# American Idol season 2

The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003, and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Ryan Seacrest therefore became the lone host beginning with the second season.
The second season was won by Ruben Studdard, who defeated Clay Aiken by 134,000 votes out of the 24 million votes recorded.
Studdard released his coronation song "Flying Without Wings" after the show, which reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Aiken also released a single with "This Is the Night." He was the first non-winning contestant to have a Billboard Hot 100 number one. It was also the biggest U.S. single of 2003, selling over one million copies and reaching six times platinum status in Canada as well as number one in New Zealand.
In addition to Studdard and Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Joshua Gracin, Kimberly Caldwell, and Carmen Rasmusen all signed with various record labels.

## Regional auditions

Auditions were held in the fall of 2002 in the following cities:
American Idol (season 2) – regional auditions :
| City | Date(s) | Audition venue | Callback venue | Golden tickets |
| Detroit, Michigan | October 21, 2002 | Atheneum Suites Hotel | Atheneum Suites Hotel | 22 |
| New York City, New York | October 24–28, 2002 | Regent Wall Street Hotel | Rhiga Royal Hotel | 35 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | October 27, 2002 | AmericasMart | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center | 46 |
| Nashville, Tennessee | October 30, 2002 | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | Wildhorse Saloon | 30 |
| Miami, Florida | November 2–6, 2002 | Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel | Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel | 20 |
| Austin, Texas | November 6–10, 2002 | Doubletree Hotel | Hyatt Regency | 36 |
| Los Angeles, California | November 18–20, 2002 | Rose Bowl | Renaissance Hollywood Hotel | 45 |
| Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | 234 |
The number of auditions increased significantly after the success of the first season, and arenas and stadiums began to be used to hold the first auditions from this season onward. Around 70,000 attended auditions this season and 234 were selected to proceed on to the Hollywood round. Radio DJ Angie Martinez was originally signed up as a fourth judge, but quit after a few days, stating that "it became too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream."
Amber Riley was rejected by producers and did not get to audition for the judges, but later went on to co-star on the television series Glee as Mercedes Jones.

## Hollywood week

The contestants performed in a series of rounds and the number of contestants trimmed was in each round. In the first round, the 234 contestants performed a song, after which 114 were eliminated. In the second round, the remaining 120 contestants were asked to compose a melody for one of five sets of lyrics, and 40 more were cut. In the third round, the contestants were separated by gender and performed in small groups. The remaining 48 boys chose from The Carpenters' "Superstar," Seal's "Kiss from a Rose," and Barry Manilow's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again," while the remaining 32 girls chose from Melissa Manchester's "Don't Cry Out Loud," Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," and Dionne Warwick's "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)."
In the last round, each of the remaining 48 contestants performed solo. After their performances, the contestants were then divided into three groups of sixteen and placed in separate rooms. One group was eliminated, and 32 contestants proceeded on to the semifinal rounds.

## Semifinals

The format changed slightly in the second season; instead of three groups of ten, the semifinalists were grouped into four groups of eight. The singers performed solo on a new and improved stage with piano accompaniment by Michael Orland, and the performances were pre-taped. There was no live audience, although family members of contestants were present in the Red Room where the contestants were placed.
The results of the public vote were announced live the next day. From each group, two were selected to proceed on to the top 12. Nine of those who failed at any of previous stages, including the Hollywood rounds and the initial regional auditions, were given one more chance to perform again in the Wild Card show. Each of the three judges put one contestant from the Wild Card group through to the top 12, with the final one selected by the public vote.
Color key:
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

### Group 1 (February 5)

| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "Come to My Window" | Wild Card (3rd) |
| Patrick Fortson | "Un-Break My Heart" | Eliminated |
| J. D. Adams | "All in Love Is Fair" | Eliminated |
| Trenyce | "Love Sneakin' Up On You" | Wild Card |
| Meosha Denton | "How Do I Live" | Eliminated |
| Bettis Richardson | "Thank You" | Eliminated |
| Charles Grigsby | "Overjoyed" | Safe |
| Julia DeMato | "Son of a Preacher Man" | Safe |

