American Idol is about to end (sniff), and while we’re already down to the nitty gritty, for many viewers, the early audition process is their favorite part of any given Idol season — whether it’s because of the novelty contestants angling for 15 minutes of fame, or the actually genuinely talented contenders. So the fact that the last golden ticket was handed out long ago is bittersweet. No one is going “through to Hollywood!” ever again.
It’s been a wild ride, sometimes on an actual Idol Bus, through the dozens of cities that have hosted auditions during the past 15 seasons. To celebrate, here’s a retrospective of Yahoo Music’s Reality Rocks’ picks for the best auditions of all time, from the wacky and tacky to the truly sublime.
30. Brandon Rogers (Season 6)
The soul-pop crooner’s earnest “Always On My Mind” even had guest judge Olivia Newton-John swooning. Nine years later, many fans are still hopelessly devoted to Brandon. He’ll be one of many alumni returning to the show for the grand April 7 finale, and you can catch his weekly “the Day After” vlogs here.
29. Charlie Askew (Season 12)
The redheaded rock ‘n’ roll urchin had a dark side, which came out in his brooding, polarizing performance of Genesis’s “Mama” on the live shows. But even when doing the gentler “Nature Boy,” his artistry and quirkiness were always evident.
28. Jax (Season 14)
The flamboyant Jax was known as the “rocker chick” of Idol‘s penultimate season, but she was always at her best when she stripped back the theatrics and let her natural talent shine through. Idol really did her wrong when they eliminated her so cruelly. It’s no wonder she’s still a little bitter.
27. Chris Sligh (Season 6)
This corkscrew-curled cut-up makes the list mainly for declaring his goal on Idol was “to make David Hasselhoff cry.” He certainly made a lot of people laugh that season. But Chris was talented, too, and he was the quintessential voice-doesn’t-match-the-exterior contestant.
26. Megan Joy (Season 8)
A lesser-remembered contestant from the best Idol season ever, the tattoo-sleeved Megan was one of the coolest girls to ever appear on the show, the perfect blend of girl-next-door sweetness and indie swagger.
25. Dalton Rappatoni (Season 15)
The ex-boy-bander’s his rock-star vibe (Billie Joe Armstrong ‘do, faux Brit accent, floral-print Dr. Martens) made a big impression, but it was his very cool and very un-boy-band-ish song choice that really made people take notice. Doing a brooding, sort of Ed Sheeran-esque acoustic version of “The Phantom of the Opera,” Dalton displayed a huge amount of originality and bravery. At the very least, Fox should cast this kid in every one of its live musicals from now on.
24. Chris Medina (Season 10)
There have been many heartbreaking sob stories on Idol. But none made America sob as much as this guy’s.
23. William Hung (Season 3)
Idol has allotted airtime to many joke contestants over the years, but Hung remains the most famous one. He may not have even been in on the joke, but he had the last laugh, ultimately signing a record deal and even outselling many “legitimate” Idol alums. He has since retired from music and, believe it or not, now works as a technical crime analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
22. Scotty McCreery (Season 10)
Baby lock them doors, and Kieran, dim the lights down low. The minute this young boy with the grown-man voice entered the audition room, Idol producers knew they had a real Nashville star on their hands.
21. Carrie Underwood (Season 4)
When America’s new sweetheart belted “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” she made everyone, even Simon Cowell, love her. Simon actually predicted she’d be the most successful Idol of all time. More than a decade later, Simon can still brag about that.
20. Tristan McIntosh (Season 15)
Tristran never quite lived up to the promise of her first audition… but what a proming first audition it was. The striking 15-year-old poured all her sorrow over missing her military mom into her heartbreaking performance of Mickey Guyton’s “Why Baby Why.” And when Tristan’s mother, who was hiding in the wings, surprised Tristan, this young girl wasn’t the only one bursting into tears. Everyone was totally ugly-crying by that point. Damn you, Idol – you’d think after 14 years we’d be immune to your onion-in-the-eyes emotional manipulation, but this moment was lovely and intense.
