Billboard's Most Successful American Idols List

[johnm1120]

This is based on Billboard's list, no personal charts ha+ers or st@ns came up with this.


24
Allison Iraheta
Album Sales: 96,000
Track Sales: 161,000
Radio Plays: 4,000
After finishing fourth on "Idol" last season, the now 18-year-old Iraheta reached the top 40 on the Billboard 200 with her debut album "Just Like You." She'll serve as the opening act on Adam Lambert's "GlamNation Tour" this summer.



23
Diana DeGarmo
Album Sales: 167,000
Track Sales: 106,000
Radio Plays: 4,000
Since placing second on "Idol" in 2004, DeGarmo has recorded pop and country while devoting most of her attention to musical theater. She currently stars as "Sheila" in the Broadway production of "Hair."



22
Danny Gokey
Album Sales: 124,000
Track Sales: 211,000
Radio Plays: 14,000
Though he only sang one country song during his time on "Idol" -- Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel," incidentally -- the season 8 third-place finalist has been warmly welcomed by country fans, reaching the top five of the Billboard 200 and Country Albums with his debut album, "My Best Days."



21
William Hung
Album Sales: 240,000
Track Sales: 127,000
Radio Plays: 1,000
Although William never hung around long enough to compete after his charmingly off-key audition with "She Bangs," cult status ensued, with the "singer" making cameos on several sitcoms and reaching No. 34 on the Billboard 200 with "Inspiration" in 2004.



20
Kimberley Locke
Album Sales: 240,000
Track Sales: 299,000
Radio Plays: 250,000
Post-"Idol," Locke has scored three No. 1s apiece on Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Dance/Club Play Songs charts. It's no wonder, then, that judge Randy Jackson chose Locke to be the first artist on his new dance label, DreamMerchant21. She also drew praise for her efforts on VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2007.




19
Taylor Hicks
Album Sales: 780,000
Track Sales: 345,000
Radio Plays: 21,000
Perhaps the unlikeliest "Idol" winner ever, the Soul Patrol leader made Forbes' 2009 "top 10-earning 'American Idol' stars" tally at number 10, with more than $300,000 earned from album sales and from his role as "Teen Angel" in the national tour of "Grease."




18
Blake Lewis
Album Sales: 367,000
Track Sales: 796,000
Radio Plays: 11,000
Earlier this month, and three years after placing second on "Idol," the show's most famous beatboxer earned his first No. 1 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart with "Heartbreaker on Vinyl." Better late than never!



17
Bo Bice
Album Sales: 738,000
Track Sales: 520,000
Radio Plays: 121,000
How is life five years after "Idol"? Bice recently told the Huntsville (Ala.) Times, "I've got gold records, really cool guitars, a Harley, all the little toys, but the things that make it so worthwhile are (my three) kids. I get the best of both worlds."



16
Katharine McPhee
Album Sales: 417,000
Track Sales: 1,300,000
Radio Plays: 36,000
The 2006 "Idol" runner-up to Taylor Hicks scaled the Pop Songs chart with "Over It" in 2007, then starred in the big screen comedy "The House Bunny" and segued to a more adult sound on her sophomore album, released earlier this year.



15
Elliot Yamin
Album Sales: 687,000
Track Sales: 1,400,000
Radio Plays: 377,000
Not only has he aided efforts against Malaria in Angola, as documented on this season's "Idol Give Back" special, but Yamin's also assisted in Chile following the country's recent devastating earthquake. The soul singer finished third on season 5, and shortly after debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with his self-titled debut.



14
Josh Gracin
Album Sales: 787,000
Track Sales: 1,100,000
Radio Plays: 625,000
Before Carrie Underwood ran up nine No. 1s to-date on Billboard's Country Songs chart, this former Marine served as the format's first "Idol" ambassador, leading the list with "Nothin' to Lose" in 2005. Gracin stays close to his homebase of Nashville and will perform there in June at the CMA Music Festival, along with other country stars and fellow "Idol" alumnus Danny Gokey.



13
Jennifer Hudson
Album Sales: 798,000
Track Sales: 1,500,000
Radio Plays: 314,000
Perhaps no "Idol" alumnus has conquered as many media as Hudson. Despite a seventh-place finish on the series' third season, the actress/singer won a Grammy Award for her debut album and an Oscar for her role opposite Beyonce in the blockbuster musical adaptation, "Dreamgirls." Take that, Simon Cowell!