### Group 2 (February 12)

| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Clay Aiken | "Open Arms" | Wild Card (3rd) |
| Candice Coleman | "Piece of My Heart" | Eliminated |
| Rebecca Bond | "Caught Up in the Rapture" | Eliminated |
| Jacob John Smalley | "Anytime" | Eliminated |
| Hadas | "You Light Up My Life" | Eliminated |
| Ruben Studdard | "Superstar" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | "Over the Rainbow" | Safe |
| Jennifer Fuentes | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Eliminated |

### Group 3 (February 19)

| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Kimberly Kelsey | "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" | Eliminated |
| Jordan Segundo | "For Your Love" | Eliminated |
| Vanessa Olivarez | "Out Here on My Own" | Safe |
| Rickey Smith | "One Last Cry" | Safe |
| Samantha Cohen | "Something He Can Feel" | Eliminated |
| Louis Gazzara | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" | Eliminated |
| Equoia Coleman | "The Way We Were" | Eliminated (3rd) |
| George Trice | "Unchained Melody" | Eliminated |

### Group 4 (February 26)

| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Sylvia Chibiliti | "Didn't We Almost Have It All" | Eliminated |
| Chip Days | "A Song for You" | Wild Card |
| Juanita Barber | "What About the Children" | Eliminated |
| Patrick Lake | "When I See You Smile" | Eliminated (3rd) |
| Nasheka Siddall | "Open My Heart" | Wild Card |
| Josh Gracin | "I'll Be" | Safe |
| Ashley Hartman | "Touch Me in the Morning" | Eliminated |
| Corey Clark | "Foolish Heart" | Safe |

### Wild Card round (March 5)

| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "I Feel the Earth Move" | Saved |
| Clay Aiken | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Safe |
| Nasheka Siddall | "Wind Beneath My Wings" | Eliminated |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "Can't Fight the Moonlight" | Saved |
| Olivia Mojica | "Because You Loved Me" | Eliminated |
| Janine Falsone | "We Belong" | Eliminated |
| Chip Days | "Rock with You" | Eliminated |
| Aliceyn Cooney | "Angel" | Eliminated |
| Trenyce | "Let's Stay Together" | Saved |
* ↑ Randy Jackson's Wild Card choice
* ↑ Simon Cowell's Wild Card choice
* ↑ Paula Abdul's Wild Card choice

## Top 12 finalists

* Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978, in Frankfurt, Germany; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Birmingham, Alabama, and auditioned in Nashville with Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky."
* Clay Aiken (born November 30, 1978, in Raleigh, North Carolina; 24 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Atlanta with Heatwave's "Always and Forever."
* Kimberley Locke (born January 3, 1978, in Hartsville, Tennessee; 25 years old at the time of the show) was from Nashville, Tennessee, where she auditioned with Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow."
* Joshua Gracin (born October 18, 1980, in Westland, Michigan; 22 years old at the time of the show) was from Oceanside, California, where he was stationed while serving in the Marine Corps. He auditioned in Los Angeles with O-Town's "All or Nothing."
* Trenyce (born March 31, 1980, in Memphis, Tennessee; 22 years old at the time of the show) was from Bartlett, Tennessee, and auditioned in Nashville with Whitney Houston's "I Learned from the Best."
* Carmen Rasmusen (born March 25, 1985, in Edmonton, Canada; 17 years old at the time of the show) was from Bountiful, Utah, and auditioned in Los Angeles. She did not make the semifinal initially, but was brought back for the Wild Card round and made it to the top 12.
* Kimberly Caldwell (born February 25, 1982, in Katy, Texas; 20 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Austin with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". She learned of her participation as a Wild Card contestant on her 21st birthday.
* Rickey Smith (born May 10, 1979 in Keene, Texas; 23 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Nashville with Brian McKnight's "One Last Cry".
* Corey Clark (born July 13, 1980, in San Bernardino, California; 22 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Nashville with The Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye." He was disqualified hours after the website The Smoking Gun revealed his misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting arrest on March 31, 2003.
* Julia DeMato (born March 7, 1979, in Danbury, Connecticut; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Brookfield, Connecticut, and auditioned with Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart."
* Charles Grigsby (born September 15, 1978, in Oberlin, Ohio; 24 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Detroit.
* Vanessa Olivarez (born April 7, 1981; 21 years old at the time of the show) was from Atlanta, Georgia, where she auditioned with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

