The first season of American Idol

American Idol

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

premiered on June 11, 2002 (under the full title American Idol: The Search for a Superstar) and continued until September 4, 2002. It was won by Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

. This season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest

Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...

 and Brian Dunkleman

Brian Dunkleman

Brian Dunkleman is a comedian and actor. He is best known as being co-host with Ryan Seacrest on the first season of American Idol on the Fox Network.-Career:...

, the latter of whom left the show after this season.

The winner, Kelly Clarkson, signed with RCA Records, the label in partnership with American Idol's 19 Management. Immediately post-finale, Clarkson released two singles, including the coronation song, "A Moment Like This". "A Moment Like This" went on to break a thirty-eight year old record held by The Beatles for a song's biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It jumped up from number fifty-two to number one in just one week. She held that record for five years but she reclaimed that record back in 2009 with her hit single My Life Would Suck Without You when it jumped up from number ninety-seven to number one. Clarkson has enjoyed a successful recording career since winning, with multiple-platinum albums, a number of Top 10 hit singles and two Grammy Award

Grammy Award

A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

s. Runner-up Justin Guarini also signed with RCA Records, eventually debuting an album in 2003 after the conclusion of season 2. RCA dropped him shortly after its debut. In addition to Clarkson and Guarini, also signed were Nikki McKibbin, Tamyra Gray, R. J. Helton, and Christina Christian.

After the finale, a special show in Las Vegas was also shown in September 23, 2002 where all 30 of the contestants who made the judges' initial cut performed during in a two-hour concert.

The show inspired a 2003 musical film, From Justin to Kelly, featuring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini.

Auditions

Auditions were held in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, and Seattle in the spring of 2002, and around 10,000 attended the auditions.

Episode Air Date	Audition City	Date	Audition Venues	Golden Tickets
June 11, 2002	Los Angeles, California	April 20-22, 2002	Westin Bonaventure Hotel	31
	Seattle, Washington	April 23-25, 2002	Hyatt Regency Hotel	10
	Chicago, Illinois	April 26-28, 2002	Congress Plaza Hotel Congress Plaza Hotel The Congress Plaza Hotel is located across South Michigan Avenue from Grant Park in Chicago. After opening for business in 1893, for the World's Columbian Exposition, the hotel underwent several expansions and renovations; it now features 850 guest rooms and suites. The hotel is not affiliated with...	23
	New York, New York	April 29-May 1, 2002	Millennium Hotel	25
	Atlanta, Georgia	May 3-5, 2002	AmericasMart AmericasMart AmericasMart Atlanta is a leading gift, home furnishings and area rug marketplace and the largest trade mart and tradeshow complex of its kind in the world. The mart was founded in 1957 by architect and developer, John C. Portman, Jr. who jointly owns and manages the mart with his son Jeffrey L... / Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Callanwolde is a Gothic-Tudor mansion on a 12.5 acre estate in Druid Hills, adjacent to Atlanta, Georgia. From 1920 to 1959, it was the family home of Charles Howard Candler , the eldest son of Asa Griggs Candler, the co-founder of Coca-Cola....	15
	Dallas, Texas	May 5-7, 2002	Wyndham Anatole Hotel	11
	Miami, Florida	May 11, 2002	Fontainebleau Hilton	6
Total Tickets to Hollywood				121

One of the more prominent auditioners this season was Tamika Bush who objected to the judges' critiques and their pronunciation of her name. She was later invited back to critique the contestants' semifinal performance. Kristin Holt

Kristin Holt

Kristin Nicole Adams , née Holt, is a television personality and entertainment news correspondent. She is most noted as a host of G4's Cheat!, a television show dedicated to video game cheats and strategies. The show now airs as a segment on G4's X-Play. She also substitutes hosting roles for the...

 who auditioned in Dallas was put through to the Hollywood rounds, but in her rush to embrace the judges, fell and slipped under the judges' table.

Kelly Clarkson was notable for being largely absent in the audition episode, and she remains the only winner whose audition was not aired in the original broadcast. The other top 10 finalists in Season 1 whose audition were not shown were Nikki McKibbin and EJ Day.

Structure of auditions

There are usually three stages in the audition process in every season, the first stage being the open call audition advertised. In this stage those auditioning each sings briefly in groups of five in front of selectors, though some may be asked to sing further. Most of those who attended are eliminated at this stage with only a limited number of auditioners selected to proceed further. In the second round they sing in front the executive producers and more are eliminated. In some later years a further round may be added before this round of audition. In the last round those who survive the first two stage sing in front of the judges and this is the audition shown on television. Those who gain at least two yeses from the three judges then receive a golden ticket to Hollywood.

In the first season, the second and third stage of the audition may take place within a single day, but in the following seasons each stage of the audition may take place on separate days. The initial audition venue need not necessarily be the final audition venue in front of the judges, and in later seasons, up to three separate venues may be used for the auditions in each city. The venues and dates of the second audition in front of the producers are not specifically listed in these pages. In the early seasons, the entire audition process in each city took place within a relatively short span of time, 3 days in the case of Season 1, but became progressively extended in later seasons until the callback date may be many weeks after the initial auditions.

Hollywood week

The Hollywood week rounds were held in Pasadena Civic Center where 121 contestants competed for a place in the finals. The contestants first emerged on stage in groups of 9 or 10 but performed solo unaccompanied, and those who did not impress the judges were cut after the group finished their individual performances. 65 were selected to proceed on to the next round. The singers were expected to learn their songs that night and perform the next day in groups of three. The girls and boys were separated and given crash course to learn their song, which was Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....

's "I Say a Little Prayer

I Say a Little Prayer

"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967.-Background:...

" for the girls and "For Once in My Life

For Once in My Life

"For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song...

" for the boys. Many however frequently forgot the lyrics. Again those who failed to impress were cut immediately after their performance. 45 made it to the next round, and the 20 cut were given their last chance to voice their opinion to the judges before leaving.

In the final round, the remaining 45 were given new songs to learn and each performed solo and a cappella. 30 contestants would be chosen after this round. In this round Justin Guarini impressed the judges and his fellow contestants alike. The Top 15 were first announced, the judges then select 15 more out of the remaining 30. The 30 were split into two groups and the judges then go to each group to announce the chosen group.

Delano Cagnolatti was initially amongst those announced as the Top 30, but he was later disqualified for falsifying his age, and became the first person to be disqualified on American Idol. He was replaced by EJay Day

EJay Day

Earl "EJay" Day is an American singer and was one of the ten finalists during the first season of American Idol. Day was actually a last minute replacement in the Idol semifinals for Delano Cagnolati, who was discovered to have lied to escape the show's age cutoff...

