‘The Voice’s 10 Best Winners That Should Have Made It Big, But Didn’t

It takes a lot of talent and skill to win The Voice. But what comes afterward is often the hard part. Navigating the difficult world of the music industry has proven that not every talented singer can make it big like other reality star singers. When it comes to victors of The Voice, there have been some brilliant artists to be crowned through the two dozen-plus seasons. So why haven’t they received the love they deserved?

Since 2011, each season has watched four superstar coaches occupy those big, red spinning chairs. As they compete with one another to be crowned the winning coach, their main mission is to guide their artists to victory. Then, they get their bragging rights. Of all the winners of The Voice, these are the best to win that should have made it big.

10 Chevel Shepherd

Season 15

Kelly Clarkson made history during Season 15 of The Voice. Why? She became the first female coach with multiple victories. The reason? Chevel Shepherd. During her Blind Audition, Chevel Shepherd took on “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry. It impressed the coaches, but it was Kelly Clarkson who swayed Shepherd to be her coach. Throughout her run, the 16-year-old brought a young sound to country music.

With her ability to sing anything from Kacey Musgraves to The Judds, Shepherd had the qualities to become a country superstar. The massive risk of singing an original song during the Live Finals paid off. Chevel Shepherd made history by being the first non-Team Blake female country artist to win the show. Since the show, Chevel Shepherd has tried her hand at making it in the industry. She even had a single, “Just Like the Circus,” which was co-penned by Kacey Musgraves herself.

9 Brynn Cartelli

Season 14

Young artists tend to be successful on The Voice. Whether a gimmick or not, viewers gravitate toward the youthful acts. When Brynn Cartelli won Season 14, she became the youngest female artist to claim the title. It also marked the first time her coach, Kelly Clarkson, won. Oh, and it was her first time in the big, red chair!

Brynn Carttelli took on big pop anthems throughout her run. From “Beneath Your Beautiful” by Labrinth to Adele‘s “Skyfall,” Cartelli was unafraid to swing for the fences. Cartelli elevated her profile by opening for Clarkson during her 2019 tour thanks to her connection with her megastar coach. While she has released singles and an EPs, Cartelli just didn’t quite hit it as big as many believed she should have.

8 Craig Wayne Boyd

Season 7

The early seasons of The Voice can be considered the heyday of the program. Thanks to the bromance between Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, viewers tuned into seeing their banter. Oh, and the singers. When a country artist comes to the Blind Auditions, if Blake Shelton turns his chair, they tend to want him to coach them. Such was the case for Season 7’s Craig Wayne Boyd. He had everything a modern country crooner needed to make it big.

Leaning toward classic artists like George Strait and Johnny Cash, Craig Wayne Boyd resonated with country fans everywhere. Even when the odds were against him, losing the Battle and Knockouts and having to be saved, and then facing off against three Team Adam artists in the finale, Craig Wayne Boyd, and Blake Shelton, were victorious. After his win, Craig Wayne Boyd hit number 1 on the country charts with his single “My Baby’s Got a Smile on Her Face.” He continued to release music in Nashville, but he never quite became the household name he should have been.

7 Cam Anthony

Season 20

Before The Voice, Cam Anthony was a viral sensation. At the age of 11, a video of him singing a Bruno Mars track went viral. Patti LaBelle invited him to open for her. He appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He went to the White House to perform. Dr. Dre signed him as a teenager. But when his contract expired, Anthony was ready to start the next chapter of his career. The name of the game is exactly what Cam Anthony served performance after performance. When he arrived for the Blind Auditions of Season 20, the Philadelphia native caused the coaches to do battle among themselves. He received a three chair turn where Nick Jonas blocked John Legend from coaching Cam.

It didn’t matter as he selected the man who continued to win, Blake Shelton, as his coach. With exceptional performances, including “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men, and “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo, Cam Anthony had it made. Cam Anthony was the for-sure winner of the season, but he never quite found the same success that made him prior to the show. Anthony continues to make highly viewed videos on his YouTube channel. The Voice just didn’t launch him to superstardom as expected.

6 Chloe Kohanski

Season 13

There’s something about Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” that gets listeners. When Chloe Kohanski used it during her Blind Auditions, three of the coaches were eager to add Kohanski to their team. She originally was part of Team Miley Cyrus, but when she was eliminated during the Knockouts, Blake Shelton and Jennifer Hudson came and saved the day. She ultimately joined Team Blake, who guided her toward glory. Much of Chloe’s tenure on The Voice was a celebration of female vocalists.

From Helen Reddy to Cyndi Lauper, with Bonnie Tyler and Blondie in between, Chloe Kohanski dominated performance after performance. When she reached the Live Finale, she opted for an original track, “Wish I Didn’t Love You,” which helped her earn the season’s victory. Since the show, she changed her stage name to chloe mk. She was on the road to stardom, even returning a pair of times to perform on the show, but she never became the dominating pop star her voice should have allowed her to be.

