Jake’s Take-The 30 Greatest Talents that “American Idol” Discovered-Part Two

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

If you missed Part One of my countdown, click here.

This is it!

Tomorrow, American Idol will kick off its final season.

But, before judges Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban begin their journey to find the final American Idol, Jake’s Take reveals the 15 greatest artists to have appeared on the long-running FOX singing competition.

15-Joshua Ledet (Season 11)

This countdown would not have been the same if Joshua Ledet did not audition for American Idol. He has the best male R&B/Soul voice in the show’s history! Every time he performed on the Idol stage, the audience knew that they were going to church and no matter if it was the Gospel of Stevie Wonder, Queen, Jennifer Hudson, Josh Groban or the Godfather of Soul, Reverend Ledet delivered outstanding performances that brought the judges to their feet.

Key Performances: “You Pulled Me Through,”  “I Believe,” “You Raise Me Up” & “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

 

14-Haley Reinhart (Season 10)

While Joshua Ledet may have been the Judges’ Golden Boy, Season 10’s Haley Reinhart had to fight her right to stay in the competition. While some of her less talented fellow contestants were given passes by the judges, it felt like Haley was being held to a higher (and particularly, at times, unfair) standard. However, whenever certain judges like Randy and the former Mrs. Marc Anthony put her in the corner, Haley’s powerful bluesy voice not only blew them (and guest mentors Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Sheryl Crow) away with her superb interpretations of some of the greatest songs in popular music history, but she also delivered several of the show’s best performances in its 14 years of being on television.

Key Performances: “Bennie & The Jets,” “Piece of My Heart,” “The House of the Rising Sun” & “I (Who Have Nothing)” 

13-Jessica Sanchez (Season 11)

I was extremely surprised and outraged that Jessica Sanchez did not win her season! After I saw her audition at 15-years-old, I thought that she was going to be Idol’s youngest winner ever.  Ever since Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul left Idol, I thought that the discovered talent slowly went with them.  Each week Jessica performed on the stage, she proved that Idol was capable of discovering talented singers that could move an entire country to tears.

Key Performances: “I Will Always Love You,” “Everybody Has a Dream,” “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” & “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”

12-David Archuleta (Season Seven)

If there is one alum that paved the way for Allison Iraheta, Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet and numerous other younger artists to try out for American Idol, it is David Archuleta.  From the first note of his audition in front of Randy, Paula and Simon, the audience knew that they were watching a star being born right in front of their eyes. Throughout his Idol journey, his performances gave people the strongest case of the goosies and that he continued to render the judges and guest mentors speechless.

Key Performances: “Heaven,” “When You Believe,” “Think of Me” & “Imagine (finale)”

11-Chris Daughtry (Season Five)

While Chris Daughtry was not the first rocker to bring rock to Idol (more on him later), he changed what contestants need to do in order to move deeper into the competition: turning the song on its head. Not only did he re-popularized Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Higher Ground” and Live’s “I Walk the Line,” but Chris also set the standard that David Cook, Adam Lambert and Caleb Johnson had to reach (and surpass) when they appeared on their respective seasons.

Key Performances: “The Letter (audition),” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Higher Ground” & “I Walk the Line”

 

10-Melinda Doolittle (Season Six)

Ms. Melinda Doolittle kicks off the home stretch of the countdown! The former background singer worked with some of music’s greatest voices such as Michael McDonald, BeBe and CeCe Winans and Kirk Franklin and after being in the background, Season Six saw her front-and-center in the “Who Will Be the Season Six American Idol Race?”. Not only did every guest mentor give her good comments on her brilliant vocals (she gave Diana Ross goose bumps and Tony Bennett said that she would have “a big chance in the business”), but she received some of the best positive feedback Randy, Paula and Simon gave out to a contestant in the show’s first eight seasons. In addition, I strongly believe that Melinda was the only contestant in her season that captivated the audience with each and every performance.

Key Performances: “Home,” “Sway,” “There Will Come A Day” & “Have A Nice Day”

 

9-Elliott Yamin (Season Five)

In all honesty, Elliott Yamin was Season Five’s best male vocalist. Between his innate ability to weaving songs together in a superb story and his impressive charisma, Elliott’s amazing performances not only brought the house down numerous times during his season, but he also showcased his heart throughout his time on the show. Between hearing “You should definitely choose this as a profession” from his musical hero Stevie Wonder to brilliantly incorporating the advice of guest mentors such as Wonder, Brian May, Roger Taylor and David Foster into his performances, Elliott remains one of the only male contestants that showcased his heart for every Idol fan to see.

Key Performances: “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” “Somebody to Love,” “A Song for You” & “Open Arms”

8-Candice Glover (Season 12)

In the American Idol pantheon, Candice Glover is in her own category. After failing to convince the judges and producers that she was worthy of the crown during Seasons Nine and 11, Candice returned to the competition and blazed through her season with immaculate, show-stopping performances that always united the judges and showcased why she is one of Idol’s precious gems.

