15 American Idol losers who found their own stardom

Chris Daughtry (Season 5)

Rockers have had a surprisingly successful time on American Idol, but unfortunately for Chris Daughtry, it didn’t work out for him. Or did it?

Season 5 was a tough season apparently, because it spawned a lot of stars, and yet the winner hasn’t been up to much. Along with Katharine McPhee, Ace Young, and Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry was another contestant to go on to big things after season five. He first auditioned in Denver, Colorado, and the judges were split. Paula and Randy approved, and as usual, Simon couldn’t be swayed. He got his golden ticket, and eventually made it to the Top 24.

He finally won over the judges, and it seems, America as well. His performance of “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” by Fuel was critically acclaimed, and even got him an offer to be the band’s new lead singer, but he declined the offer. When it came down to the final four, Daughtry found himself in the bottom two with McPhee. Simon thought McPhee should be eliminated, so when Ryan Seacrest announced Daughtry was going home, everyone was stunned, even Katharine McPhee.

Following the show, Daughtry formed his own rock band, named Daughtry, and their debut album was released in November 2006. The album went to #1 on the Billboard Charts, which put him with Idol winners Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, and Scotty McCreery and runner-up Clay Aiken as the only contestants to reach #1 on the Billboard 200.

Daughtry landed four Grammy Awards nominations in 2007, including Best Rock Album. The band has released four more studio albums since, including 2018’s Cage to Rattle.