
I have not!
Pretty solid list. I think the show lost a lot of fandom after these seasons also, it became a bit repetitive after awhile, other competition shows came out and around that time stars started popping out from TH-cam and other social media where vocal prowess played a lesser role in identifying an artist.
Carrie is the American Idol goat within the context of a musical career and ultimately if we are truly keeping true to the context of Idol as the ultimate launching pad to a musical career then she is American idol personified (and the Idol empire, producers , Ryan Seacrest .. *if anyone would know who is the biggest star to come out of idol it’s him and Mr Simon Cowell himself would agree).. she has sold far more records than any previous or present idol winner , is far more accomplished in terms of number 1’s in her genre, and won far more Grammy’s (8 grammy’s to be exact) also has a Hollywood star walk of fame as well and to cap it all off, she has come full circle by being the newly appointed American Idol judge … Kelly’s award winning talk show is great and being the voice coach and all keeps her relevant but it’s not like she is actively promoting new music or going on tours either and if anything mostly does covers for her show
In terms of singing ability .. the best singers to ever grace idol is Fantasia , Latoya London and Jennifer Hudson with a honorable mention to Adam Lambert in this category
Ps. I will say however that Carrie is still super underrated for her vocal ability (as surprising as that may seem)
No lies detected. It’d be interesting to see more also ran contestants and see where they ranked. Season 5 felt like it had 10 top tier contestants from a talent perspective.