It was destiny. No one deserved this moment more than Carrie Underwood, given her two-decade-long journey with Heart’s ‘Alone.’ This one song signified a career-defining moment at American Idol, to then recording the song as a single, and then, coming full circle, performing it with the rock legends themselves. Nostalgia couldn’t hold its own against Ann Wilson’s powerhouse vocals—but this was something bigger.

In 2007, Carrie Underwood won American Idol. Here, she first performed ‘Alone’ and left all of America (and even some of Britain through Simon Cowell) amazed; Cowell predicted that Underwood would outsell all Idol winners that had yet been – prophetic, one might say!

Heart and Carrie Underwood – Alone

Heart’s frontwomen were a two-woman powerhouse in the form of Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, who rocked classics from the 70s through to the 80s. Their hits range from ‘Barracuda’ to ‘What About Love,’ but nothing quite matches the success of 1987’s ‘Alone.’ With this song, Ann Wilson superseded all expectations with her outstandingly strong performance, turning an anthem of heartbreak into a rock classic!

So of course then, the true challenge was to match the precedent Ann Wilson had set somehow. How would Underwood fare to this challenge? Listen to the original, and imagine having to stand on stage to perform it with the artists who made it…

Heart – Alone

Surprisingly… amazingly. Alone as a collaboration between Underwood and Heart was a perfect blend. Where Carrie sings softly, it only allows for Ann Wilson’s strong vocals to feel even fuller, intertwining beautifully as belts mix with falsettos. More than a duet, it was a torch being passed: Official approval from the GOATs themselves.