American Idol has been a favorite show of many viewers for years on end and it’s given a shot to many individuals that feel that they have the gift of song and are able to share it with the world when given a chance. Some of them have been truly cringe-worthy and think that they’re the best in the world but others have been proven to be some of the greatest singers ever produced by the show. While some might think it’s mostly pop and rock that gets a lot of attention there have been some notable country covers as well that stem from the audition phase all the way to the main show where people will see them up close and personal. Some of these singers have gone on to win the entire contest while even those that haven’t won have still managed to find their way into the music industry where they found a great deal of success and created a reputation they could be proud of. It goes to show that winning isn’t always necessary to become a success, trying is perhaps one of the best things you could do as it allows you to learn from your mistakes and come back even stronger.
Here are some of the best country covers from American Idol.
5. Lauren Alaina – Like We Never Loved At All
It’s easy to see that Jessica Leigh Mattern was duly impressed with Lauren just as the judges were when she auditioned. A lot of people love to hear the story behind why some folks decide to try and test their luck when it comes to being famous, but this was one that touched a lot of people in a big way. This song by Faith Hill was a big hit with the judges and made them firmly believe that she deserved a spot on the show and almost guaranteed that she would be granted the kind of fame that she was seeking. Country is quite often seen by those that don’t care for it as something that simply drawls and paints a sad picture of someone’s life, but with the right voice it can be absolutely breathtaking.
4. Josh Gracin – Ain’t Goin’ Down Till the Sun Comes Up
It would seem that despite his rendition of Garth Brooks’ song and his ability to prove that he was able to make his own reputation that Josh Gracin was still kind of bound by the stigma of having to show the country music industry that he could make it on his own. Emily Yar of The Washington Post made it clear in her article that he declined a chance to return to the show for the finale because he wanted to show that he could do something on his own and didn’t need their help any longer. This unfortunate stigma does seem to have held him back just a bit but it might have been better to go on the finale and just blow people away rather than hold onto his pride and do something that lacked any real verve.
3. Scotty McCreery – Put Some Drive In Your Country
Scotty’s time on American Idol was little more than dominant since he came in and took the show by storm with every performance he gave. There weren’t a lot of people that could even touch him when it came to singing and by the end it had come down to him and Lauren Alaina, and we know how that went. Thankfully he and Lauren had become friends during the course of the show as Sterling Whitaker from Taste of Country reported, and the loss to Lauren was easier to take than most. Scotty went on to win and become one of the most popular contestants not just with the fans, but also with the judges.
2. Kellie Pickler-Suds in the Bucket
This was just a fun song to sing and it gave Kellie Pickler a big leg up since it was a song she obviously cared about and used as a part of her overall inspiration. Like many people she wanted to make her way to Hollywood and experience the fame and fortune that could come. As Josh Helmuth from Inspire More pointed out at the time it was definitely fun to watch someone just coming up and realizing quickly that they were going to be a big star one day. Pickler went on to amaze the judges and the fans alike with her voice and her tremendous amount of energy and passion as one of the best contestants the show has ever seen.
1. Carrie Underwood – I Can’t Make You Love Me
For some folks it’s hard to not remember a time when Carrie Underwood was famous, but like everyone else she had to audition and she had to make it clear that she belonged in Hollywood and in the music industry where she wanted to be. As Taysha Murtaugh wrote a while back she was just a young woman from a small town but Carrie definitely showed that she has what it takes to operate in a big city in front of massive crowds that are all cheering and chanting her name. She might not be in Checotah anymore, but she’s certainly arrived where she needed to be.
Oh yeah, I listened to the album.
