Singing show contestants who didn't win but still found success

It’s truly amazing that Jennifer Hudson didn’t win her season of American Idol. She placed seventh but got the last laugh when her career took off. Hudson is the only contestant in American Idol history to go on to achieve EGOT status, and that’s far more impressive than winning American Idol . Sorry, Kelly Clarkson. 

Season 5 of American Idol was stacked. Taylor Hicks came out on top, but several members from that season went on to have careers afterward, including Kellie Pickler. The country singer recorded and released multiple albums after her time on the show, and she even won season 16 of Dancing With the Stars. 

Adam Lambert was voted runner-up in season 8 of American Idol, but that didn’t stop him from finding success as a singer. Lambert has since released multiple solo albums, and he’s had the distinct honor of singing with the iconic rock band Queen since 2011, which is also far better than winning American Idol.

Before she was part of Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé was part of Girls Tyme, a rap group that competed on Star Search. The group lost to Skeleton Crew, but that didn’t stop Beyoncé from becoming one of the most successful musicians of all time (and when was the last time you heard about Skeleton Crew?). She even included recordings from Girls Tyme’s appearance on Star Search in her song "Flawless,” like the true queen she is. 

Kelly Rowland was also a member of Girls Tyme. She, along with Beyoncé and Michelle Williams, went on to achieve massive fame through Destiny’s Child, but Rowland has also had a successful solo career, having released four solo studio albums. She’s made a go of it as an actress, too. 

Lauren Alaina came in second on her season of American Idol , but after that, she went on to record multiple country albums and tour with modern country legends like Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Blake Shelton. She’s won quite a few country music awards, too, and in 2022, she was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. 

Season 7 viewers of American Idol will remember that the final face-off was between two Davids: David Cook and David Archuleta. The latter came in second, but he still released popular music afterward. He also appeared on an episode of iCarly, something Cook never did. We’re just curious to know how many viewers accidentally cast a vote for the wrong David that season. (We should also note that Archuleta did win Junior Vocalist as a competitor on Star Search.)

Morgan Wallen auditioned for The Voice and ended up on Adam Levine’s team. He didn’t win his season, but that didn’t stop him from finding fame as a singer. He’s since released two top-10 albums and a No. 1 single, two major feats for a country artist. 

Katharine McPhee is another American Idol contestant to appear in the fifth season. She came in second but found plenty of success afterward by releasing multiple albums and starring in the NBC television show Smash. She also married music legend, David Foster, with whom she shares a child.

Usher is another successful singer who appeared on Star Search as a young musician. Since his time on the show, he’s gone on to become one of the best-selling R&B singers of all time, and he even joined another singing competition series, The Voice, as a coach. 

Christina Aguilera somehow didn’t win Star Search either (to be quite frank, most of the show’s winners didn’t go on to have great singing careers). Her voice proved too talented to stay inside of her, though, and she’s now considered one of the greatest singers of all time. 

It’s quite incredible the impact Star Search has had on popular music. Justin Timberlake is another to have competed on the show. While he didn’t win, he did get to be part of NSYNC, and he’s performed multiple times at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. In the end, Star Search was just a blip on his radar. 

If you don’t already know, you can probably guess which singing competition show Britney Spears competed in as a kid. Yep, it was Star Search. Little Britney sang her heart out on the stage, but she came up short. She still managed to own the ‘90s by releasing her hit album …Baby One More Time. 

Considering The Voice only showcases genuinely talented people, it’s amazing more of them haven’t found success after leaving the show. One contestant who managed to have a career as a musician post-The Voice is RaeLynn. The country star has released multiple albums since appearing on TV, and she’s toured with Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, and Maren Morris. 

Chris Daughtry also appeared on the stellar season 5 of American Idol. After placing fourth, Daughtry formed his eponymous band, and the group is responsible for hits like “Over You” and “It’s Not Over.” Daughtry even garnered four Grammy nominations in 2008, including Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song. 

Elliot Yamin is the final American Idol season 5 contestant we’ll mention. He came in third behind Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks. Though he wasn’t as successful as some of his fellow Idol contestants, he did have a major hit in 2007, “Wait For You,” which you’ll instantly recognize when you hear it. 

Clay Aiken is one of the first American Idol contestants. He competed in season 2, coming in second behind Ruben Studdard. Aiken went on to release music, appear on more television programs, and act on Broadway. Aiken also made headlines in 2014 when he ran for office in his home state of North Carolina.  

Kacey Musgraves once competed on Nashville Star, a singing competition series aimed at finding country singers. Musgraves placed seventh the year she participated, and she kept grinding until she found mainstream success as a musician. She now has six Grammys, including one for the coveted Album of the Year category. 

After auditioning individually for The X Factor, the judges had Camila Cabello, Normani Kordei, Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui form Fifth Harmony. The girls stayed on and competed as a band, placing third in the competition. Though the original lineup is no longer the same, the group did release multiple albums and hit singles such as “Worth It.”

As a young singer, Carly Rae Jepsen competed on Canadian Idol, placing third her season. Jepsen is still releasing music, but she’ll forever be best known for her pop hit “Call Me Maybe,” which ended up being one of the most popular songs of 2012.