19. Magic Cyclops (Season 11)
This air-guitaring rock ‘n’ roll messiah/Russell Brand lookalike was like the Idol version of Andrew WK, and he came to party hard indeed. Everything that came out of this dude’s mouth — other than his singing, of course, which was admittedly awful — was pure television gold. The guy practically out-Tylered judge Steven Tyler, he was so nutty. He didn’t make it to Hollywood, but at least he got his wish and had his exit soundtracked by the Incredible Hulk TV theme song. Best. Idol. Exit. Ever.
18. Burnell Taylor (Season 12)
This Hurricane Katrina survivor with the huge musical family and huge booming voice sang a rendition of “I’m Here” from The Color Purple that would’ve impressed even Fantasia. “Burnell made me cry! That tone is ridiculous,” said a misty-eyed Mariah Carey, fanning her fake eyelashes. And Mimi’s nemesis Nicki Minaj (who later invited Burnell to sing with her on the BET Awards) was equally moved. Only a singer as great as Burnell Taylor could bring about (temporary) peace between those two ladies.
17. Kez Ban (Season 12)
This amateur fire-dancing street performer/balloon-animal artist seemed like a trainwreck/joke contestant at first, but her audition of the Pinocchio ditty “No Strings,” followed by one of her original songs, was the real deal. What a pleasant surprise that Kez wasn’t just some one-woman freakshow. The fire-dancer flamed out in Hollywood Week, unfortunately, but for about two weeks, she really was the most interesting person on television. And she didn’t embarrass her family at all.
16. Trent Harmon (Season 15)
This 24-year-old was a farmer in hipster’s clothing. He talked all about working on his family farm, but then, instead of doing an expected country song, he completely wailed on Allen Stone’s “Unaware,” showcasing an otherworldly R&B falsetto and sexy indie swagger. He pretty much turned into a different person when he sang. This was a fascinating audition, and Trent continue to intrigue as the final season continued apace.
15. Taylor Hicks (Season 5)
Nothing about this guy – the gray hair, the beer belly, the harmonica, the Joe Cockerisms – said “America’s next superstar.” But everything about him said “awesome.” Hicks epitomized what Idol was supposed to be all about – giving everyday singers a chance to compete with the Britneys and Xtinas of the world – and this silver fox ended up selling gold records. Soul Patrol 4Ever!
14. Lauren Alaina (Season 10)
When this 15-year-old country prodigy tried out, Steven Tyler declared they’d already found Season 10′s winner, even though it was only episode 1. That didn’t happen, though Lauren got mighty close – she was that year’s runner-up. While her run on Idol was rocky at times, it’s understandable, after watching her audition, how she made such a great first impression.
13. Paul McDonald (Season 10)
This raspy Nashville indie-rocker wasn’t the typical Mariah-style belter Idol used to be known for, but he was one of the hippest contestants ever to grace the show, from his fashion choices (custom Nudie suits!!) to his song selections (Ryan Adams for the win!!). This was the moment when Paul first made his mark. If only it had been shown in full…
12. Frenchie Davis (Season 2)
This dynamite lady probably could have won Season 2, if she hadn’t been unfairly disqualified. (Lucky for her, and for us, Broadway and The Voice were waiting for her post-Idol.) Ruben and Clay might be secretly relieved that they never had to compete alongside Miss Davis.
11. Reed Grimm (Season 11)
This guy was like a real-life Partridge, growing up in a family band led by his musical parents. So of course for his audition, he had to go with a family-oriented song… the theme to Family Matters! (Yes, you read that right. Well, that’s one way to be original: No cover of “Hallelujah” for this guy!) This was bizarrely awesome. Amusingly, Randy Jackson said, “Now we finally have some real music,” which outed The Dawg as a big ’80s sitcom soundtrack fan, and Steven Tyler even called Reed a “genius.” I wish Reed had stuck around longer that season to perform the Facts of Life, Three’s Company, or Diff’rent Strokes themes.
