About halfway through my recent countdown of the Top 20 “American Idol” Contestants of All Time, I created a Remote Access poll that asked readers to vote on the series’ most significant contestant from the first six seasons. The poll was open for two weeks and the Remote Access readers’ choice, by a landslide, was Clay Aiken.

In the process, Aiken’s fan base blasted me for ranking him as low as I did, dumbfounded that contestants Sanjaya Malakar and William Hung held higher spots on my list—fifth and sixth, respectively.

Although Aiken is a far superior performer, I stand behind my rankings because Malakar and Hung transcended their identities and the show to make a bigger impact on pop culture at large. Despite Malakar’s misguided fans, the slogan “Vote Sanjaya” was less about him and more of a mantra to millions who wanted to see the show crumble. And Hung’s audition not only is the standard by which all auditions are measured, I’m convinced more non-”Idol” fans know more about about his antics than anything Aiken has done on the show or since.

Nonetheless, the Claymates have spoken.

Aiken, runner-up on Season 2 and ranked No. 7 on my list, collected 859 reader votes—nearly one-third of the total 2,621 votes cast and well over twice as many as the next most popular contestant. The rest of the readers’ Top 5 were Kelly Clarkson (No. 1 on my list, 364 votes, 13.9 percent of all votes), Carrie Underwood (No. 2 on my list, 270 votes, 10.3 percent of all votes), Taylor Hicks (No. 17 on my list, 222 votes, 8.5 percent of all votes) and Constantine Maroulis (Unranked on my list, 180 write-in votes, 6.9 percent of all votes).

Check out the rest of the readers’ Top 20—and which contestant I now feel doesn’t deserve the Top 20 ranking I gave her—after the break.

There are a few “American Idol” contestants I considered before leaving them off my list of the Top 20 “Idol” Contestants of All Time. I remember LaToya London having a great voice, but couldn’t recall much else about her. Joshua Gracin was memorable for his unselfish service to this country—but I left him off because he was a disservice to country music.

So when I bypassed heartthrob rocker and New York’s own Constantine Maroulis, and dismissed him as Ace Young with a rocker’s heart, I didn’t lose any sleep over it. Three things are making me reconsider, however.

1. One fan identifying herself as Samantha expressed herself politely in the comments section of one of the Top 20 posts:

I have watched all season’s of American Idol. I thought Constantine Maroulis of season 4 was amazing..I loved that he was versatile and such a good performer…I have seen him in concert and he is so talented …off stage a little shy but we found that endearing.

2. Obviously, she wasn’t alone in her support. Remote Access launched a poll (“Who was the most significant “American Idol” contestant from the first six seasons?”) late Monday in the right margin and posted every name on the Top 20 and Honorable Mentions lists as voting options. Not only was Maroulis the sole reader-submitted addition to the poll, but he received 128 votes as of this post’s publication. At that time, Maroulis was fifth on the poll behind Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks and Carrie Underwood—three “Idol” winners and a runner-up who should have been that season’s champ. Read more of this entry »

I spent hours coming up with my list of the Top 20 “American Idol” Contestants of All Time, and I have to say I’m very happy with how it turned out.

I agonized over quite a few, with three of the longest deliberations involving:

-Should No. 2 be Carrie Underwood or Chris Daughtry? (Underwood; she’s sold more total albums and has a longer career.)
-Should No. 9 be Blake Lewis or Tamyra Gray? (Lewis; far more memorable and original.)
-Should No. 20 be Lisa Leuschner or Justin Guarini? (Leuschner; I have much more to say about her and she was only on briefly.)

One thing I realized just yesterday: The Top 10 are people who are instruments of change.

Kelly Clarkson turned a reality TV show into a vehicle for new talent and established talent looking for a new audience; Underwood became a country superstar; Daughtry broke rock sales records; Jennifer Hudson won a freakin’ Oscar, for cryin’ out loud; Sanjaya Malakar was a one-man wrecking crew of an antihero; William Hung became the standard by which all auditioning contestants are measured; Clay Aiken was first to prove the “Idol” title was in name only; Fantasia Barrino was the first and best American Dream story; Blake Lewis made every arrangement and beatboxing moment his own (dawg); and Tamyra Gray was the show’s first double-threat.

