American Idol was everyone’s favorite reality television competition growing up. The show pioneered the way for reality TV as we know it and for all the televised competitions churning out new celebrities on a daily basis. The show ran from 2002-2016, and gave us stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Lambert. Some people watched the seasons from start to finish, all the way from the audition phase to the finale episode. Other fans of the show preferred watching only the auditions because that’s where the most entertainment was to be found. There was something especially fun about watching all the contestants who were convinced they had talent - yet couldn’t sing on key. It was even better seeing what smart-witted comment Simon Cowell had for them after their performance, and how the contestants reacted to such brash British humor. These contestants had some of the worst auditions featured on the show, and will make you wonder how anyone so bad at singing could think they had a shot at a musical career.

15 Keith Beukelaer

We really hoped things would go well for Keith when the cameras first introduced him. The shy looking guy revealed he had quite the transformation after losing 50lbs and getting a new haircut. Though he was socially awkward, Keith was very lovable. But things take a turn for the worse when Keith started singing for the judges. But sing wasn't the only thing he did... Keith began belting out Madonna’s classic hit “Like a Virgin.” Based on his dance moves and nasally voice, we’d say Keith is still a virgin. It’s clear that music is not this young man’s forte, and the judges had to break the bad news to him. Randy hid his face with his pad of paper during the entirety of Keith’s performance because it was that cringe-worthy. Simon ended up telling Keith that he’s not only the worst singer in America, but in the whole world. Well that’s one way to crush a man’s dreams.

14 Jared

Jared sounds like the hunky surfer guy from every early 2000s chick flick. But his seductive speaking voice didn’t translate into a great singing voice. He began his audition by singing “Amazing Grace.” Jared had a forced raspiness to his voice that made it sound all sorts of terrible. At some points, it sounded like he was vomiting because he was using so much guttural force. It was clear he thought he sounded like an angsty rocker, maybe like Kurt Cobain or Billy Idol. But the talent just wasn’t there.

The best part of Jared's audition came after the judges told him to stop singing. He just wouldn’t stop. Jared kept singing the lyrics to “Amazing Grace” over the judges voices, who had begun yelling “No” in an effort to silence him. Security had to come and physically escort him out of the audition room. Cameras followed the guards as they removed Jared from the premises, all while he was still singing and assuring people he belongs in Hollywood.

13 The Yeller

We call this man The Yeller because that’s exactly what he did in his audition. During his pre-audition interview, this aspiring musician said that he’d respect the judges’ decision, whatever it may be. He also added that he likes constructive criticism. His interview made us think he was the last person who was going to go berserk on the judges.

This guy didn’t have a horrible voice. The problem was he needed to learn how to control it. During his performance, it sounded like he was shouting at some points and his pitch was all over the place. He was too loud, too powerful, and using too much force. The judges were literally cringing as he tried reaching high notes. His demeanour completely changes when the judges said it was a "No." Security had to physically remove him from the room, and he then went on an insane rant to the cameras where he was cussing and insulting the judges. Guess this is proof that dreams die hard.

12 Mary Roach

We’re not sure what was worse: Mary Roach’s out-of-tune audition, or the temper tantrum she had afterwards when the judges didn’t give her a golden ticket. The blonde was very confident in her abilities pre-audition, and that would have been fine if she could actually sing. But as soon as Mary opened her mouth, it became clear this audition was another flop. She was off pitch for the majority of her song, and her voice was also nasally, breathy, and all sorts of unattractive. Her audition wasn’t saved either by her ridiculous dance moves and dramatic effects.

When the judges told her that they weren’t very impressed, Mary proceeded to defend her talent. We totally get wanting to defend yourself. But she took it to the next level. She tried singing in other accents and (when that didn’t work) she started insulting the judges. As she was walking out of the venue, she angrily told the cameras why the judges were wrong and that she actually has a ton of talent. She ended things by flipping the cameras off and saying a slew of cuss words. The whole rant made her seem erratic, unstable, and great for TV.

11 Nicholas Zitzmann

Nicholas looked like a teen heartthrob from the ‘90s with his Jack Dawson-inspired haircut and awkwardly endearing behavior. He told the cameras that he was sure he would go to Hollywood because of his wide vocal range. But he might have been overestimating his chances. Nicholas genuinely seems like a nice boy, so the judges weren’t too harsh on him. They sarcastically told him that it was a yes from all three of him, before saying he needed more time to figure out what genre is best for his voice.

