Kelly Clarkson Stuns On ‘American Idol’ — 8 Of Her Greatest Performances Ever

Kelly Clarkson stunned American Idol fans on February 26 with her final performance on the Fox show after being crowned the original winner way back in 2002, which brought a tear to fans of the show around the world.

To celebrate Clarkson’s emotional farewell to the show that made her a household name, take a look back at eight of Kelly’s greatest vocal performances since taking home the American Idol title 14 years ago.

“Because Of You” (2006)

Kelly gave one of her most powerful performances to date with this rendition of her 2005 single “Because of You.” Taken from the album Breakaway, Clarkson’s vocals have never sounded better with this performance during an unknown appearance.

Unsurprisingly, this stunning live performance is one of Kelly Clarkson’s most viewed on YouTube videos after being watched more than 27 million times since it was uploaded to the site in September 2006.

“Silent Night” (Featuring Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire – Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale 2013)

Kelly Clarkson showed why she has one of the most incredible voices in music during this stripped back performance of “Silent Night” alongside country heavyweights Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire.

The performance was a part of Clarkson’s 2013 Christmas special, Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale, which coincided with the release of her Holiday album “Wrapped In Red.”

Kelly returned to American Idol once again to perform the track “Beautiful Disaster,” featured on her debut album “Thankful.”

Clarkson’s real-life rendition of the album track was so well received that Kelly even included a live version of the song on her sophomore album “Breakaway.”

Oh Holy Night (Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting 2003)

Proving she doesn’t need music to put on an incredible show, Kelly Clarkson performed the classic Holiday hymn “Oh Holy Night” during her 2003 appearance on Christmas in Rockefeller Center just one year after her big American Idol win.

Clarkson showcased her world famous voice with nothing but a choir behind her, making this one of the best performances in her almost 14 year career.

Stronger (Acoustic 2011)

Kelly put an acoustic twist on one of her biggest hits to date, the multi-platinum “Stronger,” during a 2011 performance of the hit for Australia’s Scoopla.

Clarkson even performed barefoot for the acoustic video, which has already been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube.

Kelly Clarkson proved that she can literally sing anything when she took on the U.S. national anthem “The Star Spangled Banner” during an NFL game in her home state of Texas in 2006.

Clarkson showed her support for her home team – the Dallas Cowboys – during the performance, which is largely regarded as one of the best national anthem performances in history.

“At Last” (American Idol Performance 2015)

Kelly got nostalgic in 2015 when she returned to the American Idol stage to perform her original audition song – Etta James’ “At Last” – once again to celebrate the 13 year anniversary of her big win.

Clarkson beautifully performed the song that made America fall in love with her on the 14th season of the Fox singing show series last year, which brought a nostalgic tear to the eye of Kelly’s fans around the world.

“At Last” (American Idol Audition 2002)

How could we miss out the performance that started it all? Kelly Clarkson stunned America when she powerfully performed Etta James’ “At Last” for original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Aged just 20 at the time, Kelly’s powerhouse voice shone through during her audition and it was no surprise that she was crowned the first ever American Idol just a few months later.

What’s your favorite Kelly Clarkson performance?

[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for dcp]