This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Archive 1

This template is rather large and garish, particularly when put into smaller articles. Any way we can trim it down? -- MisterHand 19:41, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

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I just thought it might be a good idea to have all the articles pertaining to American Idol in one place, to keep it all organized.

We can also moniter all the AI articles (for vandalism, etc.) by clicking on "whatlinkshere" or "related changes".

— Chantessy 19:54, 16 April 2006 (UTC)

I also think that it's getting quite large, and it should be split into smaller templates. I suggest that the roster section be removed completely, and perhaps we add a prominent link to a List of American Idol finalists. Then on the individual contestant pages, we use a more compact navigation box that only includes the contestants of a particular season, like this:

...what do you think? Coffee 00:58, 26 April 2006 (UTC)

Ok, contestant navigation templates are at...

• Template:American Idol 1
• Template:American Idol 2
• Template:American Idol 3
• Template:American Idol 4
• Template:American Idol 5

And there's also Template:American Idol winners. Coffee 11:01, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

Keep. As a non-AI watcher/fan (in the US), I find it very useful navigating through the various AI pages, as I don't know the actual names of many of the contestants without seeing them first. It puts them all in one place. To remove it would make a serious, negative impact to AI's coverage on Wikipedia. It makes navigation much easier. - hmwith talk 16:52, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

Please note that shows that are listed as spin-offs on here are shows that are either endorsed by the show or made by the same company. Pink moon 1287 19:49, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Does "Dreamgirls" count as a spin-off? If nobody objects in the next 7 days, I'll add it to the template. Sigil2 06:54, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

Re-read the previous comment, Sigil2. No, Dreamgirls doesn't count as a spin-off, though Jennifer Hudson definitely belongs here. -- RBBrittain 03:48, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Do you think that runners-up are generally as notable as the winners on American Idol?? Clay Aiken I can see as being even more notable than Ruben Studdard, but the rest I think are not as notable as the winners. If there isn't a good reason for the revert, it will stay removed. Marcus2 21:33, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

After first adding Clay Aiken back (you agreed he belongs here), I decided to revert to the runners-up version. They may not be as notable (other than Aiken), but there is one important distinction: Except for Justin Guarini in Season 1, each runner-up gets a record deal along with the winner (and unlike the rest of the finalists). Besides, with adding Aiken back to the "other" section, I was torn as to whether or not Chris Daughtry (whose debut album, like Aiken's, IIRC has outsold the debut of every "Idol" winner to date) belongs here too; it's easier if we limit the "notable others" to Jennifer Hudson (likely Oscar winner) and William Hung (so infamous he became famous). -- RBBrittain 03:45, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

I added back the Runners-Up section. Katharine's album is selling well, Bo's did, Diana's on Broadway, the only one not really notable is Justin, but he was still the first ever runner-up so I think it should stay. And I neednot mention why Clay should be there. If the winners are there, so should the runners-up so I think we should leave it up. Zaque 24 01:08, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

how did Frenchie davis get on this list?

I'm not sure what the criteria are here but I've added Lisa Wilson, a semi-finalist from Season 3. Lisa was Miss Georgia USA 2006 and second runner-up at Miss USA 2006, which in my books makes her notable. Erin Abrahamson, top 80 in the same season was Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2001 and is Miss New Jersey USA 2007, but because she didn't make the top 24 I have left her out. -- PageantUpdater • talk | contribs | esperanza 22:27, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

We need some sort of standard for judging this. It has no place otherwise. Michael 04:23, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Agree. I mean, why are seven of the ten 3rd-12th place contestants of season 5 here? I have no argument with Chris Daughtry (No. 1/multi-platinum album) or even Kellie Pickler (gold album, possible TV series); but surely most of the rest don't belong. We need a standard that retains at least Daughtry & Pickler--plus the only ones here not too long ago, Jennifer Hudson (Oscar, 'nuff said) & William Hung (as I said before, so infamous he's famous)--without bringing in every single finalist or contestant. -- RBBrittain 02:46, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Disagree. I've never heard of her. I think it should be people who non-AI-fans would know/recognize. - hmwith talk 16:54, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

I reformatted the navigation box to use {{ navbox generic}} so that the text can be easier to read and the box would not look so big. Tinlinkin 05:07, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

I removed him from the list for now. When he was added, it was stated that he's the most talked about Idol ever. Well. You can't really measure that for one thing. And for another, including him is like including Barba. "Notable alumni" (per above) is based mostly on notability AFTER the show. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 23:08, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

I think that E! and Yahoo! are reliable sources, and Yahoo!, actually, can measure it... based on numbers. Yahoo!'s data says he was the most searched & blogged/talked about online. E! also claimed that they talked about him more than any other idol. Also, original research, so I'm not claiming this as a valid source, but TMZ.com had more information on him than any other idol that I could tell. He was 3rd on TIME's poll for Most Influential People of 2007 and he was invited to the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Plus, a concensus was never exactly reached for notability, but itisn't just record sales here, it's popularity and how well the name is known, particularly to non-Idol watchers. - hmwith talk 15:48, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

Problem I have with including him beyond what I said is that I don't think he's really even an alumnus yet. The show is still airing. To me, right now, this is 15 minutes of fame. Let's give it at least until the show is off the air for the year. I mean...most searched for...maybe...but it's May. :) Let's just wait a bit. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 11:32, 10 May 2007 (UTC)

But why is he first on the list? Can't we arrange them alphabetically or chronologically? -- Howard the Duck 12:59, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Go for it. I don't know who put him first. hmwith talk 20:26, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Somebody cleaned it already. Thanks. -- Howard the Duck 05:41, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

I think it's even more absurd to have Doolittle in the grouping. Again. Too early. Let's wait until the singles start coming out. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 02:57, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

I had to remove her. It was absurd that she was put on in the first place. She's not even one of the most notable in the season, let alone the history of the show. hmwith talk 23:20, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Hah, that's a biased and stupid statement, hmwith. Doolittle was one of the most notable in Season 6. She was widely considered the frontrunner for the longest time, beginning as an underdog and taking it to new heights after "Home" in the Top 12.

