American Idol is the longest running American singing competition show created by Simon Fuller. It first aired in 2002 and is still active. American Idol has given audiences the ability to choose the victors based on their live performances. Due to this, the show has garnered a lot of popularity and has produced some of the most famous singers in the world, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook. Since its debut, American Idol’s format has been adapted by several countries for singing competitions with the audience as the main voter. Singing competition shows tend to bring a lot of excitement and drama into the mix and produce some of the most intense and dramatic finales, as anybody has the chance to win. Let’s look into some of the best American Idol finales of all time.
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7 Season 1 Finale, 2002
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The winner of the very first season of American Idol is a household name that everyone knows, Kelly Clarkson. The season finale was one where emotions were extreme as Kelly Clarkson was up against Justin Guarini, both being America’s favorite. Clarkson’s performance of her original song, “A Moment Like This”, went on to break an almost 40-year-old record held by The Beatles, clearly showing why she was chosen to be the winner. The audience was fully invested in the show, that 15.5 million votes were cast, and Kelly Clarkson was declared the winner with 58% of the votes.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
6 Season 2 Finale, 2003
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The season two finale had a lot of drama involved in it as it involved extremely close competition between velvet-voiced Ruben Studdard and smooth Clay Aiken. Studdard did claim victory with only 50.2% of the 24 million votes cast. This was the closest ever American Idol win ever. Even though Studdard did not fare very well in the future, compared to his competing counterparts, the finale was delightful. However, that was not the focus of the show. A contestant, Josh Gracin, was not present in the finale with the contestants’ performances which brought up a lot of speculation. It was later revealed that he had been called back to his duty in the military.
5 Season 7 Finale, 2008
The finalists of the season seven finale were David Cook and David Archuleta, both of whom really brought the competition down to the wire. David Archuleta was loved because of his youthful, buttery, and soft vocals, whereas David Cook won hearts with his raspy, country-sounding vocals. The result boiled down to the 97.5 million votes cast, giving Cook the win at just 54% of the total votes. To this date David Cook has not reached the level of success compared to other competitors of the show; however, he never refrains from showing his talent.
4 Season 8 Finale, 2009
Season eight was a tough match between two completely opposite singers, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. Allen’s more Indie Pop style of music did end up winning the show with him being crowned the winner, but the finale is mostly known for Lambert’s performances. Adam Lambert’s beautiful performance of “Mad World” completely shook America. But what was even more breathtaking was when he performed a song from the legendary band, Queen. The style of music completely fit his style, though was ahead of his time. Even though he did not win, Lambert is known for these two finale performances and is currently the lead vocalist for Queen.
3 Season 4, 2005
Season four’s winner is another household name who is very well known worldwide, Carrie Underwood. This season was mostly remembered by the audience as it shifted towards more rock and country music. The finalists, Bo Rice and Carrie Underwood, fully represented the two genres American Idol had expanded to and both had a fierce competition between them. However, Underwood, with her strong country vocals, was like a breath of fresh air and ended up winning the title with a majority of the 37 million votes cast.
2 Season 3 Finale, 2004
Season three featured tough competition between Fantasia Barrino, and Diana DeGarmo, who was defeated byjust a margin of 2%. The 65 million votes cast in the finale had been the highest number of votes ever recorded until season six. Season three is also known to introduce the powerhouse Jennifer Hudson to the world and give her a platform to start on. Fantasia Barrino was the deserving winner as her vocals could control the whole theater with the raw emotions and depth involved in her voice. Her mind-blowing performance of George Gershwin’s “Summer Time” is the best performance on American Idol ever.
1 Season 18 Finale, 2020
This season is remembered as the first season that was featured during the pandemic. There was a lot of excitement around the finale as quarantine had been imposed, and the season had to resume a bit later, so people were heavily invested. Sam ended up winning season 18, becoming the fourth Black woman to win American Idol. Her performance of “Stronger” was just effortless and very fitting for the time the show was aired. Luke Bryan and Katy Perry also sang their latest singles during the finale, making it a fun break from all the atrocities.
