With a seemingly endless stream of singing talent and entertaining judges, The Voice has become one of the best reality singing competitions on TV, set apart from the others thanks to its blind audition rounds and the camaraderie between its four judges, with plenty of new twists each season to keep the competition interesting. The show premiered on NBC in 2011 and is currently in its 26th season.
Countless singers have been featured on The Voice, from those who didn’t make it onto a team in the blind auditions to those who impressed the judges and audience enough to win the whole thing. But no matter how many talented singers may appear in a season, there can only be one winner. And while the show’s winners have all been immensely talented, there are still plenty of artists who were just as deserving, whether their time on the show was cut way too short or they made it to the final as a runner-up.
10Christiana Danielle
Season 14
Three coaches turned their chairs for Christiana Danielle during her blind audition, in which she sang “Hotline Bling”—Adam Levine hit his button within seconds of her first note, and Kelly Clarkson and Alicia Keys followed shortly after—but she chose Keys. She lost her knockout round, in which she sang “Elastic Heart,” but Keys saved her, helping her advance to the live rounds. She was ultimately eliminated going into the semi-finals.
Danielle showed impressive range, with a smooth tone and the perfect balance of power and restraint. But one of the most enjoyable things about seeing her perform was the way she put her spin on songs, often singing slower, more emotional renditions—as was the case with her audition and “Hey Ya” later in the competition, as well a haunting take on “Use Somebody” in her battle against Shana Halligan.
9MaKenzie Thomas
Season 15
MaKenzie Thomas auditioned for The Voice twice—in the first, she failed to get a chair turn, andLevine commented that she was “so close.” In her second audition, however, she caught the attention of Jennifer Hudson with her rendition of “Big White Room,” and all four judges were thrilled to see that she had taken their advice and given the show another try. She was eliminated in the semifinals.
Hudson andClarkson were especially impressed with Thomas’ audition, and her performances brought the judges to their feet, for good reason. She made it pretty far into the competition, but she could have—and should have—gone even farther. It’s a surprise she was eliminated at all, given her powerful voice and versatility. Despite being billed as a gospel singer, she skillfully belted everything from R&B to pop.
8Christina Grimmie
Season 6
By the end of Christina Grimmie’s powerful performance of “Wrecking Ball” in the blind auditions, she scored an impressive four-chair turn, and after all four judges pleaded their cases to her, she chose to join Team Adam. She made it to the finals, where she placed third. Tragically, two years after her time on the show, she was shot after a concert and died as a result of her injuries.
Grimmie was a talent who left this world far too soon, made all the more tragic by the troubling circumstances. She had great range, and her performances were filled with passion. Two of her iTunes releases from the show made it into the top 10. Her fans weren’t the only ones disappointed when she lost—Coach Levine was, too, and he also performed an emotional tribute to her on the show after her death.
7Rose Short
Season 17
Rose Short sang John Legend’s song “Preach” for her blind audition, attracting the attention of Clarkson and Gwen Stefani, and she ultimately chose Stefani as her coach. After landing in the bottom, she sang for the Instant Save with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and social-media users ensured she moved on to the finale, making it the first finale in which all four coaches had a singer still in the competition. However, she did not win.
Short had a strong, smooth voice with the perfect amount of attitude, and she seemed destined to win. No matter the song or genre, she always sounded like her voice was meant for it. Her take on Shelton’s song “God’s Country” was among her best performances and transformed the song, while “Border Song” showed the full range of her abilities and “I Want to Know What Love Is” moved Stefani to tears.
6Dia Frampton
Season 1
Before The Voice, Dia Frampton was the lead singer of the band Meg & Dia, founded with her sister. Dia was among the singers in the very first season of The Voice and auditioned with “Bubbly.” Blake Shelton was the first to turn his chair for her, followed by Cee Lo Green, and she ultimately chose Shelton as her coach. She made it all the way to the finals and was the season’s runner-up.
