This is a list of songs released for sale from the show American Idol, consisting of recordings of coronation songs by winners and runners-up of the show, live and studio recordings by contestants, songs from the American Idol CDs, as well as special singles released by the show such as those for Idol Gives Back and specially-recorded boot songs. Songs released by Idol alumni in post-Idol career are not included here. See American Idol alumni single sales for a list of some of those releases.
In the first few seasons, songs were released as physical CD single which may contain one cover song and one original song. However, after Season 5 physical singles were no longer released, and songs were available only as digital downloads starting Season 6. The digital downloads were only available initially via American Idol official website during the season towards the end of Season 5 and all the final rounds of Season 6, but were then made available from iTunes after the Season 6 ended. In all subsequent seasons all performances were made available in iTunes during the season and after the season has ended.
The digital songs sold during the season were not eligible to chart, and their sales figures were not released. Any number listed for those songs would be solely based on units sold after the finale.
All Hot 100 singles The following Idol songs have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Entry dateSingleArtistPeakSalesRIAA cert."A Moment Like This" (b/w "Before Your Love")Kelly Clarkson(Season 1, Winner)01[ Billboard Hot 100 – Kelly Clarkson]738,000 (Digital)627,000 (Physical)How the American Idol coronation singles stack up, part 11× GoldMay 3, 2003"God Bless the USA"American Idol Finalists (Season 2 Finalists)04The Billboard Hot 100 – God Bless The U.S.A0,310,000 (Physical)Sale Of 'American Idol' Finalist CDs Raises $185,000 $155,000 raised at 50 cents each, giving 310,00 units sold.1× GoldJune 28, 2003"Flying Without Wings" (b/w "Superstar")Ruben Studdard(Season 2, Winner)02[ Billboard Hot 100 – Ruben Studdard] 0,790,000 (Physical + Digital)737,000 (Physical)1× Gold"This Is the Night" (b/w "Bridge over Troubled Water")Clay Aiken(Season 2, Runner-Up)01[ Billboard Hot 100 – Clay Aiken] 0,960,000 (Physical) 52,000 (Digital)Week Ending Sept. 26, 2010: Moving Forward, Falling Back1× PlatinumJuly 10, 2004"I Believe"Fantasia(Season 3, Winner)01[ Billboard Hot 100 – Fantasia]0,559,000 (Physical + Digital)406,000 (Physical)July 17, 2004"Dreams" (b/w I Believe/Don't Cry Out Loud)Diana DeGarmo(Season 3, Runner-Up)14[ The Billboard Hot 100 – Diana DeGarmp]0,202,000 (Physical) 23,000 (Digital)May 7, 2005"When You Tell Me That You Love Me"American Idol Finalists (Season 4 Finalists)39The Billboard Hot 100 – When You Tell Me That You Love Me0,115,100 (Physical)Billboard Top 100 Single Sales chart September 17, 2005 July 2, 2005"Inside Your Heaven" (b/w "Independence Day")Carrie Underwood(Season 4, Winner)01[ Billboard Hot 100 – Carrie Underwood]0,880,000 (Physical + Digital)459,000 (Physical)1× GoldJuly 9, 2005"Inside Your Heaven" (b/w "Vehicle" featuring Richie Sambora)Bo Bice(Season 4, Runner-Up)02[ Billboard Hot 100 – Bo bice]0,401,0000,349,000 (Physical) 52,000 (Digital)1× GoldJune 10, 2006"Wanted Dead or Alive"Chris Daughtry(Season 5, 4th Place)43 The Billboard Hot 100 – Wanted Dead Or Alive0,103,000 (Digital)Idol Chatter 11-09-2006 (archived post)"Takin' It to the Streets"Taylor Hicks(Season 5, Winner)69[ The Billboard Hot 100 – Taylor Hicks]0,071,000 (Digital)Idol singles sales reportJuly 1, 2006"Do I Make You Proud"Taylor Hicks010,709,000 (Physical + Digital)464,000 (Physical)July 15, 2006"Over the Rainbow"Katharine McPhee(Season 5, Runner-Up)12[ Billboard Hot 100 – Katharine McPhee]0,131,000 (Digital)A brief update on Kat's singles sales"My Destiny"Katharine McPhee600,169,000 (Physical) 98,000 (Digital)May 12, 2007"I'll Stand by You"Carrie Underwood06Maroon 