#5. A.I Performance - Jennifer Hudson (I Have Nothing)

Before she was an Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson won over third season A.I. audiences with her power-house singing and soulful tunes. Jennifer's performance of the Whitney Houston classic was sensational and won her a standing ovation from the crowd. As guest judge Quentin Tarantino said, "Hudson takes on Houston and wins."

#4. A.I. Performance - Ruben Studdard (Superstar)

Before the Velvet Teddy Bear won the second season of American Idol, he won the hearts of fans with his version of the Luther Vandross classic Superstar. The soulful performance had the judges predicting that Ruben was bound to become a superstar himself.

#3. A.I. Performance - Kelly Clarkson (Natural Woman)

In the very first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson set a tough-to-beat standard with her pitch-perfect rendition of Aretha Franklin's hit song Natural Woman. Her fans were so taken with her natural performance that one of them leapt to the stage to give Kelly flowers.

#2. A.I. Performance - Katharine McPhee (Somewhere Over the Rainbow)

A hush came over the usually boisterous A.I. audience as they waited to hear what Simon called "the most perfect song" for Katharine McPhee. She proved Simon right and Kat's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow is nearly as popular as Judy Garland's in the Wizard of Oz.

#1. A.I. Performance - Fantasia Barrino (Summertime)

Fantasia's show-stopping rendition of the jazz standard Summertime not only brought her to tears, it brought the house down. Randy Jackson called it "the single best Idol performance of any season" and we have to agree.

Click here to check out the rest of the best American Idol performances!

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