Frampton was a front-runner, and it was no surprise when she made it into the show’s finals—but she also deserved to win. She often impressed with her talent, no matter the song or genre, thanks to her sweet, breathy voice and impressive range with a laid-back demeanor. One of the highlights during her time on the show was her attitude-filled rendition of R.E.M.’s hit “Losing My Religion,” in which she also played guitar.
5Matthew Schuler
Season 5
Prior to auditioning for The Voice, Matthew Schuler’s musical experience was limited to his church choir and a band he formed in high school—but his voice impressed the judges and got him a four-chair turn in the blind auditions. He chose Christina Aguilera as his coach. After landing in the bottom three, he was eliminated, continuing a trend some call a curse on the show. He placed sixth in the competition.
Schuler was a standout contestant of Season 5, beloved by the judges and audience. While he often sang rock songs, some of his best moments on the show came from unexpected song choices—especially his knockout round with the intense “Cosmic Love.” And while Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is basically a staple of singing competitions, Schuler’s rendition of the song highlighted his talent and was one of his most memorable performances of the season.
4Kimberly Nichole
Season 8
For her blind audition, Kimberly Nichole sang “Nutbush City Limits” by Ike and Tina Turner, earning a chair turn from Shelton, as well as Pharrell Williams in the final seconds of the show—much to Shelton’s dismay. Throughout the season, she often performed rock and alternative songs, including an emotional version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” with raving reactions from the judges. Although she lost her battle round, she was stolen by Aguilera and was later eliminated.
While plenty of contestants deserving of winning made it to the finals, Nichole was eliminated sooner, and unjustly so. Her performance of “What’s Up” was among her most impressive, as well as “Creep,” which highlighted both her powerhouse vocals and the emotion she could put into a performance. But her performances weren’t just emotional—she was an energetic performer who could pack a song with attitude when it called for it.
3Nicholas David
Season 3
Nicholas David auditioned in Season 3 with an upbeat, soulful rendition of “Stand by Me,” which caught the attention of Green. During David’s time on the show, he often sang funk and soul classics, such as “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. David made it all the way to the finals, where he sang a duet with Smokey Robinson. David finished third, with Terry McDermott in second and Cassadee Pope winning.
David often put his own soulful spin on the songs he performed, starting with his audition. But one of his most memorable performances came in the semi-finals, where he sang “You Are So Beautiful” for his pregnant wife, moving Green to tears. The Voice is just about always packed with impressive singers who have the talent to win, but Season 3 in particular was filled with singers who could’ve won. McDermott also deserved to win.
2Juliet Simms
Season 2
Juliet Simms’ career as a musician kicked off with her band Automatic Loveletter. She auditioned for The Voice with “Oh! Darling” by The Beatles and chose Green as her coach, who was the first to turn his chair—but was followed immediately by Levine, then Aguilera by the song’s end. Simms often sang other rock classics on the show, including “Stay with Me” in her battle with Sarah Golden and “Roxanne.” Simms was the runner-up in Season 2.
Simms came so close to winning the whole thing, and she definitely deserved to. Her voice could transition seamlessly from smooth to a gritty growl, making her well-suited for the sorts of rock and alternative songs she performed on the show and with Automatic Loveletter. But she could also infuse a lot of emotion into a song. Her performance of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” in particular was incredible, not just because of her talent but her attitude.
1Judith Hill
Season 4
Judith Hill began her career as a backup vocalist and had worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Prince and Josh Groban before auditioning for The Voice. For her blind audition, she sang Aguilera’s hit “What a Girl Wants,” which impressed all four judges and got them all to turn their chairs. She joined Team Adam and made it to the Top 8, but she was eliminated in Week 4 of the live shows.
Hill’s elimination was shocking—many considered her the season’s front-runner, sure to win the whole thing. And she should have. She impressed from the very first note she sang on the show, and her performances consistently highlighted her sheer vocal talent. She often put a soulful spin on the songs she chose, with a smooth tone, powerful voice and impressive range, and she had a gift for not just singing but truly performing.
