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

7. Chris Daughtry

Chris Daughtry was one of the many contestants on season five that went on to big things. He released a few different singles with his band Daughtry, one of which had a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 chart. He has had four Grammy nominations and has won five American Music Awards. He’s definitely one of the most popular and well-established ex-Idols.

8. Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini was the runner up on the first season of American Idol. He released a couple albums following Idol and also starred in the pretty terrible movie From Justin To Kelly. These days he’s doing well in the theater scene, including a role in 2014’s Wicked on Broadway. His career pales in comparison to winner Kelly Clarkson’s though. We wonder what the fates would have brought Justin if he actually won the thing.

9. Diana DeGarmo

Diana DeGarmo was a runner up on the third season and went on to release two albums and star on Broadway in Hairspray and Hair (hmm, there’s a recurring theme there). That’s also where she met her husband Ace Young, who was also an Idol contestant.