During intial auditions, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson narrow the list of hopefuls to 91 contestants to take with them from New York, Miami, and Austin to Hollywood.
67 hopefuls are chosen in Los Angeles and Detroit to audition further in Hollywood.
The last 76 contestants are chosen by the judges Atlanta and Nashville auditions.
The top 32 semi-finalists are announced.
Semi-Finalists Bettis Richardson, Charles Grigsby, J.D. Adams, Julia DeMato, Kimberly Caldwell, Lashundra Cobbins, Meosha Denton, and Patrick Forton perform.
Charles Grigsby and Julia DeMato move into the top ten finalists.
Contestants Clay Aiken, Candice Coleman, Rebecca Bond, Jacob John, Hadas, Ruben Studdard, Kimberley Locke, and Jennifer Fuentes perform.
Ruben Studdard and Kimberley Locke move into the top ten finalists.
Semi-finalists Equoia Coleman, George Trice, Jordan Segundo, Kimberly Kelsey, Louis Gazzara, Rickey Smith, Samantha Cohen, and Vanessa Olivarez perform before the judges.
Rickey Smith and Vanessa Olivarez move into the top ten finalists.
The last semi-finalists perform. They include Ashley Hartman, Chip Days, Corey Clark, Joshua Gracin, Juanita Barber, Nasheka Siddall, Patrick Lake, and Sylvia Chibiliti.
Joshua Gracin and Corey Clark move into the top ten finalists.
The previously announced wild card contestants, Aliceyn Coone, Carmen Rasmusen, Chip Days, Clay Aiken, Janine Falsone, Kimberly Caldwell, Nasheka Siddall, Olivia Mojica, and Trenyce get to audition for the remaining slots in the top twelve finalists.
The wild card winners include judge picks Kimberly Caldwell, Trenyce, and Carmen Rasmusen, and audience choice Clay Aiken.
Kimberley Locke, Joshua Gracin, Charles Grigsby, Kimberly Caldwell, Rickey Smith, Julia DeMato, Clay Aiken, Vanessa Olivarez, Corey Clark, Carmen Rasmusen, Trenyce, and Ruben Studdard perform songs of Motown.
Julia DeMato and Kimberley Locke narrowly miss elimination, but Vanessa Olivarez is the first finalist eliminated.
Corey Clark, Ruben Studdard, Trenyce, Clay Aiken, Kimberly Caldwell, Joshua Gracin, Carmen Rasmusen, Charles Grigsby, Rickey Smith, Julia DeMato, and Kimberley Locke perform songs from movies.
Julia DeMato once again is in the bottom three, this time with Corey Clark, but it is Charles Grigsby who is eliminated from the competition.
Country songs are performed by Joshua Gracin, Trenyce, Kimberley Locke, Corey Clark, Carmen Rasmusen, Rickey Smith, Kimberly Caldwell, Ruben Studdard, Julia DeMato, and Clay Aiken.
Kimberly Caldwell and Rickey Smith enter the bottom three for the first time, but on her third time at the bottom, Julia DeMato is eliminated.
The remaining finalists, including Rickey Smith, Carmen Rasmusen, Kimberly Caldwell, Clay Aiken, Trenyce, Ruben Studdard, Kimberly Locke, and Joshua Gracin, perform disco songs. Corey Clark does not appear.
Corey Clark is announced as disqualified from the competition, so no other finalist is eliminated.
Billboard #1 hits are performed by Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Rickey Smith, Kimberly Caldwell, Joshua Gracin, Carmen Rasmusen, Trenyce, and Ruben Studdard.
Rickey Smith is sent home, giving Kimberley Locke and Kimberly Caldwell another chance in the competition.
Kimberly Caldwell, Ruben Studdard, Kimberley Locke, Carmen Rasmusen, Joshua Gracin, Trenyce, Clay Aiken perform Billy Joel's songs.
Carmen Rasmusen and Trenyc face elimination, but it is Kimberly Caldwell sent home.
A review of the season up to the last six finalists performing.
Kimberley Locke, Clay Aiken, Trenyce, Joshua Gracin, Carmen Rasmusen, Ruben Studdard continue their quest to be the "American Idol."
Joshua Gracin enters the bottom three for the first time. Both in the bottom three twice before, Carmen Rasmusen's elimination saves Trenyce for another round.
Ruben Studdard, Trenyce, Joshua Gracin, Kimberley Locke, and Clay Aiken first perform songs of the 1960s and the songs by celebrity judge Neil Sedaka.
In the bottom two with Ruben Studdard, Trenyce finds herself eliminated from the competition.
Joshua Gracin, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke, and Ruben Studdard perform songs of the Bee-Gees.
Kimberley Locke gets a reprieve from elimination when Joshua Gracin is sent home.
Three songs are sung by Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, and Kimberley Locke.
Kimberley Locke is eliminated from the competition.
Another recap of the season up to the duel between the final two: Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.
Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard battle it out for the title of "American Idol."
The judges weigh in on who should win between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.
Ruben Studdard beats out Clay Aiken for the title of "American Idol."