There's no denying that American Idol has been able to make some major stars throughout its 13 seasons. From Carrie Underwood to Kelly Clarkson to Adam Lambert, the reality competition has been a major launching pad for the U.S. music scene in the last decade. And now, following the premiere of American Idol's 14th season, Forbes has released its annual list of the top-earning alums from the long-running program.
And, unsurprisingly, it's topped by none other than Underwood. According to the money magazine, the "Something in the Water" songstress leads the list for the second year in a row thanks to her six-figure per night tour dates and her major role as Maria Rainer in NBC's production of The Sound of Music Live!
Underwood led the pack by pulling in $10 million over the last 12 months.
She leads some major players from Idol years past, followed up immediately by the OG idol herself, Kelly Clarkson, who pulled in $8 million. Like Underwood, Clarkson pulls in six-figures a night per live performance and her 2014 money pool was helped largely by her latest platinum album, the new holiday classic Wrapped in Red.
Only nine Idol alumni made the list, seemingly the only ones to pull in over $1 million. Other inclusions on the list include season 11 winner Phillip Phillips, Scotty McCreery, Daughtry and Adam Lambert.
Surprisingly, lesser known Idols such as Taylor Hicks and Kellie Pickler also made the cut.
Check out the full list of earnings below:
01. Carrie Underwood, $10 million
02. Kelly Clarkson, $8 million
03. Phillip Phillips, $5 million
04. Scotty McCreery, $3.5 million
04. Taylor Hicks, $3.5 million
06. Chris Daughtry, $3 million
07. Adam Lambert, $2.5 million
08. Fantasia Barrino, $2 million
09. Kellie Pickler, $1 million
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