As for notability in general, yes, it wouldn't make sense to add her until we see how her album in June does. The "My Funny Valentine" single, I think, is doing fairly well on iTunes or something, but it would be smarter to see what kind of attention she gets when she inevitably guest sings on the Top 3 elimination night this season, yes? -- User:Cinemaniac86

Should Cat Deely be considered a host? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.88.151.203 ( talk • contribs)

No. It's American Idol. It's a US show that happens to air in other countries. She's only aired in the UK version. Most of the audience will have never heard of her, including me, until I just looked at her article. hmwith talk 19:52, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Yep. But. She does host Do You Think You Can Dance. Which probably brought the question. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 13:52, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Why is Kellie not included as a successful alumni? She has a gold album and a TV show in the works. She is has more success in album sales than everyone else on that list besides Chris.

I also don't understand why Sanjaya is included? He hasn't done anything to earn a spot there and doesn't deserve to be mentioned any more than other contestants. (Such as Melinda.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Darian373 ( talk • contribs)

I said this earlier on the page, but Yahoo!'s data says he was the most searched & blogged/talked about online. E! also claimed that they talked about him more than any other idol in history. Also, original research, so I'm not claiming this as a valid source, but TMZ.com had more information on him than any other idol. He was 3rd on TIME's poll for Most Influential People of 2007 and he was invited to the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

Kellie can be listed here. Simply provide a good case as to why she should be, and, if people agree, she can be added.

As for Melinda, it's far too early to tell if she'll end up being notable. Simply being on the show makes her no more notable than any other contestant. Only watchers of AI know her, while the others on the alum list are known to non-AI fans.

hmwith talk 23:32, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Just for the record. I object to Malakar's presence as well. Hey. If we can't have Doolittle, we can't have Malakar. I still think we need to wait. I mean. 3 months ago, Barba was a no-brainer for the list. Now she's not. "Notability" doesn't fade but whether they are notable enough to be on this particular list does. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 04:38, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Being apparently widely viewed as one of the most influential people of the entire year for TIME magazine? That's insane. Someone who is one of the most influential people for an entire year (in the entire world) deserves at the least "notable contestant" status. No other Idol has gotten anywhere near that, and I doubt will in the future. hmwith talk 13:57, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Maybe. But I think it's being overstated. Remember. The Time thing you are talking about is an internet poll. Malakar did not make the official Time list. To me, an internet phenomenon winning an Internet poll just doesn't mean much. And that's what Malakar is to a large degree. Most of his fanbase is young teen girls, who do one heck of a lot of voting in these type of things. And "the entire world"? From Time Magazine's American perspective, yes. I highly doubt that Malakar would even be a choice in the poll if it was a British magazine. I mean come now. :) I still think he's the classic 15 minutes of fame. And until he's a success once the furor of the show has died down, I will still believe that. I just think it's a bit premature. Pickler is different. She's sold a good # of copies. I personally disliked her, but she's notable. But with Malakar, I just say...give it 2 months. And then see whether he's all over the place. I bet he isn't. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 15:47, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

I'll agree with you on Sanjaya, and if he still isn't being talked about much by the end of the summer, we'll take him off, maybe. Does that sound fair? hmwith talk 16:04, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Sounds good to me. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 05:54, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

I have a new idea that will make this whole thing so much simpler. Instead of sitting here discussing how to change it we can just get rid of the whole thing.

Because there are many successful alumni from American Idol and are worth mentioning, such as Jenifer Hudson. Also, I really think Melinda Doolittle should be kept on the list. Jgcarter 17:35, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

Any plans to archive this page soon? Chantessy 23:35, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

I see a discussion above, but why is Josh Gracin not on the list? Ejfetters 04:51, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

I second this same question. He's one of the more successful contestants. Jesse121687 06:56, 15 September 2007 (UTC)

Why isn't Sanjaya on the list? Daily Show compared Kucinich to Sanjaya. And he has had significant media coverage, regardless of what the comments above have on your personal likes of people with much less media coverage, but whom have albums. 132.205.44.5 ( talk) 22:51, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

It seemed like there was at least one additional alumni per season, sometimes two, so I thought perhaps Doolittle was appropriate? Or should we wait to see how her album does in June? For me, since she was third place and for a while was the assumed front-runner (she constantly got raves from the judges, no denying that, for nearly all but 2 of her performances really), she's the only Season 6-er that seems worth listing. Maybe Sanjaya should be too, but raved singer versus constantly-bashed freak show...Idk.

