| Australian Idol Music Releases | ||
| Genres | Pop, dance-pop, pop rock, synthpop, indie pop, pop punk, rock, soft rock, country rock, R&B, urban, soul, covers, jazz, folk, alternative, country | |
| Years | 2003 – present | |
| Record labels | BMG, Sony Music Australia, Warner Music Group, Universal Music, EMI, RCA, Ministry of Sound, Shock Records, Rajon, Decca Records Australia, Scorpio Music | |
| Charting regions | Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US | |
Australian Idol was a televised talent contest, screened on Channel Ten for seven seasons between 2003 and 2009. Several contestants were signed to record labels, while others released their music independently. Since 2003 Australian Idol acts have placed well on the Australian music charts, with 35 number ones and 158 platinum and 41 gold certifications.[1][2] Eight Idol releases appeared in the 2000 – 2009 ARIA End of Decade Charts, and 24 releases have been nominated for Highest Selling ARIA Music Awards.[3][4][5][6] Idol contestants have also been nominated for 33 ARIA Awards in public vote categories, where the nominees are most commonly selected from the highest selling acts of the year. There have also been 48 industry judged ARIA Award nominations. To date there have been 11 wins in sales and public vote categories, and in 2013 season one winner Guy Sebastian and season four runner up Jessica Mauboy became the first Idol contestants to win industry voted ARIA Awards.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
While many of the contestants only charted with their early releases, some, most notably Sebastian, Mauboy, season one runner up Shannon Noll, season two runner up Anthony Callea and season five runner up Matt Corby have experienced long-term success. Nine Idol acts have charted outside Australia, including Noll and Leith who reached the top ten on the Irish charts with their debut singles, and Sebastian and season seven winner Stan Walker who have both achieved numerous top ten certified entries on the New Zealand charts.[13][14] Sebastian is currently the only Australian Idol contestant to chart in the US. "Battle Scars", a collaboration with Lupe Fiasco, reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, 23 on the Billboard Digital Song Chart and number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Chart.[15][16] It spent 20 weeks in the Hot 100 and has been certified platinum for sales of one million.[17][18] "Battle Scars" also reached number two in Norway.[19] In January 2013 Ricki-Lee Coulter's "Do It Like That" reached number seven on the Japan Hot 100.[20]