Daughtry

A fourth-place finish in season five of American Idol didn't dissuade contestant Chris Daughtry from trying to send his rock yawp to the top of the charts. After getting booted from the show, Daughtry rejected an offer to lead alt rock band Fuel so he could form an eponymous outfit in his home state of North Carolina. They were quickly snatched up by the majors and immediately set to work on a record that enlisted the talents of vet producer Howard Benson and Nickleback songsmith Chad Kroeger. The band's first single, "Its Not Over," was released in the fall of 2006, followed by their eponymous full-length debut that same year.