I'm sure Season 7 is going to add A LOT to that list. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cinemaniac86 ( talk • contribs) 09:27, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Brian Dunkleman should have the years he hosted so it's more clear he was only in the first year or two. 71.139.49.58 ( talk) 00:52, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

He had a top 40 hit on the country charts, and he released a succsesful album, so I think that Phil Stacey should be on the "Other Alumni" Section of the template. -- Joshua H-Star-R ( talk) 12:22, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

I feel it is not appropriate to have a reference in a template, so I am posting a discussion here with a link showing Kara DioGuardi will be joining American Idol (season 8). Associated Press Aspects ( talk) 22:11, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Please add: vi:Tiêu bản:American Idol. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 118.68.8.35 ( talk) 15:42, 27 November 2008 (UTC)

I've added Melissa Sgambelluri and Sanjaya Malakar, two more notable contestants (although not winners). Bearian ( talk) 17:25, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

I have watched the show from the frist season I do not recognize Melissa's name, so she really does not belong in this template. After reading her article to find out who she is I still feel the same way. Sanjaya also does not belong in the template. The "other alumni" are more notable than the rest of the alumni based on sales and/or major awards. See previous discussions in this talk page for more information. Aspects ( talk) 00:58, 15 March 2009 (UTC)

The "other notable alumni" section is getting out of hand, with the re-addition of Antonella Barba pushing it to a fourth line. (If Antonella belongs here, so does Frenchie Davis; she's been removed before, and I don't think either of them belong on their notoriety alone.) After reviewing the sales list in the main American Idol article, I propose the following standard for including Idol participants not in other categories (judges, winners, runners-up, etc.) in this section:

• U.S. album sales of at least 100,000 units (per the main article); or
• Winning an Academy Award, primetime Emmy Award, Grammy Award, or Tony Award.

I chose the 100,000 level based on the sales of the least-selling runner-up, Justin Guarini (150,000); I then lowered it to 100,000 as a round number, and because that only adds Tamyra Gray (122,000) who belongs because she was the first and also has TV-series credentials ( Boston Public). The following qualify under this particular criteria:

• Chris Daughtry (4th place, season 5; 1,880,000 as Daughtry)
• Josh Gracin (4th place, season 2; 647,000)
• Kellie Pickler (6th place, season 5; 463,000)
• William Hung (auditioner, season 3; 295,000)
• Kimberley Locke (3rd place, season 2; 211,000)
• Tamyra Gray (4th place, season 1; 122,000)

If Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture (single-disc, 633,000; double-disc, 142,000) is attributed to Jennifer Hudson (7th place, season 3), she would also qualify; however, the second criteria is specifically aimed at her for winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls. (The only other Idol participants to have won "big four" awards so far are Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, both Grammy winners--and both included already as Idol winners.)

I am amending the template to italicize those that do not qualify under this proposed standard, and to warn that they will be deleted on March 25, 2007 (in eight days). If you prefer a different standard, please add your thoughts below. -- RBBrittain 22:20, 17 March 2007 (UTC) (Made qualifiers bold: -- RBBrittain 22:40, 17 March 2007 (UTC))

I really don't like this critera. But I have a knew idea. Why don't we just have people vote for which contestants should stay, and then have a certain amount of votes to have. For instance, if the maxiumum is 5 votes, and Frenchie Davis only has 3, and Lisa Tucker has 15. Lisa would stay but Frenchie wouldn't. Anyone else think so? 216.54.173.236 00:45, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

The cut-off of 100,000 based on Justin Guarini seems to be arbitrary and doesn't address people who are noted on AI but not for album sales. I also don't like voting for who stays and who goes. That would be an even poorer indicator of notability and may encourage sockpuppetry. (notability based on Wikipedians' opinions?) I propose to eliminate this section altogether, but only if a list that was deleted is restored. You can see Talk:American Idol#Restore List of American Idol contestants?. Tinlinkin 02:36, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

This also doesn't take into account those notable outside American Idol for things unrelated to music etc. For example Lisa Wilson, who I added a while back but someone seems to have removed, was second runner-up at Miss USA and thus is clearly notable enough to be included. -- PageantUpdater • talk | contribs | esperanza 04:22, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

If she had actually won Miss USA, I might agree; but she didn't, so I don't think she belongs here--though I didn't remove her. (Likewise for Ayla Brown, who is here and proposed for deletion, and her NCAA basketball career.)

As far as the criteria's relationship to music, remember that (as Simon Cowell loves to say) Idol is a singing competition, so music should be the primary focus. (And I didn't pick the 100,000 number entirely because of Justin; it also keeps William Hung & Tamyra Gray in while culling most of the deadweight.) I have considered possibly adding a criteria based on appearances in Broadway or national touring musicals (which as a minimum would save LaToya London and bring in Frenchie Davis), since that has some relationship to music; but I'm not fully sold on that.

IMHO, the proper weighting for success in other media should be the "big four" award criteria I established mainly for Jennifer Hudson & equivalent achievements. -- RBBrittain 21:27, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

I think the section should be eliminated as well, and I somewhat agree with restoring the complete list of contestants, however, additional research needs to be done on that. CrazyC83 04:31, 18 March 2007 (UTC) I think just leave all the names up there. All of them that are on the template have done something considerable. 216.54.173.188 18:33, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

However, we cannot just pick and choose whom to include. That violated WP:NOR. Michael 21:23, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

This goes back to the argument about runners-up; but if you eliminate runners-up, all you really do is drag Clay Aiken fans back into the argument over this section. I'd only support that idea if we concurrently raise the album-sales criteria to RIAA gold certification (with the "big four" award criteria unchanged); that eliminates one whole category while reducing this one to Aiken, Daughtry, Bo Bice, Gracin, Pickler, and Hudson. (Platinum certification would be a bit too severe.)