.

Semi-finals

The 30 contestants who reached this stage in this season were referred to in the show as the finalists.

Before their performance, the contestants took part in intensive music work shop where they were given vocal coaching by Debra Byrd and advice by stylists. The contestants were held in the Red Room before they each emerged to perform solo with piano accompaniment. There was no studio audience at this stage and the performance was pre-taped. The audience voted after each round of performance, and the results of the vote were announced the next day live. A total of 3.3 million votes were cast in the first week of voting.

Below are the three semi-final groups with contestants listed in their performance order. In each group, three people advanced to the next round, based on votes by the viewers.

Group 1

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Tamyra Gray Tamyra Gray Tamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...	"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger... " (Jennifer Holliday Jennifer Holliday Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist... )	Advanced
2	Jim Verraros Jim Verraros James Conrad "Jim" Verraros is an American singer/entertainer and native of Crystal Lake, Illinois who is most notable for being one of the top 10 finalists in the first season of American Idol...	"When I Fall in Love When I Fall in Love "When I Fall in Love" is a 1952 popular song recorded by many artists.When I Fall in Love may also refer to:* When I Fall in Love , an album by Chris Botti, with a version of the 1952 song... " (Doris Day Doris Day Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,... )	Advanced
3	Adriel Herrera	"I'll Be" (Edwin McCain Edwin McCain Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band... )	Eliminated
4	Rodesia Eaves	"Daydream Believer Daydream Believer "Daydream Believer" is a song composed by John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio. The song was originally recorded by The Monkees, with Davy Jones singing lead vocals. The single hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four... " (The Monkees The Monkees The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,... )	Eliminated
5	Natalie Burge	"Crazy Crazy (Willie Nelson song) "Crazy" is a ballad composed by Willie Nelson. It has been recorded by several artists, most notably by Patsy Cline, whose version was a #2 country hit in 1962.... " (Patsy Cline Patsy Cline Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s... )	Eliminated
6	Brad Estrin	"Just Once The Dude (Quincy Jones album) The Dude is a 1981 album by American music impresario, conductor, record producer, musical arranger, film composer and trumpeter Quincy Jones. The album featured the debut of vocalist James Ingram on the singles "Just Once" and "One Hundred Ways," which reached no. 17 and 14, respectively, on the... " (James Ingram James Ingram James Ingram is an American soul musician. He is best known as a vocalist. He is also a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, bass, drums and keyboards... )	Eliminated
7	Ryan Starr Ryan Starr Ryan Starr is an American female singer, songwriter and actress. She ranked seventh on the season 1 of the talent search television series American Idol...	"The Frim-Fram Sauce The Frim-Fram Sauce "The Frim Fram Sauce" is a jazz song, made famous by The Nat King Cole Trio and performed by a variety of musicians over the years. "The Frim Fram Sauce" was written in 1945. The lyrics were written by Redd Evans, who wrote words to a number of Cole songs... " (Nat King Cole Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres... )	Advanced
8	Justinn Waddell	"When a Man Loves a Woman When a Man Loves a Woman (song) "When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time... " (Percy Sledge Percy Sledge Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:... )	Eliminated
9	Kelli Glover	"I Will Always Love You I Will Always Love You "I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:... " (Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... )	Wild Card
10	Christopher Aaron	"Still in Love Still in Love "Still in Love" is a single released by Brian McKnight in 1995 from the Album "I Remember You". It peaked at #24 on the U.S. R&B charts.... " (Brian McKnight Brian McKnight Brian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet.... )	Wild Card

Group 2

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Alexis Lopez	"I Will Survive I Will Survive "I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris... " (Gloria Gaynor Gloria Gaynor Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul... )	Wild Card
2	Gil Sinuet	"Ribbon in the Sky Ribbon in the Sky "Ribbon in the Sky" is a hit 1982 R&B single released by Motown star, American singer Stevie Wonder. The ballad was first featured on the greatest-hits compilation, Original Musiquarium, and charted at #54 pop and #10 R&B when it was released... " (Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... )	Eliminated
3	Angela Peel	"Run to You" (Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... )	Wild Card
4	A. J. Gil	"All or Nothing" (O-Town O-Town (band) O-Town is an American boy band formed from the first season of the MTV-produced reality television series Making The Band in 2000. The original members of the band were Jacob Underwood, Ashley Parker Angel, Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, and Dan Miller. After releasing two albums near the end... )	Advanced
5	Tenia Taylor	"Greatest Love of All Greatest Love of All "The Greatest Love of All" is a song written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed and originally recorded by George Benson for the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest. The song was later popularized by Whitney Houston. Creed wrote the lyrics in the midst of her struggle with breast cancer... " (George Benson George Benson George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist.... )	Eliminated
6	Alexandra Bachelier	"Save the Best for Last Save the Best for Last "Save the Best for Last" is a 1992 single written by Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman and Jon Lind in March 1989. It is considered Vanessa Williams' signature song. The lyrics' redemptive themes resonated with Williams' story, as she had put together a successful recording career following her earlier... " (Vanessa Williams Vanessa L. Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine... )	Eliminated
7	Jazmin Lowery	"You Put a Move on My Heart Tamia (album) -Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*arranging – John Clayton, Keith Crouch, Rod Temperton*assistant engineering – Stephanie Gylden, Kevin Lively, Nick Marshall... " (Tamia Tamia Tamia Hill , and known professionally as Tamia, is a four-time Grammy-nominated Canadian R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, composer, model, entrepreneur and philanthropist, as well as an occasional actress.She is best known for her 2000 hit "Stranger In My House" and Fabolous' 2003... )	Eliminated
8	Jamar	"Careless Whisper Careless Whisper "Careless Whisper" is a 1984 single by George Michael , released by Epic Records in the UK, Japan, and other countries; and by Columbia Records in North America. The song was George Michael's first solo single although he was still performing in Wham! at the time... " (Wham! WHAM! Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band.... )	Eliminated
9	Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...	"Respect Respect (song) "Respect" is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965. "Respect" became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told... " (Otis Redding Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B... )	Advanced
10	Justin Guarini Justin Guarini Justin Guarini is an American singer/songwriter and actor who rose to fame in 2002 as the first runner-up on the debut season of the television show American Idol.-Background:...	"Ribbon in the Sky" (Stevie Wonder)	Advanced

