Top 20 Times Contestants Sang a Judge's Song on Singing Competition Shows

David Julien was no stranger to taking a risk. After all, he quit his job to audition for “The Voice UK.” Why not take one more big risk and sing “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by the Script in front of the lead singer, Danny O’Donoghue? Lucky for him, it paid off. Both O’Donoghue and will.i.am turned their chairs early. This seemed to boost Julien’s confidence, and he let loose with some truly impressive vocals. The Script frontman told Julien that he heard the same heart and emotion in the audition that he’d had when he wrote the song.

When Shakira heard the first notes of her song, “Loca,” her face spoke volumes. She seemed surprised and concerned that Monique Abbadie would tackle one of her songs. Blake Shelton approved of the boldness and turned almost immediately. Although she still hadn’t turned her chair, Shakira was quickly dancing to the beat and clearly enjoying Abbadie’s performance. The contestant’s charisma soon had all four chairs turned. Usher tried to pitch his team to the sassy singer, but Shakira interrupted. She let him know that there was little doubt who Abbadie would choose. She was right.

If you’re going to perform a song in front of the original artist, it’s a good idea to change it up a little. Jeff Lewis probably wondered if he’d made a mistake performing an acoustic version of Usher’s “U Got It Bad.” At first, nobody turned their chair. The expressions and signals the coaches passed back and forth suggested that they were unsure about the singer’s choices. In the very final moments of the song, Usher pushed the button that guaranteed Lewis a place in the next round. Blake Shelton and Shakira were quick to follow and the contestant’s relief was clear.

Gilberto Rivera was a whirlwind of joyful chaos from the moment he entered his “American Idol” audition. He’d settled himself comfortably behind the judge’s table, just in time for Lionel Richie to enter. Luke Bryan and Ryan Seacrest thought it would be a fun joke to make Richie audition. They probably didn’t expect what happened next. Seacrest asked if Richie was planning to sing an original song for his audition. He went with his huge hit, “Hello.” As Richie approached the judge’s table and began to sing, Rivera didn’t hesitate to make it a duet. The contestant’s smooth voice blew the older singer away. It wasn’t even officially his audition, but Rivera clearly demonstrated his talent.

Ethan Payne had no worries when it came to singing “Do I” in front of Luke Bryan; he’d already performed with the country star. At thirteen years old, this teen with cystic fibrosis met the country star through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Together they’d performed at a concert, and Bryan even gifted Payne his guitar. The judge was pleased to see his young protege two years later when he walked into the “American Idol” audition room. Payne invited his mentor up to sing with him and they performed a heart-warming duet.

Lee Glasson took Kylie Minogue’s dance-pop “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and gave it a completely new spin. His slow, otherworldly version raised eyebrows all along the judging panel. Minogue was listening intently to the contestant, but the other judges were watching her. What would the artist’s reaction be? When Glasson began stretching the notes out in a way that seemed to defy the original, Ricky Wilson and Sir Tom Jones got tired of waiting and hit their buttons. Eventually, Glasson’s spell worked on Minogue. She turned her chair and gave him a standing ovation.

Out of all of Alicia Keys’s songs, “If I Ain’t Got You” is one of her favorites. So, Hannah Goebel made a bold move taking on this iconic tune for her audition. The first run of piano notes is so distinctive that coach Kelly Clarkson instantly recognized it. She was so taken with Goebel’s smooth voice that she used her block, so Keys wouldn’t be able to add the contestant to her team. Meanwhile, the soulful artist just seemed pleased that someone would choose one of her songs and sing it so well. Goebel’s daring move got her a four-chair turn and a spot on Clarkson’s team.

Gemma Lyon grew up singing with her family and learning harmonies on long car rides. No wonder she was drawn to the powerful girl band Destiny’s Child for her audition song. Was it a good idea to sing the iconic “Say My Name” with Kelly Rowland on the panel? Lyon made the song her own with different riffs and melodic changes. Rowland was immediately impressed and did more than push her button - she decidedly kicked it with her high-heeled shoe. During the performance, Rowland couldn’t resist getting on stage to help Lyon finish the song. Finally, the superstar improvised new lyrics to encourage the contestant to choose her team. Now, that’s a risk that paid off.

“The Masked Singer” is one of the most unique singing competitions out there. Underneath wildly creative costumes, celebrities get to let loose and step out of the box with their performances. Dressed as Leopard, musical superstar Seal gloried in his gown and loved switching up his vocal style. Sadly, he ended up in the bottom two in Week 7 after singing “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. In his smackdown with Flower, he let loose with a terrifically sassy version of “Don't Cha.” Nicole Scherzinger clearly didn’t mind her song being performed by a large, bejeweled cat.

From the first smooth notes of his audition, Sheldon Riley was clearly an emotional singer. He poured his need for acceptance into each note of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” Right away Boy George recognized Culture Club’s first big hit. Riley slowed the song down and enjoyed each word as the judge waited to see what would happen. As soon as Riley belted out a flawless high note, George turned his chair. The contestant was clearly shocked and overwhelmed at the approval. He channeled all of those feelings into the rest of the song and completely blew the panel away.