## Finals

Color key:

### Top 12 – Motown (March 12)

Lamont Dozier served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Motown song | Result |
| Kimberley Locke | "Heat Wave" | Bottom three |
| Joshua Gracin | "Baby I Need Your Loving" | Safe |
| Charles Grigsby | "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" | Safe |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "Nowhere to Run" | Safe |
| Rickey Smith | "1-2-3" | Safe |
| Julia DeMato | "Where Did Our Love Go" | Bottom two |
| Clay Aiken | "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" | Safe |
| Vanessa Olivarez | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" | Eliminated |
| Corey Clark | "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" | Safe |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "You Can't Hurry Love" | Safe |
| Trenyce | "Come See About Me" | Safe |
| Ruben Studdard | "Baby I Need Your Loving" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 12 | "Heat Wave" |

### Top 11 – Movie soundtracks (March 19)

Gladys Knight served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Film | Result |
| Corey Clark | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Against All Odds | Bottom two |
| Ruben Studdard | "A Whole New World" | Aladdin | Safe |
| Trenyce | "I Have Nothing" | The Bodyguard | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | "Somewhere Out There" | An American Tail | Safe |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" | Mermaids | Safe |
| Joshua Gracin | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | Armageddon | Safe |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | Grease | Safe |
| Charles Grigsby | "You Can't Win" | The Wiz | Eliminated |
| Rickey Smith | "It Might Be You" | Tootsie | Safe |
| Julia DeMato | "Flashdance... What a Feeling" | Flashdance | Bottom three |
| Kimberley Locke | "Home" | The Wiz | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 11 | "Footloose" |
| Top 11 | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Anytime" |

### Top 10 – Country rock (March 26)

Olivia Newton-John served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Country rock song | Result |
| Joshua Gracin | "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)" | Safe |
| Trenyce | "I Need You" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | "I Can't Make You Love Me" | Safe |
| Corey Clark | "Drift Away" | Safe |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "Wild Angels" | Safe |
| Rickey Smith | "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" | Bottom three |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "Anymore" | Bottom two |
| Ruben Studdard | "Sweet Home Alabama" | Safe |
| Julia DeMato | "Breathe" | Eliminated |
| Clay Aiken | "Someone Else's Star" | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 10 | "Where the Blacktop Ends" |
| Top 10 | "God Bless the U.S.A." |
* ↑ Corey Clark was disqualified before the following week's performance.

### Top 8 – Disco (April 1)

Verdine White served as a guest judge this week. Because of Corey Clark's disqualification, no one was eliminated after this round. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Disco song | Result |
| Rickey Smith | "Let's Groove" | Safe |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "Turn the Beat Around" | Bottom two |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "Knock on Wood" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | "Everlasting Love" | Safe |
| Trenyce | "I'm Every Woman" | Bottom two |
| Ruben Studdard | "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | "It's Raining Men" | Bottom three |
| Joshua Gracin | "Celebration" | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 8 | "A Night to Remember" |
| Top 8 | "Boogie Wonderland" |
| Lee Greenwood | "God Bless the U.S.A." |
* 1 2 It was never revealed whether Trenyce or Carmen had received the fewest number of votes that week as both were declared safe.