At this point, I do NOT support restoring the list of contestants, though it might work if it were separate from this template and combined with some major pruning (i.e., delete all but the winners). The problem here is that, IMO, most of the people in this section are NOT really "notable", but are just wasting space; that's what I'm trying to fix. (One last point: Unfortunately, the Wikipedia definition of "notable" doesn't really address the issue at hand, except to suggest that the criteria be objective--which is what I'm doing.) -- RBBrittain 21:27, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Why can't we just leave it like it is. 216.54.173.225 01:51, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

I don't see why contestants such as LaToya London and Mario Vazquez should be considered for deletion at all - the notability criteria for music on Wikipedia only requires being signed to a major label, not a minimum sales requirement, and many contestants have had songs chart on various Billboard charts without reaching that figure of sales. User:Lone twin 17:2, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree with the inclusion/exclusion criteria above. While the fans of the various alumni left out would disagree, including every AI contestant who meets the minimum standards of WP:NOTE would make the template unweildy long. Also having an excessively long alumni list would make the template unbalanced, giving too much weight to relatively minor players in the competition.-- Eqdoktor 09:20, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree with RBBrittain's criteria in the fullest. None of the italicized contestants deserve to really be there, and it's a nice list of criteria to help take them off. -- Smoke Rulz 12:04, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

Why doesn't a template be created for notable AI contestants 216.54.173.181 00:49, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Just REMOVE ALL THE NOTABLE contestants, and keep them where they belong, in their appropriate seasons! Pumapayam

A couple of people cited Wikipedia standards for "notability", but no one directly linked to Wikipedia:Notability (music). Based on the comments and the Wikipedia notability standards, I have implemented the criteria with two modifications:

• Jasmine Trias is retained because one of the specific criteria is having a record certified gold or higher in any country; she has two such albums in the Philippines (one platinum, one gold).
• Elliott Yamin is retained because Hits Daily Double predicts his album will debut with up to 90,000 copies sold [1], which suggests he will reach my 100,000 criteria shortly.

Note that though the specifics of the Wikipedia music criteria vary from my own, the results appear to be very similar for the most part; for example, though William Hung hasn't reached gold certification, he has released three albums on the Koch Entertainment label, which appears to meet the criteria of having released two albums on a major label or important indie label.

As a final note, the eighth Wikipedia criteria ("(h)as won or placed in a major music competition") largely puts to rest the whole argument about the "runners-up" category of this template. American Idol certainly qualifies as a "major music competition", so all Idol winners AND runners-up are automatically "notable". -- RBBrittain 03:14, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

It should be people that those who don't watch AI would have still heard of, whether due to scandal, record sales, or extra notability for another reason. - hmwith talk 07:24, 23 April 2007 (UTC)

I think this much discussion over who should or shouldn't be listed as notable is ridiculous. If everyone cannot agree, then the section should just be removed and each contestant is still listed on their individual season's page. Bradg84 22:39, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Removing the section would be ridiculous. Daughtry has sold more albums than many winners/runners-up, Malakar's controversies were unprecendented in AI-history, Locke has a great deal of record sales & has been on another reality show, Hudson won an award, Hung became a celebrity in his own right, and Yamin is on the charts right now. They should be there just as much as the winners/runners-up. hmwith talk 22:57, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Obviously, I disagree with this line of thinking. Again, as many people have mentioned on this talk page, all of the contestants listed in the notable section are on their respective pages. The editors of these pages can't agree with a standard for notable alumni. Who polices this issue? No one, it just becomes an edit war. Which is why I think the section should be removed once and for all. Bradg84 02:33, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

That would be foolhardy given that the non-winners almost do as well as the winners on Idol. Daughtry has outsold everyone but Underwood and Clarkson and he finished 4th. -- Woohookitty ^Woohoo! 03:11, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

I agree, it should be removed. Might be better to remove all instances of contestants' names. Winners, runners-up, other notables, everything. Just to be fair, if we can't include everyone don't include anyone at all. eLLe.Le 17:30, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

OK, when I created this template, I included everyone. But it got too long so we removed all of the contestants (even the winners) and used the Category:American Idol participants link instead. Then a McPhee fan made this edit: click here and that's how it all started - adding winners & runners-up & notable contestants & such. eLLe.Le 17:39, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

I think that it should definitely stay. This isn't elementary school, where a child can't have candy during class unless her "brought enough candy for everyone". The alums are associated with the show. It's very likely that a person going through AI pages would want to also go to notable alum pages, without sifting through all of the trivial, non-notable contestants to find who they want. hmwith talk 17:52, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

I'm just trying to make a point. If those that agree it should stay think they can control who is notable and who isn't can't agree on a standard...then why shouldn't it go? I repeat, all that happens is it becomes an editing war. Look at how many times Melinda Doolittle has been added and removed on the history section. Determining someone's notability is not a science, it is a perception. I feel Melinda Doolittle is extrememly notable, she was favored all season, and is continually referred to as the contestant that should have been in the finale. Articles in Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide can back me up in that. I also feel that even though contestants like Pickler and Gracin fit into your guidelines, they aren't notable at all. Notability is subjective. Bradg84 19:07, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, those 2 should definitely go. I only think that especially notable contestants should be on there: Daughtry, Malakar, Locke, Hudson, Hung, and Yamin. Not Pickler or Gracin.

