5 Best 'American Idol' Performances

What are the 5 best 'American Idol' performances of all time? While there have been some memorable ones throughout the many seasons of the program, a few stand out as being better than the rest. The show has produced some awesome talent. See if you agree with this estimation of the 5 best 'American Idol' performances ever.

1. Carrie Underwood-"Alone." Season 4's champion performed her version of Heart's classic '80s ballad, "Alone", on March 23, 2005 and truly made it her own. It takes a lot of moxie to tackle Ann Wilson's soaring vocals, and Underwood was definitely up to the challenge. Keeping her voice in total control while booming with power, Underwood even looked the part, with '80s hair and wardrobe. No wonder she's the most successful of all of the Idol winners! Her performance of "Alone" stands as one of the 5 best 'American Idol' performances of all time.

2. Kelly Clarkson-"Stuff Like That There." Even though the talent show was in its first season, Clarkson's performance of the big band standard "Stuff Like That There" on August 6, 2002 showed something spectacular - a star in the making. Her monstrous vocal range was enough to transform the old song into something modern and relevant, a pop number that could easily become a Top 40 hit. Clarkson's self-confidence and knowledge in the vastness of her innate talent propelled her to win the first season, and this, one of the 5 best 'American Idol' performances of all time, definitely helped her achieve that goal.

3. Adam Lambert-"Mad World." In a performance that can still send chills up the spine while watching it, Season 8's runner-up presented a flawless interpretation of Tears for Fears' "Mad World" on April 7, 2009. Complete with blue mood lighting, Lambert made the audience feel his pain as he sang the emotional song about feelings of isolation. It even garnered a standing ovation from Simon Cowell - yet inexplicably, Lambert failed to win the title that season (for a variety of reasons, which we won't get into here). Regardless, Lambert's performance is one of the 5 best 'American Idol' performances of all time.

4. David Cook-"Billy Jean." Season 7's winner performed his own version of the Michael Jackson classic on March 25, 2008, to an awe-inspired audience. Sure, his interpretation of the song was inspired by Chris Cornell's cover, but few realized that at the time, or didn't care. He received a rousing standing ovation from the audience, who began to see Cook as the season's rock icon and front-runner after this week. Doing Jackson proud, Cook's performance ranks as one of the 5 best 'American Idol' performances ever.

5. Chris Daughtry-"Hemorrhage." In another travesty of justice, Daughtry somehow failed to win Season 5. His performance of Fuel's "Hemorrhage", on March 1, 2006, should have been enough to clinch victory for him. Daughtry emerged as a rock god after this week, even reportedly receiving an offer from Fuel to become their new frontman. He declined, and after being unceremoniously ousted after reaching just fourth place, Daughtry's self-titled band's first album became the fastest-selling debut album in history. Take that, Taylor Hicks! No wonder Daughtry's awesome performance is one of the 5 best 'American Idol' performances ever.