Group 3

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	R. J. Helton	"I'll Be There" (The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana... )	Wild Card
2	Kristin Holt	"Fallin' Fallin' "Fallin" is a song recorded, written, and produced by American recording artist Alicia Keys for her debut album, Songs in A Minor. Released to radio and music video outlets in 2001, it is generally considered her signature song. "Fallin'" became Keys' first number-one single in the United States... " (Alicia Keys Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano... )	Eliminated
3	Mark Scott	"My Girl" (The Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... )	Eliminated
4	Nikki McKibbin Nikki McKibbin Katherine Nicole "Nikki" McKibbin is an American rock music singer-songwriter who finished third in the debut season of the reality television series American Idol. Prior to American Idol, McKibbin appeared in the first season of Popstars...	"Total Eclipse of the Heart Total Eclipse of the Heart "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night... " (Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:... )	Advanced
5	Christopher Badano	"I Swear I Swear "I Swear" is a ballad written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for two acts in 1994. Initially it was a number one song on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery at the beginning of the year. His version crossed over... " (John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "... )	Eliminated
6	Melanie Sanders	"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger... " (Jennifer Holliday Jennifer Holliday Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist... )	Eliminated
7	EJay Day EJay Day Earl "EJay" Day is an American singer and was one of the ten finalists during the first season of American Idol. Day was actually a last minute replacement in the Idol semifinals for Delano Cagnolati, who was discovered to have lied to escape the show's age cutoff...	"I'll Be" (Edwin McCain Edwin McCain Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band... )	Advanced
8	Tanesha Ross	"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) "Until You Come Back to Me " is the name of a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version did not appear on an album until 1977's Anthology... " (Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... )	Eliminated
9	Khaleef Chiles	"My Cherie Amour" (Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... )	Eliminated
10	Christina Christian	"At Last At Last "At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday... " (Glenn Miller and his Orchestra Glenn Miller Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"... )	Advanced

Wild Card Round

Following those nine singers advancing, five of the remaining 21 semi-finalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges selected one contestant to advance to the final group of 10.

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Kelli Glover	"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You How Am I Supposed to Live Without You "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" is a song originally recorded by Laura Branigan in 1983. The song was recorded later the same decade by its co-writer, Michael Bolton.-Background:... " (Laura Branigan Laura Branigan Laura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"... )	Eliminated
2	Christopher Aaron	"On Bended Knee On Bended Knee "On Bended Knee" is a 1994 number-one hit single by Boyz II Men for the Motown label.Written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the single is notable for having replaced the previous Boyz II Men single, "I'll Make Love to You", as the top song on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States... " (Boyz II Men Boyz II Men Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary... )	Eliminated
3	Alexis Lopez	"Saving All My Love for You Saving All My Love for You "Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin with arrangement by Gene Page. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978 on their album Marilyn & Billy... " (Marilyn McCoo Marilyn McCoo Marilyn McCoo is an American singer, actress, and television presenter, who is best known for being the lead female vocalist in the group The 5th Dimension, as well as hosting the 1980s music countdown series Solid Gold...  and Billy Davis Jr.)	Eliminated
4	R. J. Helton	"Lately Lately (Stevie Wonder song) "Lately" is a song by American singer Stevie Wonder recorded for his album Hotter than July . The song was notably covered by R&B group Jodeci and released as a promotional single for the live album Uptown MTV Unplugged in June 1993.... " (Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... )	Advanced
5	Angela Peel	"As We Lay" (Shirley Murdock Shirley Murdock Shirley Murdock is an American R&B singer, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger hit single Computer Love.-Career:... )	Eliminated

Top 10 Finalists

• Kelly Clarkson
  Kelly Clarkson
  Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
  
   (born April 24, 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas
  Fort Worth, Texas
  Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
  
  , 20 years at the time of the show) is from Burleson, Texas
  Burleson, Texas
  Burleson is a city in Johnson and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is considered a suburb of Fort Worth and is located in the rapidly growing suburban expanse just south of the city. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,690, having increased from the 20,976 residents counted...
  
   and auditioned in Dallas, Texas with Etta James
  Etta James
  Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
  
  ' "At Last
  At Last
  "At Last" is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives, starring George Montgomery and Ann Rutherford. It was performed in the film and on record by Glenn Miller and his orchestra, with vocals by Ray Eberle and Pat Friday...
  
  " and Madonna
  Madonna (entertainer)
  Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
  
  's "Express Yourself". She performed Aretha Franklin
  Aretha Franklin
  Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
  
  's version of "Respect
  Respect (song)
  "Respect" is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965. "Respect" became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told...
  
  " and Vanessa Williams
  Vanessa L. Williams
  Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
  
  ' "Save The Best For Last
  Save the Best for Last
  "Save the Best for Last" is a 1992 single written by Phil Galdston, Wendy Waldman and Jon Lind in March 1989. It is considered Vanessa Williams' signature song. The lyrics' redemptive themes resonated with Williams' story, as she had put together a successful recording career following her earlier...
  
  " in the Hollywood rounds.
• Justin Guarini
  Justin Guarini
  Justin Guarini is an American singer/songwriter and actor who rose to fame in 2002 as the first runner-up on the debut season of the television show American Idol.-Background:...
  
   (born October 28, 1978 in Columbus, Georgia
  Columbus, Georgia
  Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
  
  , 23 years at the time of the show) is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania
  Doylestown, Pennsylvania
  Doylestown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 8,380. The borough is the county seat of Bucks County.- History :...
  
   and auditioned in New York City with The Jackson 5
  The Jackson 5
  The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
  
  's version of "Who's Lovin' You
  Who's Lovin' You
  "Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence Trent-D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham,...
  
  ". He performed Oleta Adams
  Oleta Adams
  Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
  
  ' version of "Get Here
  Get Here
  "Get Here" is a pop ballad written by American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell which became an international hit via a 1990 recording by Oleta Adams, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the US....
  
  " in the Hollywood rounds.
• Nikki McKibbin
  Nikki McKibbin
  Katherine Nicole "Nikki" McKibbin is an American rock music singer-songwriter who finished third in the debut season of the reality television series American Idol. Prior to American Idol, McKibbin appeared in the first season of Popstars...
  
   (born September 28, 1978 in Grand Prairie, Texas
  Grand Prairie, Texas
  Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
  
  , 23 at the time of the show) auditioned in Dallas with her married name Nikki Ozment. She had previously been on Popstars: USA and audition with Gloria Gaynor
  Gloria Gaynor
  Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
  
  's "I Will Survive
  I Will Survive
  "I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...
  