12
Adam Lambert
Album Sales: 685,000
Track Sales: 2,200,000
Radio Plays: 91,000
No recent "Idol" contestant has stirred up a media frenzy like Adam Lambert, who drew comparisons to Elvis Presley during his run and returned to the show this season as a mentor during Elvis week. He did so well, in fact, that many have asked: will Glambert replace outgoing "Idol" judge Simon Cowell? "I would be honored, but at this point I'm just focusing on my career as a recording artist," said Lambert, who two weeks ago posted his first Billboard Hot 100 top 10, "Whataya Want From Me."



11
Kris Allen
Album Sales: 310,000
Track Sales: 2,600,000
Radio Plays: 165,000
Last year's "Idol" champion has sold 296,000 copies of his first album, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and covered radio formats from pop to Christian with the single "Live Like We're Dying." Though he's often overshadowed by runner-up Adam Lambert, Allen has plenty of fans drawn to his laidback singer/songwriter vibe. Allen tours with Barenaked Ladies this summer.




10
Ruben Studdard
Album Sales: 2,600,000
Track Sales: 337,000
Radio Plays: 434,000
Winning "Idol" in 2003 led to even greater joy for Studdard, who met his future wife at a Wal-Mart autograph signing. The "Velvet Teddy Bear's" biggest hit, "Sorry 2004," came that year, but Studdard's popularity gets a boost every time he returns to perform on "Idol." He'll keep his core fans happy this summer on the "Timeless" tour, which he's co-headlining with Clay Aiken.



9
Fantasia
Album Sales: 2,300,000
Track Sales: 957,000
Radio Plays: 624,000
If any "Idol" winner deserves to be known on first-name-only basis, it's Fantasia, who's having her busiest year since winning "Idol" in 2004. The 24-year-old R&B diva recently unveiled her new single, "Beautiful," and will release her third album on July 13. After playing Celie in "The Color Purple" on Broadway, she's also set to reprise her role in the musical's film adaptation. Reality TV is back in Fantasia's life, too, thanks to her hit VH1 show "Fantasia for Real."



8
David Archuleta
Album Sales: 968,000
Track Sales: 3,000,000
Radio Plays: 177,000
Currently writing for his sophomore album, David Archuleta is approaching platinum sales of his debut album, which has sold 968,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The 19-year-old also made a memorable solo turn on "Somos El Mundo," the Spanish-Language version of "We Are the World 25", and revisited his performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" on the "Idol" stage in April. True to his nice-guy form, Archuleta recently blogged that year's batch of "Idol" contestants "a group of cool people!"



7
Kellie Pickler
Album Sales: 1,300,000
Track Sales: 2,900,000
Radio Plays: 373,000
Taylor Swift's BFF finished sixth on "Idol" but has done just fine for herself since, thanks to country hits like "Red High Heels" and "Best Days of Your Life." Pickler opened for Swift's massive headlining tour last summer and will open for another big act, Rascal Flatts, later this year. The gig will no doubt help keep Pickler's star on the rise as she preps her third album for release in the fall.



6
Clay Aiken
Album Sales: 4,900,000
Track Sales: 532,000
Radio Plays: 195,000
Clay Aiken may have lost to Ruben Studdard in 2003, but he's still the season 2 favorite in the minds of many longtime "Idol" fans -- and he has the sales to prove it. Aiken's "Tried and True" album is due June 1 on Decca and it's his first studio set since 2008, a year in which the singer also made headlines for revealing he's gay and starring on Broadway in "Spamalot." Aiken will go straight from releasing his album to the "Timeless" tour, a joint summer trek with Studdard.



5
David Cook
Album Sales: 1,300,000
Track Sales: 3,900,000
Radio Plays: 536,000
After years of rockers getting the short end of the "Idol" stick, David Cook broke the genre's bad luck streak in 2008 by trumping another David (Archuleta) in the finale. Cook's self-titled debut album followed and has since sold 1.3 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As it did when he competed on "Idol," charity drives Cook. Earlier this month, he raised $140,000 at the 13th Annual Race for Hope in memory of his brother Adam, who lost his courageous battle with brain cancer last year.



4
Jordin Sparks
Album Sales: 1,300,000
Track Sales: 9,000,000
Radio Plays: 1,146,000
Still the youngest "Idol" winner ever, Jordin Sparks was just 17 when she was voted America's favorite back in 2007, beating out beatboxer Blake Lewis. Sparks' has since racked up radio hits like "Battlefield" and "No Air," her duet with Chris Brown. These days, Sparks is getting ready to take over more than one stage -- she'll embark on a "Battlefield" headlining tour this summer through August, then hit the Great White Way for a 12-week stint with the hit musical "In the Heights."



