American Idol Runner-Ups
May 17 2010, Published 3:32 p.m. ET
American Idol Runner-Ups
1. 1. Curly-haired Justin Guarini finished second to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol in 2002, then shared the silver screen with her in the 2003 dud From Justin To Kelly. He's recorded two albums and an EP since his stint on the show and has also stayed busy as an on-air contributor for networks such as NBC, Fox and TV Guide Network since gaining fame on American Idol.
1. Curly-haired Justin Guarini finished second to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol in 2002, then shared the silver screen with her in the 2003 dud From Justin To Kelly. He's recorded two albums and an EP since his stint on the show and has also stayed busy as an on-air contributor for networks such as NBC, Fox and TV Guide Network since gaining fame on American Idol.
2. 2. Clay Aiken, who lost out to Ruben Studdard in 2003 by less than 135,000 out of more than 24,000,000 votes cast, has had solid success in his post-American Idol career, having released four studio albums -- one of them (2003's Measure of a Man) double platinum -- since appearing on the program. After years of speculation about his sexuality, Aiken said he's gay in 2008 and fathered a child with a family friend.
2. Clay Aiken, who lost out to Ruben Studdard in 2003 by less than 135,000 out of more than 24,000,000 votes cast, has had solid success in his post-American Idol career, having released four studio albums -- one of them (2003's Measure of a Man) double platinum -- since appearing on the program. After years of speculation about his sexuality, Aiken said he's gay in 2008 and fathered a child with a family friend.
3. 3. Diana DeGarmo, only 16 at the time, to this day remains the youngest contestant to ever make the top two in the show's history. Her 2004 debut album Blue Skies fizzled on the charts, but she remains active professionally, having recently been been cast in Broadway's production of Hair.
3. Diana DeGarmo, only 16 at the time, to this day remains the youngest contestant to ever make the top two in the show's history. Her 2004 debut album Blue Skies fizzled on the charts, but she remains active professionally, having recently been been cast in Broadway's production of Hair.
4. 4. Bo Bice broke the mold of the polished, finished entertainers we'd been accustomed to seeing on the show to that point, but he could not stop the machine we now know as Carrie Underwood. The Alabama native hasn't fared better than Underwood outside of the American Idol bubble either: he has released three records since appearing on the show, with one of them going Gold.
4. Bo Bice broke the mold of the polished, finished entertainers we'd been accustomed to seeing on the show to that point, but he could not stop the machine we now know as Carrie Underwood. The Alabama native hasn't fared better than Underwood outside of the American Idol bubble either: he has released three records since appearing on the show, with one of them going Gold.
5. 5. Katharine McPhee finished second on fifth season of American Idol. Her debut album, Katharine McPhee, would go on to sell a mediocre 378,000 copies, but her single “Over It” did manage to crack Gold status. She released her follow-up album, Unbroken, in January 2010.
5. Katharine McPhee finished second on fifth season of American Idol. Her debut album, Katharine McPhee, would go on to sell a mediocre 378,000 copies, but her single “Over It” did manage to crack Gold status. She released her follow-up album, Unbroken, in January 2010.
6. 6. Blake Lewis parlayed his singing, songwriting and beat-boxing skills into a second-place finish on the show's sixth season. He’s released a pair of albums, Heartbreak on Vinyl and Audio Day Dream, since his appearance on the Fox talent show.
6. Blake Lewis parlayed his singing, songwriting and beat-boxing skills into a second-place finish on the show's sixth season. He’s released a pair of albums, Heartbreak on Vinyl and Audio Day Dream, since his appearance on the Fox talent show.
7. 7. David Archuleta's fresh face made him a darling on American Idol, and his talents have kept him in the limelight: After finishing second in 2008, the Utah native's self-titled debut album has almost hit Platinum status fueled by the success of the single “Crush.” He's also picked up the pen, documenting his journeys in his memoir Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance, which hits stores June 2010.
7. David Archuleta's fresh face made him a darling on American Idol, and his talents have kept him in the limelight: After finishing second in 2008, the Utah native's self-titled debut album has almost hit Platinum status fueled by the success of the single “Crush.” He's also picked up the pen, documenting his journeys in his memoir Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song and the Power of Perseverance, which hits stores June 2010.
8. 8. It's been a year, and we're still shocked Adam Lambert didn't win. The immensely-talented crooner, oft compared to Freddie Mercury, hasn't quite made the professional impact we thought he would in his first year post Idol, after his debut album For Your Entertainment fizzled on the U.S. charts, but we've got a hunch we've hardly heard the last of Lambert.
8. It's been a year, and we're still shocked Adam Lambert didn't win. The immensely-talented crooner, oft compared to Freddie Mercury, hasn't quite made the professional impact we thought he would in his first year post Idol, after his debut album For Your Entertainment fizzled on the U.S. charts, but we've got a hunch we've hardly heard the last of Lambert.