Fox’s announcement on Monday that the upcoming 15th season of American Idol would also be its last certainly isn’t surprising, but it is likely to inspire a healthy bout of nostalgia.
Over the years, there have been some pretty egregious auditions—but, of course, there have also been some excellent ones. We invite you to take a moment and go all the way back to the very beginning, when a 20-year-old girl from Texas named Kelly stood before the judges.
Kelly Clarkson has obviously come quite a long way since this 2002 audition—but her insane talent is evident. Watch as Simon Cowell, notorious for being a total stickler, tries to hide the extreme delight he’s clearly experiencing as Kelly serenades the judges.
Carrie Underwood, winner of American Idol season 4, performs at the 2014 American Country Countdown Awards at Music City Center in Nashville on Dec. 15, 2014.Jason Merritt—Getty ImagesKelly Clarkson, season 1 winner, performs "Heartbeat Song" onstage during the 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 29, 2015.Kevin Mazur—Getty ImagesChris Daughtry, who came in 4th on season 5, performs at Pompano Beach Amphitheatre in Pompano Beach, Fla. on Nov. 12, 2014.Larry Marano—Getty ImagesClay Aiken, Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in North Carolina's Second District, poses for a selfie with supporters after casting his vote in the midterm elections oat Mills Park Elementary School in Cary, N.C. on Nov. 4, 2014. Aiken was runner up on the second season of American Idol.Grant Halverson—Getty ImagesFantasia, winner of season 3, performs at the 7th Annual Music Festival at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J. on May 9, 2015.Donald Kravitz—Getty ImagesRuben Studdard, season 2 winner, performs at When Georgia Smiled: The Robin McGraw Revelation Foundation And Verizon Unite For Second Annual Domestic Violence Summit at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Calif. on Oct. 3, 2014. Mathew Imaging—WireImage/Getty ImagesScotty McCreery performs during "FOX & Friends" holiday special at FOX Studios in New York City on Dec. 4, 2014. McCreery won season 10 of American Idol.Slaven Vlasic—Getty ImagesKellie Pickler, who came in 6th on season 5, performs at 2014 USO Gala: Honoring Those Who Serve at the Washington Hilton in Washington on Oct. 17, 2014.Paul Morigi—Getty ImagesDavid Cook, season 7 winner, performs at the Soles4Souls charity concert, sponsored by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly at the Bridge Building in Nashville on April 1, 2014.Jason Davis—Getty ImagesJennifer Hudson, who came in 7th place on season 3, performs at We Day at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. on April 30, 2015.Timothy Hiatt—Getty ImagesJordin Sparks, winner of season 6 of American Idol, performs at Jeffrey Sanker's White Party in Palm Springs, Calif. on April 25, 2015.Chelsea Lauren—WireImage/Getty ImagesPhillip Phillips, season 11 winner, performs at Hard Rock Live! in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Nov. 15, 2014.Larry Marano—Getty ImagesDavid Archuleta, season 7 runner-up, performs at the KIIS FM's 10th Annual "American Idol" Finale Viewing Party at Regal 14 at LA Live Downtown in Los Angeles on May 25, 2011.Jonathan Leibson—FilmMagic/Getty ImagesAdam Lambert, season 8 runner-up, is seen onstage at 102.7 KIIS FM's Wango Tango at StubHub Center in Los Angeles on May 9, 2015.Chelsea Lauren—WireImage/Getty ImagesJosh Gracin, who came in 4th place in season 2, performs during the 2012 Downtown Hoedown at Comerica Park in Detroit on June 8, 2012.Paul Warner—Getty ImagesTaylor Hicks, winner of season 5, performs at Tony La Russa's 3rd annual Leaders & Legends Gala at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 22, 2014.David Becker—Getty ImagesBo Bice, season 4 runner-up, performs in concert following the 2012 Colt Ford & Friends Celebrity Golf Classic at Legends Golf Course Club in Braselton, Ga. on Sept. 24, 2012.Chris McKay—Getty ImagesElliott Yamin, who came in 3rd in season 5, performs at the Malaria No More Reception With American Idols To Celebrate Recent Progress In The Fight Against Malaria in Washington on March 7, 2012.Paul Morigi—Getty ImagesKatharine McPhee, season 5 runner-up, walks out on the field to sing the national anthem before the 2015 NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field in Seattle on Jan. 18, 2015.Ronald Martinez—Getty ImagesDiana DeGarmo, season 3 runner-up, arrives at the "American Idol" XIII season premiere event held at Royce Hall, UCLA in Westwood, Calif. on Jan. 14, 2014.Michael Tran—FilmMagicKris Allen, winner of season 8, performs at the Soles4Souls charity concert, sponsored by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly at the Bridge Building in Nashville on April 1, 2014.Jason Davis—Getty Images