3
Chris Daughtry
Album Sales: 5,700,000
Track Sales: 9,500,000
Radio Plays: 2,439,000
Chris Daughtry's fourth-place "Idol" finish in 2006 really hurt his career, didn't it? Not so much. With 5.7 million albums and 9.5 million digital downloads to his name, the gruff rocker ranks ahead of six former "Idol" winners on this list. His self-titled debut and last year's "Leave This Town" both topped the Billboard 200 on arrival, and though drummer Joey Barnes recently left the band, Daughtry is still plugging away on tour and will return to perform on "Idol" on May 5.



2
Carrie Underwood
Album Sales: 11,500,000
Track Sales: 13,900,000
Radio Plays: 2,426,000
As the first country singer to win "American Idol," Carrie Underwood leads the show's graduates with U.S. album sales of 11.5 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her third release, 2009's "Play On," showed off a more mature side to the 27-year-old and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Most recently, Underwood made history in April by becoming the first woman to be named ACM Entertainer of the Year twice. Keep playing on, Carrie!



1
Kelly Clarkson
Album Sales: 10,600,000
Track Sales: 15,900,000
Radio Plays: 4,260,000
"Idol's" original queen is still its biggest star. Since winning the title in 2002, Kelly Clarkson has notched eight Billboard Hot 100 top 10s -- including two No. 1s -- from four albums. And eight years later, the pop singer is still inspiring "Idol" hopefuls: this year's recently eliminated contestant Siobhan Magnus has said that she perfected her trademark "scream" by singing Clarkson songs in the shower. Clarkson hits the road again this summer, on the revived Lilith Fair tour.


www.billboard.com/features/top-24-american-idols-of-all-time-1004088662.story?tag=hpflash1#/features/top-24-american-idols-of-all-time-1004088662.story

[nicole]

May 5, 2010 13:20:44 GMT -5 johnm1120 said:

This is based on Billboard's list, no personal charts ha+ers or st@ns came up with this.

LOL I like the list, this comment is funny too

[$uperb@tDuDe]

David Archuleta above Fantasia? Shocking...

[nicole]

Digital sales looks to be the reason

[Deleted]

Kellie #7 <3
Kelly #1 <3

[nicole]

Found a similar list that might be helpful ;)


Chart Watch Extra: American Idol's Million-Sellers
Posted Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:32am PDT by Paul Grein in Chart Watch

Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me" this week becomes the 27th song by an American Idol contestant to sell 1 million or more digital copies. The striking pop-rock ballad got a big boost from Lambert's appearances on the show two weeks ago as mentor and performer. Kris Allen, who beat Lambert in the Season 8 finale, also has a digital million-seller. The spry "Live Like We're Dying," which was released nine weeks before Lambert's song, has sold 1,350,000 copies.

Of the 27 million-sellers by Idol contestants, eight are by Season 1 champ Kelly Clarkson. That's twice as many as her closest rivals. Carrie Underwood, the Season 4 winner; Jordin Sparks, the Season 6 champ; and the band fronted by Chris Daughtry, who finished fourth in Season 5, have each landed four million-selling downloads. David Cook, the Season 7 champ, has had two.

Clarkson has also had the most consecutive million-sellers of any Idol contestant. She had six million-sellers in a row from "Breakaway" through "Never Again." But Clarkson doesn't have the best-selling song by an Idol contestant-or even the second best-seller. The top two are Jordin Sparks' "No Air" (a melodramatic duet with Chris Brown) and Carrie Underwood's revenge fantasy "Before He Cheats."

Daughtry's rock ballad "It's Not Over," which has sold 2,103,000 copies, holds two records. It's the best-selling digital hit by a male contestant in Idol history. And it's the best-selling hit by any singer who didn't win the competition.

David Archuleta, the Season 7 runner-up, was just 17 in November 2008 when "Crush" topped the million mark in paid downloads. That made him the youngest Idol contestant to top 1 million. (Jordin Sparks had already turned 18 by the time "Tattoo" became her first million-seller in January 2008.) But Sparks is the youngest contestant to top the 2 million mark. She first achieved that milestone in June 2008 with "No Air."

