Find out, ahead.

(Fourth-place finisher Tamyra Gray has come the closest with roles on TV and Broadway.)

This star won’t be fading anytime soon.

The Real Winners of ‘American Idol’

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1 onBillboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No.

December 2013 saw her return to the screen inBlack Nativityalongside fellow Oscar-approved actors Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker.

1 on theBillboard200 its first two weeks of release and ultimately went platinum in the U.S. and Canada.

American Idol | The first American Idol has sold over 20 million albums worldwide since she took the crown in 2002. She has had numerous Top 10 songs

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His sophomore effort, the independently releasedThe Distance(2009), sold significantly less at 50,000 copies.

Between 2012 and 2014, Hicks also embarked upon a series of residencies in Las Vegas.

‘‘No Air’’ is the second-best-sellingIdolsingle, moving more than 3.5 million digital copies.

American Idol | No one in the first Idol season can remotely match Clarkson’s success. (Fourth-place finisher Tamyra Gray has come the closest with roles on TV and

Harper Smith

Both tunes were Top 10BillboardHot 100 hits.

Broadway came calling in 2010 when Sparks played the lead in the musicalIn the Heightsfor a limited run.

Also that year, Jordin released her own fragrance line called Because of You.

American Idol | The good news is that Ruben has sold more than 2.5 million albums since he won Idol in 2003. The bad news is that the

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Her third studio album,Right Here, Right Now, is scheduled for release in early 2015.

Unfortunately, his next record, 2011’sThis Loud Morning, sold 118,000 copies a fraction of his debut.

‘‘Live Like We’re Dying’’ sold 1.5 million digital copies, peaking at No.

American Idol | Runner-up Clay Aiken’s Steadfast album may have stumbled out of the gate—it sold only 4,000 copies the week it was released in March 2012—but he’s

Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

18 on the Hot 100.

He parted ways with his label, RCA, in 2011.

Instead, they crowned Glover, who has potential, but has yet to make a real splash.

American Idol | Fantasia has released four studio albums since she took the title in 2004, most recently with Side Effects of You debuting at No. 1 on

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28 onBillboard’s Adult R&B chart.

a pretty vast knowledge of musical critique.

That positive attitude made him the only returning 2013 judge on the follow-up season’s panel.

American Idol | Though she finished in a shocking seventh place, Hudson rallied like no other American Idol cast-off. After winning an Oscar for her 2006 role as

And that’s just the icing on the cake.

Urban also debuted his 2013 albumFuseat No.

And he finally cut that hair!

American Idol | Country superstar Carrie Underwood has sold more than 14 million albums since winning Idol in 2005, and her best-selling single ‘‘Before He Cheats’’ has sold

(Can’t you just smell Fox’s anxiety?)

Despite the quick turnaround, it hit the Billboard charts at No.

24and moved just 11,000 albums in its first week, officially leaving Johnson with the title of worst-performingIdolchamp ever.

American Idol | Carrie continues to rule with the success of her fourth studio album, Blown Away , which sat at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 its

Jamed White

Over at NBC, season 6 ofThe Voicepulled nearly 16 million viewers in its premiere.

What do you watch when a 13-year-old show gets boring?

The younger, more exciting version of that show.

American Idol | Taylor Hicks was dropped by his label, RCA, after his self-titled debut stalled at 705,000 copies sold. His sophomore effort, the independently released The Distance

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Though season 5’s fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry definitely took the early lead, shooting to the top of the charts with his eponymous band, it’s McPhee

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American Idol | Jordin’s self-titled debut album, released in 2007, went platinum, thanks to two smash hits, ‘‘Tattoo’’ and ‘‘No Air’'—the latter a duet with a pre-Rihanna Chris

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American Idol | The Idol winner is also her season’s champion earner. Blake Lewis, her runner-up, was dropped from his label after his debut album failed to sell,

Alicia Gbur

American Idol | David Cook’s self-titled post- Idol debut went platinum on the heels of his Idol win in 2008. Unfortunately, his next record, 2011’s This Loud Morning

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American Idol | David Cook’s 1.4 million records sold don’t come close to Carrie and Kelly’s, but he still remains the top dog of his season. Runner-up David

American Idol | Allen sold around 369,000 copies of his two post- Idol albums, including one hit single from his self-titled debut album. ‘‘Live Like We’re Dying’’ sold

Michael Becker/FOX

American Idol | Lambert’s 2009 debut album For Your Entertainment went gold in the U.S. and platinum in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. ‘‘Glambert’’ made history in 2012

Frank Micelotta/FOX

American Idol | After his post- Idol debut, Live it Up , had the lowest sales of any Idol winner in history, DeWyze went on a brief club

Frank Micelotta/FOX

It’s tough to deny that season 9 was Idol ’s least successful. Simon Cowell was mentally checked out, Ellen DeGeneres couldn’t bring herself to critique

Frank Micelotta/Fox

American Idol | Season 10 saw the return of the platinum Idol as teen country singer Scotty McCreery sold more than a million copies of his debut album,

Michael Becker/FOX

American Idol | Fellow country Idol Lauren Alaina sold nearly 300,000 copies of her 2011 debut, Wildflower , but it wasn’t enough to unseat McCreery, who later went

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Critics complained when Phillips became Idol ’s fifth ‘‘white guy with guitar’’ winner in a row, but the gravel-voiced Georgia boy proved himself a bigger

Michael Becker/Fox

Driven by the appeal of ‘‘Home,’’ which reached No. 6 on Billboard ’s Hot 100, Phillips’ debut album The World from the Side of the

Candice Glover’s Season 12 victory was somewhat overshadowed by Idol ’s clumsy attempts to stack the female deck and avoid another ‘‘white guy with guitar’'

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Candice was a powerhouse, Kree was soulful, and Amber and Angie were cute, but it was the already established country crooner who walked away the

FOX

American Idol | The rocker released his debut album, Testify , less than two months after the show’s finale. (Can’t you just smell Fox’s anxiety?) Despite the quick

Michael Becker/FOX

Despite a refreshed panel of judges, season 13 of Idol lacked charisma, and its finale attracted just 10.1 million viewers. (Not terrible for a TV

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Season 14’s show winner: Nick Fradiani

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Season 14’s real winner: Jax

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