Where would American Idol be without "A Moment Like This"? Though an immediate cultural sensation upon its debut in the summer of 2002, the grandaddy of reality talent competitions arguably would not have survived a decade as television's biggest show if it hadn't proved itself a legitimate platform for launching a music superstar. Launch a superstar it did, however, in the form of inaugural winner Kelly Clarkson, whose debut single made a then record-breaking jump to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in its third week of release.
Among Idol coronation songs, a notoriously terrible bunch, "Moment" is also the best (save this year's "Home" by Phillip Phillips, spared the indignity of inspirational treacle). That is perhaps the lucky result of its early place in Idol history, before the string of increasingly cringe-worthy anthems about The Journey. With its nods to destined romance and "that one special kiss," "Moment" is really just a love song in the Whitney-Mariah-Celine grand melisma tradition. Of course, having Clarkson touch on those themes in the context of winning a reality show is slightly odd, but against a backdrop of swelling strings, the sentiments play nicely, if a little empty. B
10 years ago this week, "A Moment Like This" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
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