15 American Idol losers who found their own stardom

Haley Reinhart (Season 10)

Haley Reinhart auditioned for American Idol for the first time in Chicago for the show’s ninth season, but she didn’t make it to Hollywood. She came back the next year with a vengeance and when she performed for judges Randy, Steven Tyler, and Jennifer Lopez, they were more than impressed with her voice. She performed “Oh! Darling” by The Beatles, and the 18-year-old’s powerhouse voice wowed all three judges, who sent her through to Hollywood.

Reinhart’s time on the show wasn’t without a struggle. She was in the bottom on four occasions, but still made it to the penultimate week. She ended the season in third place, with Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery making it to the finale, with country singer McCreery taking home the top prize. Despite not making it to the finale, she was blowing up online, with six of her performances garnering over one million views on YouTube.

She was quickly signed to a record contract with Interscope Records and released her debut album, Listen Up!, in 2012. She has performed and toured with Postmodern Jukebox, and her collab with the band on a jazz cover of “Creep” by Radiohead spent an impressive 58 weeks on Billboard’s Jazz digital charts. She also got praise for her cover of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, which became a viral sensation after appearing in an Extra Gum commercial.