There haven’t been many substantial music stars that started their careers on The Voice, but certain contestants from the show did go on to have illustrious careers. When the series premiered on NBC in 2011, it faced stiff competition. American Idol was still the roaring success it had always been. TV personality and music mogul Simon Cowell had just started the American version of The X Factor, which was extremely popular in the UK.
Currently. The Voice season 23 is airing, and the series offers something different than its competitors. There’s no embarrassing auditions, no behind-the-scenes drama between the celebrity co-stars, and a format about coaching the singers on the show. From the first season, it became clear that The Voice would become a hit show for NBC, and that’s precisely what happened. The original coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and CeeLo Green) significantly boosted their careers. Sensibilities changed among viewers, who grew tired of the infamous Simon Cowell nastiness. They gravitated toward more positive talent competitions like The Voice and America’s Got Talent.
The Voice Can’t Match The Track Record Of American Idol
The Voice has yet to launch as many successful careers as its competitors. The list of massive stars starting on American Idol is endless, and even the short-lived The X Factor USA gets credit for launching acts like Fifth Harmony. When it comes to The Voice, the most prominent stars who’ve been on the show include Cassadee Pope (season 3 winner), Danielle Bradbery (season 4 winner), Sawyer Fredericks (season 8 winner), and Jordan Smith (season 9 winner).
Tragedy Struck The Voice
Other notable mentions are Melanie Martinez (season 3 Top 6 finalist) and Christina Grimmie (season 6 Top 3 finalist). Unfortunately, Christina was tragically assassinated by an armed fan during a meet-and-greet event in 2016. This event sent shockwaves through the music community. It was particularly devastating for The Voice fans.. Unfortunately, Christina is not the only The Voice contestant who sadly passed away.
With that said, there hasn’t yet been a megastar artist to come out of The Voice. No one has been in the ranks of American Idol stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Adam Lambert, Fantasia, Katharine McPhee, and Chris Daughtry. Ironically, Kelly Clarkson eventually became a successful The Voice coach, despite reports that Idol never considered having its former winners join the show as judges.
On the other hand, all the coaches that appeared on The Voice over the years have enjoyed plenty of success from this platform. It is ultimately an excellent chance for them to connect with new audiences, and show different sides of themselves that the mainstream public might not be aware of.
The Voice season 23 airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC.
