Singing competitions have been around for as long as we can remember, but in 2002, they stormed the national television networks with American Idol, which in its first season, was watched by over 23 million viewers. Since then, they have grown into an entertainment phenomenon that people crave to watch.
One unique thing about American Idol was that it gave the viewer several options. You could either vote for the artist you liked or you could line up outside your hometown stadium for a chance to show America what you got. This feature helped to drive their ratings way up. Years later, similar shows like X-Factor and The Voice followed.
But what is their role? Are they a money-making gimmick or are they really building the next generation of star singers?
Since American Idol, there have been other singing contests, like Simon Cowell's X-Factor. The Voice is another singing competition that started in 2011. But none have had the success stories equal to American Idol. Televised singing competitions have benefited much since they first began in 2002. And today we have talented artists who used singing competitions to get their chance to shine. Here are five artists that have used singing competitions as a platform to make their dreams come true in a big way.
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