And, no, of course I don’t think either William Hung or Sanjaya Malakar is a better singer than Clay Aiken or Taylor Hicks. (Translation to those rabid fanbases: Please don’t kill me.) I just think Hung and Malakar had a bigger quantitative impact on both the show and pop culture at large.

Whether or not you agree with the list—and obviously a lot of Claymates and Soul Patrollers don’t—I’m appreciative that so many of you read and posted comments as it unfolded over the last six days. Perhaps a few contestants from Season 7 (debuting tonight at 8 p.m. EST on Fox) will be bumped down a few notches—and if Simon Cowell is right about this year’s crop, that’s a likelihood—or in a shocker, someone low or off the list will come out of nowhere to rise, Jennifer Hudson-style, toward the top.

After the break is the complete list and links to my analysis, in case you missed any or want to relive the magic. Read more of this entry »

Duh.

I’ve seen a recent list rank “American Idol” Season 4 champ Carrie Underwood higher than Season 1 champ Kelly Clarkson, but I just don’t see why, other than to create some buzz.

Without the success of Kelly Clarkson—the George Washington of “American Idol”—no one might have ever heard of Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson or Clay Aiken. The show could have been canceled before their auditions had a star not emerged by Season 1’s end.

It’s not like you see someone on “The Apprentice” go on to become a Fortune 500 company CEO, or someone from “Survivor” hosting a show that continues to toss him/her into dangerous jungles (and, no, “The View” doesn’t count).

As far as pop culture goes, can you think of a more relevant reality TV star in history?

If you say Puck from “The Real World” or anyone from “The Hills,” just stop reading now. Assuming you can read.

It’s amazing enough that “American Idol,” a hit abroad but an unknown commodity in the U.S. in its first season, was able to attract someone of Clarkson’s talent; it’s fortunate that she was recognized as the season’s winner; it’s downright unbelievable that she would go on to become a viable pop star when the music industry seemed, at best, bemused by the show’s existence when it launched.

Even when Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This” single jumped in one week from No. 52 to No. 1—Billboard’s “biggest jump in the history of the chart” —and sold 236,000 copies, I was among those who believed Clarkson was a passing fad, that she had nothing else to offer. What affect could a mere reality show contestant have on the behemoth that was the music industry?

Then again, some critics were just as naive about the impact of the iPod.

At best, I can name about three singles for anyone else on this list. Clarkson’s got at least three No. 1 singles (“A Moment Like This,” “Since U Been Gone” and “Because of U”) and many others that are either charted or notable, including “Miss Independent,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” “Never Again,” “Breakaway,” “Walk Away,” “The Trouble With Love Is,” “Gone” and “Hear Me.”

Oh, and the native Texan can perform on “American Idol,” MTV, Vh1 or CMT without looking the slightest bit out of place.

Although Simon Cowell is a riot and the series format can be exciting, don’t underestimate the importance of Clarkson’s success on the show’s. Had she failed, Fox brass would have to keep assuring, “Wait, wait! We’ll actually find a star this year” without the audience having any faith that it could do so. Even when Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks or Jordin Sparks failed to sell a certain number of albums in a given amount of time, fans and producers could always point to Clarkson as the model for the contestant’s, and the show’s, performance.

Even if Underwood’s sold more records (10 million) in less time domestically, Clarkson’s reportedly sold 25 million overseas, which makes Clarkson more of a star worldwide. Plus, fair or unfair, Underwood’s label as a country artist hurts her credibility in mainstream Top 40 circles and markets like New York City—a rather large city not to have a country music radio station format.

Clarkson’s not without her foibles. There was that whole “From Justin to Kelly” thing. And her most recent album, tour and spat with Clive Davis sent her back to earth a bit. (Note to self: Never, ever, ever mess with The Clive.) But even if Clarkson never scores another hit, there’s not a person auditioning for “American Idol” who wouldn’t sign up for her career. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. Hell, Chris Daughtry even listed her as his favorite female artist on his “American Idol” audition form!