Key Performances: “Love Song,” “Straight Up,” “When You Believe” & “I Who Have Nothing (finale)”

7-Fantasia Barrino (Season Three)

Where do I begin? After Kelly Clarkson blazed through the first season, I thought that the show would never find another singer that would make an impact on the music industry like she did. Then…along came Fantasia Barrino! Ms. Barrino’s powerful voice shook the Idol Dome (and living rooms across the country) to its core and received high praise from music legends such as Clive Davis, Gloria Estefan, Sir Elton John and Barry Manilow. In addition to winning the crown, Ms. Barrino’s “Summertime” was named by AOL as one of the greatest television moment of 2004.

Key Performances: “Something About the Way You Look Tonight,” “Summertime,” “Get on Your Feet” & “All My Life”

6-Bo Bice (Season Four)

When every Idol fan talks about the rockers that influence the show, everyone names Chris Daughtry, David Cook or Adam Lambert. As a longtime Idol viewer, I am extremely disappointed that Bo Bice is not mentioned in any conversation. He is the sole reason why rock music started to have a voice in the American Idol agenda and despite losing to Carrie Underwood, Bo not only inspired millions of viewers to explore rock music, but he remains Idol’s Godfather of Rock!

Key Performances: “Spinning Wheel,” “Vehicle,” “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me” & “In A Dream”

 

5-Adam Lambert (Season Eight)

If Bo Bice is Idol’s Godfather of Rock, then Adam Lambert is the show’s King of Pop Rock. After I watched his first audition, I knew in my gut that this guy was going to be a huge superstar. His performances always challenged the audience to think outside the box. Between reviving 1990s hits such as Cher’s “Believe” and Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” and giving country an interesting twist (which shocked country icon Randy Travis), Adam forever cemented his place at the top of Idol’s greatest male artists of all-time.

Key Performances: “Believe,” “Black or White,” “Mad World” & “A Change is Gonna Come”

 

4-Carrie Underwood (Season Four)

Before Danielle Bradbery, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Gwen Sebastian and Miranda Lambert appeared on Reality TV, there was one woman who brought country music to mainstream Reality TV television: Carrie Underwood. Oklahoma’s favorite daughter charmed America through a bulk of the competition. In addition, Simon Cowell made his famous bold prediction that not only Carrie would win her season, but she would also sell more records than any other winner in the show’s history. It turned out that he was right because today, Ms. Underwood has sold over 15 million records!

Key Performances: “Alone,” “Independence Day,” “Love Is a Battlefield” & “Angels Brought Me Here”

3-Jennifer Hudson (Season Three)

When Jennifer Hudson first auditioned for Idol, I generally thought that I was watching a force of nature perform for all-to-see. Every time that the Chicago native hit the stage, she cemented her place in the entertainment industry. From her crowd-pleasing “Circle of Life” that blew Sir Elton John away to her homage to her idol, Ms. Whitney Houston, “I Have Nothing” that received the headline “Hudson Takes on Houston and Wins” from guest judge Quentin Tarantino, Ms. Hudson brought excitement each time that she appeared on the Idol stage. Despite coming in seventh place, Jennifer is the only alum to receive a Grammy, an NACCP Image Award, a Golden Globe and an Oscar!

Key Performances: “I Believe in You & Me,” “Circle of Life,” “I Have Nothing” & “Weekend in New England”

 

2-Clay Aiken (Season Two)

I think that it is safe to say that Clay Aiken is the greatest male vocalist that not only appeared on American Idol, but he also still is the gold standard that every male singer that appears on America’s Got Talent, Idol, The Voice and X Factor has to match. While he did not look like a superstar during his audition, both Randy and Simon were taken aback by his golden voice.  Throughout the competition, Clay proved that he was not only a top contender to win his season, but also a future recording star that could be a force to be reckoned with.

Key Performances: “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “Solitaire,” “Grease” & “Bridge Over Troubled Water”

 

1-Kelly Clarkson (Season One)

Was it going to be anyone else? If you were going to look up American Idol in the entertainment dictionary, you would find a picture of Kelly Clarkson singing “A Moment Like This.” The former Texas cocktail waitress become the epitome of achieving the American Dream with her astonishing voice. Between her 2 Academy of Country Music Awards, 3 Grammys, 4 American Music Awards 12 Billboard Music Awards, Ms. Clarkson continues to be one of the most recognized artists from the show and the true definition of what an American Idol is supposed to be.

Key Performances: “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Stuff Like That There,” “I Surrender” & “A Moment Like This”

I do not own the clips that were featured in this article. They belong to FOX, FremantleMedia North America & 19 Entertainment.