Kara DioGuardi, who joined the judges panel on Idol in 2009, co-wrote and co-produced Kelly Clarkson's 2006 million-seller, "Walk Away." DioGuardi also co-wrote "No Boundaries," the widely panned 2009 "coronation song" which Allen and Lambert both recorded.
Several top songwriters and/or producers have worked on million-sellers by two or more Idol contestants. These include Max Martin, Ryan Tedder, Stargate, Brian Howes and Dave Hodges. (Details below.)

Here are the 27 songs by American Idol contestants to sell 1 million or more digital copies. The tally is the sales total through this week.

1. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown, "No Air," 3,127,000. This was the second single from Sparks' eponymous debut album. It's the only billed collaboration featuring an Idol contestant to top the 1 million mark. Hot 100 peak: #3.

2. Carrie Underwood, "Before He Cheats," 2,986,000. This was the third single from Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts. It brought Underwood her second consecutive Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Hot 100 peak: #8.

3. Kelly Clarkson, "My Life Would Suck Without You," 2,311,000. Max Martin and Dr. Luke co-wrote and co-produced this piece of ear candy, which was the first single from Clarkson's fourth album, All I Ever Wanted. The two men had previously created her hits "Since U Been Gone" and "Behind These Hazel Eyes." Hot 100 peak: #1.

4. Kelly Clarkson, "Since U Been Gone," 2,235,000. This turbo-charged smash was the second single from Clarkson's sophomore album, Breakaway. It brought Clarkson a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and helped clinch her victory for Best Pop Vocal Album (over Paul McCartney, no less). Hot 100 peak: #2.

5. Daughtry, "It's Not Over," 2,103,000. This was the first single from the band's eponymous debut album. Daughtry is the only Idol contestant to top the 1 million mark as part of a band. Hot 100 peak: #4.

6. Jordin Sparks, "Tattoo," 2,070,000. Stargate produced and co-wrote this mid-tempo ballad, which was the first single from Sparks' debut album. (Stargate also did the honors on Elliott Yamin's "Wait For You.") Hot 100 peak: #8.

7. Daughtry, "Home," 1,966,000. This was the second single from the band's debut album. Daughtry wrote the tender ballad, which was later used as the farewell theme on Idol. "Home" is the only million-seller by an Idol contestant that was written solely by the contestant. Hot 100 peak: #5.

8. David Archuleta, "Crush," 1,918,000. Dave Hodges, who co-wrote Clarkson's "Because Of You," also co-wrote this smash. This was the first single from Archuleta's eponymous debut album. Hot 100 peak: #2.

9. Carrie Underwood, "Jesus, Take The Wheel," 1,672,000. This dramatic ballad was the first single from Some Hearts (not counting Underwood's coronation song, "Inside Your Heaven"). It brought Underwood her first Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. It also helped her win for Best New Artist. Hot 100 peak: #20.

10. Kelly Clarkson, "Because Of You," 1,465,000. Clarkson co-wrote this song with Dave Hodges and Ben Moody, former members of Evanescence. The two men produced the single, which was the fourth hit from Breakaway. Clarkson teamed with Reba McEntire to record a new version for Reba Duets in 2007. Hot 100 peak: #7.

11. Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield," 1,444,000. Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic co-wrote and co-produced this hit, which was the first single (and title track) from Sparks' sophomore album. It was her fourth single in a row to sell 1 million digital copies. Hot 100 peak: #10.

12. Kelly Clarkson, "Breakaway," 1,413,000. Avril Lavigne co-wrote this song, but didn't include it on her debut album. Grammy-winning producer John Shanks oversaw Clarkson's version, which became the first single from her sophomore album. It was also featured in the movie The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Hot 100 peak: #6.

13. Jordin Sparks, "One Step At A Time," 1,377,000. Robbie Nevil, who had a top five hit in 1987 with "C'est La Vie," co-wrote and co-produced this song, which was the third single from Sparks' debut album. Hot 100 peak: #17.

14. Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying," 1,350,000. This was the first single from Allen's eponymous debut album. The song was originally recorded by the Irish band The Script. Two members of the band co-wrote the song. Hot 100 peak: #18.

15. Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone," 1,344,000. Ryan Tedder came up with the basic track for this song, which Clarkson fleshed out. But when Clarkson later heard Beyonce's "Halo," another Tedder project, she complained that the underlying track was too similar. This was the third single from All I Ever Wanted. Hot 100 peak: #13.

16. David Cook, "The Time Of My Life," 1,328,000. This was Cook's coronation song. It was heard at the 2008 Summer Olympics and was later featured on Cook's eponymous debut album. Hot 100 peak: #3.

17. Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova," 1,311,000. Underwood co-wrote this song with Brett James, who co-wrote "Jesus, Take The Wheel," and hip-hop producer Mike Elizondo. This was the first single from Underwood's third album, Play On. Hot 100 peak: #11.

18. Kelly Clarkson, "Behind These Hazel Eyes," 1,310,000. Clarkson co-wrote this song with Max Martin and Dr. Luke. This was the third single from Breakaway. Hot 100 peak: #6.

19. Daughtry, "Over You," 1,273,000. Chris Daughtry co-wrote this song with Brian Howes, who went on to co-write "Light On" for David Cook. This was the third consecutive million-seller from the band's debut album. Hot 100 peak: #18.

20. Carrie Underwood, "All-American Girl," 1,191,000. This was the second single from Underwood's sophomore album, Carnival Ride. The video shows various life paths available to women, from mom, nurse and ballerina to police officer, soldier and President of the United States. Hot 100 peak: #27.

21. Daughtry, "No Surprise," 1,128,000. Chris Daughtry co-wrote this song with Chad Kroeger from Nickelback and two other writers. It was the first single from Daughtry's sophomore album, Leave This Town. Hot 100 peak: #15.

22. Elliott Yamin, "Wait For You," 1,113,000. Stargate, which produced and co-wrote Jordin Sparks' "Tattoo," also created this ballad hit. This was the first single from Yamin's eponymous debut album. Yamin finished third in Season 5. Hot 100 peak: #13.

23. Kelly Clarkson, "Never Again," 1,106,000. This song, with its echoes of Alanis Morissette and Pat Benatar, was the first single from Clarkson's third album, My December. It was her sixth consecutive single to become a digital million-seller. Hot 100 peak: #8.

24. Kelly Clarkson, "Walk Away," 1,094,000. Clarkson co-wrote this song with Kara DioGuardi and two other writers. This was the fifth (and final) single from Breakaway. All five of these hits were digital million-sellers. Hot 100 peak: #12.

25. David Cook, "Light On," 1,074,000. This was the first single from Cook's debut album (not counting his coronation song). Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the front man for Soundgarden and Audioslave, co-wrote the song with Brian Howes. Grammy-winning producer Rob Cavallo supervised the track. Hot 100 peak: #17.

26. Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me," 1,061,000. Pink recorded this song for her Funhouse album, but it didn't make the final cut. Max Martin and Shellback, who co-wrote the song with Pink, produced Lambert's version, which the second single from his debut album, For Your Entertainment. Hot 100 peak: #10.

27. Kellie Pickler, "Best Days Of Your Life," 1,011,000. Pickler and Taylor Swift co-wrote this song, which was the second single from Pickler's eponymous sophomore album. Swift also sings background vocals and appears in the video. Pickler finished sixth in Season 5. This was a top 10 country hit. Hot 100 peak: #46.

The Fine Print: Contestants from the first few seasons of the show were at a disadvantage in making this list because there were no million-sellers in the digital world until October 2005. Songs released before then (such as Clarkson's first hits from Breakaway) have subsequently topped the 1 million mark, but it's harder for them because they peaked on the charts before digital sales really took off.

Physical singles were still available in the early years of Idol, so I checked gold and platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Assn. of America. Clay Aiken's 2003 hit "This Is The Night" was certified platinum (signifying shipments of 1 million physical copies).

Five other physical singles by Idol contestants were certified gold (signifying shipments of 500,000 copies). These were Clarkson's 2002 hit "A Moment Like This," Aiken's 2003 hit "Invisible," Ruben Studdard's 2003 hit "Flying Without Wings," and dueling 2005 recordings of "Inside Your Heaven" by Underwood and Bo Bice.

Aiken was the Season 2 runner-up. Studdard was that season's winner. Bice was the Season 4 runner-up.

Thanks for your comments, which led me to add Daughtry's "No Surprise" to the list. But none of the other songs you cited are million-sellers according to the Nielsen/SoundScan data (for digital sales) or the RIAA certifications (for physical singles). Underwood's "So Small" has sold 868,000 digital copies. Clarkson's "Miss Independent" has sold 759,000.

[$uperb@tDuDe]

May 5, 2010 13:38:55 GMT -5 nicole said:

Digital sales looks to be the reason

The data is definitely skewed. Especially considering Fantasia's first album came out in '04 when digital sales were almost non-existant. I think Ruben Studdard should be higher than Archuleta as well. But who am I to argue with Billboard? It is what it is.

Go Kelly, I knew she'd be #1 but she absolutely DOMINATED!

