Kelly Clarkson, “Stuff Like That There,” Big Band Night, American Idol Season 1.

Song starts at 0:44

For better or for worse, you can partially attribute the longevity of the AI machine to this moment in 2002 when a young Kelly Clarkson legitimized the whole shebang with this pitch perfect rendition of this classic ditty.

Vocally, the song’s range starts off right in the sweet spot of her lower register. Soft, yet substantial; tender, but fully supported. Impossibly effortless, and effortlessly nuanced with articulation, growls, and breathy sighs. The look is impeccable and immediately evocative of the faux-innocent flirtation archetype of the Mad Men era. Add her charisma to the equation - the prim sass, the pretend pouting, the wide-eyed wonderment and eyes-narrowed smoldering - and the result is 11 years (and counting) of Randy Jackson on prime-time TV.

Somehow, Paula Abdul, of all people, manages to massively undersell the performance when she tells Kelly that she could see her as a “triple threat.” (As a reference, she once told Adam Lambert that she believed with every fiber of her being that he was going to be iconic). When Simon Cowell invariably tells people that the best Idol is still Kelly Clarkson, he must be thinking of this performance. That was when the show went from being some really good dress-up karaoke to the real McCoy.

(Yes, "Cover Review" is a thinly veiled guise for me to talk about stuff I watch on youtube way too much)