La primera temporada de American Idol se estrenó el 11 de junio de 2002 (bajo el título completo American Idol: La Búsqueda de una Superestrella) y continuó hasta el 4 de septiembre de 2002. Que fue ganado por Kelly Clarkson. Esta temporada fue co-organizado por Ryan Seacrest y Brian Dunkleman, la última de las cuales muestran la izquierda después de esta temporada.

Contenido 1 Audiciones 2 Semifinalistas 2.1 Semifinal Grupo 1 2.2 Semifinal Group 2 2.3 Semifinal Group 3 2.4 Wild Card 2.5 Top 10 (Motown) 2.6 Top 8 (1960s)= 2.7 Top 7 (1970s) 2.8 Top 6 (Big Band) 2.9 Top 5 (Burt Bacharach Love Songs) 2.10 Top 4 (1980s/1990s) 2.11 Top 3 (Idol's Choice, Judges' Choice) 2.12 Top 2 (Finale) 3 Final

Audiciones

Las audiciones se celebraron en la ciudad de Nueva York, Los Ángeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta y Seattle, en la primavera de 2002.

Semifinalistas

Semifinal Grupo 1

• Tamyra Gray - "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" de Jennifer Holliday
• Jim Verraros - "When I Fall in Love" de Nat King Cole
• Adriel Herrera - "I'll Be" de Edwin McCain
• Rodesia Eaves - "Daydream Believer" de The Monkees
• Natalie Burge - "Crazy" de Patsy Cline
• Brad Estrin - "Just Once" de James Ingram
• Ryan Starr - "The Frim-Fram Sauce" de Nat King Cole
• Justinn Waddell - "When a Man Loves a Woman" de Percy Sledge
• Kelli Glover - "I Will Always Love You" de Whitney Houston
• Christopher Aaron - "Still in Love" de Brian McKnight

Advancing to the Top 10: Tamyra Gray, Ryan Starr y Jim Verraros

Semifinal Group 2

• Alexis Lopez - "I Will Survive" de Gloria Gaynor
• Gil Sinuet - "Ribbon in the Sky" de Stevie Wonder
• Angela J. Peel - "Run to You" de Whitney Houston
• A. J. Gil - "All or Nothing" de O-Town
• Tenia Taylor - "Greatest Love of All" de Whitney Houston
• Alexandra Bachelier - "Save the Best for Last" de Vanessa Williams
• Jazmin Lowery - "You Put a Move on My Heart" de Tamia
• Jamar - "Careless Whisper" de Wham!
• Kelly Clarkson - "Respect" de Aretha Franklin
• Justin Guarini - "Ribbon in the Sky" de Stevie Wonder

Advancing to the Top 10: Justin Guarini, Kelly Clarkson and A.J. Gil

Semifinal Group 3

• R. J. Helton - "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5
• Kristin Holt - "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys
• Mark Scott - "My Girl" by The Temptations
• Nikki McKibbin - "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler
• Christopher Badano - "I Swear" by All-4-One
• Melanie Sanders - "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" by Jennifer Holliday
• EJay Day - "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain
• Tanesha Ross - "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" by Aretha Franklin
• Khaleef Chiles - "My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder
• Christina Christian - "At Last" by Etta James

Advancing to the Top 10: Christina Christian, Nikki McKibbin and EJay Day

Wild Card

• Kelli Glover - "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" de Laura Branigan
• Chris Aaron - "On Bended Knee" de Boyz II Men
• Alexis Lopez - "Saving All My Love for You" de Whitney Houston
• R.J. Helton - "Lately" de Stevie Wonder
• Angela J. Peel - "As We Lay" de Shirley Murdock

Advancing to the Top 10: R.J. Helton

Finals

Top 10 (Motown)

• Ryan Starr - "If You Really Love Me" de Stevie Wonder
• R.J. Helton - "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" de The Four Tops
• Nikki McKibbin - "Ben" de Michael Jackson
• EJay Day - "My Girl" de The Temptations
• Tamyra Gray - "Touch Me in the Morning" de Diana Ross
• Justin Guarini - "For Once in My Life" de Stevie Wonder
• Jim Verraros - "Easy" de The Commodores
• Kelly Clarkson - "You're All I Need to Get By" de Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• A.J. Gil - "My Cherie Amour" de Stevie Wonder
• Christina Christian - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" de Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Bottom 3: Nikki McKibbin, Jim Verraros, EJay Day