Long live the queen.

Country music purists, Faith Hill, and country music haters might protest, but Carrie Underwood’s sheer dominance in the genre and occasional crossovers into pop make her a force with whom to be reckoned.

The Season 4 champ’s lookin’ awful purdy, and not just because she’s gorgeous.

After an impressive run on “American Idol”—including a jaw-dropping, country-tinged version of Heart’s rock anthem “Alone,” which still gives me chills—I was disappointed to hear that the first single off her debut album would be called “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” It just seemed a singer who demonstrated such versatility on the show was pandering to a single demographic, when she could be someone (ahemKellyClarkson) who could thrive in pop, country and even rock genres simultaneously.

As much as I hate to see someone with so much talent limit herself, Underwood’s kept it country for the most part with her albums “Some Hearts” and “Carnival Ride.” But, wow, has it worked for her. (Again, shows what I know.)

Depending on the source, she’s either the top-selling “Idol” alum or the runner-up behind Miss Independent. I’m guessing Underwood’s higher ranking of the two involves domestic sales, compared to the latter, which might be worldwide. Either way, Underwood’s sold about 10 million albums. A combined decuple-platinum?! Whoa.

I much prefer her beautiful, fiddle-laden cover of the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You” (perhaps the musical highlight of the “Idol Gives Back” charity special) to her mega-hit “Before He Cheats,” which scorched its way onto both country stations and pop stations otherwise resistant, or downright repellent, to country music. And although I still empathize a bit with the guy in “Before He Cheats” (the female character in that song’s a liiiiiittle unstable) there’s no disputing the impact of that hit on her career, the music landscape … and that dude’s four-wheel drive.

According to AOL’s Popeater, Underwood was the “top-selling artist of 2006 and the top-selling female artist of 2007; celebrated five back-to-back No. 1 singles; has been awarded countless Grammys, CMAs, ACMs and AMAs” and touring with fellow country superstar Keith Urban.

Impressive. But not quite impressive enough to claim the top spot on this list.

Yet.

It first appeared Season 5 of “American Idol” ended too soon for Chris Daughtry, whom many considered the favorite to win that season’s competition.

Turns out it might not have ended soon enough. Although his fourth-place finish left Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks to battle for the title, it might just have given Daughtry the head start to pursue one of the fastest-launching, most versatile and most lucrative music careers in “Idol” history—one that, for the time being at least, is more relevant than Yamin, McPhee and Hicks combined.

On the show, I actually had issues with Daughtry’s vibrato, not unlike a sheep being shoved through an oboe. It was noticeable in his otherwise-legit performances of Seether’s “Broken” and Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” But you know he was doing something right if a band he covered later offered him to become its lead singer, Judas Priest/Mark Wahlberg-style.

After said take on Fuel’s “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” in an early “Idol” voting round, I thought Daughtry was a fool to turn down the band’s offer once he was eliminated from the show. Then he proceeded to tone down the sheeprato (in the studio, at the very least) and crank out hit after hit with a band ID’d by his last name. Shows what I know.

Before you say anything, don’t dismiss Daughtry as the mere “rocker” from Season 5. Regardless of how much (or little) you like his music, it fits into so many radio station formats. In New York, for example, you can hear him on modern alternative rock stations (the outstanding “What I Want,” featuring Slash), adult contemporary/easy-listening stations (the ubiquitous “Home”) and pop stations (the Fuel-like “It’s Not Over” and rock-pop “Over You”).

If you didn’t hear “Home” or “It’s Not Over” at some point in 2007, you must be Amish. Daughtry’s first album alone has sold 3.6 million copies and was Billboard’s top-selling album of 2007.

While Clay Aiken’s sold more than 6 million total albums since 2003, you’re less likely to hear Aiken on a Top 40 station these days. And, um, good luck requesting an Aiken song on K-Rock here in New York.

OK, say the nay-sayers, so it’s one album. But Daughtry’s done more in one year than most of the contestants on this list have achieved their whole careers. And he might just be getting warmed up.

