by Kim Remesch

Created on: April 26, 2009

To pick out the most successful American Idols is a real trick, as it all depends on what your concept of success is. For the purposes of this article, let's qualify success as being able to live your dreams. To that end, American Idol's runner up (to David Cook), David Archuleta said in a recent interview: "You don't have to win this to follow your dreams."

David Archuleta nailed it in a few short words. The MOST successful Idols don't necessarily correspond to those who won the contest. The MOST successful Idols are those who take what Idol has to offer and use it as a springboard to make their dreams come true. There may be a few more steps in between, but Idol propelled them towards success in a way they never would have known without the show.

Two powerhouses come to mind immediately. They have truly made it: Kelly Clarkson, probably the most successful Idol of all time and Carrie Underwood who has followed closely behind.

Clarkson won the first season of Idol, followed close behind by Justin Guarini. For a long time, when you said one name, you said the other. They even made a movie. Since then, Clarkson took her own path, the path she was destined to take. There have been many looks and many moods and many looks of Carrie, and all of them have oozed the aura of success.

As of March, 2009, Clarkson has won two Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, two MTV Awards and 11 Billboard Awards. That's in addition to selling more than 20 million CDs worldwide. By anyone's standards, that's a good barometer for success.

While her Idol performances were strong, they don't compare with her after-Idol success. Clarkson recently came off tour with Reba McIntire where she crooned soft tunes, but mixed it up with more heavy-hitting numbers. She was featured on the premiere of pop teen show The Hills. She's appeared on Saturday Night Live.

Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood took a different path, the country path. Her first CD, Some Hearts was the fastest selling debut CD in the country genre.

Carrie Underwood is hot on Clarkson's heels. Born and raised in Oklahoma, this country sweetheart has taken the world by storm since her season four win on American Idol. She has a couple of Grammy Awards to back it all up. Along the way, Underwood has racked up accolades from her peers: Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.

Season two saw Ruben Studdard win over Clay Aiken. While Studdard has enjoyed mild success, Aiken went his own way, using his Idol acclaim to

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