Below are the previous winners, and a few non-winners, ranked in terms of total album sales. Streams, along with individual track sales, are accounted for in the total number, which is the industry standard these days. The numbers give a snapshot of how “American Idol” winners have fared through the years.
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/...y-album-sales/

1. Carrie Underwood (Season 4 Winner, 2005)
Number of albums released: 5
Total album sales: 20,120,000
2. Kelly Clarkson (Season 1 Winner, 2002)
Number of albums released: 7
Total album sales: 17,915,000
3. Chris Daughtry (Season 5 finalist, fourth place, 2006)
Number of albums released: 4 (as rock band Daughtry)
Total album sales: 9,074,000
4. Clay Aiken (Season 2 runner-up, 2003)
Number of albums released: 6
Total album sales: 5,169,000
5. Fantasia (Season 3 Winner, 2004)
Number of albums released: 4
Total album sales: 3,585,000
6. Ruben Studdard (Season 2 Winner, 2003)
Number of albums released: 6
Total album sales: 2,726,000
7. Scotty McCreery (Season 10 Winner, 2011)
Number of albums released: 3
Total album sales: 2,652,000
8. Jordin Sparks (Season 6 Winner, 2007)
Number of albums released: 3
Total album sales: 2,564,000
9. Phillip Phillips (Season 11 Winner, 2012)
Number of albums released: 2
Total album sales: 2,546,000
10. Adam Lambert (Season 8 runner-up, 2009)
Number of albums released: 3
Total albums sales: 2,115,000
11. Kellie Pickler (Season 5 finalist, sixth place, 2006)
Number of albums released: 4
Total album sales: 2,057,000
12. David Cook (Season 7 Winner, 2008)
Number of albums released: 4
Total album sales: 2,011,000
13. Jennifer Hudson (Season 3 finalist, seventh place, 2003)
Number of albums released: 3
Total album sales: 1,816,000
14. David Archuleta (Season 7 runner-up, 2008)
Number of albums released: 6
Total albums sales: 1,606,000

Carrie

These are with track equivalents and streams!

wait is carrie above kelly? are the numbers just USA or global?

but slay both carrie and kelly are the only american idols i listen and like....

Is this US or WW?

EDIT

Oh thanks!

What about Candice glover

carrie and kelly are the only ones relevant and they really bacame artists on their own. i never Think of them as american idol-participants!

And Carrie has one of the best Selling albums in the "digital era", i Believe some hearts is at 7,6 million?

These are just US Kelly and Carrie...with Kelly's WW totals, the biggest idol ever!

Daughtry approx needs 2 more albums (or 1 hit album) in order to sell 10M albums!

She sold 65,000 in total

Kelly's singles probably sell more and Carrie doesn't seem to be as popular overseas as Kelly

The difference between 2 and 3

Fantasia

Candice not being on there

Music Speaks is such a great album - It doesn't deserve this treatment

22. William Hung (Season 3 contestant, 2004)
Number of albums released: 2
Total album sales: 257,000

23. Candice Glover (Season 12 Winner, 2013)
Number of albums released: 1
Total album sales: 65,000

24. Caleb Johnson (Season 13 Winner, 2014)
Number of albums released: 1
Total album sales: 28,000

25. Nick Fradiani (Season 14 Winner, 2015)
Number of albums released: 0
Total album sales: 16,000 (Converted to album sales with 145,000 digital singles sold and streams accounted for)

the huge decline after the top 2 and then the top 3

so many flop "winners," too

What about Queen Haley Reinhart? She can't be beyond Candice in terms of sales.

The drop off after No 2 Kelly

She is above Candice. Jessica Sanchez would be above Caleb and Nick too, I think after a certain point they just added in the remaining winners to the list.