### Top 8 – Billboard number ones (April 9)

Lionel Richie served as a guest judge this week. Contestants performed one song from the list of Billboard number one hits, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Clay Aiken | "At This Moment" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | "My Heart Will Go On" | Bottom three |
| Rickey Smith | "Endless Love" | Eliminated |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | Bottom two |
| Joshua Gracin | "Amazed" | Safe |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "Call Me" | Safe |
| Trenyce | "The Power of Love" | Safe |
| Ruben Studdard | "Kiss and Say Goodbye" | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 8 | "All Night Long (All Night)" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Miss Independent" |

### Top 7 – Billy Joel (April 16)

Smokey Robinson served as a guest judge this week. Contestants performed songs from the Billy Joel discography, and are listed in the order they performed. Joel did not mentor the contestants, but did record snippets in which he reflected upon the songwriting backstory of each song choice.
| Contestant | Billy Joel song | Result |
| Kimberly Caldwell | "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" | Eliminated |
| Ruben Studdard | "Just the Way You Are" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | "New York State of Mind" | Safe |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "And So It Goes" | Bottom two |
| Joshua Gracin | "Piano Man" | Safe |
| Trenyce | "Baby Grand" | Bottom three |
| Clay Aiken | "Tell Her About It" | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 7 | "The Longest Time" |
| Top 7 | "God Bless the U.S.A." |

### Top 6 – Diane Warren (April 23)

Diane Warren served as this week's guest mentor and guest judge. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Diane Warren song | Result |
| Kimberley Locke | "If You Asked Me To" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | "I Could Not Ask for More" | Safe |
| Trenyce | "Have You Ever?" | Bottom three |
| Joshua Gracin | "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" | Bottom two |
| Carmen Rasmusen | "Love Will Lead You Back" | Eliminated |
| Ruben Studdard | "Music of My Heart" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 6 | "Shine" |

### Top 5 – Music from the 1960s & Neil Sedaka (April 30)

Neil Sedaka served as a guest judge this week. Contestants performed two songs each: one from the 1960s and one from the Neil Sedaka discography. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Ruben Studdard | 1 | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" | Bottom two |
| Ruben Studdard | 6 | "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" | Bottom two |
| Trenyce | 2 | "Proud Mary" | Eliminated |
| Trenyce | 7 | "Love Will Keep Us Together" | Eliminated |
| Joshua Gracin | 3 | "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" | Safe |
| Joshua Gracin | 8 | "Bad Blood" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | 4 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | 9 | "Where the Boys Are" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | 5 | "Build Me Up Buttercup" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | 10 | "Solitaire" | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 5 | 1960s medley |
| Top 10 | "What the World Needs Now Is Love" |
| Justin Guarini | "I Saw Your Face" |

### Top 4 – Bee Gees (May 7)

Robin Gibb served as a guest judge this week. Contestants performed two songs each from the Bee Gees discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Bee Gees song | Result |
| Joshua Gracin | 1 | "Jive Talkin'" | Eliminated |
| Joshua Gracin | 5 | "To Love Somebody" | Eliminated |
| Clay Aiken | 2 | "To Love Somebody" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | 6 | "Grease" | Safe |
| Kimberley Locke | 3 | "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" | Bottom two |
| Kimberley Locke | 7 | "Emotion" | Bottom two |
| Ruben Studdard | 4 | "Nights on Broadway" | Safe |
| Ruben Studdard | 8 | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 4 | Bee Gees medley |

