<P> This article provides a list of albums recorded by alumni of the popular American televised singing competition American Idol in the post-Idol career . It only lists main albums released in the alumni's post-Idol career . American Idol compilations, individual artist's pre-Idol recordings, EPs, and compilation albums are not listed here, however, the numbers in parentheses may include sales from these releases . For complete list of releases including those not listed here for each artist, please see their individual discography pages (linked here in the total number in parentheses). Sales figure listed are for U.S. only . </P> <P> This first list only includes contestants with at least 500,000 total album sales . Total albums sold listed in this pages for each artist is shown first . Certification status of album for units shipped in U.S. (Gold, Platinum, and / or Multi-platinum) is shown if awarded . The numbers in parentheses are for sales for all albums including EPs and compilations which may not be listed here . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Contestant Total sales </Th> <Th> First album </Th> <Th> Second album </Th> <Th> Third album </Th> <Th> Fourth album </Th> <Th> Fifth album </Th> <Th> Sixth album </Th> <Th> Seventh album </Th> <Th> Eighth album </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1 . </Td> <Td> Carrie Underwood (season 4, winner) 16,540,000 </Td> <Td> Some Hearts (November 15, 2005) Arista Nashville 7,450,000 8x Platinum Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> Carnival Ride (October 23, 2007) Arista Nashville 3,400,000 4x Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Play On (November 3, 2009) Arista Nashville 2,300,000 3x Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Blown Away (May 1, 2012) Arista Nashville 1,794,800 2x Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Storyteller (October 23, 2015) Arista Nashville 752,100 Platinum Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> Cry Pretty (September 14, 2018) Capitol Nashville 250,700 Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2 . </Td> <Td> Kelly Clarkson (season 1, winner) 14,351,250 </Td> <Td> Thankful (April 15, 2003) RCA 2,800,000 2x Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Breakaway (November 30, 2004) RCA 6,355,000 6x Platinum Peak: #3 </Td> <Td> My December (June 26, 2007) RCA 858,000 Platinum Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> All I Ever Wanted (March 10, 2009) RCA 1,004,000 N / A Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Stronger (October 24, 2011) RCA 1,129,000 Platinum Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> Wrapped in Red (October 29, 2013) RCA 942,000 Platinum Peak: #3 </Td> <Td> Piece by Piece (March 3, 2015) RCA 284,000 Gold Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Meaning of Life (October 27, 2017) Atlantic 201,250 N / A Peak: #2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 3 . </Td> <Td> Chris Daughtry (as Daughtry) (season 5, 4th place) 7,376,000 </Td> <Td> Daughtry (November 21, 2006) RCA 5,040,000 4x Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Leave This Town (July 14, 2009) RCA 1,357,000 Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Break the Spell (November 21, 2011) RCA 513,000 Gold Peak: #8 </Td> <Td> Baptized (November 19, 2013) RCA 270,000 N / A Peak: #6 </Td> <Td> Cage to Rattle (July 17, 2018) RCA 24,000 N / A Peak: #10 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 4 . </Td> <Td> Clay Aiken (season 2, runner - up) 5,069,000 </Td> <Td> Measure of a Man (October 14, 2003) RCA 2,786,000 2x Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Merry Christmas with Love (November 16, 2004) RCA 1,416,000 Platinum Peak: #4 </Td> <Td> A Thousand Different Ways (September 19, 2006) RCA 531,000 Gold Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> On My Way Here (May 6, 2008) RCA 165,000 N / A Peak: #4 </Td> <Td> Tried and True / Steadfast (June 1, 2010) / (March 26, 2012) Decca / Universal 80,000 N / A Peak: #9 / #120 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 . </Td> <Td> Fantasia Barrino (season 3, winner) 3,332,000 </Td> <Td> Free Yourself (November 23, 2004) J Records 1,839,000 Platinum Peak: #8 </Td> <Td> Fantasia (December 12, 2006) J Records 530,000 Gold Peak: #19 </Td> <Td> Back to Me (August 24, 2010) J Records 490,000 N / A Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> Side Effects of You (April 23, 2013) RCA 300,000 Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> The Definition Of...(July 28, 2016) RCA 32,000 Peak: #6 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 . </Td> <Td> Ruben Studdard (season 2, winner) 2,644,000 </Td> <Td> Soulful (December 9, 2003) J Records 1,792,000 Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> I Need an Angel (November 23, 2004) J Records 483,000 Gold Peak: #20 </Td> <Td> The Return (October 17, 2006) J Records 238,000 N / A Peak: #8 </Td> <Td> Love Is (May 19, 2009) Hickory Records 50,000 N / A Peak: #36 </Td> <Td> Letters from Birmingham (March 13, 2012) Shanachie 17,000 N / A Peak: #150 </Td> <Td> Unconditional Love (February 4, 2014) The Verve Music Group 6,000 N / A Peak: #46 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 . </Td> <Td> Scotty McCreery (season 10, winner) 2,248,000 </Td> <Td> Clear as Day (October 4, 2011) Mercury Nashville 1,166,000 