Doolittle can't be added yet, as it's too soon to tell if she's notable, or will have a successful career. Many contestants from this season and others go on talk shows, about all of the top 10 or so usually end up doing that. No one from season 6 can be added yet (with the exclusion of Malakar due to extreme controversy and such), because one can't tell if she will be notable. Right now, she's only known as an AI-contestant who got 3rd this season. Talented? Yes. More notable than other contestants at this point? No. hmwith talk 19:24, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

You and I have come to an agreement. I feel that if contestants like Tamyra Gray, Pickler, and Gracin get removed, then you are correct, Doolittle does not belong on the list yet. I like the 6 you mentioned. Can we go with that? Bradg84 19:32, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Yes, I'll make the changes now. =) hmwith talk 19:33, 25 May 2007 (UTC)

Why is Mario Vasquez under notable alumni? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.40.239.249 ( talk • contribs)

The huge controversy that surrounding him . hmwith talk 12:28, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Wasn't that Corey Clark? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.40.239.249 ( talk • contribs)

Oops, I mixed them up. I meant the controversy that surrounding him involving sexual harassment. hmwith talk 17:37, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Is that really a qualification for being on this list? Outside of sites like PerezHilton, he does not seem very notable. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.40.239.249 ( talk • contribs)

Okay, if you disagree, feel free to take him off. We'll see if anyone reverts it, disagreeing. hmwith talk 18:31, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

• Kristy Lee Cook (7th place, season 7; 116,000) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Electrocutedcat ( talk • contribs) 16:05, 10 October 2008 (UTC)
  • According to [2] Kristy has only sold 16,000 not 116,000 and that amount would not be enough to include her in the template. Aspects ( talk) 16:17, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

• William Hung should not be in this section. The argument of "He's so infamous, he's famous" as RBBrittain said in the "notable alumni" section of this page is really quite ridiculous, and doesn't make any sense. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.229.209.156 ( talk) 23:11, 23 March 2009 (UTC)

Mandisa, Ace Young, Kimberly Caldwell, Kimberley Locke, and Tamyra Gray were nominated for awards.

Mandisa, Bucky Covington, Kimberley Locke, and Tamyra Gray has sold over 100,000 albums.

Carmen Rasmussen and Sanjaya Malakar has won an award each although with Carmen a minor award and Sanjaya an almost-major award.

Who should they belong the list?-- 23prootie ( talk) 05:45, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

RIAA Album Certification (+) Major Awards/Nominations' (+) Box Office Hit -- 23prootie ( talk) 05:54, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

I think it should be RIAA album certification but I think we can make case by case discussions here on the talk page. For example, Jennifer Hudson was very notable having won the Academy Award but she had yet to have an album come out. I am happy with the way the template stands now and at this point I do not think any other alumni should be added. Aspects ( talk) 18:23, 27 March 2009 (UTC)

About the album/Single certification, does it have to be the US only or could it also be elsewhere, cause if that's the case Jasmine Trias would surely qualify.-- 23prootie ( talk) 20:36, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Why was she removed? She's had 3 no. 1 Dance hits, and 3 no. 1 hits on the A.C. charts. Ejfetters ( talk) 05:30, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

I'm probably gonna add her, please help look for other contestants with top 10 singles.-- 23prootie ( talk) 09:25, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Can't find anymore and don't think anyone else is notable enough, goin to add her unless we get objections here to discuss. Ejfetters ( talk) 11:43, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

I agree about Locke deffinatly. I think she is as notable than a those who were on the list before anyway. I think she should deffinatly be on there. ( 90.203.39.45 ( talk) 20:38, 4 April 2009 (UTC))

• I will add here tomorrow if no one objects. Ejfetters ( talk) 01:48, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

I object to Kimberley Locke being added since I think there should be a tighter restrictions on the other alumni, see discussion above. I feel the number one hits on the U.S. Adult Contemporary and U.S. Hot Dance Club Play are not important enough charts to merit her inclusion. But based on the other opinions on here I know she will be added per consensus but I still wanted to express my opinion. Aspects ( talk) 15:01, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

I'm removing Kimberley Locke. I'm not sure if she is the only Idol to have songs on the Billboard that is not yet on the template. There could be more. So to be fair to them, she should be removed. Unless of course someone could provide a list of Idols who have a song chart. -- 23prootie ( talk) 20:35, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Bucky Covington also had songs on the charts. Just saying.-- 23prootie ( talk) 20:48, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Please don't remove him!-- 23prootie ( talk) 09:32, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

It looks pretty bad now, can someone change it back? -- 68.163.249.48 ( talk) 04:06, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

Now that Constantine has been nominated for a Tony Award, I believe he merits inclusion in the template. Aspects ( talk) 13:17, 8 May 2009 (UTC)

Well with no objections, I am going to add him to the template. Aspects ( talk) 02:10, 20 May 2009 (UTC)

I personally don't object, but maybe we should look at Jennifer Hudson's case to try and make a decision. Was she included when she was nominated for her Oscar or after she won it? :) ( Kyleofark ( talk) 00:23, 21 May 2009 (UTC))

From the history she was added to the template on January 9th, 2007 before the Academy Award nomination on January 23rd, 2007 or the win on February 25th, 2007. Apparently, a user deleted Constantine from the template without an edit summary, so I am going to add him back in. Aspects ( talk) 18:35, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

Sorry, I'm the one who removed him from the template without an edit summary. I object adding him at the moment. Let's wait and see if he wins the Tony Award. -- Cartoon Boy ( talk) 4:22, 21 May 2009 (UTC)

I feel a nomination in any of the major entertainment awards (Grammy, Academy, Emmy or Tony) should be enough to include the person in this template. I would feel the same way if Jennifer Hudson had only been nominated for the Academy Award. Aspects ( talk) 15:07, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

I agree with Aspects, being nominated for any major award is certainly enough to be included in this template. Gage ( talk) 19:57, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

I used to agree with that statement but with Ace Young and Mandisa just behind the door with their Grammy nominations, I think it's best to keep the strict requirement before the template gets flooded. J-Hud is an exemption not only because of her win/nomination but also because she was part of a relatively well-known film.-- 23prootie ( talk) 22:29, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

