American singing competition series American Idol is moving on with its 20th season this year. With so many talented contestants each season it’s interesting to watch each episode to see who comes out on top.
The previous 19 winners have already been voted the top of their season, but where do they rank overall? Fans took to Reddit to rank the winners and of those rankings, there were several contestants that proved to be more memorable than others.
Maddie Poppe
Maddie Poppe was the winner of season 16 of the series. While not the most popular winner among the masses, Poppe was a worthy favorite for a number of American Idol fans.
Redditor hthbellhop76 stated that they knew Maddie was going to be the winner “from the beginning during her audition” as it stood out and they “couldn’t be happier that she won.” Following the competition, Poppe won a People’s Choice Award for favorite competition contestant. She has also released an album as well as some well-received singles.
Candice Glover
Candice Glover was the winner of season 12 after previously being eliminated in seasons 9 and 11. Redditors agreed that season 12 of American Idol was arguably one of the worst seasons ever, but even so, Candice Glover was a favorite and deserved the win she got.
User trizzymw especially agreed with this opinion as they believed that Candice’s performance of “Lovesong” was a highlight of the season and named it one of “the best performance[s] in American Idol history.” Following her win, Candice released an album and sang on Broadway.
Kris Allen
Despite a number of fans believing that Adam Lambert should’ve won season 8, it was actually Kris Allen came out on top overall.
He may not have been an overall favorite, but he does have a number of fans that believe he deserved the win. Redditor Jackson423843 was one of these as they believed that Kris was the right choice because his “‘Heartless’ performance blew [them] away” and they preferred his “warm” personality. Kris found great success following the show, releasing a number of well-received and popular albums.
David Cook
David Cook was one of the first 10 winners of American Idol, winning season 7 of the competition. While some fans had a soft spot for runner-up David Archuleta, many agree that Cook was a worthy winner.
Redditor TictacTyler agreed that Cook was the obvious choice because he “was inventive and a true artist.” He always provided a unique and original take to his songs, which helped them stick in the heads of his listeners. In fact, his songs were so great that, only a week after his American Idol victory, Cook broke Billboard chart records with 11 songs debuting on the Top 100 that week (via Billboard).
Carrie Underwood
American Idol’s season 4 winner Carrie Underwood has had mixed reviews following her win. While many fans agree that Underwood was the clear winner, some argue that Bo Bice deserved the win.
Redditor upscale_caveman is a fan of Carrie Underwood and believes that her performance of “Alone” is still “the best American Idol performance in the show’s history.” Following her win, Underwood has found great success and has received numerous awards as a country music star, even becoming the first female country artist to score four Number One albums (via Rolling Stone).
Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard was the winner of season 2 of the series. It was anyone’s game in the finale of season 2 with Studdard and Clay Aiken. Some were disappointed that Aiken didn’t win, but couldn’t deny that it could’ve gone either way.
Despite it being a close showdown between Studdard and Aiken, there are fans who believe that Ruben was the right winner in the end. When comparing Ruben to The Voice contestant Jordan Smith, Redditor terrycotta noted that Ruben’s voice had more of a “subtle [timbre] with richness” and a “sensual tone.” Ruben went on to have great success following American Idol and reunited with Clay Aiken for Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show in 2018.
Phillip Phillips
Phillip Phillips is the winner of season 11 of American Idol. Fans are conflicted on whether or not Phillips was the right choice for the season 11 winner and ultimately agree that his win was predictable.
Despite some believing runner-up Jessica Sanchez deserved the win, fans of Phillip Phillips stand by him. Redditor newenglandergiirl states that Phillip Phillips deserved the win due to his ability to turn songs “into his own versions.” Following American Idol, Phillips released three albums and toured with John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Jordin Sparks
Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks became the youngest winner in American Idol history at age 17. While not a front runner through the beginning season, Sparks proved herself a worthy contender and ended up taking the win.
Redditor MarcusD1994 believes her performance of “A Broken Wing” was “easily the best performance of the season” and was what won her the competition (which many would not argue against since it was quite a beautiful rendition). Sparks went on to be one of the most successful contestants on American Idol, releasing a number of albums and EPs and starring in a couple of movies.
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Barrino was the well-deserved winner of season 3. While many were disappointed and shocked at Jennifer Hudson’s elimination, they agreed that Fantasia was a worthy winner.
Redditor destrokk813 noted that Fantasia’s performance of “Summertime” was “probably one of the best performances” in American Idol history as they loved how she put so much emotion into the song. Fantasia found major success following American Idol, not only making music, but singing on Broadway, appearing on a number of TV shows, and will be starring in an upcoming movie.
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson was the winner of season 1 of American Idol and was among the favorites on Reddit. It seems to be the general consensus that Clarkson was the right winner for season 1 as one of the best of the winners in American Idol history.
Redditor HaileyLynn337 believes that Kelly Clarkson won because her range was “out of this world” and her talent “was and is beyond most people’s abilities.” Clarkson went on to be majorly successful following American Idol and in addition to making music, she has been a coach on The Voice for a number of seasons and has her own daytime variety talk show called The Kelly Clarkson Show.
