Top 10 American Idol Performances That Made Us Cry

MsMojo

We just have something in our eyes! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the most emotional performances “American Idol” has given us.

Transcript

00:00 Welcome to Ms Mojo and today we're looking at the most emotional performances

00:13 American Idol has given us.

00:16 Number 10. God Only Knows - Maddie Poppy

00:27 When ABC launched its American Idol revival in 2018,

00:32 there was more pressure than ever to find a bona fide artist.

00:36 Eventual champion Maddie Poppy proved to be a stunning song interpreter.

00:41 Her top 5 performance of The Beach Boys' God Only Knows is an all-time great.

00:54 With her big innocent eyes regularly looking directly into the camera

00:59 and her gentle coup of a voice,

01:02 it was hard to imagine anyone else taking the crown at the end of the season.

01:06 If her voice wasn't enough to bring on the waterworks,

01:17 Poppy's performance was dedicated to her mother,

01:20 who was watching proudly as her daughter became a star.

01:24 The poised Maddie was visibly moved by the end, and so were we.

01:29 Number 9. Can't Help Falling In Love - Gina Irene

01:51 Some songs are so iconic, it's best to either leave them alone or take big swings.

01:57 Season 13 contestant Gina Irene took a massive swing with her rendition of this Elvis ballad,

02:04 and she nailed it.

02:15 Irene's expert-level vocal flourishes wrung every bit of feeling from the song

02:21 and even layered on some new ones.

02:23 It was clear that she was pouring her heart out on that stage.

02:34 Then judge Jennifer Lopez couldn't even wait until the end to give her a well-deserved standing ovation

02:41 and ran up on stage to hug and kiss her once it was over.

02:51 Number 8. Over the Rainbow - Catherine McPhee

02:55 You know you're comfortable on stage when you can just deliver a powerhouse vocal from the floor.

03:10 Season 5 contestant Catherine McPhee left us sobbing with this velvety, smooth jazz rendition

03:17 of the Wizard of Oz classic.

03:19 It's hard not to feel instantly nostalgic when you hear Over the Rainbow.

03:24 It's a song so well-crafted, it seems deceptively simple and straightforward.

03:30 McPhee didn't oversell it here.

03:40 Embodying the numbers hopeful message, her lilting voice sailed over the melody with grace and ease.

03:47 All three judges sang her praises.

03:50 Not only did it represent a personal peak for her in the competition,

03:54 but Simon Cowell declared it a season standout.

03:58 And I'm not just saying this because I chose the song,

04:00 but that was the single best performance of the competition today.

04:05 Number 7. If I Can't Have You - Adam Lambert

04:14 While his take on Mad World won acclaim, it was Adam Lambert's gentle reimagining of the Yvonne Elliman

04:21 Bee Gees disco hit, If I Can't Have You, that made us verklempt.

04:33 The season 8 runner-up has always had a special talent for taking dance songs

04:38 and making you think, "Whoa, that is actually really sad."

04:47 But that's not all Lambert brought to the track here.

04:58 The new arrangement allowed him to find the real pain and vulnerability hiding in plain sight.

05:04 When you hear him wail on the chorus,

05:06 it's hard to remember what the number sounded like before he stripped it back.

05:22 Number 6. I Believe - Fantasia

05:31 Emotions were already high when Fantasia Barrino was announced the winner of Season 3.

05:38 Fantasia sang her heart out every week, but it was always clear how badly she wanted to win.

05:45 When her dream came true on stage in front of her loved ones and all of America,

05:50 it's a wonder she could even make it through the reprise of her coronation song.

06:03 Her post-win rendition of I Believe is one for the ages.

06:08 She closed out the season with a tearful

06:11 and joyous celebration of faith and possibility as fireworks,

06:15 confetti, and a choir filled the stage around her.

06:26 Number 5. You Set Me Free - Angie Miller

06:30 Original songs can be tricky.

06:32 You're not only exposing your singing to criticism,

06:36 but your songwriting as well. Yet Season 12's eventual third-place finalist,

06:41 Angie Miller, knew she needed to stand out. It worked.

06:51 As she tore her way through her original number,

06:54 You Set Me Free, it was clear the judges didn't expect this from her.

06:59 She earned a standing ovation and turned the odds completely in her favor.

07:04 "I'm not alone. I know so many people at home right now are like,

07:07 'Where do I get that song?'" "The song, the sentiment, the passion that you're singing with."

07:12 As judge Nicki Minaj would say,

07:14 "Miller was not even in contention for a top spot until that moment.

07:20 We can see them changing their minds in real time,

07:23 inspired by her vulnerability, natural talent, and raw rendition."

