American Idol: Best Performances of All Time

Fantasia rocked this song, as well as doing a killer rendition of "Summertime." Watch it here.

The Rolling Stones gave very few singers permission to cover their songs. And for a good reason: So that when they did, it was spectacular. Watch it here.

Wow. Just wow. Watch it here.

Choosing to do an acoustic version of Kanye West's "Heartless" sounds like a terrible idea, but Kris pulled it off like it was meant to be sung that way. Watch it here.

It's so hard to pick a favorite Kelly Clarkson performance. "Natural Woman"? "Respect"? Instead of choosing, we went with the tearful "A Moment Like This," which she sang after winning the first season of the show. Watch it here.

This and "Ring of Fire" were hands-down his best performances. Watch it here.

They brought in a gospel chorus, and Clay brought down the house. Watch it here.

The moody crooner did an admirable job with this borderline-impossible-to-sing number. Watch it here.

Carrie was cited repeatedly by the judges for not having enough charisma on stage. Her rendition of Heart's "Alone" certainly changed that. Watch it here.

Setting aside Fox's questionable decision to use the split-screen on poor David, this was a moving tribute to John Lennon's music. Watch it here.

This gives Bette Midler's version a run for its money. Watch it here.

Ironically, this homage to the King of Pop broke many a young girl's heart. Watch it here.

Jordin served up pop diva realness week after week, but this was by far her brightest moment. Watch it here.

Ruben was great, but it's still hard for fans to believe he beat out Clay to win Season 2. This performance hints at why he ultimately deserved to take home the trophy. Watch it here.

This performance wasn't as memorable as what it led to: The next day, Jennifer was sent home in one of Idol's all-time most shocking moments. Watch it here.

Bo was the show's first bona fide rocker. Watch it here.

See if YOU can help falling in love with this rendition. Seriously, just try. Watch it here.

Blake was the first person to ever make the American public utters the phrases "Bon Jovi" and "beat boxing" in the same sentence. Watch it here.

Nobody ever knew quite what to do with sweet Taylor. Turns out he's pretty good with Ray LaMontagne. Watch it here.

This soulful Cure cover goes down as one of the greatest music performances in history, period. Watch it here.

It's rare to see someone who can make belting big notes look so effortless. Watch it here.

We're thrilled Katharine's career has brought her to Scorpion, but this song makes us wish she'd stuck it out in music. Watch it here.