Entertainment

Which 'Voice' Coach Has Been The Most Successful?

by Kaitlin Reilly

I like NBC's The Voice because of the agency it gives the contestants. On most TV singing competitions, it's up to the judges to decide which contestants go home, which stay, and who cries after hearing harsh criticism from Simon Cowell. But while the judges on The Voice do get to select who they swivel those chairs around for, it's up to the contestant to decide which one of the chair-turners should be their coach. That's right — the contestants get to choose YOU now, all powerful coaches. How does that rejection feel?!

Of course, getting to select your own coach isn't just a power play — it's also an awesome way to strategize a win. Each season may feature new voices, but there are certain coaches who have simply produced more winners than others over the course of the seven seasons. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but, if I did magically make it onto this show, there are certain judges who I'd definitely choose over others. It just makes statistical sense.

I broke down the judges who have had winners and/or runner-ups in the competition to see who could get you the furthest. Here's the score.

If You Want To Get Pretty Far But Not Win, Go For: Christina Aguilera

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Aguilera's time on the show has been sporadic. She initially appeared as coach on Season 1, 2, and 3, but was absent for the fourth season. She acted as coach on Season 5 and later again on Season 8, which is currently airing. Though she's appeared on five out of the eight seasons, Aguilera's team has yet to pull a winner. The closest her team has come to winning has been in Season 5 of the show, when Jacquie Lee was Tessanne Chin's runner-up.

If You Want The Best Rookie, Pick: Usher

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Usher only coached two seasons of the show — Season 4 and Season 6. Considering he's only been a coach for a short time, he actually has a pretty decent track record. His Season 4 team member, Michelle Chamuel, was the runner-up in the competition and lost to Danielle Bradbury of Team Blake — not bad for a first-time coach. He showed the world that his coaching was supreme in Season 6, when his team member Josh Kaufman took home the ultimate prize. Should Usher be an option in future seasons, I'd hedge my bets on his team.

If You Want The Seasoned Coach, Go For: Adam Levine

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You'd think a guy with a music career as busy as Levine's wouldn't have time to coach this competition show at all, let alone for eight consecutive seasons. Levine's track record is pretty decent for someone coaching as long as he has. He boasts two winners: Season 1's Jermaine Colon and Season 5's Tessanne Chin. In Season 7, his team member Matt McAndrew was the runner-up. You can't really go wrong with picking Levine — unless the last guy on this list wants you, too.

If You Want An Almost Sure Thing, Go For: Blake Shelton

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If you don't pick Shelton, what are you even doing? Shelton has won the most competitions out of every coach AND has produced the most runner-ups. His total winner count is four and boasts Jermaine Paul, Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbury, and, most recently, Craig Wayne Boyd. He also coached fan favorite runner-up Dia Frampton, as well as runner-ups Terry McDermott and Jake Worthington. If he really is in a rivalry with Levine, Levine is losing — by a lot.

When it comes to taking home the ultimate prize, it's up to the voices of The Voice and their level of talent to do so. But if you can strengthen your chances of winning, well, these numbers simply do not lie.

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