American Idol Season 17: Top 10 Auditions
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2. Laine Hardy, 18
A fan-favorite contestant from last season, Hardy only returned to play back-up guitar for a friend's audition, but the judges convinced him to perform again on his own — and (shocker!) he made it through to Hollywood.
Click here to watch his audition
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5. Madison Vandenburg, 16
Her performance of Dan + Shay's "Speechless" left the judges just that. Vandenburg has one of those voices that's so inexplicably good, you swear it must be auto-tuned.
Click here to watch her audition
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7. Ashley Hess, 27
This former dental hygienist, whose favorite color is either yellow or gold, has one of those smooth, effortless voices you could just sit and listen to forever. In fact, the judges were so into her performance of Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why" that they stopped her midway through so they could pull their chairs up to her piano for a closer listen.
Click here to watch her audition
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10. Jackson Gillies, 19
The final audition of the season introduced us to this inspirational fella, who's been struggling with diabetes and hidradenitis suppurativa, a skin condition with no cure. His performance of Ed Sheeran's "Make It Rain" was so growly and powerful, I had to double check to make sure that it was actually an Ed Sheeran song.
Click here to watch his audition
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1. Alejandro Aranda, 24
Dubbed the "greatest audition Idol has ever seen," this self-taught Californian took the judges by surprise with a studio-ready original song called "Out Loud." With mind-blowing guitar skills and a voice to match, Alejandro had the entire room speechless. "I have nothing to tell you, other than I'm so glad that you're here," Luke said, adding that he felt like he was "in the presence of greatness."
Click here to watch his audition
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6. Shayy, 17
This Virginia teen became legally blind when doctors removed half of a tumor from her brain. And adjusting to her new normal has been made even more difficult by some of the kids at her school, who take pleasure in pushing her and kicking her cane. When she performed Andra Day's "Rise Up," it's like she opened up her soul and the song just poured out.
Click here to watch her audition
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8. Nick Townsend, 26
Born and raised in Nebraska, this Angeleno now "turns to music in search of peace" following both of his brothers' separate suicides. "I know my brothers would want me to keep pursuing my dream," he said — and they certainly would be proud of his audition, a beautiful take on James Bay's "Let It Go."
Click here to watch his audition
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9. Walker Burroughs, 20
A gentle soul from Birmingham, Ala., Burroughs' performance Ben Rechtor's "Love Like This" earned a mini standing ovation from Katy. Words like "natural, cool, effortless [and] dope" were used to describe his unique sound. And how can you not support a contestant who ends by saying, "I made my mom tear up and that makes me a happy boy"?
Click here to watch his audition
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3. Myra Tran, 19
This Vietnamese powerhouse delivered the premiere's most impressive vocals with her performance of "One Night Only" from Dreamgirls. She considers Whitney Houston to be her vocal idol, though Lionel had another Idol in mind after hearing Myra sing: "You're up there with the Kelly Clarksons of the world."
Click here to watch her audition
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4. Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, 25
This unassuming preacher's kid came prepared with an original piece called "Almost Heaven," a soulful ballad about reconciling his sexuality with his faith. Aside from the obvious emotional connection the judges formed with Jeremiah, they were also impressed with his musicianship.
Click here to watch his audition