American Idol the winner determined by American viewers using phones, Internet, and SMS text voting. The winners of the first sixteen seasons, as chosen by viewers, are Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips, Candice Glover, Caleb Johnson, Nick Fradiani, Trent Harmon, and Maddie Poppe, respectively. "American Idol" employs a panel of vocal judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original judges, for the first through eighth seasons, were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, singer and choreographer Paula Abdul, and music executive and manager Simon
American Idol 10th Anniversary – The Hits American Idol 10th Anniversary – The Hits American Idol 10th Anniversary – The Hits is a compilation album that includes hits from several "American Idol" winners and former contestants, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the show. Clay Aiken, Daughtry, and Adam Lambert are the only artists included on the album who have not won the title. The album was released on March 15, 2011 via 19 Recordings and RCA Records. It debuted at number 136 on the "Billboard" 200, selling approximately 4,000 copies in its first week. The album spotlights some of "Idol"'s most successful contestants and multiple "Billboard" chart-topping