It was June, 2002 and Fox viewers were seeing promos for a new music-centered reality program called American Idol. The selling point of those early episodes, before pop culture was saturated with Idol references, was the alarmingly torturous auditions of the first rounds.
Theoretically speaking, the job of the judges is to narrow down the field of competitors so that by the time the viewers vote, the only contestants left should be the best of the best. In practice however that isn't always the case. Each season seems to have a small pool of contestants who obviously do not possess the level of talent necessary to be considered some of the best singers in the country, often usurping those more deserving of a top spot.
It's possible that the judges make a lot of poor decisions, but it's more likely that this scenario is purposely created in order to grab ratings. The formula works well, as fans get just as excited about the bad performances as they do about the good ones. Here is a look at some of the most gleefully agonizing voting round performances ever.
Nikki McKibbin - Always Something There to Remind Me
This performance of the 1980s staple by The Naked Eyes was surprisingly not what got Nikki McKibbin eliminated. The vocals were off-key and accompanied by embarrassingly awful choreography. Instead of playing to her strengths, this song highlighted the trouble Nikki has with her lower register. Despite the proclamation by all three judges that Nikki was out of her league at that point, she survived that elimination and the following, to put her in third place during season one.
Elton John Night - Season Three
With the exception of George Huff, LaToya London, and Jennifer Hudson, this was perhaps the worst night in Idol history. Most of the nine performances were terribly off-key, but the worst of the worst were red headed crooner John Stevens singing "Crocodile Rock" and Camile Velasco's rendition of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," the latter of which was elimination-worthy. Elton John night was a perfect example of why the judges always stress "song choice."
Kevin Covais - Part Time Lover
Kevin earned the nickname "Chicken Little" because of his round, youthful, bespectacled face. His youthful look played a big part in why this Stevie Wonder tune was the worst possible choice for him. "Chicken Little" singing about illicit love affairs is wrong on many levels, and he lacked the soulful voice necessary to pull off a Stevie song.
Bobby Bennett - Copacabana
This is what a Barry Manilow song would sound like if it were performed by Ralph Kramden from "The Honeymooners." When Bobby growled the line "Dey were young and dey had each udder" he could easily have followed with "To da moon, Alice," and it would not have seemed out of place. Thankfully that was the last Bobby Bennett performance the audience was subjected to.
Sanjaya Malakar - Bathwater
Several of Sanjaya's season six performances could have been on this list, but "Bathwater" was easily his worst. This was the week in which the viewing public was treated to the ridiculous "ponyhawk" hairstyle, adding to the Idol mockery that was Sanjaya, the contestant we most loved to hate.
Kristy Lee Cook - Eight Days a Week
It was only a matter of time before Idol gained permission to the Lennon/McCartney catalog, which was both highly anticipated and highly dreaded. Kristy Lee Cook chose to Opry-fy this Beatles classic with a chorus of fiddlers and a twangy steel guitar. In and of itself the country version might not have been so terrible, but the manic tempo made Cook sound out of breath and rushed to keep up with the band. The yodeling note she ended on only added to the atrocity.
Amanda Overmyer - Carry On Wayward Son
Aspiring female rocker Amanda, with her dueling hair colors, was warbly and horrifically off-key throughout this entire performance. Her deep growly vocals sounded more like a pubescent boy and her pronunciation was muddled and barely understandable at points. Add the spastic dancing, which Paula somehow liked, and it's a recipe for elimination, but shockingly Overmyer survived for three more weeks.
Opinions differ and these choices are subjective, but it's important to remember that without the worst, there can be no best.