Bottom 2 EJay Day y Jim Verraros

eliminated: Jim Verraros

Top 8 (1960s)=

• R.J. Helton - "Under the Boardwalk" de The Drifters
• Tamyra Gray - "A Fool in Love" by Ike & Tina Turner
• Nikki McKibbin - "Piece of My Heart" de Janis Joplin
• A.J. Gil - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" de Marvin Gaye
• Kelly Clarkson - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" de Aretha Franklin
• Christina Christian - "When a Man Loves a Woman" de Percy Sledge
• Justin Guarini - "Sunny" de Bobby Hebb
• Ryan Starr - "You Really Got Me" de The Kinks

Result show - "California Dreamin'" de The Mamas & the Papas Bottom 3: Ryan Starr, A.J. Gil and Christina Christian Bottom 2: Ryan Starr and A.J. Gil

Eliminated: A.J. Gil

Top 7 (1970s)

• Nikki McKibbin - "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar
• Ryan Starr - "Last Dance" by Donna Summer
• Christina Christian - "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
• Justin Guarini - "Someday We'll All Be Free" by Donny Hathaway
• Kelly Clarkson - "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" by Aretha Franklin
• R.J. Helton - "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
• Tamyra Gray - "If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Knight & the Pips

Result show - "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night

Bottom 3: Nikki McKibbin, Ryan Starr and Justin Guarini

Bottom 2: Ryan Starr and Justin Guarini

Eliminated: Ryan Starr

Top 6 (Big Band)

• Tamyra Gray - "Minnie the Moocher" by Cab Calloway
• Justin Guarini - "Route 66" by Nat King Cole
• Nikki McKibbin - "Hard-Hearted Hannah" by Ella Fitzgerald
• Christina Christian - "The Glory of Love" by Peggy Lee
• R.J. Helton - "I Won't Dance" by Frank Sinatra
• Kelly Clarkson - "Stuff Like That There" by Betty Hutton

Result show - "Bandstand Boogie" by Barry Manilow Bottom 3: Nikki McKibbin, R.J. Helton, Christina Christian

Bottom 2: R.J. Helton and Christina Christian

Eliminated: Christina Christian

Top 5 (Burt Bacharach Love Songs)

Top 5 - "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friends

• Kelly Clarkson - "Walk on By" by Dionne Warwick
• R.J. Helton - "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" by Christopher Cross
• Tamyra Gray - "A House Is Not a Home" by Luther Vandross
• Justin Guarini - "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield
• Nikki McKibbin - "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes

Result show - Burt Bacharach medley Bottom 2: Nikki McKibbin and R.J. Helton

Eliminated: R.J. Helton

Top 4 (1980s/1990s)

• Tamyra Gray - "New Attitude" by Patti LaBelle
• Nikki McKibbin - "Mary Jane" by Alanis Morissette
• Kelly Clarkson - "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls
• Justin Guarini - "Get Here" by Oleta Adams
• Tamyra Gray - "Feel the Fire" by Stephanie Mills
• Nikki McKibbin - "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Etheridge
• Kelly Clarkson - "I Surrender" by Celine Dion
• Justin Guarini - "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson

Result show - Paula Abdul Medley Bottom 2: Nikki McKibbin and Tamyra Gray

Eliminated: Tamyra Gray

Top 3 (Idol's Choice, Judges' Choice)

• Nikki McKibbin - "Edge of Seventeen" by Stevie Nicks
• Justin Guarini - "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green
• Kelly Clarkson - "Without You" by Badfinger
• Nikki McKibbin - "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles
• Justin Guarini - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by Elton John
• Kelly Clarkson - "Think Twice" by Celine Dion

Result show - "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille Eliminated: Nikki McKibbin

Top 2 (Finale)

• Justin Guarini - "Before Your Love"
• Kelly Clarkson - "A Moment Like This"
• Justin Guarini - "Get Here" by Oleta Adams
• Kelly Clarkson - "Respect" by Aretha Franklin
• Justin Guarini - "A Moment Like This"
• Kelly Clarkson - "Before Your Love"

Result show: 60s Medley; Motown Medley; "It Takes Two" by Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston; "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" performed by Kelly Clarkson and UK's Pop Idol winner Will Young Winner: Kelly Clarkson

Runner-up: Justin Guarini

Final

En la primera temporada ,la fiesta fue organizada conjuntamente por Ryan Seacrest y Brian Dunkleman. Kelly Clarkson ganó, y Justin Guarini quedo de segundo. Un especial de televisión de Las Vegas, protagonizada por la parte superior treinta y dos finalistas fue presentada después del espectáculo, un recorrido por la cuarenta ciudades. Desde que ganó, Clarkson ha pasado a una exitosa carrera discográfica, incluyendo múltiples álbumes de platino, una serie de Top 10 hit singles y 2 Premios Grammy.