  " and Whitney Houston
  Whitney Houston
  Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
  
  's "One Moment in Time
  One Moment in Time
  "One Moment in Time" is an Emmy Award winning song written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, and recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1988 Summer Paralympics held in Seoul, South Korea.-History:...
  
  ". She performed The Righteous Brothers
  The Righteous Brothers
  The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003...
  
  ' version of "Unchained Melody
  Unchained Melody
  "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
  
  " in the Hollywood rounds.
• Tamyra Gray
  Tamyra Gray
  Tamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...
  
   (born July 26, 1979 in Takoma Park, Maryland
  Takoma Park, Maryland
  Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
  
  , aged 22 at the start of the season) is from Atlanta, Georgia and auditioned there with Mariah Carey
  Mariah Carey
  Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
  
  's "Vision Of Love
  Vision of Love
  "Vision of Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It served as Carey's debut single, the first from her self-titled debut album. Written by Carey and Ben Margulies, "Vision of Love" was released on May 15, 1990 by Columbia Records. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for...
  
  ". She had appeared on TV commercials and worked with other artists before auditioning for Idol, and was crowned Miss Atlanta in 1998. She performed Oleta Adams
  Oleta Adams
  Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
  
  ' version of "Get Here
  Get Here
  "Get Here" is a pop ballad written by American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell which became an international hit via a 1990 recording by Oleta Adams, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the US....
  
  " in Hollywood.
• R. J. Helton (born May 17, 1981 in Pasadena, Texas
  Pasadena, Texas
  Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Harris County, 17th-largest in Texas, and 162nd largest in the United States. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston....
  
  , 21 year old at the time of the show) is from Cumming, Georgia
  Cumming, Georgia
  Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,430 at the 2010 census. However, places with a Cumming mailing address have a population of around 100,000...
  
  , and auditioned in Atlanta with The Jackson 5
  The Jackson 5
  The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
  
  's "Never Can Say Goodbye
  Never Can Say Goodbye
  "Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. Released as a single in 1971, it was one of the group's most successful songs...
  
  ". He had made demo CDs before appearing on American Idol.
• Christina Christian (born June 21, 1981 in Brooklyn, New York, 21 at the time of the show) and auditioned in Miami, Florida with Stevie Wonder
  Stevie Wonder
  Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
  
  's "Isn't She Lovely?". She performed Diana Ross
  Diana Ross
  Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
  
  ' version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough
  Ain't No Mountain High Enough
  "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes...
  
  " in Hollywood
• Ryan Starr
  Ryan Starr
  Ryan Starr is an American female singer, songwriter and actress. She ranked seventh on the season 1 of the talent search television series American Idol...
  
   (born November 21, 1982 in Sunland, California, 19 at the time of the show) auditioned in Los Angeles using her birth name Tiffany Montgomery. Her audition song was Bill Withers
  Bill Withers
  William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
  
  ' "Lean On Me
  Lean on Me (song)
  "Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
  
  ". She performed Bill Withers
  Bill Withers
  William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
  
  ' Ain't No Sunshine
  Ain't No Sunshine
  "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
  
  " in the Hollywood rounds.
• A. J. Gil (born July 5, 1984, 17 at the start of the season) is from Tacoma, Washington
  Tacoma, Washington
  Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
  
   and auditioned in Seattle, Washington with "The Star-Spangled Banner
  The Star-Spangled Banner
  "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
  
  ".
• Jim Verraros
  Jim Verraros
  James Conrad "Jim" Verraros is an American singer/entertainer and native of Crystal Lake, Illinois who is most notable for being one of the top 10 finalists in the first season of American Idol...
  
   (born February 8, 1983, 19 at the time of the show) is from Crystal Lake, Illinois
  Crystal Lake, Illinois
  Crystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County in northeastern Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs. It is named after Crystal Lake, a lake located west-southwest of downtown. Crystal Lake is also a suburb of the city of Chicago. The population was 38,000 at the 2000 census, but as of...
  
  , and auditioned in Chicago with Nat King Cole
  Nat King Cole
  Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
  
  's version of "When I Fall In Love
  When I Fall in Love
  "When I Fall in Love" is a 1952 popular song recorded by many artists.When I Fall in Love may also refer to:* When I Fall in Love , an album by Chris Botti, with a version of the 1952 song...
  
  ". He grew up with hearing-impaired parents and is fluent in sign language. He performed Diana Ross
  Diana Ross
  Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
  
  ' "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in Hollywood.
• EJay Day
  EJay Day
  Earl "EJay" Day is an American singer and was one of the ten finalists during the first season of American Idol. Day was actually a last minute replacement in the Idol semifinals for Delano Cagnolati, who was discovered to have lied to escape the show's age cutoff...
  
   (born September 13, 1981 in Lawrenceville, Georgia
  Lawrenceville, Georgia
  Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates the 2008 population at 29,258...
  
  , 20 at the time of the show) did not originally qualify for semifinal but was later chosen to replace a disqualified contestant Delano Cagnolatti.

Finals

The finals were broadcast live, in front of a live studio audience. The finals lasted for eight weeks, each finalist performed a song or songs selected from a weekly theme. During the first few weeks, contestants sang one song each. By the top four week, the contestants sang two songs each, and in the finale the two finalists performed three songs apiece.

The results of public vote were revealed in the night following the performance night in the results show. The three or two contestants in the later rounds who received the lowest number of votes were typically called the Bottom Three or Two. From the bottom three, one contestant was sent to safety so that two contestants remained and finally the contestant who received the lowest amount of votes was eliminated from the competition. A farewell video with montage of the eliminated contestant is shown.

This season largely set the pattern for later seasons, such as group performance by the contestants during the result shows, home town visits for the top 3, and performing the songs for the top 2 that would be released immediately after the finale. In this season, there are no guest mentor apart from the Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach

Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...

 week where the composer helped the contestants prepare their songs.

The finale was between Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

 and Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini is an American singer/songwriter and actor who rose to fame in 2002 as the first runner-up on the debut season of the television show American Idol.-Background:...

, and Kelly Clarkson was declared the winner with 58% out of 15.5 million votes cast. Over 110 million votes were cast over the entire season.