Platinum Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> Christmas With Scotty McCreery (October 16, 2012) Mercury Nashville 382,000 Gold Peak: #4 </Td> <Td> See You Tonight (October 15, 2013) Mercury Nashville 269,900 N / A Peak: #6 </Td> <Td> Season Change (March 16, 2018) Thirty Tiger 82,200 N / A Peak: #7 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 . </Td> <Td> Kellie Pickler (season 5, 6th place) 1,557,000 </Td> <Td> Small Town Girl (October 31, 2006) BNA 900,000 Gold Peak: #9 </Td> <Td> Kellie Pickler (September 30, 2008) BNA 470,000 N / A Peak: #9 </Td> <Td> 100 Proof (January 24, 2012) BNA 90,000 N / A Peak: #7 </Td> <Td> The Woman I Am November 11, 2013 Black River Entertainment 47,000 N / A Peak: #19 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 . </Td> <Td> David Cook (season 7, winner) 1,510,000 </Td> <Td> David Cook (November 18, 2008) RCA 1,380,000 Platinum Peak: #3 </Td> <Td> This Loud Morning (June 28, 2011) RCA 133,000 N / A Peak: #7 </Td> <Td> Digital Vein (September 18, 2015) InGrooves Music 11,000 N / A Peak: #35 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 . </Td> <Td> Phillip Phillips (season 11, winner) 1,495,000 </Td> <Td> The World from the Side of the Moon (November 19, 2012) Interscope 1,033,000 Platinum Peak: #4 </Td> <Td> Behind the Light (May 19, 2014) Interscope 123,000 N / A Peak: #7 </Td> <Td> Collateral (January 19, 2018) Interscope 5,000 N / A Peak: #141 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 . </Td> <Td> Jennifer Hudson (season 3, 7th place) 1,446,000 </Td> <Td> Jennifer Hudson (September 30, 2008) Arista 839,000 Gold Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> I Remember Me (March 22, 2011) Arista 459,000 Gold Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> JHUD (September 23, 2014) RCA 61,000 N / A Peak: #10 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 . </Td> <Td> Jordin Sparks (season 6, winner) 1,313,000 </Td> <Td> Jordin Sparks (November 20, 2007) Jive 1,056,000 Platinum Peak: #10 </Td> <Td> Battlefield (July 21, 2009) Jive 190,000 N / A Peak: #7 </Td> <Td> Right Here, Right Now (August 21, 2015) Louder Than Life N / A Peak: #161 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 . </Td> <Td> Adam Lambert (season 8, runner - up) 1,173,000 </Td> <Td> For Your Entertainment (November 23, 2009) RCA 863,000 Gold Peak: #3 </Td> <Td> Trespassing (May 15, 2012) RCA 197,000 N / A Peak: #1 </Td> <Td> The Original High (June 16, 2015) Warner Bros Records 52,000 N / A Peak: #3 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 . </Td> <Td> David Archuleta (season 7, runner - up) 1,156,000 </Td> <Td> David Archuleta (November 11, 2008) Jive 765,000 Gold Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> Christmas from the Heart (October 13, 2009) Jive 246,000 N / A Peak: #30 </Td> <Td> The Other Side of Down (October 5, 2010) Jive 67,000 N / A Peak: #13 </Td> <Td> Begin . (August 7, 2012) Highway Records 14,000 N / A Peak: #28 </Td> <Td> No Matter How Far (2013) E1 Music 5,000 N / A Peak: #110 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 . </Td> <Td> Mandisa (season 5, 9th place) 928,000 </Td> <Td> True Beauty (July 31, 2007) Sparrow 226,000 N / A Peak: #43 </Td> <Td> It's Christmas (October 14, 2008) Sparrow 64,000 N / A Peak: #85 </Td> <Td> Freedom (March 24, 2009) Sparrow 152,000 N / A Peak: #83 </Td> <Td> What If We Were Real (April 5, 2011) Sparrow 270,000 N / A Peak: #66 </Td> <Td> Overcomer (August 27, 2013) Sparrow 140,000 N / A Peak: #29 </Td> <Td> Out of the Dark (May 19, 2017) Sparrow N / A Peak: #20 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 . </Td> <Td> Josh Gracin (season 2, 4th place) 804,000 </Td> <Td> Josh Gracin (June 15, 2004) Lyric Street 703,000 Gold Peak: #11 </Td> <Td> We Weren't Crazy (April 1, 2008) Lyric Street 86,000 N / A Peak: #33 </Td> <Td> Redemption (November 8, 2011) Average Joe's 4,000 N / A Peak: N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 . </Td> <Td> Taylor Hicks (season 5, winner) 768,000 </Td> <Td> Taylor Hicks (December 12, 2006) Arista 705,000 Platinum Peak: #2 </Td> <Td> The Distance (March 10, 2009) Modern Whomp 52,000 N / A Peak: #58 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 . </Td> <Td> Bo Bice (season 4, runner - up) 757,000 </Td> <Td> The Real Thing (December 13, 2005) RCA 673,000 Gold Peak: #4 </Td> <Td> See the Light (October 23, 2007) StratArt 62,000 N / A Peak: #150 </Td> <Td> (May 18, 2010) Saguaro Road 11,000 N / A Peak: #154 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 . </Td> <Td> Elliott Yamin (season 5, 3rd place) 696,000 </Td> <Td> Elliott Yamin (March 20, 2007) Hickory Records RED Distribution 527,000 Gold Peak: #3 </Td> <Td> Sounds of the Season (October 14, 2007) Hickory Records 81,000 N / A Peak: #32 </Td> <Td> My Kind of Holiday (October 7, 2008) TRP Records, Fontana Distribution 27,000 N / A Peak: #162 </Td> <Td> Fight For Love (May 5, 2009) Hickory Records 49,000 N / A Peak: #26 </Td> <Td> Let's Get to What's Real (March 27, 2012) E1 / Purpose Music Group 2,000 N / A Peak: N / A </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Contestant Total sales </Th> <Th> First album </Th> <Th> Second album </Th> <Th> Third album </Th> <Th> Fourth album </Th> <Th> Fifth album </Th> <Th> Sixth album </Th> <Th> Seventh album </Th> <Th> Eighth album </Th> </Tr>

Who is the best selling american idol contestant