Carrie Underwood
Not all winners of “American Idol” hit it as big as Underwood did, but some people just have the “it” factor, and she’s certainly one of them. She won the season, unsurprisingly, and from that point on released chart-topping hits, one after the other. Her debut album combined elements of country and pop that had fans crying for more.
Underwood has sold over 65 million records worldwide to this date. She’s also received countless accolades, including 12 Country Music Awards, seven Grammys, and an induction in the Grand Ole Opry. Just think, one audition changed her life forever. Today, Underwood is known as the most successful “American Idol” winner of all time.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland is one of those stars of old who will never be forgotten. "The Wizard of Oz" is arguably one of her most famous films, and her acting and singing talents were surely passed on to her daughter, Liza Minelli.
Garland's vocal range was unbelievable. Her early rise to stardom marked her incredible-yet-short lived career. One of her breakthrough achievements is becoming the first woman to be awarded a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1961.
Ann Wilson
Ann Dustin Wilson was born in 1950 in San Diego and was exposed to music from a very young age. She recalls listening to music with her family every Sunday as a kid "My dad would be conducting in the living room. We'd turn it way up and rock. There was everything from classical music to Ray Charles, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, bossa nova, and early experimental electronic music."
She grew up to start the musical duo Heart with her sister Nancy. Their rock band became highly appreciated. In 2006, Hit Parader Magazine called Wilson one of the "Top Heavy Metal Vocalists of All Time."
Linda Ronstadt
Linda’s career began in folk-rock and country-rock music, where she used to play at the Troubadour. Afterward, she discovered her true talent and was quickly named the "Queen of Rock" and "First Lady of Rock" by the media. She has produced impressive 31 gold platinum records and won a whopping amount of 10 Grammys.
Since her singing days, Linda has sadly been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and was forced to put down the mic. Despite the diagnosis, she still managed to release her memoir that same year, which she titled “Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir.”
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton got her initial success by writing songs for other people. In 1967 she made her debut album, "Hello, I'm Dolly". She gained a pretty steady stream of success throughout the 1960s. She continued on as a solo artist and released a couple of duet albums as well. Her sales peaked in the 70s and continued well into the 80s. She released more albums in the 90s, but they did not do as well.
This didn't stop her, though. She made a comeback in the 2000s and released multiple albums on Independent labels, including albums on her own label, Dolly Records. Over the span of her career, she has 41 top-10 country albums, and she had 110 charted singles over the past 40 years.