### Top 3 (May 14)

Contestants performed three songs each: one drawn "randomly" from a fishbowl (ie. chosen by the show's producers), one chosen by one of the judges, and one chosen by the contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Kimberley Locke | 1 | "Band of Gold" | Eliminated |
| Kimberley Locke | 4 | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" | Eliminated |
| Kimberley Locke | 7 | "Inseparable" | Eliminated |
| Ruben Studdard | 2 | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" | Safe |
| Ruben Studdard | 5 | "Smile" | Safe |
| Ruben Studdard | 8 | "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | 3 | "Vincent" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | 6 | "Mack the Knife" | Safe |
| Clay Aiken | 9 | "Unchained Melody" | Safe |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 3 | "Up Where We Belong" |
| Top 3 | "Reunited" |
| Top 3 | "Solid" |
| Tamyra Gray | "Over the Rainbow" |
| Justin Guarini | "Unchained Melody" |
* ↑ Worth noting is that "God Bless the U.S.A." is not a Billy Joel song.
* 1 2 3 This song was drawn "randomly" from a fishbowl.
* ↑ Song chosen by Randy Jackson
* ↑ Song chosen by Simon Cowell
* ↑ Song chosen by Paula Abdul

### Top 2 – Finale (May 21)

The two finalists performed three songs each.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Ruben Studdard | 1 | "A House is Not a Home" | Winner |
| Ruben Studdard | 3 | "Imagine" | Winner |
| Ruben Studdard | 5 | "Flying Without Wings" | Winner |
| Clay Aiken | 2 | "This Is the Night" | Runner-up |
| Clay Aiken | 4 | "Here, There and Everywhere" | Runner-up |
| Clay Aiken | 6 | "Bridge over Troubled Water" | Runner-up |
Non-competition performances :
| Performers | Song |
| Paul Anka | "My Way" |
| Top 12 with Kelly Clarkson | "One Voice" |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Miss Independent" |
| Top 12 | Medley: "Let's Groove" "Baby Love" "The Tears of a Clown" "Midnight Train to Georgia" "Words" "Physical" "That's When the Music Takes Me" "Hello" "Rhythm of the Night" |
| Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken & Kimberley Locke | "Superstar" "Over the Rainbow" "On the Wings of Love" |
| Ruben Studdard | "Flying Without Wings" |
| Clay Aiken | "Bridge over Troubled Water" |
| Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken | "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" |
* 1 2 Corey Clark and Joshua Gracin were absent from the finale.

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 2) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Wild Card | Top 12 | Top 11 | Top 10 | Top 8 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 2/5 | 2/12 | 2/19 | 2/26 | 3/5 | 3/12 | 3/19 | 3/26 | 4/1 | 4/9 | 4/16 | 4/23 | 4/30 | 5/7 | 5/14 | 5/21 |
| Ruben Studdard | 1 | N/A | Safe | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Clay Aiken | 2 | N/A | Wild Card (3rd) | N/A | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Kimberley Locke | 3 | N/A | Safe | N/A | N/A | N/A | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated | |
| Joshua Gracin | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | | |
| Trenyce | 5 | Wild Card | N/A | N/A | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | |
| Carmen Rasmusen | 6 | | | | | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated | | | | |
| Kimberly Caldwell | 7 | Wild Card (3rd) | N/A | N/A | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Rickey Smith | 8 | N/A | N/A | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Corey Clark | 9 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Disqualified | | | | | | | |
| Julia DeMato | 10 | Safe | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Bottom two | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Charles Grigsby | 11 | Safe | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Vanessa Olivarez | 12 | N/A | N/A | Safe | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | |
| Aliceyn Cooney | | | | | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chip Days | | N/A | N/A | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Janine Falsone | | | | | | | | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Olivia Mojica | | | | | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nasheka Siddall | | N/A | N/A | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Juanita Barber | | N/A | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sylvia Chibiliti | | N/A | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ashley Hartman | | N/A | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Patrick Lake | | N/A | N/A | N/A | Eliminated (3rd) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Samantha Cohen | | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Equoia Coleman | | N/A | N/A | Eliminated (3rd) | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Louis Gazzara | | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kimberly Kelsey | | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jordan Segundo | | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| George Trice | | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rebecca Bond | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Candice Coleman | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jennifer Fuentes | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hadas | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jacob John Smalley | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| J.D. Adams | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Meosha Denton | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Patrick Fortson | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Bettis Richardson | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ None of the bottom three were eliminated due to Corey Clark's disqualification.