A television special from Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

 starring the top thirty-two finalists aired later, a thirty date tour

American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002

The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002 is a 2002 concert tour featuring the top ten contestants of the first season of American Idol, which aired earlier that year. The tour took in 30 cities across the United States starting October 8 2002 in San Diego, and became the template for concerts tours...

 with the top ten followed, as did the box office bomb

Box office bomb

The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...

 movie titled From Justin to Kelly

From Justin to Kelly

From Justin to Kelly is a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the first season of American Idol...

.

Top 10 – Motown

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Ryan Starr	"If You Really Love Me If You Really Love Me "If You Really Love Me" is the title of a song written by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright. Wonder recorded the song and released his version as a single from his 1971 album Where I'm Coming From. The single proved very successful, peaking in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 , Billboard's R&B... " (Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... )	Safe
2	R. J. Helton	"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) "I Can't Help Myself " is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s... " (The Four Tops)	Safe
3	Nikki McKibbin	"Ben Ben (song) "Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop... " (Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... )	Bottom Three
4	EJay Day	"My Girl" (The Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... )	Eliminated
5	Tamyra Gray	"Touch Me in the Morning Touch Me in the Morning "Touch Me in the Morning" is a popular song recorded by Diana Ross on the Motown label. It became her second solo number-one single in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973.... " (Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... )	Safe
6	Justin Guarini	"For Once in My Life For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song... " (Jean DuShon)	Safe
7	Jim Verraros	"Easy" (The Commodores)	Eliminated
8	Kelly Clarkson	"You're All I Need to Get By You're All I Need to Get By "You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J... " (Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....  & Tammi Terrell Tammi Terrell Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed... )	Safe
9	A. J. Gil	"My Cherie Amour" (Stevie Wonder)	Safe
10	Christina Christian	"Ain't No Mountain High Enough Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes... " (Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....  & Tammi Terrell Tammi Terrell Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed... )	Safe

Top 8 – 1960s

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	R. J. Helton	"Under the Boardwalk Under the Boardwalk "Under the Boardwalk" is a hit pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by The Drifters in 1964.-Premise:The lyric describes a tryst between a man and his beloved in a seaside town, who plan to privately meet "out of the sun" and out of sight from everyone else under a... " (The Drifters The Drifters The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953... )	Safe
2	Tamyra Gray	"A Fool in Love A Fool in Love " A Fool in Love" is a soul single released as the debuting single for Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1960 on the Sue Records label.-Production history:... " (Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk... )	Safe
3	Nikki McKibbin	"Piece of My Heart Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it... " (Janis Joplin Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band... )	Safe
4	A. J. Gil	"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) "How Sweet It Is " is a 1964 hit song written and produced by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was originally recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and became one of his most popular songs... " (Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range.... )	Eliminated
5	Kelly Clarkson	"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman " A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her... " (Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... )	Safe
6	Christina Christian	"When a Man Loves a Woman When a Man Loves a Woman (song) "When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time... " (Percy Sledge Percy Sledge Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:... )	Bottom Three
7	Justin Guarini	"Sunny Sunny (song) "Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."... " (Mieko Hirota Mieko Hirota is a Japanese popular singer. Her nickname is Mico .Hirota was born in Setagaya, Tokyo. She grew up listening to pops and jazz in places like Tachikawa frequented by Occupation troops. She made her debut in 1961 at age 14... )	Safe
8	Ryan Starr	"You Really Got Me You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks... " (The Kinks The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a... )	Bottom Two
Result Show
	Top 8	"California Dreamin' California Dreamin' "California Dreamin is a popular song by The Mamas & the Papas, first released in 1965. The song is #89 in Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time... " (The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles... )	—

Top 7 – 1970s

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Nikki McKibbin	"Heartbreaker Heartbreaker (Pat Benatar song) "Heartbreaker" is a song recorded by Pat Benatar on her 1979 album In the Heat of the Night. Written and composed by Geoff Gill and Clint Wade, it reached No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It is a staple of her live shows.... " (Pat Benatar Pat Benatar Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States... )	Bottom Three
2	Ryan Starr	"Last Dance Last Dance (song) "Last Dance" is a hit 1978 song by singer Donna Summer. The song appeared on the Thank God It's Friday movie soundtrack. It was written by Paul Jabara and was co-produced by Summer's regular collaborator Giorgio Moroder, along with Bob Esty... " (Donna Summer Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach... )	Eliminated
3	Christina Christian	"Ain't No Sunshine Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September... " (Bill Withers Bill Withers William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"... )	Safe
4	Justin Guarini	"Someday We'll All Be Free Someday We'll All Be Free "Someday We'll All Be Free" is a 1973 song by Donny Hathaway from the album Extension of a Man. The song was released as the flipside to the single "Love, Love, Love"... " (Donny Hathaway Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations... )	Bottom Two
5	Kelly Clarkson	"Don't Play That Song (You Lied) Don't Play That Song (You Lied) "Don't Play That Song " is a song written by Ahmet Ertegün and Betty Nelson and first recorded by soul singer Ben E. King. The title track on King's third album Don't Play That Song, it reached #2 on the U.S... " (Ben E. King Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S... )	Safe
6	R. J. Helton	"Superstition Superstition (song) "Superstition" is a popular song written, produced, arranged, and performed by Stevie Wonder for Motown Records in 1972, when Wonder was 22 years old. It was the lead single for Wonder's Talking Book album, and released in many countries. It reached number one in the USA, and number one on the soul... " (Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... )	Safe
7	Tamyra Gray	"If I Were Your Woman If I Were Your Woman (song) "If I Were Your Woman" is a song recorded Gladys Knight & the Pips. The song was written by Pam Sawyer, Clay McMurray, and Gloria Jones and it was produced by McMurray. Released in late 1970 from the album of the same title, it spent one week at number-one on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart in... " (Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight... )	Safe
Result Show
	Top 7	"Joy to the World Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton song) "Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening words, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"... " (Three Dog Night Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One... )	—