5 Makes 'Wondrous' Jump To Lead Hot 1000,339,147Billboard Hot Digital Songs June 2, 2007"Up to the Mountain"Kelly Clarkson featuring Jeff Beck560,046,196Billboard Hot Digital Songs May 19, 2007June 9, 2007"This Is My Now"Jordin Sparks(Season 6, Winner)15[ Billboard Hot 100 – Jordin Sparks]0,334,000"You Give Love a Bad Name"Blake Lewis(Season 6, Runner-Up)18The Billboard Hot 100 – You Give Love A Bad Name0,192,000Idol downloads 2: Rating the theme nights by sales"A Broken Wing"Jordin Sparks66The Billboard Hot 100 – A Broken Wing0,052,000 "I (Who Have Nothing)""Jordin Sparks80The Billboard Hot 100 – I (Who Have Nothing)0,044,000 "Time of the Season"Blake Lewis99The Billboard Hot 100 – Time Of The Season0,039,000 April 26, 2008"Praying for Time"Carrie Underwood27Leona Lewis Returns To No. 1 On The Hot 100 0,087,286Billboard Hot Digital Songs – May 3, 2008"Shout to the Lord"American Idol Finalists(Season 7 Top 8 Finalists)430,055,745Billboard Hot Digital Songs – April 26, 2008"Many Rivers to Cross"Annie Lennox800,029,159June 7, 2008"The Time of My Life"David Cook(Season 7, Winner)03David Cook Sizzles With Record Chart Debuts1,482,0001× Platinum"Dream Big"David Cook150,145,000"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"David Cook220,125,000"The World I Know"David Cook280,096,000"Imagine"David Archuleta (Season 7, Runner-Up)360,080,000"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"David Cook42'American Idol' champ David Cook's debut single sells 236,000 copies0,060,000American Idol David Cook, Runner-Up David Archuleta Dominate Billboard Downloads Chart"Billie Jean"David Cook47 Taking Peaks, Part 3: Nos. 50–260,056,300"Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me"David Archuleta58The Billboard Hot 100 – Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me0,061,000"In This Moment"David Archuleta60The Billboard Hot 100 – In This Moment0,061,000"Always Be My Baby"David Cook67The Billboard Hot 100 – Always Be My Baby0,046,600"Hello"David Cook73The Billboard Hot 100 – Hello0,042,300"The Music of the Night"David Cook77The Billboard Hot 100 – The Music Of The Night0,036,000"Eleanor Rigby"David Cook92The Billboard Hot 100 – Eleanor Rigby0,028,000"I'm Alive"David Cook99The Billboard Hot 100 – I’m Alive0,025,000June 6, 2009"No Boundaries"Kris Allen(Season 8, Winner)11Billboard – Kris Allen0,343,000"Heartless"Kris Allen160,412,000"Mad World"Adam Lambert(Season 8, Runner-Up)190,256,000Bonus SoundScan numbers for Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, more!"Ain't No Sunshine"Kris Allen370,125,000"A Change Is Gonna Come"Adam Lambert560,063,000Idol Chatter 6-3-2009"Apologize"Kris Allen660,059,000"No Boundaries"Adam Lambert720,068,000 Idol Chatter 6-10-2009"One"Adam Lambert820,046,000"Falling Slowly"Kris Allen940,038,000March 13, 2010"Let It Be"Kris Allen630,086,000Idol Chatter 03-10-2010June 12, 2010"Beautiful Day"Lee DeWyze(Season 9, Winner)240,186,000"Hallelujah"Lee DeWyze440,118,000 Carrie Underwood tops Idol downloads; Adam Lambert on the rise"Up to the Mountain"Crystal Bowersox(Season 9, Runner-Up)570,063,000Carrie Underwood, Lee DeWyze top week's 'Idol' track sales"Falling Slowly"Crystal Bowersoxand Lee DeWyze660,085,000"The Boxer"Lee DeWyze880,037,000 June 11, 2011"I Love You This Big"Scotty McCreery(Season 10, Winner)11Yahoo Chartwatch 06-01-20110,915,0001× Platinum"Like My Mother Does"Lauren Alaina(Season 10, Runner-Up)200,398,000June 9, 2012"Home"Phillip Phillips(Season 11, Winner)06 5,400,0004× Platinum"We've Got Tonite"Phillip Phillips97[ Billboard Hot 100 – Phillip Phillips]0,058,000June 1, 2013"I Am Beautiful"Candice Glover(Season 12, Winner)940,048,000May 20, 2015"Beautiful Life"Nick Fradiani(Season 14, Winner)930,050,000
Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles The following songs failed to reach the Hot 100, but managed to make the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles charts.
