By Sarah Haas -- MSN Entertainment

With "American Idol" averaging about 31 million viewers this season, the fortunate few who take the stage usually get their 15 minutes of fame. But what about after the final votes are tallied? An "Idol" presence isn't a guarantee of future success, nor is an "Idol" eviction a promise of failure. Six years into this pop-culture phenomenon, it's clear that it doesn't always matter who "wins."

Let's see how some past "Idol" contenders have fared professionally in a post-"Idol" world.

(Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com; RCA Records; Jack Sykes/Retna Ltd.; RCA Records; Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com; John Spellman/Retna Ltd.)