Top 6 – Big Band

Big band

A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Tamyra Gray	"Minnie the Moocher Minnie the Moocher "Minnie the Moocher" is a jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over 1 million copies. "Minnie the Moocher" is most famous for its nonsensical ad libbed lyrics . In performances, Calloway would have the audience participate by repeating each scat phrase in a... " (Cab Calloway Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer.... )	Safe
2	Justin Guarini	"Route 66 Route 66 (song) " Route 66", often rendered simply as "Route 66", is a popular song and rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961, The Rolling... " (Nat King Cole Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres... )	Safe
3	Nikki McKibbin	"Hard-Hearted Hannah Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah) "Hard Hearted Hannah " is a popular song from Tin Pan Alley.The music was written by Milton Ager, the lyrics by Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow, and Charles Bates... " (Dolly Kay)	Bottom Three
4	Christina Christian	"The Glory of Love The Glory of Love (song) "The Glory Of Love" is a song written by Billy Hill, recorded by Benny Goodman in 1936, whose version was a number one pop hit. In 1951, R&B vocal group, The Five Keys, had their biggest R&B hit with their version of the song, hitting number one on the R&B chart for four non-consecutive weeks."The... " (Benny Goodman And His Orchestra Benny Goodman Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America... )	Eliminated
5	R. J. Helton	"I Won't Dance I Won't Dance "I Won't Dance" is a song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach, for the 1934 London musical Three Sisters. However, Three Sisters flopped and was quickly forgotten, so when the time came to film the Kern-Harbach musical Roberta, the song was... " (Fred Astaire Fred Astaire Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...  & Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century.... )	Bottom Two
6	Kelly Clarkson	"Stuff Like That There Stuff Like That There Music by Jay Livingston, lyrics by Ray Evans. Originally recorded 12/44 by Betty Hutton.Recorded by Bette Midler for the motion picture For The Boys. and covered by Kelly Clarkson on Big Band night, American Idol season 1,... " (Betty Hutton Betty Hutton Betty Hutton was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedienne and singer.-Early life:Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg, daughter of a railroad foreman, Percy E. Thornburg and his wife, the former Mabel Lum . While she was very young, her father abandoned the family for... )	Safe
Result Show
	Top 6	"Bandstand Boogie" (Barry Manilow Barry Manilow Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."... )	—

Top 5 – Burt Bacharach Love Songs

Burt Bacharach

Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...

Mentor - Burt Bacharach

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Kelly Clarkson	"Walk On By" (Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.... )	Safe
2	R. J. Helton	"Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) "Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli... " (Christopher Cross Christopher Cross Christopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore... )	Eliminated
3	Tamyra Gray	"A House is Not a Home A House Is Not a Home (song) "A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 song recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven "... " (Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.... )	Safe
4	Justin Guarini	"The Look of Love The Look of Love (1967 song) "The Look of Love" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by Dusty Springfield, which appeared in the 1967 spoof James Bond film Casino Royale.-Songwriters:... " (Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s... )	Safe
5	Nikki McKibbin	"(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me " Always Something There to Remind Me" is a song written in the 1960s by songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David.-First charting versions:... " (Lou Johnson Lou Johnson (singer) Lou Johnson is an American soul singer and pianist who was active as a recording artist in the 1960s and early 1970s.-Life and career:... )	Bottom Two
Result Show
	Top 5	Burt Bacharach Medley	—

Top 4 – 1980/1990s

Each contestant sang two songs.

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Tamyra Gray	"New Attitude New Attitude (song) "New Attitude" is a song performed by Patti LaBelle and written by Sharon Teresa Robinson, Jon Gilutin, and Bunny Hull. It was released in January 1985 and helped launch LaBelle's solo career as a pop music singer after the singer had spent seven years without a hit following the break-up of... " (Patti LaBelle Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry... )	Eliminated
2	Nikki McKibbin	"Mary Jane Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination... " (Alanis Morissette Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination... )	Bottom Two
3	Kelly Clarkson	"It's Raining Men It's Raining Men "It's Raining Men" is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979 originally for Dave Balfour's album Stars , and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982... " (The Weather Girls)	Safe
4	Justin Guarini	"Get Here Get Here "Get Here" is a pop ballad written by American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell which became an international hit via a 1990 recording by Oleta Adams, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the US.... " (Brenda Russell Brenda Russell Brenda Russell is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop, soul, dance, jazz and adult contemporary... )	Safe
5	Tamyra Gray	"Feel the Fire Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times... " (Stephanie Mills Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times... )	Eliminated
6	Nikki McKibbin	"I'm the Only One I'm the Only One "I'm the Only One" is a Melissa Etheridge song that appears on her 1993 album Yes I Am. The single itself was released in 1993, and hit number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts in January 1995... " (Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals... )	Bottom Two
7	Kelly Clarkson	"I Surrender A New Day Has Come A New Day Has Come is Celine Dion's 18th studio album which marked her return after two-year hiatus to have a child. It was released on March 22, 2002. A New Day Has Come is Dion's 9th English album and 29th in total... " (Celine Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... )	Safe
8	Justin Guarini	"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) "P.Y.T. " is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The original demo version of the song was written by Jackson and Greg Phillinganes. It is the sixth single from Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller . Quincy Jones passed on the song itself but liked the title and, with James Ingram,... " (Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... )	Safe
Result Show
	Top 4	Paula Abdul medley	—

Top 3 – Contestant's choice & Judges' choice

Each contestant sang two songs.

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Nikki McKibbin	"Edge of Seventeen Edge of Seventeen (song) "Edge of Seventeen " is a song written and recorded by American singer Stevie Nicks, the third single from her successful 1981 solo debut album Bella Donna... " (Stevie Nicks Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums... )	Eliminated
2	Justin Guarini	"Let's Stay Together Let's Stay Together (song) "Let's Stay Together" is a song by Al Green on his 1972 album of the same name. Released as a single in 1971, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboards R&B chart for nine weeks. It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time... " (Al Green Al Green Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"... )	Safe
3	Kelly Clarkson	"Without You" (Badfinger Badfinger Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,... )	Safe
4	Nikki McKibbin	"Black Velvet Black Velvet (song) "Black Velvet" is a rock song written by Canadian musicians David Tyson and Christopher Ward, and recorded by Canadian singer Alannah Myles in 1988. It became a number one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1990 and reached number one on the Album Rock Tracks chart, as well as... " (Alannah Myles Alannah Myles Alannah Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter, the daughter of Canadian broadcast pioneer William Douglas Byles. In 1989, she released her eponymous debut album... )	Eliminated
5	Justin Guarini	"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John's 1974 album Caribou; it was released that year during the latter half of May in the United Kingdom, and on 10 June in the United States.-Lyrics and music:... " (Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... )	Safe
6	Kelly Clarkson	"Think Twice" (Celine Dion Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record... )	Safe
Result Show
	Top 3	Love Will Keep Us Together Love Will Keep Us Together "Love Will Keep Us Together" is a popular song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield in 1973. It was first released in the United Kingdom on Sedaka's 1973 LP The Tra-La Days Are Over, which was never released in the U.S. The song arrived in the U.S...  (Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard... )	—
	Nikki McKibbin	Black Velvet Black Velvet (song) "Black Velvet" is a rock song written by Canadian musicians David Tyson and Christopher Ward, and recorded by Canadian singer Alannah Myles in 1988. It became a number one hit for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1990 and reached number one on the Album Rock Tracks chart, as well as...  (Alannah Myles Alannah Myles Alannah Myles is a Canadian singer-songwriter, the daughter of Canadian broadcast pioneer William Douglas Byles. In 1989, she released her eponymous debut album... )	Eliminated
	Justin Guarini	Let's Stay Together Let's Stay Together (song) "Let's Stay Together" is a song by Al Green on his 1972 album of the same name. Released as a single in 1971, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboards R&B chart for nine weeks. It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time...  (Al Green Al Green Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"... )	Safe
	Kelly Clarkson	Without You (Badfinger)	Safe

Top 2 – Finale

Each contestant sang three songs.

Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Justin Guarini	"Before Your Love" (Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,... )	Runner-Up
2	Kelly Clarkson	"A Moment Like This" (Kelly Clarkson Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,... )	Winner
3	Justin Guarini	"Get Here Get Here "Get Here" is a pop ballad written by American singer/songwriter Brenda Russell which became an international hit via a 1990 recording by Oleta Adams, reaching #4 in the UK and #5 in the US.... " (Brenda Russell Brenda Russell Brenda Russell is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Known for her eclectic musical style, her recordings have encompassed several different genres, including pop, soul, dance, jazz and adult contemporary... )	Runner-Up
4	Kelly Clarkson	"Respect Respect (song) "Respect" is a song written and originally released by Stax recording artist Otis Redding in 1965. "Respect" became a 1967 hit and signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin. The music in the two versions is significantly different, and through a few minor changes in the lyrics, the stories told... " (Otis Redding Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B... )	Winner
5	Justin Guarini	"A Moment Like This" (Kelly Clarkson)	Runner-Up
6	Kelly Clarkson	"Before Your Love" (Kelly Clarkson)	Winner

Elimination chart

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" style="background:gray; border:1px solid gray; border-collapse:collapse; margin:0 1em 1em 0; text-align:center;"
|-
|+ Legend
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" width="25%" | Did Not Perform
| style="background:#CCCCCC;" width="25%" | Top 30
| style="background:#FBF373;" width="25%" | Wild Card
| style="background:palegoldenrod;" width="25%" | Top 10
|}



{|class="wikitable"
|colspan="2" align="right"|Stage:
|colspan="3" bgcolor="CCCCCC" align="Center"|Semi-Finals
|colspan="1" bgcolor="#FBF373" align="center"|WC
|colspan="11" bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="Center"|Finals
|-
|colspan="2" align="right"|Week:
|align="center"|6/12
|align="center"|6/19
|align="center"|6/26
|align="center"|7/3
|align="center"|7/17
|align="center"|7/24
|align="center"|7/31
|align="center"|8/7
|align="center"|8/14
|align="center"|8/21
|align="center"|8/28
|align="center"|9/4
|-
!Place
!Contestant
!colspan="14" align="center"|Result
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"| 1
|Kelly Clarkson
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|2nd
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|bgcolor="lime" align="center"|Winner
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"| 2
|Justin Guarini
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|1st
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|
|
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" align="center"|
|
|
|
|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"|3
|Nikki McKibbin
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|2nd
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC" align="center"|
|
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC" align="center"|
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC" align="center"|
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" align="center"|
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" align="center"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|Elim
|bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"|4
|Tamyra Gray
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|1st
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|
|
|
|
|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|Elim
|colspan="2" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"|5
|R. J. Helton
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" |Elim
|bgcolor="FBF373" align="center"|Adv
|
|
|
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" align="center"|Btm 2
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|Elim
|colspan="3" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"|6
|Christina Christian
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|1st
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|
|bgcolor="#FFFFCC" align="center"|
|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|Elim
|colspan="4" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"|7
|Ryan Starr
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|2nd
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|
|bgcolor="#FFFF99" align="center"|Btm 2
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|Elim
|colspan="5" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod"|8
|A. J. Gil
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|3rd
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center" |Elim
|colspan="6" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="palegoldenrod" rowspan=2|9-10
|Jim Verraros
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|3rd
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center" rowspan=2|Elim
|colspan="7" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|EJay Day
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="palegoldenrod" align="center"|3rd
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|colspan="7" bgcolor="666666"|
|-
|bgcolor="#FBF373" align="center" rowspan="4"|Wild
Card
|Chris Aaron
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="2"|Elim
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#FBF373" align="center" rowspan="4"|Elim
|bgcolor="666666" colspan="8"|
|-
|Kelli Glover
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="666666" colspan="8"|
|-
|Alexis Lopez
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="2" |Elim
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="666666" colspan="8"|
|-
|Angela J. Peel
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="666666" colspan="8"|
|-
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="6"|Semi-
Final
3
|Christopher Badano
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="6"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="9"|
|-
|Khaleef Chiles
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="9"|
|-
|Kristin Holt
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="9"|
|-
|Melanie Sanders
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="9"|
|-
|Mark Scott
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="9"|
|-
|Tanesha Ross
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="9"|
|-
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="5"|Semi-
Final
2
|
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="5"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="10"|
|-
|Jamar
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="10"|
|-
|Jazmin Lowery
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="10"|
|-
|Gil Sinuet
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="10"|
|-
|Tenia Taylor
|bgcolor="F5F5DC"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="10"|
|-
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="5"|Semi-
Final
1
|Natalie Burge
|bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" rowspan="5"|
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="11"|
|-
|Rodesia Eaves
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="11"|
|-
|Brad Estrin
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="11"|
|-
|Adriel Herrera
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="11"|
|-
|Justinn Waddell
|bgcolor="#666666" colspan="11"|
|}

Controversy

It was revealed during the season that around 100 phone-phreak

Phreaking

Phreaking is a slang term coined to describe the activity of a culture of people who study, experiment with, or explore telecommunication systems, such as equipment and systems connected to public telephone networks. As telephone networks have become computerized, phreaking has become closely...

 hackers with power-dialing hardware and software were able to place as many as 10,000 votes a night from a single phone line with the touch of a button. However, FremantleMedia, which produces the show, contended that the hackers have had 'statistically insiginificant' effect on the vote. Simon Cowell also insisted that Tamyra Gray unexpected ouster from the show only strengthened the producers' contention that the voting was fair. Nevertheless concerns were raised about possible unfairness in the situation of a tight vote. Ken Warwick later said in Season 5 that equipment was put in place afterwards to address this issue but it has never detected such problem since.

