American Idol has been the most popular singing competition show since it first aired in 2002. After season 15 in 2016, the show was on pause for about two years until March 11, 2018. ABC decided to revive the show since it was so successful for more than a decade and it helped create huge stars.
According to Billboard Magazine, "Idol has spawned 345 Billboard chart-toppers and a platoon of pop idols, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Adam Lambert, and Jordin Sparks while remaining a TV ratings juggernaut.” These are only some of the most successful and famous stars that got their start on Idol. That’s not including the hundreds of talented contestants that were on the show.
Besides the season finale, the auditions are the best part of American Idol. Whether they were hilariously goofy or completely inspiring, they were definitely unforgettable. Here are 10 of the most iconic auditions on the show.
10 Kelly Clarkson - Season 1
Kelly is the first person to win the show and is the original Idol. She’s one of the most successful winners who went on to win grammys, sell millions of records, and create iconic songs such as “Because Of You” and “Breakaway.” She was only 20-years-old when she auditioned with the song, “Express Yourself,” by Madonna. Kelly told Ryan Seacrest that her back-up plan was to be a fashion designer if music didn’t work out for her. But everyone who heard her could tell that music is exactly what she’s meant to do.
9 Carrie Underwood - Season 4
Carrie’s audition is one that won’t be forgotten. Besides Simon asking her to cluck like a chicken, her voice is what really got everyone’s attention. Everyone could hear her raw talent when she sang “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and they knew there was something special about her. Even though she’s not the first winner of American Idol, she became the most successful one even more than Kelly Clarkson. She’s sold the most albums and won the most Grammys out of all of the other winners.
8 Jordin Sparks - Season 6
Jordin is the youngest person to win American Idol. She won when she was only 17-years-old and she is still the youngest person to win the show to this day. During her audition, she surprised the judges when she sang Celine Dion’s “Because You Love Me” and killed it with her soft, but powerful voice. Besides the irreplaceable Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, Jordin also became one of the most successful artists after winning the show.
7 Marna Michele - Season 18
Marna is the first person in a wheelchair to ever be on American Idol and get a golden ticket. She was born with a disability called Arthrogryposis which weakens her muscles and makes her joints stiff. She can’t walk or put her hands above her head, but she can definitely sing her heart out. Marna sang “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga for her audition and put a twist on it with her country-pop sound. She was eliminated soon after she got to Hollywood, but she already made Idol history by being there and is still performing music now.
6 Fantasia Barrino - Season 3
Fantasia is another young American Idol winner who won the competition at only 20-years-old. She first sang “Killing Me Softly” for her audition, but when the judges heard her fiery, high energy voice, they asked her to sing another song. The first song was too slow to show off her skills. She ended up singing “Proud Mary” as the second song and showed what a star she is. Fantasia became a huge R&B singer after the show and is now expecting her third child.
5 William Hung - Season 3
Although William didn’t make it to Hollywood, his version of “She Bangs” is something that American Idol fans will never forget. As soon as he enters the audition room, he starts singing and does a goofy dance. The judges were even covering their faces and trying not to laugh. Simon cut him off after a few seconds and without sugar coating it at all, he told William he can’t sing or dance. Since then, he’s released three albums, including “Inspiration” and “Hung for the Holidays,” and his own movie, “Where is Mama's Boy?” But he retired from his music career and is now a motivational speaker.
4 Phillip Phillips - Season 11
Phillip’s name isn’t the only thing that caught the judge’s attention. The moment he started singing they knew he was meant to be famous. First, he sang "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, but the judges wanted to see more of his talent and asked him to play his guitar. Once he brought out the guitar, he performed a country version of "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. His raspy voice is what made his version of the song so good and got him the golden ticket that changed his life. When he won American Idol, his coronation song, “Home,” became the best-selling song in the show’s history and was the start of his successful music career.
3 Chris Medina - Season 10
Chris may not have had the most successful singing career, but his American Idol audition was definitely a memorable one. He shared that his fiancée was in a car accident that left her with brain damage and that he sings to her when he helps her. American Idol fans could see he was thinking about her while he was singing his audition song, “Break Even.” His audition ended with the amazing news that he was going to Hollywood. But things got a little awkward right before he left. Steven Tyler got really close to his fiancée and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Maybe he thought he was being nice doing that, but it was still super awkward to watch.
2 Clay Aiken - Season 2
Clay didn’t look like a popstar when he auditioned, but he definitely had the confidence of one. Right after meeting the judges, he said, “I’m your American Idol.” He thought if he was on the first season he would’ve won or at least be in top 10. The judges weren’t sure about him at first when he said that, but thought he might be right after hearing him sing “Always & Forever.” It turned out he was right and was runner-up to Ruben Studdard that season.
1 Adam Lambert - Season 8
We can’t forget the legendary Adam Lambert. He only sang Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” for a few seconds, but it was enough to show the judges how talented he is and that he’s meant to be a popstar. Although he didn’t win season 8 of American Idol, his music career has been more successful than a lot of the other contestants. Ironically, a couple years after he sang Queen’s song for his audition, he ended up being the lead singer for the band. Maybe that’s a sign he was always meant to be a part of Queen.