She finished seventh in Season 3 of “American Idol,” hasn’t sold a single solo album yet and—other than William Hung—is tied with Sanjaya Malakar for the lowest-finishing “American Idol” contestant in this Top 20 list.

Try telling that to Jennifer Hudson, who won an Academy Award and a trunkload of other trophies for her performance in “Dreamgirls.” And although she sang in the movie musical, she received the Oscar and other awards for acting, no less. To put it another way, a first-time movie actress beat out previous Oscar-winner and always-outstanding Cate Blanchett to claim the Academy Award. Freakin’ Cate Blanchett!!!

It was already unbelievable that a reality TV show and its contestants changed the music industry. It was downright unfathomable that one of its losers would go on to win an Oscar. I mean, as great as the title of “Idol” champ is, that unto itself just doesn’t compare to the Oscar—the Vince Lombardi Trophy of the Hollywood circuit.

By far the most active and credible singer-turned-actor among the “Idol” set, Hudson will be appearing in three movies the next two years: The much-anticipated “Sex and the City” flick, “Winged Creatures” and “The Secret Life of Bees,” according to Internet Movie Database.

Those, right there, are enough reasons to rank her ahead of all but three contestants on my Top 20 list. And I almost ranked her higher. Now, to play devil’s advocate to somehow justify her as only the fourth-most significant “American Idol” contestant in history:

-She wasn’t particularly great on the show. I actually remember her as more shouty than sure-fire.

-She still hasn’t sold a solo record yet, although her debut album is slated to hit stores early this year.

-Sometimes it seems like anyone can win an acting Oscar and then either do a string of terrible movies or outright disappear. See: Cuba Gooding Jr., F. Murray Abraham, Mira Sorvino, etc.

Um, that’s about it.

And in case you didn’t know, Hudson’s “Dreamgirls” showstopper was “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.” How prescient.

With “American Idol” consistently dominating the Nielsens as Season 6 began, what could have possibly striken fear in the hearts of fans, judges, producers and record and sales execs?

Try a 17-year-old boy from Federal Way, Wash.

As much as I love “Idol,” I have to admit I enjoyed watching everyone sweat a little bit when Sanjaya Malakar hulaed himself all the way to a seventh-place finish that season.

The most polarizing contestant in series history actually started out harmless enough, auditioning separately with his sister, Shyamali. I admit writing that I liked his initial audition—which was actually pretty good—but if it means anything, I also praised the auditions of Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis in the same blog post. That said, Sanjaya Malakar’s subsequent songs were quite weak by comparison and it would be only a matter of time before he was booted from the show.

Or would it?

The first indicator of things to come was when Malakar outlasted Rudy Cardenas in the first round of voting—the Top 24. As Malakar started beating out other guys with strong performances (including AJ Tabaldo and Jared Cotter), it soon became evident that voters weren’t really listening to what Mr. Malakar was singing. Maybe they just liked his soft-spoken demeanor and ever-changing coif.

I theorize that once Malakar made the Top 12 and edged out the far-superior Stephanie Edwards into the Top 10 (meaning Edwards missed out on the “Idol” tour—ouch), that’s when his voters expanded beyond the genuine crop of ‘tween girls who had been voting for him the whole time. Once Howard Stern, VoteForTheWorst.com and everyone who’s ever hated the show began throwing their support Malakar’s way, the movement transcended endorsement to become an anarchical battle-cry: “VOTE SANJAYA!”

And then something amazing happened: Malakar transformed from a silent boy who succumbed to judges’ pointed criticism to a guy who let loose and just decided to have a good time with the whole thing. What else could explain his throw-caution-to-the-wind rendition of “You Really Got Me”?

While the “Idol” story became mainstream news and pop culture fodder for TV shows like “Best Week Ever” and “Saturday Night Live,” the carnage continued. Malakar took out Chris Sligh, Gina Glocksen and Haley Scarnato in the following weeks, even bestowing an additional 15 minutes of fame to Ashley “Crying Girl” Ferl. There was a genuine feeling that, just maybe, a Sanjaya victory would melt the nation’s No. 1 show down to its core.

