The reality production that searches for a superstar via a televised singing competition, American Idol, became one of the most watched TV shows in the country. The Award-winning judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson) known for their unique judgments made the show a phenomenon and for seven consecutive years the show was the most popular in the U.S.
On this day, September 4th, in 2002, Kelly Clarkson puts the icing on the cake and wins the first season of American Idol. Her powerful voice landed her a record deal with RCA Records, the partnering label with Idol, and almost immediately Clarkson had two singles topping the charts. Her track, A Moment Like This, beat the Beatles’ record and charted #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in just one week. For five years, A Moment Like This was unmatched until beaten by My Life Would Suck Without You (another Clarkson hit single) that miraculously leaped from #97 to #1 on the charts.
Since the show, Clarkson has had multiple platinum albums, two Grammys, and numerous #1 hits.