## Controversies

The finale vote had been controversial due to the smallness of the margin. Ryan Seacrest also added fuel by mistakenly announcing the difference in vote count first as 13,000, then 1,335, but eventually revealed later to be around 130,000. There was much discussion in the communication industry about the phone system being overloaded, and that more than 150 million votes were dropped, making the voting results suspect. In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed that Clay Aiken had led the fan voting from the wild card week onward until the finale.
There was controversy when contestant Frenchie Davis was disqualified from the competition after it was revealed that she had once posed for topless photos on the Internet. Shortly afterwards, she landed a role in the Broadway musical Rent.
Corey Clark was also disqualified from the show because, according to the Idol producers, Clark had a police record he had not disclosed to the show. However, in 2005, Clark alleged in an interview on ABC's Primetime Live and in a book, They Told Me to Tell the Truth, So... The Sex, Lies and Paulatics of One of America's Idols, that he and judge Paula Abdul had had an affair while he was on the show and that this contributed to his removal. Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show and tips on song choice. A subsequent investigation by an independent counsel hired by Fox "could not corroborate the evidence or allegations provided by Mr. Clark or any witnesses". Paula Abdul was therefore considered exonerated but an "enhanced non-fraternization policy" was put in place after the investigation.
During the Top 10, a problem with the telephone system resulted in some votes not being registered for Julia DeMato; however, Fox insisted that the mistake would not have made any difference in her being voted off.
During the course of the contest, Studdard became known for wearing 205 Flava jerseys representing his area code; when asked about them early in the season, Studdard told Seacrest that he was "just representing 205". Shortly after the end of the contest, Studdard sued 205 Flava, Inc. for $2 Million dollars for using his image for promotional purposes. 205 Flava responded by alleging that Studdard had accepted over $10,000 in return for wearing 205 shirts, and produced eight cashed checks to validate their claim. The allegations, if true, were a clear violation of the American Idol rules. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