Perhaps suspiciously, the week before “American Idol” kicked off its “Idol Gives Back” charity drive, Malakar was finally eliminated from competition. Cynics who dispute voting totals—which aren’t released to the public—couldn’t help but wonder if producers were trying to have it both ways: Keep Malakar on the show for shock value, but not to the point that it ruins your charity event. I wouldn’t be surprised.

After Malakar was eliminated, it seemed he was everywhere on the talk show circuit. And, to his credit, he appeared to embrace the me-against-the-world persona with a sense of humor. He would have donned a Black Cowboy Hat for all of those interviews if there were only a way to get it to stay on that fauxhawk.

To prevent this upheaval from ever happening again, one possible solution would be to change the voting process, allowing voters to kick people OFF the show, “Survivor”-style. With too many contestants to choose from, this would stop detractors from sending their sole proxy too far into the competition. Of course, this would never happen because of promotional tie-ins to a certain cell phone company and the profits it reaps from said advertisements.

While there will always be contestants who make it waaaay too far on the show, none did so in a way that brought “American Idol” to its knees and to an entirely new audience—for all the wrong reasons.

There have been far worse singers to audition for “American Idol,” but for some reason Season 3 contestant William Hung is remembered among the masses as the most futile contestant in series history.

Here’s why they’re wrong.

For starters, no one who’s ever been rejected after an initial “Idol” audition has been recalled as often, or perhaps as fondly, as Hung. And although his accent on Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” was as prominent as his notes were clipped, he actually sang on key. (Seriously! Ignore the windshield-wiper arm choreography and listen to it again. The notes were right; the delivery was just… not as right.)

I’d like to think what endears Hung to the audience to this day is his positivity; so often in the “Idol” audition process, we’re confronted with jerks who confront the judges with violent words or motions after a horrendous audition. Without irony, Hung admitted he had “no professional training.” While some critics cried exploitation—and they have their points—it seemed like everyone in the country the next morning was talking about William Hung and attempting his dance moves.

To this day, people who have never seen an episode “American Idol” know who William Hung is, except, evidently, Todd Packer on “The Office.” Other than maybe Kelly Clarkson and Sanjaya Malakar, I’d bet more non-”Idol” fans know William Hung than any other “Idol” contestant.

Now, I’m not sure to what degree Hung is in on the joke these days—I sincerely hope he is—but at one point he laughed all the way to the bank. It’s likely no one in the history of the show’s earned more cash for his/her audition footage alone. He reportedly claimed a $25,000 check from the music video channel Fuse and sold more than 200,000 copies of his album “Inspiration.” Hung also told People he’d earned $1 million since his first “Idol” appearance. I know a lot of professionally trained singers who haven’t made that much money.

There’s only one William Hung. And no matter what you think of him, the money he’s made or the way he’s been treated, I think everyone can agree that that’s a very good thing.

The most successful “American Idol” runner-up of all time, Season 2’s Clay Aiken, eclipses all but two of its contestants (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood) in total album sales.

And while Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson dug the gawky kid’s initial audition, the judges viewers didn’t have the foresight to automatically include him in that season’s Top 12. It took the subsequent and now-defunct “viewers’ choice” vote in the semifinal round to propel him to that point.

Aiken’s subsequent make-over might have been the series’ most dramatic in history. Physicality aside, his voice impressed so many fans that he spawned the series’ first militant contestant fan-base, the Claymates. And for as much unintentional comedy as there was when singer Neil Sedaka described him Kimberley Locke as “ear-delicious,” it was downright touching to see the pro tear up when Aiken soared on Sedaka’s “Solitaire.”

“I have lost my song forever to you,” Sedaka said. “It will always be a Clay Aiken song.” I can count the number of times I remember anything like that happening on the show: One.

And let’s just face it: No offense to Ruben Studdard, but Aiken was robbed in the Season 2 finale.

Off the stage, the man who had worked with a 13-year-old autistic boy before getting his big break on “Idol” recently founded the Bubel/Aiken Foundation to raise awareness and improve services for people living with special needs.