Entry DateSingleArtistPeakSalesJuly 5, 2003"Superstar"Ruben Studdard12June 10, 2006"Moody's Mood for Love"Elliott Yamin(Season 5, 3rd Place)125,000"Think"Katharine McPhee2121,000Idol Season 5 downloads: The standings – archived postJune 9, 2007"This Love"Blake Lewis2Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – This Love38,000 "When the Stars Go Blue"Blake Lewis10Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – When The Stars Go Blue31,000 "I Need to Know"Blake Lewis19Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – I Need To Know23,000 April 26, 2008"Don't Stop The Music"American Idol Finalists2314,040June 7, 2008"Little Sparrow"David Cook1Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Little Sparrow24,000 "Hungry Like the Wolf"David Cook3Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Hungry Like The Wolf23,000 "Innocent"David Cook4Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Innocent23,000 "Hallelujah"Jason Castro(Season 7, 4th Place)1319,000 "Day Tripper"David Cook14Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Day Tripper19,000 "Longer"David Archuleta15Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Longer19,000 "All Right Now"David Cook18Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – All Right Now18,000 "Think of Me"David Archuleta19Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Think Of Me18,000 "Angels"David Archuleta2417,000 "Happy Together"David Cook25Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Happy Together17,000 June 6, 2009"Cryin'"Adam Lambert235,000 "Slow Ride"Allison Iraheta(Season 8, 4th Place)and Adam Lambert5Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Slow Ride34,000 "What's Going On"Kris Allen721,000 "To Make You Feel My Love"Kris Allen1326,000 "The Tracks of My Tears"Adam Lambert1726,000 "Feeling Good"Adam Lambert2125,000 "You Are So Beautiful"Danny Gokey(Season 8, 3rd Place)25Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – You Are So Beautiful15,000 June 12, 2010"Everybody Hurts"Lee DeWyze422,000 "Black Velvet"Crystal Bowersox2415,000 "Me and Bobby McGee"Crystal Bowersox2514,000 June 9, 2012"Volcano"Phillip Phillips949,000"Stand by Me"Phillip Phillips2424,000April 30, 2015"Falling"Trent Harmon(Season 15, Winner)1652,000
Year-End Hot 100 singles The following songs ranked in the Year-End charts for the Billboard Hot 100.
YearSingleArtistRank2002"A Moment Like This"Kelly Clarkson39The Billboard Hot 100 – A Moment Like This2003"This Is the Night"Clay Aiken47The Billboard Hot 100 – This Is The Night"Flying Without Wings"Ruben Studdard88The Billboard Hot 100 – Flying Without Wings2005"Inside Your Heaven"Carrie Underwood712006"Do I Make You Proud"Taylor Hicks99Year end Hot 100 Songs2008"The Time of My Life"David Cook692012"Home"Phillip Phillips492013"Home"Phillip Phillips46
Send-off songs Starting Season 5, when contestants in the final rounds are eliminated, a video of their journey through the contest was shown, accompanied by a song as a send-off. The song is also commonly called the "boot song".
SeasonSingleArtistPeakSalesRIAA cert.5"Bad Day"Daniel Powter13,000,0003× Platinum6"Home"Daughtry52,349,000Platinum7"Celebrate Me Home"Ruben Studdard—7"Hollywood's Not America"Ferras62Ferras – Chart history | Billboard Hot 1007"Best Days"Graham Colton—8"Home Sweet Home"Carrie Underwood21300,000Idol Chatter 06-03-20099"Leave Right Now"Will Young81 50,00010"Don't You (Forget About Me)"David Cook—33,00011"Please Remember Me"Scotty McCreery —58,00012"Gone Gone Gone" Phillip Phillips242,000,000Platinum13"Breakaway" Eliminated contestant — — — "—" denotes the song did not chart in Hot 100.
References