There have been hundreds of performances throughout American Idol's long history, and while many have gone down in reality television history for good and bad reasons, other standout covers have faded into the background. While American Idol wasn't the first singing competition to hit the United States, it quickly captivated viewers throughout the 2000s. Alongside iconic judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson, early seasons of American Idol helped shape competitions into what they are today, and in 2023 , provided a cultural reset.
Although the series experienced a brief hiatus from 2016 to 2018, American Idol season 20 concluded last May, with American Idol season 21 set to premiere on February 19. From explosive vocals to standout personalities, dozens of performances on American Idol have gotten better over time. Unfortunately, because there's been so many contestants that have advanced to Hollywood, performances that went down in history more than a decade ago have become blips on fans' radars. There are a few older American Idol performances that deserve to be ed as some of the best of their time.
Alison Iraheta - "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" (American Idol Season 8)
American Idol season 8 gave way to several notable contestants who went on to have big careers like Anoop Desai and Adam Lambert. While all of Allison's performances were worthy of a standing ovation, one that was often overlooked was her cover of The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Allison Iraheta didn't win American Idol season 8 over Kris Allen, she did continuously bring the house down with her rocker persona and powerhouse vocals, especially at just 16 years old. Allison nailed the song, gave amazing energy, and left Paula and Kara on their feet, as shown on TashaMarie53's YouTube clip.
Katelyn Epperly - "The Scientist" (American Idol Season 9)
When Katelyn Epperly appeared on American Idol season 9, she captivated viewers with her unique song covers and wistful voice, as captured in personality Todrick Hall was voted off. It's unfortunate that Katelyn didn't go further in the competition, but she did manage to give a standout performance before she left.
Bo Bice - "Vehicle" (American Idol Season 4)
When American Idol season 4 ran, the age limit was expanded to 28 years old; and because of the rule change, Bo was one of the oldest contestants, as he turned 29 years old in the competition. With a unique voice, Southern accent, and lovable personality, Bo established himself as a dark horse, but it wasn't until his cover of The Ides of March's "Vehicle" that it became clear he had an obvious shot to win, as seen in Bo eventually fell off the map, on the show he commanded the stage, gave a powerhouse performance, and really pushed the envelope of what was regularly showcased.
Kelly Clarkson - "Natural Woman" (American Idol Season 1)
Kelly Clarkson is now a household name and was the first winner of American Idol. However, as the years have gone by, many of her original performances have become lost to time. While Kelly is a Grammy Award-winning musician, author, talk show host, and former judge for The Voice, she was just an ordinary 20-year-old from Texas when she auditioned for American Idol in 2002.
Kelly's audition wasn't actually shown during the initial broadcast, but she quickly commanded the competition with powerful renditions of songs like The Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men". Kelly covered multiple Aretha Franklin hits while on American Idol, but her performance of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" was one that immediately solidified her position as a front-runner, as shown in VMR7VMR7's YouTube clip. When someone's voice is so strong that they can be clearly heard with the microphone held a foot away like Kelly, it's clear that there is some natural talent and star power involved.
Source: TashaMarie53/YouTube, InuYasha17781/YouTube, gabyvalla/YouTube, VMR7VMR7/YouTube