Why ‘The Voice’, Unlike ‘American Idol,’ Fails To Produce Mega-Stars

“The Voice” has been running for 17 seasons now, but the show has never produced a vocalist great enough to top the charts and sell out records years down the line. Although some of the contestants on “The Voice” have managed to establish a huge following on social media, their singing careers have never really soared.

Unlike “American Idol,” which has produced some of the mega-celebrities known today, like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry, “The Voice” seems to always fail in setting up its winners for a lifetime of fame and success. Products of the show have fanbases that are restricted only to those who watch “The Voice,” and none of them has ever really made it big in the business.

According to fans of the show, one reason that no one on “The Voice” ever makes it big is that the coaches are the ones receiving the career boosts. A fan of the show wrote on Reddit that instead of focusing on making stars out of its contestants, “The Voice” focuses on making stars out of its hosts.

“The show doesn’t care about making a hit or a big pop star,” the fan wrote. “It’s more about the judges than the contestants.” Another fan also noted that Adam Levine and Blake Shelton were the ones who benefitted most from the show.

“Adam Levine and Blake Shelton’s careers are the biggest things to come out of ‘The Voice,’” said the fan. Several fans agreed to this, saying that the show has never really been truly about the contestants but the coaches.

Another reason that “The Voice” has failed to produce mega-stars, according to fans, is the oversaturation of the music industry. Fans agree that the problem with the show is that it exists in a market that is already oversaturated. Because of this, it cannot separate itself from an age where it’s already too easy for people to discover new talent via various platforms like Spotify and YouTube.

Comparing “The Voice” to “American Idol,” one fan noted why the latter has been more successful. “‘American Idol’ pushed out one idol a year, and maybe one or two other people from the season would become successful,” the fan noted. “From what I can tell, ‘The Voice’ tries to push basically everyone who goes on the show so audiences are divided,” he added.