American Idol timeline

Katharine McPhee Releases 'Katharine McPhee' the Album

The album's release date changed on many occasions, originally set for November 14, then November 28, then December 5, then December 19, and... Read more

Jordin Sparks Wins the Sixth Season of 'American Idol'

Jordin Brianna Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter and occasional actress from Glendale,... Read more

Jordin Sparks Releases 'Jordin Sparks' the Album

Jordin never quite sells any of these songs, even when she's belting out big ballads, songs designed to showcase her range but that wind up... Read more

The Seventh Season of 'American Idol' Premieres on Fox

For Season 7, auditions were held in the following cities: San Diego, California: Qualcomm Stadium - July 30 & July 31 Dallas, Texas: Texas... Read more

David Cook Wins the Seventh Season of 'American Idol'

Cook originally did not plan to try out for the show. He came to the auditions initially to support his younger brother (who did not make it to... Read more

Jennifer Hudson Releases 'Jennifer Hudson' the Album

Jennifer Hudson is the self-titled debut album by the American singer and actress of the same name. First released by Arista Records on September... Read more

David Cook Releases 'David Cook' the Album

All this makes David Cook remarkably similar to the debut of his AmIdol forefather, DAUGHTRY, but where Chris Daughtry wallows in his stylized... Read more

Season Eight of 'American Idol' Premieres on Fox

Several changes were planned for season 8. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that Idol would feature fewer "William Hung-like"... Read more

Danny Gokey Performs "What Hurts The Most" On American Idol

Danny Gokey chose to sing “What Hurts The Most” by Rascal Flatts. I was surprised that he picked the song but then I remembered that he sang... Read more

Kris Allen Wins Season 8 of 'American Idol'

After being voted into the Top 3, Allen returned home to Arkansas and his hometown to film the material for the next two American Idol episodes.... Read more

Adam Lambert Performs 'Detroit Rock City' and 'Rock and Roll All Nite' with Kiss

Lambert started things off solo, wearing a studded, sorta-angelic ensemble (leather epaulet, withwings and all), performing a somber, falsetto'ed... Read more

Adam Lambert Appears on the Cover of 'Rolling Stone'

So this week, Adam Lambert's salivatingly-awaited, serpentine-accessorized Rolling Stone cover issue comes out. And I mean that literally. Yes,... Read more

Lee DeWyze Auditions for 'American Idol' Season 9

Last year, "American Idol" was back in Chicago holding auditions for the popular Fox TV show, and DeWyze's buddy Vincent Ferrara convinced him to... Read more

Crystal Bowersox Auditions for 'American Idol' Season Nine

We first met Bowersox during the auditions in Chicago, the city that also gave us Katelyn Epperly and Lee Dewyze. Dressed in jeans and a suede vest... Read more

Ellen DeGeneres is Announced as Host of 'American Idol'

Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has joined American Idol as the new fourth judge sitting alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson,... Read more

Kris Allen Releases 'Kris Allen' the Album

Allen pens almost all of the 12 songs here (the exceptions being “Live Like We’re Dying,” “Written All Over My Face,” “The Truth”), which unifies... Read more

Adam Lambert Releases 'For Your Entertainment'

Critical response to For Your Entertainment was generally positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from... Read more

Season Nine of 'American Idol' Premieres on Fox

The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010, on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi have all returned as... Read more

'Pants on the Ground' is Performed on Season Nine of 'American Idol'

During the Atlanta auditions for the ninth season of American Idol, 62 year old activist "General" Larry Platt appeared and performed his own... Read more

Lee DeWyze Performs 'Chasing Cars' on 'American Idol'

Some mocked Dewyze's coffeehouse-style version of "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol, but we promise you there's some potential. He'd be wise to take... Read more

Lee DeWyze Performs 'Lips of an Angel' on 'American Idol'

Paint salesman Lee Dewyze was revealed as a juvenile-delinquent-gone-good, and he continued his winning ways with Hinder's "Lips of an Angel."... Read more

Crystal Bowersox is Hopsitalized

A medical issue could take Crystal Bowersox out of "American Idol." "Idol" executive producer Ken Warwick told host Ryan Seacrest on his radio... Read more

Crystal Bowersox Performs 'As Long As I See The Light' on American Idol

In her intro segment, Crystal reveals that she has a twin brother, and she keeps a trinket bag with her as something of a good-luck... Read more

Crystal Bowersox Performs 'Give Me One Reason' on American Idol

If her straight-outta-the-hospital performance on last week's "American Idol" established Crystal Bowersox as the unlikely front-runner, well, her... Read more

Lee DeWyze Performs 'Fireflies' on 'American Idol'

Lee DeWyze is up first with Fireflies, one of the most contemporary songs we've heard this year. It's an adventurous choice -- if you think the... Read more