Allison Iraheta

Allison Iraheta is a living testament to the influence American Idol has come to have on popular music. Her sound is steeped in the raw, big-voiced pop-rock that the show's first winner, Kelly Clarkson, has had so much success with. In fact, Iraheta is part of the new generation of pop stars who grew up with Idol. After watching (and adoring) the first season at age 10, she bided her time for seven years until she was old enough to audition. In the meantime, she pursued her music dreams, playing in bands, singing at local events in Los Angeles, and in 2006 she won Quinceanera, a Telemundo talent contest very much in the vein of Idol. Finally, she was ready for the big time, auditioning for Idol (and blowing the judges' socks off) with a rendition of Aretha Franklin's hit "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Iraheta consistently earned the judges' praise and ultimately became the top-ranked woman of Season 8. She was voted off in fourth place, leading fans and judges to complain that she was robbed. But Iraheta seems destined for success anyway: Jive released her debut album, Just Like You, in December 2009.