Aiken’s ambiguous sexuality has made him a favorite target of tabloids, probing reporters and comedian Kathy Griffin, but Aiken continues to thrive despite the adversity. The proof is in the numbers: Aiken has gone on to sell starts his run on Broadway as brave, brave Sir Robin in “Spamalot” this Friday.

Not bad for a guy the “Idol” viewers nearly dismissed before he had a chance to shine.

The real-life story of Fantasia Barrino is literally a Lifetime original movie—the convergence of the American Dream and “American Idol.”

A high-school dropout and functionally illiterate single mom from North Carolina, Barrino impressed the “Idol” judges from Day 1 as an auditioner in Atlanta. In the earliest rounds of voting, Randy Jackson half-jokingly declared her the winner. It rang so true, I didn’t bother laughing.

With a slew of excellent performances, including her signature rendition of “Summertime,” she so dominated Season 3 that it was boring to watch. In my mind, the only three contestants who had a shot were runner-up Diana DeGarmo (far more for her ‘tween appeal than for her voice), seventh-place finisher and eventual Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (who, again, didn’t seem to bring her A-game that year) and unfairly booted Lisa Leuschner (don’t get me started). In reality though, it wasn’t even close and I almost resented Barrino for how easy she made it look.

Her first album, “Free Yourself,” went double-platinum with help from the Tamyra Gray-penned “I Believe.” Her follow-up album “Fantasia”—highlighted by the hypnotic and headbob-inducing “Hood Boy”—went gold. She’s also been nominated for about a gazillion image and music awards.

And while some “Idols” have found a home on Broadway, Barrino finds ways to keep shows there. After announcing she’d be appearing in the show and performing a song from it on “Idol” and Oprah Winfrey’s show, “The Color Purple” box office reportedly “took in $6 million in advance ticket sales before she even stepped onstage for the first time,” according to MTV News.

So often the “Idol” judges say some form of the phrase “You are what this competition is all about.” In Fantasia’s case, there’s no better example.

Fine, I’ll admit it. Blake Lewis, runner-up in Season 6 of “American Idol,” didn’t sell as many first-week albums as the victor, Jordin Sparks. And his singing voice sometimes was choppier than a saw mill, especially when compared to the effortless polish of Melinda Doolittle.

But I’m ranking the beatboxing Lewis higher than both of them on this list for the way he changed the game on “American Idol.”

Allow me to reprint some related thoughts from a Remote Access post I wrote last month:

Think about it: Other than Sanjayagate, which nearly melted the show down to its core, Lewis was the most buzzworthy story from Season 6. Love him or hate him, his original, risky takes on Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name” and the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” had been the season’s two most water-cooler worthy points of discussion not involving Mr. Malakar. Then his finale collaboration with Doug E. Fresh on “The Show” blew everybody out of the water, becoming “Idol’s” most riveting performance. Not just for the season. Ever.

I added that Lewis’ first single, the addictive “Break Anotha,” could or should never be attempted by another “Idol” finalist.

When Season 7 starts Tuesday, don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of beatboxing, tattooed Blake Lewis wannabes. Regardless of your feelings about him, Lewis has made his mark as one of the most memorable contestants in “Idol” history.

Season 1 of “American Idol” wound up belonging to Kelly Clarkson, but the show’s history might have had to be rewritten had Nikki McKibbin not inexplicably outlasted the polished and camera-friendly Tamyra Gray along the way. (What’s a new reality TV show without a little controversy?)

Although her J Records album “The Dreamer”—which Gray wrote herself—didn’t fare so well, she has thrived in other facets of the entertainment industry. Other than Clarkson, who duetted with Gray on Clarkson’s album “Thankful,” Gray arguably has fared better than any Season 1 alum.

She’s had five years of steady acting work. On Broadway, she’s been cast in “Bombay Dreams” and “Rent”; on the silver screen, she’s appeared in “The Gospel” and landed a role in the upcoming Anne Hathaway film “Dancing With Shiva”; and on TV, she impressed music and TV critics alike with her recurring role on Fox’s “Boston Public.” The wife of Color Me Badd singer Sam Watters still has a hand in the music business, too, with songwriting credits for Fantasia Barrino’s “I Believe” and multiple tracks that appear on Jessica Simpson’s album “A Public Affair.”

