'Idol' Losers: The Biggest-Selling 'AI' Also-Rans

Poor Kimberley Locke. First, she lost to <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/ruben-studdard/367688' target='_blank'>Ruben</a> and <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/clay-aiken/402058' target='_blank'>Clay</a>. Now, she's been edged out of the top-10-selling 'American Idol' losers (that makes her 11). But pity her not. She's already opened a steakhouse, nabbed endorsement deals with Jenny Craig and Lane Bryant, logged a No.1 album on the dance chart and got a new beau (her <a href='http://television.aol.com/show/celebrity-fit-club/1301856/main' target='_blank'>'Celebrity Fit Club'</a> trainer, Harvey Walden IV), proving that losing on 'Idol' can still make you a winner.

10. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/blake-lewis/505384' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Blake Lewis</font></a>

SEASON 6 (Runner-up)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/jordin-sparks/505391' target='_blank'> Jordin Sparks</a><br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> Because the pint-sized beatboxer went against the advice of guest mentor <A href='http://music.aol.com/artist/jon-bon-jovi/1003149' target='_blank'>Jon Bon Jovi</a> and cranked out a tweaky, deconstructed version of "You Give Love a Bad Name" that added an arty gloss to a rawk classic. And 'Audio Day Dream,' Lewis' debut album, has already sold 286,000 copies.

9. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/william-hung/404574' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>William Hung</font></a>

SEASON 3 (rejected at auditions)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> Everyone<br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> Well, believe it or not, Hung has released three albums since becoming 'Idol''s go-to punchline with his painful rendition of <A href='http://music.aol.com/artist/ricky-martin/1024047' target='_blank'>Ricky Martin's</a> 'She Bangs.' And, well, 295,000 people bought them. So that's why he's on this list. OK?

8. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/bucky-covington/556480' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Bucky Covington</font></a>

SEASON 5 (8th place)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/taylor-hicks/556477' target='_blank'> Taylor Hicks</a><br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</B> A self-titled debut album was No. 1 on the Billboard country charts in April, has sold 303,000 copies and charted two singles, making it the best debut of a new country artist this year. In '08, he'll open for both <A href='http://music.aol.com/artist/trace-adkins/1166757' target='_blank'>Trace Adkins</a> and <a href='http://music.aol.com/artist/dierks-bentley/1516372' target='_blank'>Dierks Bentley</a> on their current U.S. tours.

7. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/katharine-mcphee/519227/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Katharine McPhee</font></a>

SEASON 5 (runner-up)

<B>WHO SHE LOST TO</b> <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/taylor-hicks/556477' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'> Taylor Hicks</font></a><br><b>WHY SHE'S STILL A WINNER</b> After wowing us on 'Idol' with 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' McPhee put out a debut disc that peaked at No. 2 on Billboard, selling 363,000 copies. Her recording label just dropped her, but she's focused on acting and co-stars with <a href='http://movies.aol.com/celebrity/anna-faris/277709/main' target='_blank'>Anna Faris</A> and <a href='http://movies.aol.com/celebrity/rumer-willis/389140/main' target='_blank'>Rumer Willis</A> in two upcoming pics.

6. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/elliott-yamin/556193/main' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Elliott Yamin</font></a>

SEASON 5 (3rd place)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/taylor-hicks/556477' target='_blank'> Taylor Hicks</a><br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> Nice guy Yamin's self-titled debut disc went gold on the success of the hit single 'Wait for You,' just making the 500,000-copies-sold mark at the end of '07. He opened for <a href='http://music.aol.com/artist/whitney-houston/1003853' target='_blank'>Whitney Houston</a> at a concert in Kuala Lumpur and released a Xmas album in conjunction with NBC and Target.

5. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/kellie-pickler/556479' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Kellie Pickler</font></a>

SEASON 5 (6th place)

<b>WHO SHE LOST TO</b> <A href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/taylor-hicks/556477' target='_blank'> Taylor Hicks</a><br><b>WHY SHE'S STILL A WINNER</b> When Pickler guest co-hosted <a href='http://television.aol.com/show/the-view/52297/main' target='_blank'>'The View'</a> in January, <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/rosie-odonnell/53416' target='_blank'>Rosie O'Donnell</a> presented her with a gold record for her debut album, 'Small Town Girl' (679,000 copies to date). During a November stint on <a href='http://television.aol.com/show/are-you-smarter-than-a-5th-grader/1237807/main' target='_blank'>'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?'</a> she questioned if Europe was a country.

4. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/josh-gracin/498276' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Josh Gracin</font></a>

SEASON 2 (4th place)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/ruben-studdard/367688' target='_blank'> Ruben Studdard</a><Br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> The hunky former Marine parlayed his 'Idol' fame into a self-titled debut album that went gold (692,000 copies) and yielded three Top 5 country singles, including the No. 1 'Nothing to Lose.' He's got 'I Keep Coming Back,' a new album scheduled for an '08 release.

3. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/bo-bice/556469' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Bo Bice</font></a>

SEASON 4 (runner-up)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <A href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/carrie-underwood/519015' target='_blank'> Carrie Underwood</a><br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> His debut, '05's 'The Real Thing,' went gold (670,000 copies); a second album, 'See the Light,' has sold 30,000 copies since its October release. Despite slow sales, a video for a single from the album, 'Witness,' is No. 1 on VH1's VSpot Top 20 Countdown.

2. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/chris-daughtry/556194' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Chris Daughtry</font></a>

SEASON 5 (4th place)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/taylor-hicks/556477' target='_blank'> Taylor Hicks</a><br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> 'Daughtry,' the debut album of Daughtry's band -- uh, <A href='http://music.aol.com/artist/daughtry/451484' target='_blank'>Daughtry</a> -- was the top-selling album of 2007, moving 3.6 million copies and earning four Grammy nominations. Come February, the band will open for <a href='http://music.aol.com/artist/bon-jovi/1003148' target='_blank'>Bon Jovi</a>, giving coming in 4th on 'American Idol' a good name.

1. <A HREF='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/clay-aiken/402058' target='_blank'><FONT COLOR='#2864B4'>Clay Aiken</font></a>

SEASON 2 (runner-up)

<b>WHO HE LOST TO</b> <a href='http://television.aol.com/celebrity/ruben-studdard/367688' target='_blank'> Ruben Studdard</a><br><b>WHY HE'S STILL A WINNER</b> Aiken's passionate fan base (the Claymates, benevolent hijackers of message boards everywhere) are so rabid in their devotion that, in addition to nearly 5 million albums, they snatch up things like a "Snuggle Up With Clay" embroidered fleece blanket from Aiken's official site.