5 Javier Colon

Season 1

Listen, when you win the first season of any reality show, you automatically get compared to other inaugural winners. When it comes to The Voice, it was inevitable that the first winner would be compared to American Idol‘s first victor, Kelly Clarkson. Now, Javier Colon was exceptionally talented, but he never stood a chance to become the star that Kelly Clarkson was. It was a very different time in the reality competition genre as it was already saturated by the stars from its rival series. Nevertheless, Javier Colon was something special.

With Adam Levine as his coach, the pair made history as the first winners of the series. With his sensational acoustic soul vibe, he reinvented many classic tracks into something special and his own. Whether it was his haunting take on “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper or the brilliant rendition of “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson, the entire trajectory of the show was thanks to Javier Colon. Colon has continued to make music, but if you were thinking he would be The Voice‘s answer to Kelly Clarkson, the odds were very much against him.

4 Tessanne Chin

Season 5

Listen, in the early days of The Voice, Adam Levine was someone who could help mold a star in the making. Such was the case for Tessanne Chin on Season 5. The vocal prowess of this woman was phenomenal. Nearly pitch-perfect in every performance, Tessanne Chin had everything within that should have launched her to megastardom following her run. There’s a reason why her rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” hit the top of the iTunes charts.

With consistency as a performer, Tessanne Chin was the definition of The Voice. Her performance of “I Have Nothing” still lives rent-free in fans’ minds. On the heels of the first two female winners of the show, Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery, Chin didn’t quite capture the gold they previously did. And perhaps it was due to her not being a country artist. Nevertheless, Chin made her mark with some original music and a studio album. Chin had the potential to be a massive pop star, but sadly, something didn’t vibe.

3 Josh Kaufman

Season 6

Not every winner of The Voice has a perfect track record. Some winners need to have a journey arc of some losses within the wins. For Season 6’s Josh Kaufman, he originally started the game as part of Adam Levine’s team. After losing the Battle Round, Kaufman was given another lifeline as Usher added him to his roster. It proved to be a smart decision as Usher helped Kaufman hit the iTunes charts with his rousing rendition of “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith.

Proving his vocal ability could hold up against some of pop music’s biggest acts, Kaufman knocked it out with Adele’s “Set Fire to the Run” during the finale. Josh Kaufman became the first winner of The Voice to have been stolen. Kaufman released a self-titled debut album and then hit the boards on the Great White Way in the revival of Pippin. Kaufman’s vocal ability proved that he could make it on any stage, but his career seemed to trickle away soon thereafter.

2 Alisan Porter

Season 10

Oftentimes, having a theatrical voice can be a negative critique of reality competition singing shows. For those theater kids watching, it is an infuriating comment, but if the hope is to make it in the music industry, the critique comes from a place of knowing what sounds are successful in hitting the charts. Every so often, an artist’s powerful voice is such because of their theatrical background. For Alisan Porter, she was once a child star as the titular Curly Sue. She appeared in the original cast of the revival of A Chorus Line on Broadway. Her resume was strong, but her reason for being on The Voice was one of redemption. And she got it as she also helped Christina Aguilera earn her first victory since the show began.

When she arrived with her performance of “Blue Bayou,” she rightly earned a 4-char turn. Porter used her versatile vocals to showcase what kind of artist she hoped to be. She was ready to rock out thanks to her performances of “Cryin” by Aerosmith and “Desperado” by The Eagles. But she returned to her roots with a mind-blowing performance of “Somewhere” from West Side Story that netted her the win. Porter’s run on the show was one of great inspiration. While she did release some music since the show, she never quite reached the pinnacle. But, like her time on the show, she’s proven that there’s never an expiration date to make a dream a reality.

1 Girl Named Tom

Season 21

It only took 21 seasons before a group finally won The Voice. And let’s be honest, they were simply the best there ever was. Girl Named Tom is effortlessly talented. The trio of siblings, Caleb, Joshua, and Bekah, proved that American folk music was still alive and well. Whether they took on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or Glen Campbell, Dolly Parton or Joni Mitchell, Girl Named Tom infused modern sensibility with a classic aura. Their track record on the series was phenomenal.

They earned a four-chair turn, where they ultimately selected Kelly Clarkson as their coach. They had four songs on the iTunes Top 10 at once. Their hypnotizing harmonies and sizzling synergy proved that groups can win this show. Girl Named Tom went on to perform alongside a capella megastars and previous reality show champions Pentatonix. It’s only been a few short years since their victory, so there’s still time to hit their mainstream stride. But, after their run on the show, they should be the biggest act to ever win this game.

The Voice is available to stream on Peacock in the US.

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