American Idol is known for producing incredible artists over its 19 seasons. From Carrie Underwood to Jordin Sparks to Phillip Phillips, fans love watching new singers emerge from the show. Often, though, the most memorable performances are actually those that are awkward at best and truly horrible from time to time.
Fans love to see bad performances mainly so they can watch Simon Cowell's baffled expressions and hilariously harsh criticisms. Whether the performer acts completely bizarre or is simply tone-deaf, viewers have sat through some truly cringe American Idol moments.
Tim Urban (Season 9) "Under My Thumb"
Tim Urban's performance was one of those that was bad for multiple reasons. Not only did he turn Rolling Stones' song "Under My Thumb" into a tone-deaf reggae beat, but he also sang an aggressively sexual song on what's supposed to be a family-friendly Idol stage.
What really made viewers uncomfortable, though, was when Urban sang the lyrics, "Under my thumb/ the squirming dog who's just had her day." He strained his voice and left fans baffled that he'd choose such a song.
Josh Gracin (Season 2) "To Love Somebody"
While Josh Gracin strangely mixed country with the '70s disco of the Bee Gees hit "To Love Somebody," it sadly wasn't the cringiest part of the performance.
What truly imprinted this performance into fans' memories was the way Gracin did a scary close-up, thrusting his face full-frame into the camera. He also did the most awkward dance moves and tried to act out every line of the song with weird hand gestures. It damaged his position in the competition beyond repair, and he was sent home.
Kevin Covais (Season 5) "Part-Time Lover"
This 16-year-old nicknamed "Chicken Little" danced his way into one of the creepiest performances on the show. He did the Chicken Dance and other weird moves while practically gasping for air as he sang Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover."
Covais's dance moves were bad enough, but the real cringe-worthy moment was when he sang the lyrics, "we are strangers by the day, lovers by the night." Those words mixed with his dance moves left fans wide-eyed, shaking their heads.
John Stevens (Season 3) "Crocodile Rock"
John Stevens bored the audience for weeks, but things got really exciting when he decided he'd pick up the pace and perform "Crocodile Rock," one of Elton John's most upbeat songs. His performance shocked the audience with his screeching falsetto and the incredibly awkward dance he provided.
The dance in itself was enough to recoil over, but the icing on the cake was the voice-cracking "la-la-la-la-la" moment at the song's bridge. It was one of the worst performances ever on the show.
Kristy Lee Cook (Season 7) "Eight Days A Week"
Kristy Lee did something no one should do: turn the classic Beatles hit "Eight Days A Week" into an upbeat country song. This one hurt. Fans couldn't believe their ears (or hear) after. She botched the lyrics and overdid the vibrato. Fans knew it was about to end in harsh criticism from Simon, and it definitely did.
Cook practically threw her chances of winning right out the window with this performance. The amateur, country-fried take on an immortal Beatles classic was a cringe fest, and fans wish they never had to witness it.
Haley Scarnato (Season 6) "Turn The Beat Around"
While attempting to "turn the beat around," Haley Scarnato fell very short. In fact, she more so choked out Vickie Sue Robinson's disco classic than sang it. The audience didn't know what to do, and haphazardly clapped along to the beat.
Scarnato frantically raced around the stage singing, "Somebody won't you tell me if you feel the beat!" While it was truly jarring, it's also one of the funniest American Idol moments viewers still love to watch.
Paige Miles (Season 9) "Against All Odds"
Fans were automatically upset by Paige Miles' choice to sing one of the most frequently performed songs in Idol semi-finals/finals. However, her rendition of Phill Collins' "Against All Odds" truly was one for the books as she missed nearly every note and hurt the audience's ears with her high-pitched voice.
Some say this was the worst performance of all time, and even Simon, one of the best judges from the show, said, "that song just killed you." It really did. The next night she was eliminated.
Danny Gokey (Season 8) "Dream On"
Screaming doesn't quite cover Danny Gokey's attempt to be Aerosmith. There were legit yelps during this performance, and many fans still refuse to accept that somehow he managed to bump out Allison Iraheta and move on to the next round.
Gokey's mixes of sound and pitch for "Dream On" were truly so bad that the judges tried to distract the audience from the ear-shattering performance. It was cringy and unpleasant in so many ways.
Sanjaya Malakar (Season 6) "Bathwater"
Sanjaya Malakar's unforgettable "ponyhawk" was only the intro to this infamous performance that made him one of the most memorable contestants ever. Special guest star Gwen Stefani couldn't even hide her disdain from Malakar's attempt at No Doubt's hit "Bathwater."
The best part of the entire thing was when Malakar sang, "I know I'm diving into my own destruction." He truly did with this awful performance.
Camile Velasco (Season 3) "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
Camile Velasco's attempt at Elton John's classic "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" will forever go down as one of the worst performances in Idol history, perhaps the very worst. She coughed and gasped her way through most of the song, leaving fans completely shocked.
The most jaw-dropping part, though, was her awkward bouncing while crouched down at the center stage. Her final last note ended in a wretched "ahh-ahh-ahh," and the audience swiftly eliminated her from the competition, and rightfully so.