'American Idol' Hits and Misses

Kelly Clarkson was the first and perhaps the biggest ‘American Idol’ to date. The singing sensation has released four albums and sold more than 20 million records worldwide. She has had eight top ten hits, has won two Grammys and performed with such music legends as Reba McEntire and Aerosmith.   (Source: Reuters)

Taylor Hicks won the fifth season of “Idol” and made history as the first winner not to sell a million records. Shortly after the season ended, Hicks was dropped by his label, likely for poor sales.   (Source: AP)

Carrie Underwood skyrocketed from a small-town girl from Oklahoma to certified superstar after winning the fourth season of “Idol.” Since then, she has sold nearly 10 million albums in the U.S. alone and has won four Grammys (two more than her predecessor Kelly Clarkson).   (Source: AP)

After losing the “Idol” title to Ruben Studdard on the second season, Clay Aiken went on to a boast a multi-platinum debut album, launch eight tours, write a New York Times best-seller and even host his own Christmas special. Aiken’s fans affectionately refer to themselves as the “Claymates” and have supported him through his music and turns on Broadway in the production of Monty Python’s “Spamalot.”   (Source: AP)

Justin Guarini’s name has become synonymous with “Idol” failure after coming in second to mega-“Idol” Kelly Clarkson on the show’s debut season. Guarini barely sold 143,000 albums total and was nearly laughed out of Hollywood for the sad musical film “From Justin to Kelly.” Since the show, he has made award show appearances and hosted “Idol” re-runs, in addition to getting married this weekend.   (Source: Reuters)

Chris Daughtry may have only placed fourth in season five of “Idol,” but he has gone on to sell more than a million records with his band’s self-titled album with RCA Records. The album eventually went to number one and even earned the band a Grammy nomination for their song “It’s Not Over.”   (Source: AP)

Ruben Studdard seemed to have a promising career when he released his single “Sorry 2004” after winning the second season of “American Idol.” And while he sold more than 2 million albums worldwide with his debut, his recent work has failed to sell more than 300,000 units. To add insult to injury, Studdard was recently dropped by his label J Records.   (Source: AP)

Jennifer Hudson may not have actually won “Idol,” but she has gone on to become an A-list singer and actress, winning an Oscar and Golden Globe for her role in 2006’s “Dreamgirls,” and taking home a Grammy for her debut album, “Jennifer Hudson.” And despite the tragedy of losing three of her family members in a brutal 2008 murder, Hudson recently welcomed a new son with fiancé, David Otunga.   (Source: Reuters)

Bo Bice came in just behind Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of “Idol” and was all set to become the next big thing in hard rock. But since then, fans have heard little from Bice, who only sold 706, 000 records worldwide. Bice recently parted ways with his label and is now recording on an indie label.   (Source: AP)