Katharine McPhee Just Stirred Up Some Serious American Idol Drama from 2006

Coinage. LIfe, well spent. Presented by GEICO. Spanning 15 season and over 550 episodes, American Idol is one of the most successful programs in the history of American television. But its success wasn't limited to high ratings on TV, as a number of its contestants went from relative unknowns to global superstars. Here are just five of the amazing success stories of American. American Idol. [MUSIC] Carrie Underwood grew up in a farm in Oklahoma and hadn't even been on a plane before her audition, but she dominated season 4 of Idol. Her debut album, Some Hearts, sold close to 7 and half million copies in 2005. As of 2017, Underwood's lifetime sales topped 16 million and her work has netted her 7 Grammys. [MUSIC] Idols first winner Kelly Clarkson set the bar for success for years to come. The 20 year old Texas native's first album Thankful sold 2.7 million copies And her lifetime sales are close to 14 million. Nominated for 12 Grammys, Clarkson's won three and has topped Billboard's hot 100 three times. [MUSIC] Before Idol's third season, Jennifer Hudson was singing on a Disney cruise ship And although she didn't make the season's top five finalists she remains one of the programs most successful alumni and not just in the music world. Along with her self titled album going gold Hudson's role in the film Dreamgirls earned her an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild award. [MUSIC] Fantasia Barrino was once a high school dropout and single mother living on welfare. Now she's certified platinum. The debut album Free Yourself has sold 1.8 million copies. And her single, I Believe Single debuted at number one on the Billboard hot 100, which made her the first artist in history to debut in the top spot with her first record. [MUSIC] Coinage. Life well spent. Presented by Geico. [BLANK_AUDIO]

If you were a pre-teen in 2006, you probably hold up the American Idol season 5 finale as a defining moment of your youth, perhaps the instance in which you realized that sometimes, just sometimes, the underdog really does come out on top. Just me? OK, fine.

On that iconic evening in late May, prematurely gray singer Taylor Hicks was crowned 2006’s American Idol, beating out fan-favorite Katharine McPhee.

Now 34, McPhee — who bears absolutely zero resentment whatsoever regarding the finale upset — has moved on (she's got a hit Broadway play, a network TV show and an engagement under her belt, so we'd say she's doing just fine). Instead of stewing on her loss from over a decade ago, she's spending her time encouraging her fans and followers to vote in the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday.

To get the word out, she tweeted a photo of Hicks receiving his crowning title alongside good sport McPhee, adding the (not even slightly salty) caption: “voting matters.”

FYI, I vividly recall whipping out my pink Razr and texting my vote for Hicks that week, so some of us did vote for *our* American Idol, Kat.

RELATED: Katharine McPhee's Engagement Ring Reveal on Instagram Is a Bittersweet Moment

Anyway, Mr. Hicks wasn’t about to let that sick burn slide on his watch. The Alabama native responded to McPhee’s diss: “You're right, voting DOES matter! But you're a little late to the party, Kat.” He also tweeted out a link to a voter registration video he posted on Facebook five months ago.

Zing!