I would have to disagree with adding Constantine, for now. I feel that if he doesn't win then this would be just some other nomination forgotten and placed in the back burner. Besides, some other Idols have a more-or-less noteworthy feat like Tamyra Gray, Kimberley Locke, Jasmine Trias, and Sanjaya Malakar. So to be safe let's stick to the siper strict, RIAA Album Certification (+) Major Awards/Nominations (+) Box Office Hit requirement. -- 23prootie ( talk) 20:45, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

Let's stick to the original requirement, okay? RIAA Album Certification or winning a Major Award. Sanjaya participating in a B-grade reality televison series in no way makes him notable. 23prootie's below suggestion ("appearing in a low rated television show; winning another reality show; or becoming a prominent model") is ridiculous.-- Yolgnu ( talk) 10:46, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Hehe... Fine by me though an acting/modeling break would be nice too.-- 23prootie ( talk) 10:48, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

• RIAA Album Certification (+) Major Award Win (+) Prominent appearance elsewhere (Major role in box office hit/critically-acclaimed film/highly rated television series; or appearing with a significant role in more than one season of a low rated television show; or winning another reality show; or becoming a prominent model.)---- 23prootie ( talk) 17:16, 24 May 2009 (UTC)

See above discussion.-- Yolgnu ( talk) 10:46, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

Clarification

• RIAA Album Certification (+) "Big Four" Award Win (Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Oscars) (+) Highly notable career in entertainment that can be sourced as such / Contestants that are able to garner additional notability beyond the show itself (specifically Sanjaya Malakar).-- 23prootie ( talk) 16:11, 31 May 2009 (UTC)

Why is William Hung missing? He keeps on getting played as one of the worst American Idolist ever across alot of TV shows. 70.29.208.69 ( talk) 05:47, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Should Carly be added to the Other alumni section since she is now the lead singer of We Are the Fallen? - Cartoon Boy ( talk) 9:09, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

I think it is premature to add Smithson. The band at this point is only notable for the members, not for anything the band has done. I think we should wait until the band passes what we use for individuals in this template. Aspects ( talk) 00:38, 16 January 2010 (UTC)

I think the guest judges should be added into this template, they do on Australian Idol. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.145.32.58 ( talk) 23:05, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

I would be against having the guest judges and I do not see an example of Australian Idol having them. Neither Template:Australian Idol nor Template:Australian Idol Season Four, so could you provide a specific example of an Australian Idol template using guest judges so we can see what it would look like? Aspects ( talk) 22:52, 19 April 2010 (UTC)

This template has had a long history of adding and deleting contestants that some editors have found noteworthy while other editors disagree. Wikipedia editors have found that American Idol contestants that deserve to be in the template should meet the criteria below. Editors also believe the criteria should limit the number of included contestants, so as not to make the template look cluttered. Before adding any contestant that doesn't fit these criteria, please discuss your contestant on this page before adding it to the template, so you won't be reverted. Even if a contestant eventually meets these requirements, it's best to notify editors on this page before adding her or him.

• Winners and runners-up (second-place contestants) are inherently notable and are automatically included in the template in individual rows.

• For other finalists (third-place and lower), he or she is notable if any of the following apply:
  1. The finalist achieves an RIAA certification of Gold or higher in the Billboard Hot 100 for albums released after their season of Idol finishes
  2. The finalist wins an award in any of the "Top 4" awards in the entertainment industry:
     • Grammy Awards
     • Tony Awards
     • Academy Awards
     • Emmy Awards
  3. The finalist begins a career in the entertainment industry with varied accomplishments that is met with widely- sourced criticism (positive or negative) that establishes popularity and recognition. The career has to include several appearances and not only a single notable one (i.e. one or a few appearances on a reality TV show or a Broadway show does not automatically make the finalist notable). If the finalist had a career in the industry prior to Idol, the above applies as well.
• Note that if a finalist is seemingly popular in their season of Idol (or afterward), this does not establish notability. A contestant participating in the current season of Idol is not an alumnus and is generally not notable as of yet. Finalists that do not meet the above can be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

• Other non-finalist contestants are generally not notable enough to be included in the template.

Any editor is welcome to discuss and debate these requirements anytime, by adding a section below on this page. Tinlinkin ( talk) 03:15, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Since there seems to be numerous edits to the judge order in the template, I thought I would start a discussion to explain my edit to the order placement.

I feel the original judges that are still on the show should be in alphabetical order, then the newer judges should be placed in the order they came on to the show and then the judges that are no longer on the show should be placed. So this would make an order of Cowell, Jackson, DioGuardi, DeGeneres and Abdul. Aspects ( talk) 19:39, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

I agree with that ordering (think of the order of seniority for Supreme Court justices), although since Jackson is always introduced first, he should be listed first. I'll boldly revise the template. Tinlinkin ( talk) 02:21, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Given the success of 8th World Wonder, surely she should be in the alumni section? Sandman30s ( talk) 08:12, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

See the above section for the last criteria: "RIAA Album Certification (+) "Big Four" Award Win (Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Oscars) (+) Highly notable career in entertainment that can be sourced as such / Contestants that are able to garner additional notability beyond the show itself (specifically Sanjaya Malakar)." I do not think #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 is that notable to move her into the template. Aspects ( talk) 22:51, 30 April 2010 (UTC)

I have noticed the Kimberley Locke additions/subtractions for some time now, and I have withheld any comment as I am no longer actively involved in AI pages. So as an uninvolved user, I'd say Locke deserves to be added to the template. She may not be as successful in the mainstream (i.e. Hot 100), but if she is successful in a major genre, why not include her? It appears she is doing very well in Adult Contemporary, so why is there a bias against that genre? (She is also one of, if not, the most notable contestants on Don't Forget the Lyrics!, reaching and losing the final question.) Bucky Covington and Mandisa are similarly situated. Plus, albums are becoming less relevant in the music industry since the rise of digital downloads, and subsequently are less reliable measures of success. So I disagree with pure RIAA album cert. as a criterion. If you want to set a numerical limit for chart position, I'm open to that.