Nicholas gave his rendition of “Stand By Me” and every minute was worse than before. He sounded like a church choir boy who was way too nervous before his first solo. It got only worse when he tried (unsuccessfully) to reach the higher notes, proving his range isn’t as great as he might think. You could hear the anxiety in his voice. But, unfortunately, the vocal talent wasn’t there for Nicholas and he was sent out the door.

10 Red (aka Steven)

We should all aspire to have as much confidence as this guy. Red (whose real name is Steven) began his competition by admitting he was here only because he likes competition. He’d only seen the show a few times, and wasn’t a hard-core fan by any means. He just thought he’d take a chance. When asked what musical artist he thought he was most similar to, Red said he was most like Freddie Mercury from Queen. He then proceeded to sing “Bohemian Rhapsody” for the judges.

There’s no nice way to put it: Red cannot sing. He was struggling to reach the high falsetto notes, and he sounds nowhere similar to Freddie Mercury. His voice was monotone, slightly raspy, and all around disastrous. The judges continued to have a bit of fun with him after his performance before sending him on his way. Red got a bit aggressive with Simon (who doesn’t?) and told him he should coach him on how to sing. It’s clear that Red left with some hurt feelings.

9 James Lewis

James Lewis seemed like a really nice guy, so we hate to make fun of his audition tape. But we’re confused as to how this guy ever thought he could have a career in music. During his interview, James revealed that he was a tour guide and loves interacting with people. He told viewers that it was his co-workers who motivated him to audition for American Idol. We’re just not sure if they were seriously encouraging him, or were doing it as a joke.

When he started singing, James revealed his distinctly deep voice. It’s rather monotone and out of tune. He also had a tendency to over pronounce things, and sounded like he was speaking rather than singing. As sweet a guy as he was, there’s no saving this vocal disaster. The judges couldn’t stop laughing after his performance. But they tried to tell him as kindly as possible that music isn’t his thing, and apologized for laughing. We can’t help but feel bad for this Idol reject.

8 Rhonetta

Things were off to a bad start for this diva from the beginning. Cameras interviewed Rhonetta before her audition, and she used that time to talk about how good she always look. She told Ryan Seacrest all the details of her outfit, hair, and makeup - and how much time it takes to look this good. She told the cameras she was going to be bigger than Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson. But her lacklustre performance didn't live up to her trash talking ways.

Rhonetta walked into her audition singing Britney Spears. Even when the judges tried talking to her, she shut them up by singing even more. Her voice was out of tune, and reveals that she had barely any range. It was nauseating and annoying, to put it simply. The judges told her that it was a pass from them. So, in true diva fashion, Rhonetta left the venue by yelling at the cameras. She insulted each of the judges multiple times, and assured viewers that she was still going to make it big. Hopefully Rhonetta’s confidence paid off in the end.

7 Jacqueline Roman

Jacqueline was a ray of sunshine when she walked into her audition. She was bubbly and enthusiastic, which only made us want her to succeed. When asked if she was better than the previous season’s top three, she hesitantly told the judges she was. But then she followed that up by saying everyone is talented in their own unique way, making us feel all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside.

Unfortunately, Jacqueline’s performance of “Route 66” was just not up to par. She began by attempting to scat, but is just sounded like inaudible sound effects that left viewers confused (and concerned). When she started singing real lyrics, her voice became pitchy and unstable. When the judges told her that her audition wasn’t very good, she truly took defeat well. She assured viewers she’d tried her best, and even told the judges she still loved them despite their harsh words. Jacqueline is an example of how we all should act when faced with defeat.

6 Julie

This aspiring musician sure has dedication. This was Julie’s eighth attempt to get a golden ticket from the judges and advance to the next stages. Previously, Simon had told her to sue whoever was giving her voice lessons because she’s that bad. But Julie assured the cameras that she doesn’t believe in giving up, and that’s why she was back. She said she had been taking acting and music lessons, and was ready to give it another shot. Ninth time is the charm, right?

The college student doesn’t have the worst voice we’ve ever heard. But it’s sure not radio-worthy. Her voice sounded very over-rehearsed, and she was pronouncing words strangely. It sounded like she’d been trained in musical theatre, yet was nowhere close to being ready for Broadway. Her entire performance was over dramatic, off-key, and simply cringe-worthy. When the judges told her (once again) it was a "No," she proceeded to sing over them. At least she had another year to practice before the next auditions.