Idol contestants were reported to having to sign a 'phone book-thick' contract that gives producers 'sole discretion' to pick the winners and change the rules. Producer Nigel Lythgoe however said that the contracts had to anticipate every possible situation, and was not intended to rig the show in favor of any contestant.

Controversy erupted when the winner of Season 1, Kelly Clarkson, was invited to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner

The Star-Spangled Banner

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...

" in a deal arranged by her then management company, 19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment

19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...

, at a special commemoration for the first anniversary of 9/11 attacks at Washington's Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...

. Some critics suggested that Clarkson's appearance would turn a somber occasion of national mourning into a "giant promotional opportunity". Kelly Clarkson herself considered withdrawing from the commemoration, saying "I think it is a bad idea ... If anybody thinks I'm trying to market anything, well, that's awful." and added "I am not going to do it." She was however unable to withdraw from the event.

US Nielsen ratings

Season one of American Idol was a surprise summer hit show of 2002 and had an average viewership of 12.7 million per episode. It was the summer’s highest-rated show in the 18/49 demographic.

Episode list

EWLINE Show Episode Air date Week rank Rating/Share 18-49 rating Viewers (millions) 1 "Auditions" June 11, 2002 12 6.1 / 11 4.8 9.85 2 "Hollywood Week" June 12, 2002 6 6.9 / 12 5.15 11.24 3 "Top 30: Group 1" June 18, 2002 6 6.2 / 11 10.31 4 "Top 30: Group 1 results" June 19, 2002 22 5.8 / 10 9.47 5 "Top 30: Group 2" June 25, 2002 11 5.5 / 9 4.5 9.08 6 "Top 30: Group 2 results" June 26, 2002 17 5.3 / 9 4.2 8.53 7 "Top 30: Group 3" July 2, 2002 7 5.9 / 10 10.28 8 "Top 30: Group 3 results" July 3, 2002 26 7.5 9 "Wildcard Show" July 10, 2002 14 5.4 / 9 3.95 8.97 10 "Top 10 Perform" July 16, 2002 6 6.0 / 11 10.28 11 "Top 10 Results" July 17, 2002 12 5.5 / 9 4.7 9.39 12 "Top 8 Finalists" July 23, 2002 7 6.6 / 11 5.5 10.77 13 "Top 8 Results" July 24, 2002 16 5.7 / 10 9.13 14 "Top 7 Finalists" July 30, 2002 5 7.1 / 12 12.20 15 "Top 7 Results" July 31, 2002 10 6.2 / 10 10.20 16 "Top 6 Finalists" August 6, 2002 4 7.0 / 12 12.15 17 "Top 6 Results" August 7, 2002 8 6.4 / 11 10.82 18 "Top 5 Finalists" August 13, 2002 3 7.4 / 12 5.6 12.67 19 "Top 5 Results" August 14, 2002 4 6.9 / 11 5.6 12.05 20 "Top 4 Finalists" August 20, 2002 1 8.8 / 14 15.29 21 "Top 4 Results" August 21, 2002 2 8.0 / 13 6.8 14.10 22 "Top 3 Finalists" August 27, 2002 2 8.7 / 14 7.4 14.98 23 "Top 3 Results" August 28, 2002 1 9.7 / 16 8.1 16.94 24 "Top 2 Finalists" September 3, 2002 2 10.5 / 16 9.3 18.69 25 "Season 1 Finale" September 4, 2002 1 12.6 / 21 10.7 22.77

American Idol Rewind

Re-edited episodes of American Idol season 1 are now being shown in syndication as American Idol Rewind. The new episodes feature commentary from some of the first season's top 30, including runner-ups Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini

Justin Guarini is an American singer/songwriter and actor who rose to fame in 2002 as the first runner-up on the debut season of the television show American Idol.-Background:...

, Jim Verraros

Jim Verraros

James Conrad "Jim" Verraros is an American singer/entertainer and native of Crystal Lake, Illinois who is most notable for being one of the top 10 finalists in the first season of American Idol...

, Christina Christian, Nikki McKibbin

Nikki McKibbin

Katherine Nicole "Nikki" McKibbin is an American rock music singer-songwriter who finished third in the debut season of the reality television series American Idol. Prior to American Idol, McKibbin appeared in the first season of Popstars...

, Angela Peel, and Kelli Glover. Rewind also showcases footage that was not seen in the initial run of season 1, including Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

's
full audition.

Minor or independent releases

(This list does not include pre-Idol releases)

• Unsaid and Understood (Jim Verraros - album, 2003)
• Real Life (RJ Helton - album, 2004)
• "Even If" (RJ Helton - single, 2004)
• "My Devotion" (RJ Helton - single, 2004)
• "My Religion
  My Religion (song)
  "My Religion" is the debut single co-written by Ryan Starr, was released on iTunes as an exclusive single in September, 2004. As reported by USA Today, My Religion was one of iTunes' highest-selling exclusive singles, with an estimated 360,000 units sold...
  
  " (Ryan Starr - single, 2004)
• Human Again (Adriel Herrera - album)
• Rollercoaster (Jim Verraros - album, 2005)
• Stranger Things Have Happened
  Stranger Things Have Happened
  Stranger Things Have Happened is Justin Guarini's second album. Independently released in 2005, the album consist of modern jazz arrangements of classic standards, as well as the original title track.- Background :...
  
  (Justin Guarini - album, 2005)
• "To Be with You" (Nikki McKibbin - single, 2006)
• "The Lie" (Nikki McKibbin - single, 2006)
• Voyces United for UNHCR
  Voyces United for UNHCR
  "Voyces United for UNHCR" is a charity album for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , an agency which protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement.The album was initiated by Joalby Lopez...
  
  (Brad Estrin - album, 2006)
• "You Make it Better" (Jim Verraros - single, 2007)
• Unleashed (Nikki McKibbin - album, 2007)
• "Revolve" (Justin Guarini - EP, 2008)
• "Here to There" (Nikki McKibbin - single, 2008)
• "Electric Love" (Jim Verraros - single, 2009)
• "Touch (Dont U Want 2?) (Jim Verraros - single, 2009)
• "Do Not Disturb" (Jim Verraros - single, 2009)
• "Inconsolable" (Nikki McKibbin - single, 2009)
• "Celebrity High" (Nikki McKibbin's band Love Stricken Demise - single, 2011)

Source:

External links

• Official American Idol Contestants Website