One more reason why Gray earned a rank as high as No. 10: She was the first to prove that winning “American Idol” wasn’t a prerequisite to achieve lasting Hollywood success.

The bubbly Jordin Sparks can take pride in being the youngest ever to be crowned “American Idol” champ. She was just 17 when she upended Blake Lewis to claim the Season 6 title.

Despite a catchy, radio-friendly song—“Tattoo,” from her self-titled debut album—the weight of the “Idol” crown could be a lot to bear. The album sold only 110,000 units in its first week, the lowest number of any “Idol” champ.

So why is she ranked as high as No. 11?

For one, as “Idol” judges repeatedly reminded viewers (in nauseating fashion), Sparks is very young and has great vocal and marketing potential. Second, Sparks didn’t have the pure voice of Melinda Doolittle, but she did have a spark and style that “Idol” voters embraced week after week. Third, it’s a little tough to penalize Sparks only months after her crowning achievement in May. Also, she’s the daughter of a former New York Giant, Phillippi Sparks, so that’s always going to win extra points from this fan of Big Blue.

And hey, is Taylor Hicks or Ruben Studdard performing this week on Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel’s talk shows? Didn’t think so.

I know there will be complaints about where Melinda Doolittle ranks on this “American Idol” list from her proponents and opponents alike.

“Melinda’s not commercial and I haven’t heard a thing of hers on the radio,” the skeptics will scream. “Melinda might be the best female vocalist the show’s ever seen!” her supporters will spew. I have to agree with both sides, so that’s why she’s No. 12.

If this were purely a singing competition, Doolittle would have won Season 6. Hands down. With the most consistently impressive performances week-to-week, she was best when she showcased her soul in songs like Peggy Lee’s sultry “I’m A Woman” but even impressed when offering Tina Turner-esque rock rasp on Bon Jovi’s “Have A Nice Day.” Every week, I loved how Mindy Doo shelved her humble I’m-a-former-backup-singer persona for a more diva-like dynamic once Rickey Minor and the band started playing.

But since Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis appealed more to the young female demographic that apparently has a stranglehold on “Idol” voting, the best Doolittle could finish was third.

While Lewis and Sparks pumped out albums late last year (with little sales success), Doolittle hasn’t. When she wasn’t touring with the Season 6 Top 10, she’s spent much of her time promoting the Malaria No More campaign in an effort to eradicate malaria in Africa.

Most “American Idol” fans these days probably remember and favor Season 4 champ Carrie Underwood more than its runner-up, Bo Bice. But they might forget that Bice actually scored a bona fide pop hit before Underwood became the country superstar she is today.

In his “Idol” days, Harold Elwin Bice Jr. had a penchant for stomping around the stage, mic stand in hand, while wailing away on classic southern rock hits with a serious swagger. He also did an admirable job covering Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be,” but it was his a cappella rendition of Badlands’ “In A Dream” that became his defining moment on the show.

Although Underwood would later take the crown, Bice had solid and steady radio play with “The Real Thing”—which in retrospect sounds like a lighter, retroactive version of Chris Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over.”

Battling brushes with the law before the show and medical matters after it, Bice has had his share of highs and lows. Somewhere in the middle is the fact that he recorded the title song for the Will Ferrell comedy “Blades of Glory.” I’m not even sure what to say about that.

Thankfully, every once in a while on “American Idol,” there’s a contestant that no one expects to go very far and winds up with an inspiring, uplifting run.

I was a fan very early on of Elliott Yamin, the Virginia-bred man whose snaggle teeth almost distracted viewers from his pure voice. As nice as he appeared, there was no way, viewers said, he could go far in the competition. Not commercial, they claimed. Not polished, they asserted. Not Hicks, they maintained.

Week after week, Yamin survived, even surpassing Chris Daughtry—the guy who would go on to annihilate album sales records with his debut—in the competition. And in one of the closest races for second place in show history, Elliott just barely missed the cut, allowing Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee to vie for the title during a season top-heavy with talent.