07:36 Number 4. No More Drama - LaPortia Renee

07:40 Before stepping on the stage with this Mary J. Blige song,

07:44 Season 15's LaPortia Renee mentioned her personal connection to the lyrics.

07:49 Given that it's an anthem about finding strength after an abusive relationship,

07:54 this already gave the moment the potential to be intensely affecting.

07:59 "Feels so good when you let go of all the trauma."

08:05 LaPortia kept her composure through the deeply personal and ferocious interpretation.

08:11 However, by the end, she was left shivering with tears and we followed suit.

08:18 "You can't break me, you can't beat me, you won't take me, you can't kill me."

08:30 She left it all on the stage and then some.

08:34 The performance had a profound effect on the audience and the judges,

08:38 particularly Jennifer Lopez, whose reaction echoed all of ours.

08:44 "You're an inspiration. It was so beautiful and you put it in your music and you don't overdo it.

08:49 You do it right there in the pack the way you're supposed to.

08:51 It's just, it was powerful. Thank you for that moment."

08:55 Number 3. Bridge Over Troubled Water - Clay Aiken

08:59 We've seen what a choir can do to up the sob factor on the idol stage.

09:04 From the first note this one hits, it's clear this is gonna be a powerful moment.

09:10 "When tears are in your eyes."

09:17 Finalist Clay Aiken took the entire show to church with his gospel-inspired take

09:22 on the Simon and Garfunkel tune.

09:25 Aiken's voice, with that mix of softness and power, cut right through the song like a knife through warm butter.

09:32 "Like a bridge over troubled water."

09:39 The soaring vocals of the choir put it all over the top.

09:43 His performance was so unforgettable, he reprised it at the finale

09:49 during the show's 12th season, 10 years later.

09:53 "Well, look around, I'm sad and right behind."

10:00 Number 2. Piece By Piece - Kelly Clarkson

10:03 The tears were flowing the night Kelly Clarkson made history as the very first Idol winner.

10:10 But her impassioned performance during a Season 15 episode went viral.

10:15 As she performed her single "Piece By Piece," Clarkson broke down,

10:20 even offering a breathless apology to the audience.

10:24 "I'm sorry. But a man can be kind, and a father should be great."

10:35 But there was nothing to apologize for.

10:38 We were all in the palm of her hand as she sang the song she co-wrote in response to her father's absence.

10:45 "Back then I didn't have anything you needed, so I was worthless."

10:52 It encapsulates a reality she explains she only felt the real depth of once she had a family of her own.

11:00 Watching her perform on the American Idol stage once again felt like a true culmination of her career and success,

11:08 in spite of the hardship.

11:10 "She will never have to wonder her worth, because unlike you I'm gonna put her first."

11:18 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

11:23 Rainbow Sam Finelli

11:25 Finelli discussed life with autism before winning the judges over with a gorgeous performance.

11:31 "Hold on to your umbrella, darling I'm just trying to tell ya."

11:38 Hallelujah Jason Castro

11:40 Castro's rendition was so well received he reprised it on the season 7 finale.

11:46 "Baby I've been here before, I've seen this room and I've walked this floor."

11:52 Imagine David Archuleta. The velvet voice David Archuleta made us cry with his John Lennon cover.

12:00 "Shed a ring for the world, you."

12:09 I Who Have Nothing - Jordan Sparks

12:12 The season 6 winner belted her face off and left nobody unaffected.

12:18 "I love you, I love you."

12:28 If Ever You're In My Arms Again - Ruben Studdard

12:32 Ruben's take on this 80's ballad won hearts and broke them too.

12:37 "This time will never end."

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12:56 1. Monsters - Iyam Tongi

13:00 "Take your time, take your time. It's okay man. You know when you love so deeply, you feel so deeply.

13:06 And so what you're just giving us right now is the fact that you love that man so much. Okay, we're there with you."

13:12 Hawaii native Iyam Tongi already won the judges over with his warm spirit and story about his recently deceased dad Rodney.

13:21 And that was all before he started singing. Tongi performed James Blunt's Monsters,

13:27 a touching ballad from the point of view of a grown son talking to his father.

13:32 "Don't be afraid. It's my turn to chase the monsters away."

13:39 To say it was soul-stirring would be a true understatement.

13:44 By the end, the judges and millions of viewers were crying, us included.

13:50 The song took an incredibly poignant meaning at the season finale,

13:55 when the original artist James Blunt had to step in and sing for Tongi when he became overcome with emotion.

14:03 "You can feel my hand on your arm."

14:11 Tongi was crowned the winner that evening.

14:14 What's your favorite emotional idol performance? Cry us a river in the comments.

14:20 "I was not worried about whether you were going to make it through the song.

14:26 I was worried about whether we were going to make it through the song."

14:28 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo.

14:32 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

14:36 [MUSIC]

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