Watch: 7 of the most surprising ‘American Idol’ winner auditions

It can be hard to imagine an “American Idol” winner performing anything other than a show-stopping audition. But the road to Hollywood is often paved with silly moments, defeat, and criticism, even for future winners.

As auditions from Season 23 continue to air this month, look back at some of the most surprising “Idol” auditions from past winners.

Kelly Clarkson (Season 1)

It takes a lot of courage to audition for a singing competition on national television – and even more courage to tease that competition’s judging panel before they’ve reached a verdict. After performing “Express Yourself” by Madonna, future pop star Kelly Clarkson joked with judge Randy Jackson – who worked on the song – that he should “try out” for “American Idol.”

“Look, I’ll take your place,” she told Jackson, before the two swapped spots, with Clarkson assuming Jackson’s seat at the judges’ table. After singing a snippet of the R. Kelly song “I Believe I Can Fly” (which fellow judges Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell playfully panned), the panel gave Clarkson a unanimous “yes” and sent her to Hollywood.

Taylor Hicks (Season 5)

Taylor Hicks’ shimmying soul is part of what boosted him to his Season 5 victory. But during his audition in 2005, judge Simon Cowell wasn’t impressed by the schtick.

“This is a guy who should be singing backgrounds, not in the spotlight,” Cowell said, after watching Hicks perform “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.

“They will not put you in the final group to be judged by the public,” he continued, referencing fellow judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. But Cowell’s two coworkers sent Hicks to Hollywood nonetheless, and during the Season 5 finale, Cowell would have a change of heart, predicting that Hicks’ performance of “Do I Make You Proud” would win him the “Idol” crown.

Jordin Sparks (Season 6)

Hicks isn’t the only “Idol” winner who initially received criticism from Cowell. Jordin Sparks was 16 years old when she auditioned for the show in 2006, and Cowell’s first reaction was to offer a critique of her rendition of Celine Dion’s song “Because You Loved Me.”

“Sometimes, I like to put one sugar in my coffee to make it slightly sweeter – that was the equivalent of putting 11 spoonfuls in,” he said. “It was all a bit too cutesy.”

But apparently, it wasn’t “too cutesy” to deter Cowell from voting in Sparks’ favor, and the Phoenix-born singer advanced to Hollywood with three yeses from the judges. Sparks would go on to become one of the most successful “Idol” winners, selling over one million records and 10 million singles in the United States.

Phillip Phillips (Season 11)

Either judge Steven Tyler is psychic, or Phillip Phillips is really that impressive.

“I’ve got a funny feeling about this,” the Aerosmith frontman whispered to fellow judge Jennifer Lopez when Phillips walked into the “American Idol” audition room in 2011.

The Georgia artist began with an a cappella version of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” prompting Randy Jackson to request another performance, this time with a guitar. Phillips leapt into the Michael Jackson smash “Thriller” and secured his ticket to Hollywood.

Candice Glover (Season 12)

Candice Glover entered her Season 12 audition as an “American Idol” veteran. The South Carolina artist had auditioned and advanced twice before – in Seasons 9 and 11 – but was eliminated in the competition’s early rounds both times. Undaunted by her past defeat, Glover performed the Duffy song “Syrup & Honey” for her Season 12 tryout, earning overwhelming praise from judges Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Nicki Minaj.

Jackson called it the “best audition I’ve heard so far this season,” which Carey echoed by saying “this was the absolute best singing we have heard thus far.”

“If you don’t go to the last round of this competition, then something’s wrong,” added Minaj.

“I’m one step closer to being the next American Idol, I cannot believe this,” Glover said.

Laine Hardy (Season 17)

Like Glover and a handful of other notable “Idol” alums, Laine Harding auditioned for “American Idol” multiple times before clinching the coveted title. The Louisiana musician would go on to win Season 17 of the competition, but it’s his Season 16 audition that stands out as one of the weirdest moments in the show’s history.

Facing a judging panel of Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, Hardy answered an onslaught of questions. Upon learning that Hardy was from Louisiana – and noticing Perry’s alligator-shaped earrings – Bryan prodded the artist for stories about his experiences with alligators.

“How many alligators have you seen?” Bryan asked. “Do you hunt gator?”

“How close have you been to a gator?” Perry continued. The awkward line of questioning just continues from there.

After checking on Hardy’s “country cred,” as Bryan said, Hardy performed “Hurricane” by Band of Heathens and advanced to Hollywood, although he would not reach beyond Season 16’s top 50 contestants.

Just Sam (Season 18)

Samantha “Just Sam” Diaz began their audition by sharing that they’d “got through 100% of my worst days” – then applied that mantra to their performance when it went sideways in front of the judges. Shaken with emotion, Diaz broke down in tears during the audition, causing judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie to surround them in a group hug.

“We can tell you’re going to be amazing,” Bryan said. Diaz took the encouragement to heart and soared through a rendition of “Rise Up” by Andra Day.

“I want you to rely on us to coach you through this,” Richie said, before awarding Diaz with a ticket to Hollywood. “And forget about winning, you’ve already won.”