After his memorable Season 5 finale duet with Mary J. Blige (still one of my favorite moments in “Idol” history), Yamin disappeared for a while, then surprised everyone again with a new set of chompers and his sleeper R&B track “Wait For You,” which Idolator cites as the “highest-charting ‘American Idol’ alum of (2007) who wasn’t Daughtry.”

Who knows what’s next for Yamin? Hopefully big things. But, if they are, try not to be surprised this time.

It always helps to have Gladys Knight anoint you with a nickname that sticks, so when the pop diva dubbed Ruuuuuuuuben Studdard the “Velvet Teddy Bear,” the Season 2 champ seemed destined to launch a career comparable to his “American Idol” predecessor, Kelly Clarkson.

It didn’t exactly pan out that way.

Representing the 205 with class, the soft-spoken Stud upset the Manilow-esque Clay Aiken in the final. Unlike the previous year, when Clarkson was pretty much expected to defeat Justin Guarini, the show had its first controversy involving the voting for the final two contestants.

Studdard released three albums for J Records, each follow-up faring worse than the previous album. “Soulful” in 2003 went platinum; 2004’s “I Need an Angel” went gold; and 2006’s “The Return,” uh, might have gone aluminum. That was enough for J Records and Studdard to see other people.

After Studdard barely made a blip on the music radar with “Sorry 2004,” the years that followed—from a professional standpoint—could be described as “Sorrier 2005” and “Sorriest 2006.” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Sorry.) Perhaps it was backlash from the Claymates, poor marketing or mismatched songwriting, but whatever the reason, it seemed that Studdard’s newsmaking was limited to stories involving lawsuits and lost weight.

Don’t count out Studdard just yet, though. He’ll be touring with fellow “Idol” alum Frenchie Davis in a 30th anniversary touring company of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” starting this November.

Somewhere over the rainbow for Katharine McPhee might be a new record deal, which she now needs because the “American Idol” Season 5 runner-up was just dropped from her label.

To McPhee’s credit, we’ve gotten to the point of this Top 20 list when I can start to recall multiple memorable songs from a contestant’s tour on the show. McPhee’s rendition of “Rainbow” was definitely a Joey Lawrence “Whoa!” moment, and her performance of “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” helped make KT Tunstall’s track a certified hit.

One of McPhee’s singing quirks involved sitting or stretching on the floor for entire songs, which would prompt me to yell “Get up already!” at the screen.

Although McPhee hasn’t sold as many records as Season 5 champ Taylor Hicks, her single “Over It” could frequently be heard on Top 40 radio stations last year. And while Hicks seems to be focused exclusively on music, McPhee is hoping to parlay her exposure from “Idol” to other media. Although McPhee showed much of herself in a layout for Stuff magazine, fans can see more of her in three upcoming films: “I Know What Boys Like,” “The Last Caller” and “Success.”

If there are two things the silver-haired Taylor Hicks has going for him, it’s the title of “American Idol” Season 5 champ and his militant fan base, who label themselves members of the Soul Patrol.

Hicks, who asked us “Do I Make You Proud?” in song on the night that he defeated Katharine McPhee to claim his crown, might still be waiting on an answer from the masses. Never a favorite of judge Simon Cowell, Hicks in succession defeated Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin and McPhee en route to an improbable win.

Once Daughtry and Yamin were eliminated, I think I was rooting for Hicks to win at the time; I remember telling people my reason: “No one in the history of the show has ever had more fun.” Plus, he seemed like a nice enough guy. Well, those attributes only goes so far.

Of the six “Idol” contestants to win the seasonal competition, Hicks has probably received the least amount of airplay on mainstream radio. And no matter how well-armed his fans are, perhaps even he would admit that sales of his self-titled album were a disappointment; it was the first album from an “Idol” winner not to sell 1 million records. Worse, his record label dropped him parted ways with him last week.

He did have enough cred to tour with Earth, Wind & Fire last year, but without another unexpected surge not unlike the one that propelled him to the “Idol” title, the Soul Patrol might have an uphill battle in years to come.

One thing’s for sure: I can expect about a million comments from Hicks fans blasting me right about… now.