10. Phillip Phillips (Season 11)
Come on, we all knew this guy was going to win the minute he entered the audition room. He seemed like an amalgam of the past four champs, concocted in some sort of 19 Entertainment lab by Nigel Lythgoe’s team of mad English scientists. At his audition, he played a rocked-up guitar cover of a Michael Jackson song, like David Cook. He wore plaid, like Kris Allen. He had a working-class job, like Lee DeWyze. And he was a Southern gentleman, like Scotty McCreery. And of course, like all of those dudes, he was a WGWG (“white guy with guitar”), even playing guitar at his audition before that was officially allowed. But P-Squared proved he had the talent to make a (double) name for himself.
9. General Larry Platt (Season 9)
William Hung may be Idol’s most famous novelty contestant, but the good General was always the show’s best. And not only did his “Pants on the Ground” deliver an important message to today’s saggy-bottomed youth, but his real legacy extended all the way back to the ’60s, when he was a teenage crusader for the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia. That’s right: General Larry Platt wasn’t just a wannabe American Idol, he was a bona fide American hero. And “Pants on the Ground” is still catchier than pretty much any coronation song that isn’t Phillip Phillips’s “Home.”
8. Kelly Clarkson (Season 1)
Can you believe producers didn’t initially show the original champ’s audition? It’s crazy enough that they didn’t think Kelly had a chance of making it far on the show. But how could they deny America an adorable moment like this?
7. Hollywood Anderson (Season 14)
Affable subway busker Hollywood didn’t seem like superstar material when he entered into the Idol audition room – until he started playing his original song. What a gorgeous heartbreak ballad, delivered with such angst and passion – and such a voice! All of the judges were wowed; I hadn’t seen guest judge Adam Lambert’s face this lit-up since I first glimpsed his neon For Your Entertainment album art. Jennifer Lopez even claimed she wanted to record “My Best Friend.” Sadly, Hollywood Anderson wasn’t able to replicate this moment in Hollywood Week, but he definitely secured his place in Idol history.
6. Fantasia (Season 3)
Simon Cowell called ‘Tasia “one of the best we’ve ever had,” and once again, the man was right. Fantasia Barrino was a star the moment she appeared on Idol, and she’s still one of the most unique and interesting singers the competition has ever seen.
5. Casey Abrams (Season 10)
Has there ever been a scattier, jazziest, cooler cat on Idol than this eccentric instrumentalist – the best musician ever to appear on the show, according to Randy Jackson? I say NO. Casey even made melodicas cool.
4. Todrick Hall (Season 9)
The genius that this future YouTube sensation showcases every week in his viral videos was evident in the original ditty he warbled back in 2010. Todrick went home in the top 16 week (arguably the worst week in Idol history), but he got the last laugh, for sure.
3. Josiah Leming (Season 7)
Josiah will, unfortunately, always be known as “that crying kid who lived in his car.” That does him a major disservice. Listen to his rendition of Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” and his own MySpace hit “To Run,” and you’ll remember what a singular talent he really is. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that he was eliminated during Season 7’s Green Mile episode.
2. Adam Lambert (Season 8)
The finest vocalist ever to compete on Idol (don’t argue; this is fact), Adam auditioned with a Queen song, and by the season’s end, he was dueting with Queen on the finale and holding his own. Now he moonlights as the actual singer of Queen and makes $10 million a year. And to think, it all started here.
1. Sherman Pore (Season 6)
This may be a surprising #1 entry, but if you don’t agree, then you obviously have no pulse, soul, or tear ducts. This gentle-natured senior citizen gave the most touching Idol audition ever, when he successfully petitioned to be allowed to try out despite being over the age limit — all in honor of his “lady love” of 20 years, Melissa, who died from ovarian cancer two days earlier. Sherman later served as a celebrity ambassador for the City of Hope, and was approached by the Z Entertainment label after he subsequently appeared on Larry King Live, which led to the release of a benefit album of classic love songs, For My Lady Love, in honor of Melissa. Sherman will go down in history as one of this show’s classiest class acts.
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This article originally ran on Yahoo Music.