[Rodze]

May 5, 2010 13:50:11 GMT -5 $uperb@tDuDe said:

May 5, 2010 13:38:55 GMT -5 nicole said:

Digital sales looks to be the reason

The data is definitely skewed. Especially considering Fantasia's first album came out in '04 when digital sales were almost non-existant. I think Ruben Studdard should be higher than Archuleta as well. But who am I to argue with Billboard? It is what it is.

Go Kelly, I knew she'd be #1 but she absolutely DOMINATED!

Conversely, when Fantasia and Ruben launched their albums it was much easier to sell 1 or 2 million copies of them.

The list is fair as in it cements Kelly, Carrie and Daughtry as the most successful. The rest is the rest.

[atgs]

Cool list. Love me some idol.

David Archuleta is approaching platinum sales of his debut album, which has sold 968,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

968,000 debut album + christmas album. Whoever wrote this got a little confused.

[HolidayGuy]

Some of those total plays are anemic.

[area51]

Add in the Idols' Boxscores and maybe there'd be something to talk about.

[Deleted]

And some kept saying that Carrie would be the most successful Idol. Hmmm....guess they were wrong.

[nicole]

Who's to say she isn't? the biggest differences, if I am not mistaken seem to be volume of music released (Kelly) and a 3 year head start (Kelly).

Another year or two, we might see a different list.

[Deleted]

May 7, 2010 18:04:47 GMT -5 nicole said:

Who's to say she isn't? the biggest differences, if I am not mistaken seem to be volume of music released (Kelly) and a 3 year head start (Kelly).

Another year or two, we might see a different list.

Yes but as of right now, she's #2 and Kelly is #1.

[nicole]

Yes, 30760000 points to 27826000 points according to this chart

Momentum though would have to go to Carrie

[Kishi KCM]

I didn't realise Jordin would be so high. Go gorl!!

[Legoman]

Nice to see this list and Kelly at the top

[grey]

May 5, 2010 14:03:03 GMT -5 Rodze said:

May 5, 2010 13:50:11 GMT -5 $uperb@tDuDe said:

The data is definitely skewed. Especially considering Fantasia's first album came out in '04 when digital sales were almost non-existant. I think Ruben Studdard should be higher than Archuleta as well. But who am I to argue with Billboard? It is what it is.

Go Kelly, I knew she'd be #1 but she absolutely DOMINATED!

Conversely, when Fantasia and Ruben launched their albums it was much easier to sell 1 or 2 million copies of them.

The list is fair as in it cements Kelly, Carrie and Daughtry as the most successful. The rest is the rest.

Yeah, it's based on facts, so I'm not seeing what there is to contest.

[dbt88]

I'm surprised both Carrie and Kelly sta.ns haven't replied to this thread

[Typo]

May 10, 2010 15:58:30 GMT -5 @dbt88 said:

I'm surprised both Carrie and Kelly sta.ns haven't replied to this thread

Don't even get me started on Billboard's flawed logic.

[Rurry]

This list seems generally accurate to me. I'm a little surprised Cook and Jordin are higher than Clay but Clay has basically been nowhere the past few years, so it makes sense.

It's a close race between Carrie and Kelly for the top spot and I think either one could fairly get it. They're both successful in different areas.

[maria4hitz]

Don't forget that those numbers are US only. Kelly has sold over 20 million albums worldwide (I have no idea about singles), and has a lot more airplay than carrie. And about touring, carrie has the bigger tours and bigger venues than kelly, but kelly also tours overseas which carrie doesn't, so it's complicated, it's not that simple to make this list. They're both very successful in their own genre and without a doubt the biggest american idols.

[Typo]

This list only includes domestic data. Carrie has done more in a much shorter period of time. She comes out on top.

[dbt88]

May 10, 2010 21:32:07 GMT -5 Typo said:

This list only includes domestic data. Carrie has done more in a much shorter period of time. She comes out on top.

Sorry, but that was a poor argument right there. Everyone knows Kelly has done more worldwide. But then again, Carrie has done more in a short span of time, and the way things are looking right now, Carrie is on top.

[Typo]

May 11, 2010 7:26:07 GMT -5 @dbt88 said:

Sorry, but that was a poor argument right there.

That wasn't an argument. That was a fact. This Billboard list only includes domestic data.

[Tanisha Thomas.]

Either way, Carrie is snatching Kelly's wig now.

[pnobelysk]

danny gokey sang what hurts the most which is also country so that should count with carries jesus take the wheel