Kelly Clarkson Won ‘American Idol’ 20 Years Ago: Relive Her Best TV Performances (VIDEO)
Not every American Idol winner has gone on to success and fortune; then again, not every Idol winner has Kelly Clarkson’s talent and appeal.
Since winning the debut Idol season 20 years ago, Clarkson has only gotten more famous, selling over 25 million albums, charting more than 100 Billboard No. 1s, and becoming the first repeat Grammy winner for Best Pop Vocal Album.
And Clarkson has made just as significant a mark on television as well, having coached eight seasons of The Voice and winning three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for her day job hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show.
With the 20th anniversary of Clarkson’s Idol coronation falling on September 4, we’re honoring the Texas native with a roundup of her best TV performances — even the silly ones — as selected by the most-viewed results of a YouTube search of her name.
8. “Does He Love You” (8.5 million views)
Look how young she is! For a 2007 CMT Crossroads performance, Clarkson duetted with her idol (and future stepmother-in-law) Reba McEntire on “Does He Love You,” a song the latter originally recorded with country singer Linda Davis more than a decade prior. In 2013, Clarkson married Brandon Blackstock, son of Narvel Blackstock, McEntire’s husband at the time. Clarkson and McEntire have since divorced their respective Blackstock men, but the two women remain friends.
7. 2019 Billboard Music Awards opening medley (14.9 million views)
As host of the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, Clarkson showcased her versatility, effortlessly toggling between recent bops by artists like Cardi B and Post Malone and classic hits by pop divas Madonna and Mariah Carey.
6. Slay It, Don’t Spray It on ‘That’s My Jam’ (17.1 million views)
What’s the crime for forgetting Ariana Grande lyrics mid-song? Getting sprayed in the face with water, as Clarkson found out when she, Grande, and their fellow Voice Season 21 coaches competed in the premiere of the NBC game show That’s My Jam. (To be fair, Grande forgot the words to Clarkson’s “Stronger” and got doused as well.)
5. 2018 Billboard Music Awards opening medley (19.4 million views)
Clarkson also hosted the 2018 BBMAs, and she kicked off that broadcast with a medley of then-current hits by Maren Morris, Sam Smith, Kendrick Lamar, and other big names in the music world.
4. Mixtape Medley on ‘That’s My Jam’ (30.1 million views)
Speaking of medleys, Clarkson faced off against Grande on the aforementioned That’s My Jam episode, channeling Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, and Toni Braxton in the fast-paced showdown — before bringing the house down with that song by Whitney Houston.
3. “Underneath the Tree” (33.7 million views)
As part of the 2013 Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale special on NBC, Clarkson performed her hit song “Underneath the Tree,” which ASCAP recently named the biggest Christmas song released this century.
2. “Silent Night” (38.4 million views)
In that same special, Clarkson teamed up with two country superstars, singing “Silent Night” with McEntire and Trisha Yearwood — who were surprise additions to the lineup, judging by the screams from the audience.
1. “Piece by Piece” (50.9 million views)
In 2016, during what was then called American Idol’s “farewell season,” Clarkson returned to the stage that made her a household name — and she battled tears to perform “Piece by Piece,” a song about the father who left her, and the husband who restored her faith “that a man can be kind and a father could stay.” (Bonus points for the shots of a weeping Keith Urban!)
