You’d think that the top of our list would be filled with the show’s winners, but as you can tell, sometimes losing the battle doesn’t mean you’ve lost the war. Jennifer Hudson is one of the best stories of a dropout from “American Idol” reaching fame and glory, as she ended up in seventh place on the show’s third season, and we all know where that ended up.
The singer didn’t let any defeat stop her and went on to become a successful singer and actress. Her first two albums went gold, and she even had a chance to play as Effie White in “Dreamgirls.” Hudson’s many ventures include being a coach on “The Voice,” and even becoming a spokesperson for “Weight Watchers.” She’s currently worth over $20 million.
Justin Guarini - $700,000
Everyone can remember the great singing voice, charming personality, and unbeatable smile of Justin Guarini. It’s been many years since his appearance on the first season of "American Idol," where the singer was beaten by Kelly Clarkson in the finals. Simon was extremely impressed by the singer, to the point of fawning over his singing abilities and talents.
The singer performed extremely well on a technical level but wasn’t as popular among consumers as he was with the judges. Even getting a recommendation from Oprah wasn’t enough to boost his career once the buzz faded. Since then, Guarini has mostly focused on acting on Broadway, as well as appearing in a string of Dr. Pepper commercials.
Lauren Alaina - $800,000
Lauren Alaina was the runner-up in "American Idol’s" 10th season against Scotty McCreery. This didn’t stop the young singer from getting signed with Mercury Nashville/Interscope Records and releasing her first two albums. She did relatively well, and both albums ended up reaching second and third places on the U.S. Country charts.
Aliana has been quite active since her debut on "American Idol." While her fame never reached the levels that McCreery did, she managed to develop a successful country music career. Since then, the country singer has been touring across the United States and performing live in front of large crowds that love her music and style.
Blake Lewis - $600,000
Blake Lewis almost managed to win the sixth season of "American Idol," but ended up coming just short of a victory. He ultimately lost to Jordin Sparks, who went on to have a much more successful singing career. Still, the singer debuted at number 10 on the U.S. chart with his debut album, "Audio Day Dream," so things weren’t all bad for the second-place contestant.
Unfortunately, things began fizzling out on the professional side once Lewis left "American Idol" and was out of the spotlight. His next few albums didn’t fare nearly as well, and it doesn’t seem like he will be making a comeback. It’s quite a shame too since the singer has one of the most inspiring and heartwarming backstories of all "American Idol" contestants.
David Archuleta - $5 Million
David Archuleta had an interesting history with reality TV shows and ended up almost winning the title of Junior Grand Champion on "Star Search." He decided to try his luck again on the seventh season of "American Idol" and ended up finishing in second place, again. Funnily enough, the singer actually got to compete with Alexandréa Lushington in both TV shows.
Since then, his debut album also reached second place, which seems to be a consistent pattern among his ventures. The singer has also spent considerable time and resources on philanthropy. He is a devout Christian and recently completed a missionary trip to Chile. Archuleta is doing quite well, and even did a song for the 2014 film, "Meet the Mormons."