Also, I believe being nominated in a Big Four award as a performer establishes notability. That means Constantine Maroulis would also qualify but not necessarily Ace Young. (However, as AI's basis is in the music industry, any nomination for the Grammy Awards should be a worthy accomplishment.)

I suspect you or others fear a slippery slope for inclusion/exclusion. I don't think that will happen because the requirements are quite strictly defined, and out of 88 contestants (106 minus the current and upcoming 18 winners and runners-up), 10% or even 25% of notable alumni is not bad. Even as the number of contestants increases per season, those percentages are still quite limited. As for a fear of bloating or clutter in that specific navbox group (Other alumni), the template is hidden by default (I'm assuming), so I don't understand that fear.

A final and separate request: could you add a post to the top of this page detailing the inclusion requirements? This talk page is long. Tinlinkin ( talk) 02:14, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

I thought that my post will elicit a response. Anyway, I have a message on my talk page about this. I also added the requirements at the top of this page myself, as I saw it from the simplified comments above. Tinlinkin ( talk) 03:34, 7 May 2010 (UTC)

Gokey's debut album, My Best Days, has debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 for the chart week of March 9, 2010. Does this qualify him for inclusion in the Other alumni section? - Cartoon Boy ( talk) 4:29, 15 March 2010 (UTC)

See above the "Revised Requirement" section about inclusion in the Other section. As a side note, Bucky Covington also debuted at #4 which is the highest of the non-winner or runner-up alumni. Aspects ( talk) 22:58, 15 March 2010 (UTC)

The album has since charted to #3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums. I believe he should be included now. - Cartoon Boy ( talk) 1:05, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

A new section was started at the top of the talk page, that Gokey still does not pass, therefore he should not be added to the template. Aspects ( talk) 17:27, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

I took off the "present" from Ellen DeGeneres. For she has announced she will not be returning to American Idol. CloudKade11 ( talk) 00:48, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

Here is a reliable source to prove it, [3]. Aspects ( talk) 03:27, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

I removed the rumors of Kara DioGuardi being fired and also removed the rumors of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler being added as new judges. All of these are based on either on the unreliable source TMZ or other sources saying TMZ is reporting it, which does not make those articles reliable sources. There have been no confirmations of any of this information from American Idol, Fox, DioGuardi, Lopez or Tyler.

There are also reports that there will be an official announcement from American Idol/Fox on Monday. If these reports are true, then we should wait until this announcement or wait until there are confirmations from any of the players involved. Aspects ( talk) 23:01, 30 July 2010 (UTC)

Now that we know that Tyler and J-Lo are the new judges, I think we should present the judges with FORMER / CURRENT sections. I believe they are so many judges that it would be clearer this way (just like Template:The X Factor). We could do the same for the presenters section. What do you think? -Sorry if I'm not clear, I'm a francophone- Maxime9232 ( talk) 17:31, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

Personally, I don't like that. It just doesn't go well with the template. Yvesnimmo ( talk) 17:34, 22 September 2010 (UTC)

AS per remarks of a colleague, I propose the inclusion of Bucky Covington in the "other alumni" section of the templete American Idol. He has had many notable hits. Here is his chart successes on the Country US Charts:

Year	Single	Peak chart positions		Album
		US Country [1]	US [2]
2007	" A Different World"	6	58	Bucky Covington
	" It's Good to Be Us"	11	81
2008	" I'll Walk"	10	70
2009	" I Want My Life Back"	32	—	I'm Alright (unreleased)
	" Gotta Be Somebody"	51	—
2010	" A Father's Love (The Only Way He Knew How)"	23	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

He clearly satisfies item 3 for inclusion that says: "The finalist begins a career in the entertainment industry with varied accomplishments that is met with widely-sourced criticism (positive or negative) that establishes popularity and recognition. The career has to include several appearances and not only a single notable one (i.e. one or a few appearances on a reality TV show or a Broadway show does not automatically make the finalist notable). If the finalist had a career in the industry prior to Idol, the above applies as well." werldwayd ( talk) 00:52, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

I would be against adding Bucky Covington to the template at this point. This sentence "The career has to include several appearances and not only a single notable one (i.e. one or a few appearances on a reality TV show or a Broadway show does not automatically make the finalist notable)." shows that the career in the entertainment industry goes beyond the singing portion that is being used to justify Covington's inclusion. Aspects ( talk) 15:39, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

I disagree with what I find is a very subjectve approach to what criterion are and how he satisfies them for inclusion. So apparently two Top Ten hits and a third Top 20 hit on the official country charts (#8, #10 and #11) and further hits that appeared in Billboard charts (3) and the country Billboard charts (6) and musical activity spanning 4 years after his participation doesn't qualify and even today doesn't qualify right? How about a role in Covington also appeared in Hannah Montana: The Movie, doesn't that add to his qualification criteria. Finally an album that reached #1 in country charts and #4 in Billboard 200. That doesn't qualify either?