## U.S. Nielsen ratings

The number of average viewers per episode this season was 21.7 million, an increase of 71% over the first season. Its Wednesday episodes finished as the third most-watched show of the year averaging 21.93 million, and the Tuesday episodes fifth at 21.56 million. The show ranked second in the coveted 18/49 demographic for the 2002–2003 season. This season's finale episode still ranks as the most-watched single episode in Idol history at 38.1 million, the finale night itself averaged 33.7 million when the pre-show special is taken into consideration. The show also helped Fox become the season's number three network in total viewers for the first time.
Episode list :
| Show | Episode | Air date | Week rank | 18-49 rating | Viewers (in millions) |
| 1 | "New York, Miami & Austin Auditions" | January 21, 2003 | 4 | 12.4 | 26.5 |
| 2 | "Special: American Idol revisited" | January 21, 2003 | 7 | 11.3 | 23.6 |
| 3 | "Pasadena & Detroit Auditions" | January 22, 2003 | 5 | 11.8 | 24.9 |
| 4 | "Atlanta & Nashville Auditions" | January 28, 2003 | 4 | 11.6 | 24.1 |
| 5 | "Hollywood Week" | January 29, 2003 | 2 | 12.6 | 26.0 |
| 6 | "Top 32: Group 1" | February 4, 2003 | 9 | 9.7 | 20.1 |
| 7 | "Top 32: Group 1 results" | February 5, 2003 | 10 | 9.4 | 19.3 |
| 8 | "Top 32: Group 2" | February 11, 2003 | 8 | 9.7 | 20.0 |
| 9 | "Top 32: Group 2 results" | February 12, 2003 | 11 | 9.0 | 18.7 |
| 10 | "Top 32: Group 3" | February 18, 2003 | 9 | 9.2 | 19.7 |
| 11 | "Top 32: Group 3 results" | February 19, 2003 | 19 | 7.4 | |
| 12 | "Special: Best of the Worst" | February 19, 2003 | 11 | 8.8 | 19.5 |
| 13 | "Top 32: Group 4" | February 25, 2003 | 5 | 9.7 | 20.0 |
| 14 | "Top 32: Group 4 results" | February 26, 2003 | 12 | 8.7 | 17.1 |
| 15 | "Wildcard Show" | March 4, 2003 | 3 | 8.5 | 18.7 |
| 16 | "Wildcard Results" | March 5, 2003 | 4 | 8.5 | 18.0 |
| 17 | "Top 12 Perform" | March 11, 2003 | 2 | 10.3 | 22.0 |
| 18 | "Top 12 Results" | March 12, 2003 | 9 | 8.7 | 18.3 |
| 19 | "Top 11 Perform" | March 18, 2003 | 2 | 10.0 | 21.1 |
| 20 | "Top 11 Results" | March 19, 2003 | 4 | 7.9 | 17.2 |
| 21 | "Top 10 Perform" | March 25, 2003 | 1 | 9.4 | 19.8 |
| 22 | "Top 10 Results" | March 26, 2003 | 2 | 8.7 | 19.0 |
| 23 | "Top 9 Perform" | April 1, 2003 | 2 | 9.6 | 21.2 |
| 24 | "Top 9 Results" | April 2, 2003 | 4 | 9.7 | 20.3 |
| 25 | "Top 8 Perform" | April 8, 2003 | 2 | 9.7 | 20.1 |
| 26 | "Top 8 Results" | April 9, 2003 | 3 | 9.4 | 19.2 |
| 27 | "Top 7 Perform" | April 15, 2003 | 1 | 8.8 | 20.0 |
| 28 | "Top 7 Results" | April 16, 2003 | 4 | 8.4 | 18.1 |
| 29 | "Special: Halfway Home" | April 21, 2003 | 12 | 6.2 | 14.1 |
| 30 | "Top 6 Perform" | April 22, 2003 | 4 | 9.6 | 20.6 |
| 31 | "Top 6 Results" | April 23, 2003 | 6 | 9.3 | 19.5 |
| 32 | "Top 5 Perform" | April 29, 2003 | 2 | 9.7 | 20.4 |
| 33 | "Top 5 Results" | April 30, 2003 | 3 | 9.0 | 20.2 |
| 34 | "Top 4 Perform" | May 6, 2003 | 4 | 10.1 | 22.2 |
| 35 | "Top 4 Results" | May 7, 2003 | 2 | 10.4 | 22.7 |
| 36 | "Top 3 Perform" | May 13, 2003 | 4 | 10.7 | 23.4 |
| 37 | "Top 3 Results" | May 14, 2003 | 2 | 11.4 | 25.3 |
| 38 | "Top 2 Special" | May 19, 2003 | 8 | 7.4 | 16.9 |
| 39 | "Top 2 Showdown" | May 20, 2003 | 3 | 11.2 | 25.7 |
| 40 | "Finale Pre-show Special" | May 21, 2003 | 2 | 13.1 | 30.4 |
| 41 | "American Idol Season 2 Finale" | May 21, 2003 | 1 | 16.8 | 38.1 |
A couple of specials were aired later in the year - From Justin To Kelly: The Rise of Two American Idols on June 20, 2003, and American Idol: Christmas Songs on November 25, 2003, the latter of which was ranked number 30 with total viewer number of 10.9 million, and number 28 in the 18/49 demo with a 4.1 rating.

## Releases
### Compilations

* American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs (Album, 2003)
* American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics (Feat. Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Kimberley Locke - Album, 2003)
* American Christmas (Feat. Trenyce, Frenchie Davis - Album, 2008)

## Tour

* American Idols Live! Tour 2003