With the season 11 finale just hours away, it is a perfect time to take a look back at the first ten seasons of NBC’s The Voice winners. Back in season 1, Javier Colon only had to sing four times to make it to the 2011 finale. Contrast that with last season’s winner, Alisan Porter, who had to sing nine times to make it to her finale, and the deck is already stacked against Colon if the ranking went by best overall performance.

So the only fair way to rank the winners is to judge them by their blind audition that started their paths to victory.

So below, are the ten audition songs from each of the first ten winners of The Voice, ranked in order of least to most impressive.

 

First Ten The Voice Winners

10. Jermaine Paul (Season 2) – “Complicated”

Let me make this abundantly clear; not only did I purchase this studio version on iTunes, but I have listened to it more than any other audition song in The Voice history. The studio version trumps this blind audition in comparison. But, judging just on this performance alone, it is miles behind all nine other auditions.

 

9. Sawyer Fredericks (Season 8) “I’m A Man Of Constant Sorrow”

While Frederick’s audition was incredible, looking back at his season, this was nowhere near his best song. This kid was flawless all season, and just kept getting better and better each week. Unlike some of the winners, his blind audition just blended in with the rest of his songs.

8. Daniele Bradbery (Season 4) “Mean”

Bradbery is undeniably one of the most successful winners the show has had throughout its ten seasons. “Mean” was a perfect song to highlight Bradbery’s niche, but she blew herself out of the water with some of her later performances in season 6. So looking back, “Mean” was just an average Daniele Bradbery performance.

7. Josh Kaufman (Season 6) “One More Try”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZvJdlmIZDQ

Unlike Fredericks, this was one of Kaufman’s most impressive performances of the season. The judges, and the public, were all baffled by how good it was, and Kaufman instantly became a frontrunner. Unfortunately for Kaufman, he, and “One More Try” are just not as memorable as the other six Voice winner’s blind auditions. He was by far my favorite all season, and I still barely remember him.

 

6. Craig Wayne Boyd (Season 7) “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin'”

Boyd was eliminated not once, but twice during season 7, only to be saved by Gwen Stefani the first time, and Blake Shelton the second. With that being said, his audition was one of the best country audition songs the show has ever seen. And likely a large reason why the coaches insisted on saving him repeatedly.

5. Tessanne Chin (Season 5) – “Try”

It took Jamacian Tessanne Chin about 15 seconds to turn all four judge’s chairs with her version of P!nk’s “Try.” Chin had more impressive songs that she could have used for the finale, but she ultimately decided on singing “Try” again, which certainly played a large role in why she won season 5.

4. Javier Colon (Season 1) “Time After Time”

Being first has its advantages. While “Time After Time” wasn’t the best performance of the season, it was an introduction to a stand out talent that the audience could get behind. Javier was a fan favorite from episode one because of this song, and rode that momentum right to the finale of the first season.

If you can get past how much younger Levine and Shelton looked just over five years ago, you will see a performance that ignited The Voice franchise and helped to make it the best singing competition show on television.

3. Alisan Porter (Season 10) “Blue Bayou”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2gteczj3s

After this 90 second performance, Porter all but secured herself a position in the finals. Sure, she was a well known child actor, but “Blue Bayou” proved to America that she deserved her shot at success in the music business.

 

2. Jordan Smith (Season 9) “Chandelier”

Jordan Smith absolutely dominated season 9, and nobody else even had a fair chance. It was his to lose after the first 30 seconds of this song. Complete and utter domination started with “Chandelier” and concluded one year ago this week, with Smith winning season 9 of The Voice.

1. Cassadee Pope (Season 3) “Torn”

Without question, Pope is the most successful The Voice winner to date. Unlike most of the other winners, Pope

can do it all: country, pop, rock, and even emo. She is The Voice’s version of Kelly Clarkson, and as the years go on, she continues to distance herself from the rest of The Voice winners in terms of her success. Her “Torn” performance was just that, a performance, not an audition.

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