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions		Certifications ( sales threshold)
		US Country	US
2007	Bucky Covington Release date: April 17, 2007 Label: Lyric Street Records	1	4	US sales: 405,000 [3]

werldwayd ( talk) 16:45, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: My first post. But I am hoping we get some other opinions on the matter.

As a side note, can you stop cutting and pasting tables into talk pages? You can simply link to the appropriate sections to let people see what you are talking about. Aspects ( talk) 17:35, 16 January 2011 (UTC)

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Randy Jackson time of service as judge should be separated from Paula Abdul's, as he is still a judge in 2011. His time of service should be 2002-2011.

Kswisz ( talk) 22:12, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

Not done: The parenthetical timeframes are for judges/presenters with limited duration on the show. Jackson and Seacrest have been there the whole time, so no timeframe is given, the same way it's displayed on the American Idol article. — Bility ( talk) 19:38, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

{{ edit semi-protected}} please put "Haley Reinhart" in other alumni because she deserves to be under there and she almost has her own single out, thanks and has a record deal with interscope records and is also signed to red light management.

Not done: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{ edit protected}} template. Reinhart does not satisfy any of the criteria listed in the archive section of the talk page, unless a consensus of people think she fits the criteria. Aspects ( talk) 16:04, 29 May 2011 (UTC)

Not done for now: Based on the inclusion criteria described in the talk archives, "almost" having a single is not enough to include her. She may meet the criteria for inclusion in the future. -- RL0919 ( talk) 00:28, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Hi, in my opinion; i think that the American Idol navbox should be set out like the following. The navbox's are meant to be kept simple, yet you have years splashed on the judges and host, however it tells you all that on every page the American Idol links, link to. So i have came up with another way of having it, sorting the judges and hosts part (Current and Former) which cleans it up and makes it look a lot neater and easier to understand. Plus you don't need the years on when they became a judge as the American Idol pages say what years they became judges and what years they left. --FREEDOM 16:07, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

Moved it so it is the real navbox. -- ƒɾɛɛᴅᴑᴍº ᵀᴬᴸᴷ 16:23, 25 July 2011 (UTC)

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http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idol-judge-jennifer-lopez-214787

Change Jennifer Lopez as a judge form 2011 only to 2011-present ^

                                                               | proof

96.27.13.13 ( talk) 21:38, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

Not done for now: It is not official yet. Baseball Watcher 22:44, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

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The other alumni should include the famously bad singers that are famous, as well as the good ones.

Sanjaya Malakar & William Hung.

70.24.247.54 ( talk) 13:42, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Not done: There is a reasonable criteria expressed here which others have followed. Please reach a consensus for a different criteria before reactivating this request. Thanks, Celestra ( talk) 23:22, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

Is this necessary? I don't think so. -- Maxime9232 ( talk) 19:40, 18 June 2011 (UTC)

I am not really sure they are necessary either. Maybe not a reliable source, but here [4] they state that Guarini, Lewis and Archuleta had no released coronation songs. I also corrected Aiken and DeGarmo's singles. When it comes down to it only six of the ten seasons had different coronation songs and "In This Moment" has no article so it only adds five links to the article. Aspects ( talk) 02:06, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Somemeone is trying to put that section back. I think it's still uncessary... -- Maxime9232 ( talk) 03:06, 25 May 2012 (UTC)

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Add Haley Reinhart to alumni. 71.140.91.189 ( talk) 18:21, 30 March 2013 (UTC)

Not done: There is criteria for inclusion listed at Template talk:American Idol/Archive 1#Requirements for adding American Idol contestants to the template. First reach a consensus for Reinhart's inclusion, then she can be added. Aspects ( talk) 05:27, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

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Jasonb21 ( talk) 16:35, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

Hi! Thank you for participating in the edit requesting features of Wikipedia. Unfortunately I did not see anything that you wanted changed. Can you provide a brief summary for me (and include any needed sources) of the changes you wish to be done with this article? Thanks again! ^Jguy _Talk ^Done 17:44, 18 May 2013 (UTC)

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173.76.114.38 ( talk) 19:34, 23 May 2013 (UTC) Add Angie Miller to "Other Alumni"

Not done: See Template talk:American Idol/Archive 1#Requirements for adding American Idol contestants to the template. — KuyaBriBri ^Talk 21:20, 23 May 2013 (UTC)

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There are other notable alumni that have come out of this show. I would just like to add a few. Such as Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Stefano, Casey James, and Angie Miller. Jasonb21 ( talk) 02:03, 26 May 2013 (UTC)

Not done: Please see Template talk:American Idol/Archive 1#Requirements for adding American Idol contestants to the template. If any of these people meet the requirements listed there, please be specific as to who and how. -- ElHef ( Meep?) 02:49, 26 May 2013 (UTC)

Removed Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, and Miley Cyrus from the list of judges, as there is no confirmation of this from any source. ProfMontgomery ( talk) 00:42, 7 June 2013 (UTC)

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103.28.226.14 ( talk) 02:11, 18 August 2013 (UTC)

You have not specified what edit(s) you would like to have made. Please feel free to reopen the request once you do. Monty ₈₄₅ 04:10, 18 August 2013 (UTC)

Now that Mandisa has won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for her album, Overcomer, she now meets the requirements laid out in previous discussions, that can be found in the archived talk page, and I will add her to the template. Aspects ( talk) 15:54, 23 November 2014 (UTC)

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Please Edit For Add Other Alumni In American Idols 103.28.225.134 ( talk) 09:46, 24 November 2014 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. Anupmehra - Let's talk! 10:13, 24 November 2014 (UTC)