3 of the Most Show-Stopping Performances in ‘American Idol’ History

‘American Idol’ has produced its fair share of stars and show-stopping performances. The singing competition show puts vocalists through the ringer, pitting the best of the best together to see who comes out on top. Of course, the help from a few celebrity judges doesn’t hurt either!

While there are many to choose from, find our picks for the three most show-stopping ‘American Idol’ performances from the history of the show, below.

[RELATED: ‘American Idol’ Top 20: Who Was Eliminated? Biggest Snubs and Fan Reactions]

3 of the Most Show-Stopping ‘American Idol’ Performances

1. “Mad World” (Adam Lambert)

It’s hard to beat Adam Lambert when it comes to sheer vocal chops. He displayed the expertise that would eventually earn him a spot as the new frontman of Queen during an ‘Idol’ performance of “Mad World.” Lambert somehow adds even more drama to the Tears for Fears hit.

It’s really a wonder Lambert came in second, considering this performance. Both his soaring high notes and rich low ones speak to his overall vocal prowess. There is no other descriptor for this ‘Idol’ performance other than “show-stopping.”

2. “Summertime” (Fantasia Barrino)

Speaking of expert vocalists, next up we have Fantasia Barrino. If you’re looking for evidence as to why Fantasia won her season of the competition show, look no further than this performance of “Summertime.” This jazzy suite was the perfect fit for her impressive vocal agility.

We’d go as far as to dub this a perfect performance. It certainly made the audience sit up in their seats and take notice.

3. “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (Kelly Clarkson)

We couldn’t make a best of ‘American Idol’ list without including something from the first Idol herself, Kelly Clarkson. By now, it’s no secret that Clarkson knows her way around the stage. Her performing presence is bar none and we’d pit her vocals up against any one of her contemporaries. We feel comfortable doing so after watching her performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” on ‘Idol.’

As you probably could’ve guessed, Clarkson blew the rest of the competition out of the water with this show-stopping performance. Certainly one for the books.

For more unforgettable ‘Idol’ performances, check out the American Songwriter video, below.

(photo by Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)