American Idol judges have come and gone over the years, but plenty of song choices have stayed.
With more than 20 seasons under its belt, thousands of hopeful musicians have graced the singing competition with unique voices — and some not-so-unique performance selections. Ahead of the season 23 premiere, judge Lionel Richie revealed to Entertainment Weekly that there’s one particular song he can’t stand to hear during the audition process any longer.
“‘It’s a Man’s World,’ which I’ve heard for seven years. When they start singing ‘It’s a Man’s World,’ I go, ‘Don’t do it. It’s not gonna work,’” he teased in March 2025.
Luke Bryan, who joined the judging panel with Richie in 2018, had his own overused song: “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles. “Listen, perfectly great song,” he insisted, joking that the tune was almost too catchy.
Returning to Idol as a judge 20 years after her own audition, Carrie Underwood was frequently met with some of her own music in the audition room. “I’m not mad about it, you know what I mean? Because I thought about that coming in … What do I actually say to somebody who’s singing one of my songs?” she told EW. “But when they sing your song and it’s like, ‘That wasn’t mine just now.’”
Despite the vast library of music available to them, some contestants just can’t resist going back to these old reliables. Scroll below for some of the most overused songs on American Idol:
“I Can’t Make You Love Me,” Bonnie Raitt
Throughout season 23, multiple contestants auditioned with Raitt’s classic ballad — the same song Underwood performed for her own season 4 audition two decades prior. Surely there’s more to explore in Raitt’s discography.
“Lose Control,” Teddy Swims
Swims has a variety of songs that have become popular in the Idol arsenal, but “Lose Control” might be the most frequent pick — and those runs are hit or miss. Let’s show this one “The Door.”
“It’s a Man’s World,” James Brown
Season 23 hopeful Amanda Barise wowed the judges with her rendition of this soulful hit, which Richie previously admitted to EW gives him “shakes and hives.”
“Imagine,” John Lennon
Lennon never could have … imagined that his 1971 classic would someday become the soundtrack for one of the most awkward celebrity sing-alongs Us has ever seen. No matter how good a performance, that mental image can’t be erased.
“Birds of a Feather,” Billie Eilish
Eilish’s whispery vocals are nearly impossible to replicate, but that hasn’t stopped some Idol hopefuls from trying. Succeeding? Another challenge entirely.
“I Have Nothing,” Whitney Houston
Not only is filling Houston’s shoes a big feat, but Jennifer Hudson also covered this powerhouse hit in one of her most memorable Idol performances back in 2004. It should be retired like a star athlete’s jersey number.
“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” Jennifer Holliday
Originally performed by Holliday in the musical Dreamgirls, Hudson also gave this song new life in the 2006 movie adaptation — which won her the Oscar that contributed to her prestigious EGOT title.
“Lean on Me,” Bill Withers
Regardless of the setting, this song — iconic as it may be — always vaguely reminds Us of a middle school chorus performing at a graduation ceremony in a gymnasium.
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