As a coach, Blake Shelton is notorious for not recognizing famous songs. He did instantly recognize Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning” though when Josiah Hawley started his audition. It may have helped that Hawley’s tone was so similar to Maroon 5’s frontman, Adam Levine. Shelton clearly respected the guts it took to sing it in front of Levine, because he quickly turned his chair. Why was Levine hesitating to push his button? He was waiting for the high notes. As soon as Hawley soared into an impressive falsetto, the coach gave his final approval with a chair turn. It must have been quite a shock for Levine when Hawley chose Usher as his coach.

If it’s bold to audition with a judge’s song, what do you call it when a contestant sings a medley of all the judges’ songs? MacKenzie Bourg was audacious enough to give it a shot at his “American Idol” audition. Bourg’s folksy voice and guitar were a natural fit for Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy.” His cheeky rendition of Harry Connick Jr.’s “Come By Me” was definitely a different vibe. Even more startling was his acoustic take on Jennifer Lopez’s “Love Don't Cost a Thing.” Paying this compliment to the judges was a smart move and Bourg moved on in the competition.

“Ol’ Red” was one of the first songs contestant Zach Bridges learned to play on the guitar. Something he knew so well seemed like an obvious choice for an audition song; unless you consider that Blake Shelton was sitting on the judge’s panel. “Ol’ Red” is one of Shelton’s signature songs and it means a lot to him. Luckily, the country star was a fan of Bridges’s gravelly vocals; he was the first to turn his chair. Although Bridges admitted that he was initially nervous to perform the song, it was a move that paid off. He chose Shelton as his coach and joined his team.

Thirteen-year-old country singer Rion Paige made it through the first two rounds of “The X Factor” with songs in her genre. She breezed through her audition round with Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away.” Then, she later held onto her spot with Rascal Flatts’s hit, “I Won’t Let Go.” For her first live show, Paige explored another path with a song by her mentor, Demi Lovato. Her powerful rendition of “Skyscraper” even inspired compliments from tough judge, Simon Cowell. Lovato swore that the song was Paige’s choice and the contestant backed up the claim. With such an amazing mentor, how could she choose anything else?

Ariana Grande was clearly touched when Gymani chose her song “POV” as an audition piece. She further showed her approval by quickly turning her chair for the singer. As Gymani continued to take the song further, Grande quickly became overwhelmed by the talent. She watched stunned as Gymani made the song her own. The occasional whoop of approval was all she could manage during the audition. Afterwards, the coach complimented the contestant on the changes she’d made to the song and offered it to her. For her future performances of “POV,” Grande said she planned on telling people she was covering Gymani’s song.

Jennifer Hudson wasn’t the first singer to belt out “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Dreamgirls.” She did bring it back to the public’s attention though with her Oscar-winning performance in the film. So Allen knew what he was taking on when he chose the song for his audition. As Allen let loose on the chorus, Hudson’s hand hovered over the button. She was waiting to see how he navigated the most difficult sections of the song. Finally, at the last second, his gravelly belt pushed her over the edge and she turned her chair. Hudson let the contestant know that she recognized the audition choice for what it was - a direct message to her. Lucky for Allen, she was willing to answer.

J Marie Cooper brought her rocker vibe to Jessie J’s big-band hit “Mamma Knows Best.” As Cooper worked the stage, Jessie J remained thoughtful, her chair firmly facing away. Eventually the contestant’s hard-hitting vocals not only convinced the coach to push her button, but also had her dancing in her seat. Ultimately Cooper earned a four chair turn. Shockingly, will.i.am was able to persuade Cooper to join his team instead. He complimented the pain in her voice and that appealed to her. Sadly, this left Jessie J feeling the pain of losing an amazing team member.

Although many contestants aim to make a judge’s song their own, Thaddeus Johnson tried a different method. His goal was to make Katy Perry feel that she’d written her song “Rise” for him to sing. With that in mind, he stepped onto the stage for the solo round in Hollywood. His quiet introduction didn’t prepare the panel for the strong, soulful voice that took over the room. He fully embodied the emotion of the song, and Perry gave him a standing ovation. She also made sure he knew she was pleased with his performance. Johnson had triumphantly achieved his goal.

The song “Piece by Piece” explores Kelly Clarkson’s difficult relationship with her father. When she sang it as a guest on “American Idol,” it was a struggle for her to finish. When Clarkson heard the beginning of Stephanie Skipper’s audition song, her first reaction was dismay. Skipper’s strong vocals were full of emotion and it definitely affected the coach. Clearly appreciating the talent, but unable to turn for the song, Clarkson was grateful when Adam Levine pushed his button. Blake Shelton quickly joined in. It was clear that they were supporting both the contestant and their fellow coach.

Celebrity judges usually love it when a contestant takes a new twist on one of their songs. Vendulka Wichita altered “Karma Chameleon” so much that it took a moment for Boy George to realize it was a Culture Club song. By changing the key and tempo, Wichita gave it a bluesy, ethereal feel. It was a super cool rendition of the song and George was on board for it. He liked it so much he had her repeat a portion so he could sing along. You could tell from her expression that playing her version for the original artist to perform was a moment she’d never forget.