Daughtry

Hard to believe it's been less than a decade since American Idol shaped the way people think about music and pop stars were broken the old-fashioned way – through rigorous touring and relentless radio play – instead of becoming overnight sensations thanks to their ability to over-sing some shitty Broadway standard from the '70s. For every name-brand contestant who got it right (Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood), there have been three dozen who've gotten it painfully wrong. (That Metallica-Lou Reed album topped a lot of worst-of lists last year, but it's positively brilliant compared to the steaming turd of a record Scotty McCreery dumped in our ears.) Then there's Chris Daughtry – not quite your typical American Idol hopeful, but not quite the real deal either. Falling somewhere between a Broadway crooner and a rocker with a really lousy record collection, Daughtry, and the same-named band he leads, managed to ease his way into the hearts of a certain Idol viewer and, more importantly, voter. Judging by his latest album, Break the Spell, they're into power ballads short on subtlety and imagination. Which ultimately makes him Idol's most symbolic star. – Michael Gallucci