Actually, I think he had me before that, but "Hello" really cemented my belief in him as original and different than any other contestant to date. Sometimes, I felt like David was "playing" American Idol, Survivor-like, with strategy. That said, he had to possess talent enough to jump all the musical hoops with room to spare; I think we can all agree that he succeeded. His long list of musical accomplishments and his belief in himself allowed him to stand out and succeed in what was undoubtedly AI's most talented season, by far. It also helped him to win over millions of fans before Season 7 even ended.

I doubt very much that American Idol will ever be the same after Season 7, not just because of David Cook, but because of the collective talents of all the season's contestants.