It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Kelly Clarkson does not have any bad Kellyoke covers, so it’s fair to say that choosing her best cover songs from The Kelly Clarkson Show is an impossible task. However, Us Weekly has a few favorites that certainly outrank the others.
Clarkson cemented her place as a pop powerhouse on November 30, 2004, with the release of her sophomore album, Breakaway. The album, which included “Since U Been Gone,” “Behind These Hazel Eyes” and “Because of You,” leaned more toward rock after her R&B–influenced debut, Thankful. The creative turn proved that Clarkson can handle almost any genre, something that has only been made clearer since she launched The Kelly Clarkson Show.
She introduced the Kellyoke segment in the very first episode, which premiered in September 2019, and in the five years since, America has been reminded exactly why she was voted their first Idol.
To make this impossible task easier, some ground rules had to be set. Her collaborations with original artists (like Pink and Jelly Roll) are excluded because it’s impossible to compete when the original performer is involved. Also, an artist can only appear once on the list — simply because this writer needed to narrow down the choices.
With that said, these are Us Weekly‘s top Kellyoke performances:
1. ‘Happier Than Ever’ by Billie Eilish
Clarkson covered Eilish’s hit in September 2021, just two months after the album of the same title dropped. It also happened to be about three months after Clarkson’s divorce from Brandon Blackstock was confirmed, and Clarkson’s visceral performance made viewers feel that she could relate to the song. It went viral and became a favorite, landing on Clarkson’s Kellyoke EP the following year.
2. ‘Sad But True’ by Metallica
Just when you think that surely there’s a song Clarkson can’t cover, she goes and covers Metallica (after guest Isla Fisher suggested the idea during an interview). Major props to her band Y’All for being able to handle any genre just as easily as Clarkson.
3. ‘My Kink Is Karma’ by Chappell Roan
Remember the “artist can only appear on this list once” rule? That’s Roan’s fault. Clarkson covered “Coffee” and “Good Luck, Babe!” (featuring Miranda Lambert) first, and she even dropped “Pink Pony Club” during the writing of this very list. However, it’s “My Kink Is Karma” that has Us hitting replay every single time.
4. ‘Cryin’ by Aerosmith
Clarkson has always been vocal about her love for Aerosmith, and this cover makes it clear that she’s been preparing to cover Steven Tyler for her whole life.
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5. ‘Bring It On Home to Me’ by Sam Cooke
Cooke’s 1962 hit isn’t an obvious choice for Clarkson’s daytime talk show, but per usual, she brings the right amount of soul and high notes to make this cover perfect.
6. ‘Before He Cheats’ by Carrie Underwood
We love to see one American Idol pay tribute to another, and Clarkson did just that with this energetic cover of Underwood’s biggest hit.
7. ‘Black Hole Sun’ by Soundgarden
This Kellyoke cover of the 1994 hit by Chris Cornell‘s iconic grunge band proves that Clarkson is not just a pop star but a rock goddess.
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8. ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ by Donna Summer
Don’t try to put Clarkson in a box, because this rock goddess can also be a disco diva. Clarkson’s take on the 1983 bop had Us breaking out our leg warmers.
9. ‘Come Together’ by The Beatles
Clarkson and her band Y’All didn’t have to go this hard on a Beatles song that’s been covered endlessly through the years — but they did, and we thank them for their service.
10. ‘9 to 5’ by Dolly Parton
This was the opening of Clarkson’s first-ever episode, making it the first-ever Kellyoke segment. It was when most of Us learned that Clarkson would be covering our favorite songs every weekday and clearly established that Clarkson wasn’t going to phone it in but instead give every performance her all.
