With Season 6 rounding the bend for the final stretch, it seemed a good time to review the all-time best Idol performances. So, I offer to you my Top 10 as well as a few honorable mentions (with their respective YouTube video links).
It should be noted that I didn't hop on the bandwagon until the very end of the second season so you'll find my list heavy with performances from the four most recent seasons. You'll probably also be able to quickly deduce my preference for the slower, showier numbers. With that said...
TOP 10
Fantasia Barrino (Season 3) "Summertime [1]" Fantasia moved herself (and the audience) to tears with this memorable performance from the musical 'Porgy and Bess.' It didn't come off as gimicky and solidified her status as the one to beat in Season 3.
Taylor Hicks (5) "Trouble [2]" Taylor took a lesser-known Ray Lamontagne song, a perfect match for his voice, and infused it with his unique Soul Patrol style.
Lakisha Jones (6) "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going [3]" Lakisha delivered her best performance on Week 1 with this gut-wrenching 'Dreamgirls' number.
Chris Daughtry (5) "Making Memories of Us [4]" The resident rocker reached back to his country roots (and exposed his sensitive side) when he gave this surprisingly tender performance of a Keith Urban song. (NOTE: You'll have to zip ahead to 2:30 in order to see Chris's performance)
Melinda Doolittle (6) "I've Got Rhythm [5]" If you need any convincing that this woman has "it", fast-forward this song to 1:16 and watch her blow it out of the park.
Jordin Sparks (6) "I (Who Have Nothing)" [6] A controlled and deeply moving performance of this Shirley Bassey number that proved this 17-year-old was in it to win it.
Diana DeGarmo (3) "Don't Cry Out Loud [7]" Prior to singing this Melissa Manchester tune, Diana DeGarma had been offering little more than beauty-pageant-styled tunes. This song suited her well and catapaulted her into the finals.
Jennifer Hudson (3) "Weekend in New England [8]" Who would have thought this future Oscar-winner would shine so bright on Barry Manilow night? Her big voice and emotional delivery gave "Weekend in New England" new life.
Nikko Smith (4) "One Hand, One Heart [9]" 'West Side Story' has always been kind to Idol contestants but it was especially helpful to Nikko Smith who delivered this minor musical number on a silver platter.
Fantasia Barrino (3) "I Believe [10]" If this encore performance doesn't make you cry, nothing will. Fantasia had just been named the winner of Season 3 and found herself sobbing through what was supposed to be her first single. Her emotional performance (see 2:14) made the otherwise drippy song particularly appropo for the struggling single mother-turned-star.
Honorable Mentions
Ruben Studdard (2) "A Whole New World" Couldn't find a video clip of this performance but the big teddy bear put his signature velvety voice to good use on this song from 'Aladdin'.
Nadia Turner (4) "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me [11]" The originator of the Idol faux hawk (take note Sanjaya), Nadia proved she should have stuck around a lot longer with this Dusty Springfield cover.
Latoya London (3) “Somewhere [12]” Fantasia's main competition in Season 3 gave her a run for her money on musical night with this 'West Side Story' tune.
Katharine McPhee (5) “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree [13]”and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow [14]” Season 5's runner-up delivered some wow performances mid-way through the season starting with her writhing version of K.T. Tunstall's "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" and following with a performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that made some forget Oz ever existed.
John Stevens (3) “King of the Road [15]” This red-headed crooner may have been a one-trick pony but when he got to standards night, he proved that not even a few missed lyrics could rain on his memorable cover of this Roger Miller song.
Constantine Maroulis (4) “Bohemian Rhapsody [16]” Queen isn't easy to cover but Constantine's rock-gospel version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" illustrated his master showmanship.
Carrie Underwood (4) “Alone [17]” Carrie Underwood broke out of her country rut to deliver a knock-out performance of Heart's "Alone."
Blake Lewis (6) "Time of the Season [18]" Blake let his cool demeanor (and hot dance moves) ooze into his cover of this Zombie's tune.
Fantasia Barrino (3) “Signed, Sealed, Delivered [20]” Ok, so she's my favorite Idol to date. Still, her funktified version of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" is not to be missed. This girl could sing the nutrition information on a box of cereal.
Taylor Hicks (5) “Something [21]" Perhaps the only Idol in history to weasel a Beatles tune through, Taylor did it during Billboard charts week. His version of "Something" was simply lovely.
Jason Castro (7) "Hallelujah [22]" stunned the audience into silence with his cover of Leonard Cohen's tune. Such a great song choice done very simply.
Lakisha Jones (6) "This Ain't A Love Song [23]" She sings this Bon Jovi tune with such conviction. Her voice hits the low notes and sounds like butter. Heavenly.
TELL US: Do you have an all-time favorite American Idol performance?