15 Losers of ‘American Idol’ Who Went On To Big Things

4. Katharine McPhee

Katharine McPhee was a runner up on the 5th season of AI. Her mom and sister actually work as vocal coaches on the show. Katharine released a few albums and had a pop hit with “Over It” (which is more than winner Taylor Hicks can say). Today, she’s more focused on her acting career, and has found success on shows like Smash and Scorpion.

5. Kellie Pickler

Kellie Pickler came in sixth place on the fifth season of American Idol. She has released four studio albums, and competed on Dancing With the Stars in 2013, which she won. She followed that with getting her own reality show called I Love Kellie Pickler. Although she cultivated a reputation as a dumb blonde, she’s been pretty smart with her career and it seems her celebrity status is here to stay.

6. Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert was the runner up on season eight but he ended up being arguably more successful than that year’s winner, Kris Allen. Adam went on to tour with Queen in the place of Freddie Mercury (a gig doesn’t get much cooler for a powerhouse singer like him). His subsequent albums have spawned numerous hits such as “For Your Entertainment” and “Whataya Want From Me.” He also launched an acting career when he landed a role on Glee, and he’s now joining the reboot of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.