How 'American Idol' Influenced Music Industry In 20 Seasons

Experts say the singing competition changed the way TV shows engaged its audiences.

"American Idol" has spanned twenty seasons, traveled miles around the country discovering some of Hollywood's biggest stars and spawned several reality show copy-cats — its influence on the entertainment world is immeasurable.

"American Idol" first came out in the summer of 2002 — a time before musicians could go viral on TikTok, YouTube or even Myspace.

So, the singing competition had these two novelties: a promise to find the next superstar from anywhere in the country, and the opportunity for audiences to help choose.