Flash back to 2003 for a moment: Reality singing competition shows are all the rage, with American Idol as the king. Everyone wants to hear their name called at the end of their season ...

Everyone except Miranda Lambert.

Nearly 20 years ago, the "Tin Man" singer was competing on the inaugural season of an Idol spinoff called Nashville Star. She was among several budding songwriters hoping to win a record deal. However, she was most likely the only one in the history of the short-lived show who didn't want to win.

At age 19, Lambert knew she wasn't ready to record an album. Prior to auditioning for Nashville Star, the budding artist had been performing on any stage she could and had already recorded an album in Nashville. That record failed to launch her career, so she turned to the world of reality television.

The Texas-native must have manifested her loss — she finished third behind runner-up John Arthur Martinez and winner Buddy Jewell. The stars aligned, and Lambert didn't have to cut another album — at least not yet.

The competition did propel Lambert into the world of country music. She would later sign with Sony Nashville and release her debut single, "Me and Charlie Talking," in 2004. Other artists who found success after competing on Nashville StarChris Young, who won Season 4, and Kacey Musgraves, who finished 7th on Season 5.

For more on Lambert's rise to country stardom and even a feud she had early on in her career with another country star, watch the Secret History of Country Music:

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Miranda Lambert's Top songs include No. 1 hits, misfires at country radio and deep cuts that fans hope the record setting Female Vocalist of the Year will play live. Since 2005, Lambert has given fans consistently honest country music that hits the soul. We've been there through her ups and downs, as she fell in and out of love. The anger, the pain, the love and the crazy — it's all here on this list of Miranda Lambert's 20 best songs.

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