Daughtry

With his soaring rock pipes and down-to-earth personal appeal, Chris Daughtry broke the mold of what a modern American Idol should be — in the process, he became one of the show's most successful offspring ever. As the frontman of the group Daughtry, this earnest North Carolina family man is free to do what he does best: weld a bone-deep feel for melody and persuasive way with a lyric to a no-holds-barred, hard-rock crunch. The results are tunes like the scorching pleader "It's Not Over," and "No Surprise," a modern rocker that tugs the heart as hard as it hits the eardrums. Our Daughtry Essentials is just that — the must-have tracks of a 21st-century star, from the Idol encore cover of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," to the soul-to-soul pledge of "Every Time You Turn Around," to deluxe-edition bonuses, like an intimate acoustic version of his signature song, "Home."