Our Top 20 Favorite Kellyoke Performances, Ranked
Meredith Holser is B+C's resident affiliate writer. Meredith enjoys writing about a range of topics, but she's adopted e-commerce writing in all its many facets. Outside of work, you can catch Meredith hiking, trying new recipes, and dreaming about having a yummy little treat.
Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Kellyoke’ segment on her show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, has completely convinced us that she can sing any song flawlessly. These top 20 Kellyoke performances will simply blow you away! Executed with vocal strength, control, and style (no, seriously – her outfits on the show are so cute), we can't get enough of these Kelly covers. Prepare to have them on repeat, and make sure to add theKellyoke album to your playlists!
1. "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish
Kelly’s astounding talent for belting with impeccable control really shines in this emotional Billie Eilish cover. The way she sings it upholds the integrity of the original song, but this version still feels very Kelly Clarkson! We just love “Happier Than Ever” and anything Billie Eilish writes, so this Kellyoke earns the top spot!
2. "Used To Be Young" by Miley Cyrus
Kelly presents yet another woman pop icon crossover in this Miley Cyrus cover. Both performers have such powerful voices on their own, we’d love to see them duet over basically any track.
3. "A Mi Manera" by Frank Sinatra
The youngest mariachi singer in the world, 9 year-old Mateo Lopez, stole the entire show (and our hearts) with this Kellyoke cover of a Spanish Sinatra song. A sweet serenade will get us every single time, and the fact that this performance was totally seamless in terms of the duo’s perfect pitch and harmonization lands it in the top three!
4. "Frasier" Theme Song
Who better to sing the Frasier theme song other than Dr. Frasier himself?! Actor Kelsey Grammer joining Kelly on this Kellyoke number is just perfection. Plus, we appreciate that her backing band gets their moment to shine throughout the solo section. Now we’re craving tossed salads and scrambled eggs…
5. "Vogue" by Madonna
Kelly’s monochromatic suit get-up is everything in this Kellyoke performance, and it really amps up the 90s Madonna vibes. This song just makes us wanna get up and bust a move! Kelly’s strong voice carries this track with such clarity – we’re always blown away by her talent.
6. "Heaven" by Niall Horan
Don’t tell anyone… but we’re lowkey still in our One Direction phase… which is why Kelly’s cover of Niall Horan’s “Heaven” sits among our top 10 Kellyoke performances. This carefree love anthem is always super uplifting when we listen to it. Kelly is totally flexing her impressive vocal range in this number, and we are here for it. In fact, Kelly reveals that Niall gave her a sneak peek of the song when they were working on The Voice together. Okayyy, bestie status!
7. "All the Man That I Need" by Whitney Houston
No one could ever measure up to Whitney in our opinion, but Kelly’s style of singing this song is totally entrancing. Her vocal capabilities are undeniable, and the key change in this performance is just mind-blowing, y’all. The runs! The belting! It’s all beautiful!
8. "Desperado" by Eagles
No matter the song selection, you can count on Kelly’s Kellyoke to honor the original song without deviating from it too far. Her tender rendition of “Desperado” is super soulful and makes us want to shed a tear or two. Or three. Or a lot. We’re emotional, okay?!
9. "Jaded" by Miley Cyrus
Another Miley cover lands in the top ten Kellyoke performances, and we’re not sorry! We love that Kelly loves Miley, too. Although her covers of Miley’s newer songs like “Jaded” are amazing, the nostalgia cravings in us make us want to hear Kelly cover earlier tracks like “Party in the U.S.A.” or even “The Climb.”
10. "Pride (In the Name Of Love)" by U2
This Kellyoke only further proves her rightful place as the first and best American Idol. This U2 song is very challenging in terms of vocal range, but Kelly executes it flawlessly! Her band’s accompaniment is also super tight and cohesive, making for a satisfying performance.
11. "Daylight" by David Kushner
This Kellyoke performance put David Kushner’s music on our radar, and for that, we're forever thankful to Kelly. We’re so mesmerized at how she can pull off the passionate vocals of this track with such ease. No matter what she’s singing, you can expect something exceptional from Miss Clarkson.
12. "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles
Kelly will always rock a power ballad! This track by The Bangles has been covered over and over again, but this careful cover that Kelly executes stands out from the rest for her control and emotional delivery.
13. "Don't Let Go (Love)" by En Vogue
We’re living for this Kellyoke, mostly because of the background singers. Let’s go, girls! The two singers supporting Kelly in this performance are a perfect match for her vocal style and amplify the excellence of the melody.
14. "Missing You" by John Waite
Kelly makes singing look so easy! Her voice has the perfect growl in this super 80s John Waite cover, her outfit is to die for, and she is absolutely glowing! We love!
15. "Riptide" by Vance Joy
It’s already hard enough not to sing along to “Riptide,” but Kelly makes it even harder in this Kellyoke selection. Though her take differs quite a bit from the original in terms of vocal execution and volume, it still honors Vance Joy’s track seamlessly.
16. "I Get a Kick Out of You" by Frank Sinatra
Someone please give this woman a jazz residency, because we could listen to Kelly sing Sinatra all day long. This Kellyoke starts out slow and sultry, then turns up-tempo and delightfully playful. Her voice is like velvet, we swear.
17. "Nature Boy" by Nat King Cole
We hadn’t heard this track until Kelly covered it, but we’re so glad she did, because now we know the magic of Nat King Cole’s “Nature Boy.” Her Kellyoke cover feels super cinematic, too. Talk about ending things on a high note!
18. "My Love Mine All Mine" by Mitski
This Mitski song is still on repeat for us. We adore the power her vocals bring to the originally more mellow arrangement. Her band is killing it, too!
19. "Never Too Much" by Luther Vandross
Moving to a groovier track, Kellyoke just proves how versatile of an artist Kelly is. This Luther Vandross song is driven by a rhythmic guitar, and with Kelly’s voice on top of that, we're totally in a trance.
20. "Location" by Khalid
Kelly took us way back in time to a 2017 classic with this Khalid cover on Kellyoke. We appreciate the unique path this rendition takes, leaning more R&B with the soulful, smooth keys and bass guitar. She killed it!
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Lead photo by Weiss Eubanks / NBCUniversal.
Meredith Holser is B+C's resident affiliate writer. Meredith enjoys writing about a range of topics, but she's adopted e-commerce writing in all its many facets. Outside of work, you can catch Meredith hiking, trying new recipes, and dreaming about having a yummy little treat.
