Forbes has released its annual list of the top earning American Idol stars for the past year, and the list will surprise you.
Of course, Carrie Underwood tops the list — but the shocker is that my fave Glambert comes in at number 2, above Kelly Clarkson.
In fact, Kelly Clarkson gets beat out by even Jordin Sparks and Fantasia Barrino… Then again, this list only covers May 2010-May 2011.
What you will notice missing from the list are the last three winners of the show, Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen and Scott McCreery, although, granted, McCreery obviously gets a pass since he just won the Idol crown.
Here are the top 10 earners:
1. Carrie Underwood – $20 million
2. (tie) Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry – $6 million. Lambert’s first album, For Your Entertainment, sold 821,000 copies domestically and was certified gold or platinum in six other countries. He also had a 116-date Glam Nation Tour which proved a rare success in 2010′s troubled concert industry.
4. Fantasia Barrino – $4 million–Fantasia’s reality show Fantasia For Real, was VH1′s biggest hit of 2010, and her comeback album Back To Me, was her highest-charting album to date.
5. Jordin Sparks – $3 million
6. Kelly Clarkson – $2.5 million
7. Jennifer Hudson – $2 million
8. Kellie Pickler – $1.8 million
9. Clay Aiken – $1.5 million
10. (tie) Katharine McPhee, David Archuleta, David Cook – $1 million. McPhee made the list due to her upcoming NBC series Smash and a new label deal with Columbia Records in conjunction with that show.
4. Fantasia Barrino – $4 million–Fantasia’s reality show Fantasia For Real, was VH1′s biggest hit of 2010, and her comeback album Back To Me, was her highest-charting album to date.
5. Jordin Sparks – $3 million
6. Kelly Clarkson – $2.5 million
7. Jennifer Hudson – $2 million
8. Kellie Pickler – $1.8 million
9. Clay Aiken – $1.5 million
10. (tie) Katharine McPhee, David Archuleta, David Cook – $1 million. McPhee made the list due to her upcoming NBC series Smash and a new label deal with Columbia Records in conjunction with that show.