5 Jennifer

Jennifer is one contestant with a serious attitude problem. This girl made quite the statement when she gave her audition. She walked into the room and was clearly chewing gum (which is a big no-no if you’re about to sing). Paula had to tell her to take it out, and the girl seemed rather annoyed by that. Jennifer then started her rendition of “I Want Your Love.” She had a uniquely deep voice but her singing sounded way too forced and breathy. Her pitch was all over the place, and she struggled to reach the high notes. It was clear from the very beginning that her audition was a fail.

Jennifer’s badass attitude came out even more when the judges gave her feedback. She began asking Simon what he knew about music and even asked him why he’s here. She told him she’d never heard of him before. But the judges just found her entertaining. Like most contestants who fail their audition, Jennifer tried singing over the judges as they told her to leave. While her attitude may be a memorable highlight, this contestant’s voice is one thing we want to forget.

4 Stephanie Fisher

This is another contestant who had already unsuccessfully auditioned for the show in the past. Stephanie Fisher returned for her seventh audition, and she said she knew this time would be different since seven is her lucky number. The bubbly blonde appeared like a Paris Hilton wannabe with her platinum blonde extensions and sparkly outfit. But she actually revealed Victoria Beckham (who was acting as a guest judge) is her celebrity idol, while Simon is her current crush.

We can’t quite put our finger on what’s wrong with Stephanie’s voice. But we do know one thing: she just can’t sing. The judges struggled to tell her for the zillionth time that she just doesn’t have the vocal chops to make it big. But everyone was very nice to Stephanie - who was clearly star struck. Victoria even stood up to hug Stephanie, and complimented her outfit. Even though the audition was a fail, at least things ended on a (somewhat) good note.

3 Isadora Furman

Isadora had the last audition of the day when she went to sing for the judges. The young girl, who works as a palm reader, appeared rather eccentric on camera. She showed up wearing a cowboy hat, even though she said she wants to be a rocker. Isadora compared herself to Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin, revealing her best vocal quality is her ability to “belt it out.”

While shaking her tambourine, Isadora gave her unique version of “Lady Marmalade.” She had a heavy quality to her voice, but it wasn’t rocker-worthy. Instead it sounded forced and out of control. There were points where it sounded like Isadora was shouting. And when she sang lyrics in French, it was completely impossible to hear through her poor pronunciation. Luckily she seemed to take the judges’ criticism well and left without much of a fuss. Isadora better just stick to palm reading because music clearly isn’t her thing.

2 Kimberly Bishop

It seriously appeared like this contestant may have been on something when she gave her audition. Kimberly Bishop sounded out of touch with reality when she gave her initial interview. The aspiring musician told the cameras she had a good heart, and said if she were to become the next American Idol she would be into recycling and helping kids in Africa (those are her words, not ours). To make things worse, when she went into the audition room, she asked Randy if he’d lost weight and told him she’d seen him on TV. Not the best way to start an interview.

Things didn’t get much better from there. Kimberly gave her own rendition of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” and she sounded intoxicated during the whole performance. She was slurring her words and was hugely off-key. She then started in with some seductive yet clumsy dance moves that seemed stripper-inspired. The judges eventually asked her to stop when her dancing made her flash the cameras. She didn’t seem to mind too much when the judges told her it was a pass. She asked if she was excused, and then struggled to find the direction of the exit. We hope this contestant got the help she needed.

1 Ashanti Johnson

Ashanti Johnson had one of the most cringe-worthy auditions - not because she’s exceptionally talentless, but because she’s just not quite good enough. The aspiring singer revealed to cameras that she’d auditioned several times before, and even made it to Hollywood twice. Ashanti was convinced this time was going to be different.

She performed “Loving You” for the judges, and wasn’t all the bad. Ashanti had an attractive sound to her voice, with good control and pitch. Things got a bit weird when she started to scat, and especially when she reached a glass-shattering high note (but she did so successfully). Unfortunately, it just didn’t cut it for the judges. Simon told her the performance was too old-fashioned and cabaret style, and the others agreed.

When the judges tell her it’s a pass, Ashanti’s eyes begin watering up. She begs with them to reconsider, and it’s painful to watch. She was desperate to know what was wrong with her voice and the judges couldn’t give her a very concrete answer, which makes it even harder to watch. They tell her she’s much better suited for Broadway. Hopefully Ashanti found her footing in the musical world eventually because she definitely has talent that shouldn’t be wasted.