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American Idol (season 7)
Encyclopedia
The seventh season of American Idol
, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest
continued to host the show with Simon Cowell
, Paula Abdul
, and Randy Jackson
returning as judges. David Cook
was announced the winner of the competition on May 21, 2008, defeating runner-up David Archuleta
by a margin of roughly 12 million votes out of over 97 million, which was at that time the highest recorded vote total ever recorded in the show's history. The split was 56 percent to 44 percent.
The seventh season was the first season during which neither the winner nor the runner-up was ever in the bottom group during any week before the finale on May 21, 2008, with the second being the ninth season
. It was also the second season during which both the winner and the runner-up were male contestants, with the second season
being the first and the third being the eighth season
.
admitted that season 6 had placed more focus on the guest mentors than the contestants. Changes were planned for season 7 designed to return attention to the contestants by providing more information on their backgrounds and families.
A major change for the seventh season was allowing contestants to play musical instruments, an element that originated on Australian Idol
and can also be seen on Norway's Idol
and Canadian Idol
. A brand new set was built, and a new introduction credit sequence created. The season finale also moved from the Kodak Theatre
to the larger Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Contestants were required to be between the ages of 16 and 28 on July 28, 2007, and eligible to work in the United States. Those ineligible include former contestants who had previously reached the semifinal of Season 1 - 3 or the last phase of Hollywood round of Season 4 -6 (top 44 of Season 4 and 5, top 40 of Season 6), those holding recording or management contracts, or those who were not US citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. permanent residents).
One auditioner this year Alexis Cohen
gained media attention due to her outraged reaction and profuse profanities after the judges rejected her in the Philadelphia audition. She also returned in Season 8 to audition in New York and her audition was featured. She was later found dead in a hit-and-run accident.
Another auditioner who gained some public attention was Renaldo Lapuz
who sang his own composition "We're Brothers Forever" which he wrote for Simon Cowell. He was later asked to return to perform in the finale.
, over a period of five days. A total of 164 contestants were invited from the seven audition cities. This year the process was altered slightly to ensure that no talent would be prematurely dismissed. The contestants were allowed two performances before elimination, and the group round was removed.
The first round of individual performance lasted two days. For the first time ever, contestants had the option of either being accompanied by the band or playing an instrument themselves. Some were shown playing the keyboard, guitar, or even the drums. If the judges approved of the contestant's performance, they received a "free pass" to the third and final round of performances, and 48 contestants were given this "free pass". Unlike previous seasons, contestants whose performances not considered good enough were given a second chance in the second round. They lined up on stage in groups of 10 and each sang a short segment of a song "a cappella
." After each group had finished, the judges cut those they felt not talented enough. Almost 100 were eliminated in this round.
In the final round, all the remaining contestants performed individually a song chosen from a large list of songs provided accompanied by the band and three backup singers. After each performance, the judges decided whether or not to cut the contestant. By the end of the day, only 50 contestants remained. The judges then deliberated further on who should be in the Top 24, and their decision was revealed the next day in the Green Mile episode.
One of the more prominent contestants during the Hollywood week was Josiah Leming
whose unhappiness with the backing band resulted in him dismissing the band. He was cut in the Green Mile episode. Another piece of drama involved contestant Kyle Ensley when Simon Cowell voiced strong objection over him not being selected for the semifinals. It was later revealed that his non-selection resulted in serious rift between Simon Cowell and the show producer Nigel Lythgoe.
Top 12 – Lennon/McCartney
Top 11 – The Beatles
Top 9 – Dolly Parton
Mentor: Dolly Parton
Top 7 – Mariah Carey
Mentor: Mariah Carey
Top 6 – Andrew Lloyd Webber
Mentor: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Top 5 – Neil Diamond
Mentor: Neil Diamond
Each contestant sang two songs.
Top 4 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Each contestant sang two songs.
Finale – Clive Davis
Each contestant sang three songs.
1 Due to the Idol Gives Back special airing on the show's regular Wednesday results night, the results show was moved to Thursday.
2 From this point forward, neither the bottom 3 nor bottom 2 contestants were explicitly identified.
" by Ferras
played when contestants were eliminated, while "Best Days" by Graham Colton
was the elimination song for the semi-finals round. For the finals, season 2
winner Ruben Studdard
remade Kenny Loggins
' "Celebrate Me Home
" as the exit song.
Hot 100
and Hot Digital Songs
chart for the week. See Idol Gives Back
for the list of performances in that special episode.
* "Celebrate Me Home" was removed from iTunes the day after it was performed. It reached the top 60 before it was removed.
" initiative returned on April 9 for a second year, with a special start time of 7:30 p.m. ET, running for 150 minutes. Again, proceeds will go to children's charities in Africa and the United States. Unlike "Idol Gives Back 2007" when no finalist was eliminated (and two were eliminated in the following week), Michael Johns was eliminated during "Idol Gives Back 2008."
to make available for sale exclusive performance videos, live performance singles of the semi-finalists and full length studio recordings of the songs that contestants performed on the show. In order to keep the competition fair, these singles were not allowed to appear on iTunes sales charts until after the finale. The contestants' performances during the season were removed from sale soon after the finale.
The winning song, "The Time of My Life
", was recorded by David Cook and released on May 22, 2008. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 2008. It was the first winner's song not to be performed during the competition as the Top 2 each selected a different song from a list of 10 entries in song-writing competition to perform instead. Cook performed "The Time of My Life" after Ryan Seacrest announced him as the winner of Season 7.
was released on November 18, 2008, on 19 Recordings / RCA Records and was certified platinum by the RIAA on January 22, 2009. Cook teamed with Grammy winning producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day
, Kid Rock
) on the album. A single from the album, "Light On
", was released and peaked at 20 on the billboard top 100 list. His sophomore album, "This Loud Morning", will be released on June 28th, 2011.
David Archuleta signed with Jive Records
and his self-titled debut album
was released on November 11, 2008 and debuted at number 2. Archuleta's album certified gold. Archuleta's first single, "Crush
", debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #1 on the Hot Digital Songs
chart, giving it the highest single debut of 2008 and the highest single debut in 18 months. The song has sold 1.9 million copies as of January 2009.
Kristy Lee Cook
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
continued to host the show with Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, and Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
returning as judges. David Cook
David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
was announced the winner of the competition on May 21, 2008, defeating runner-up David Archuleta
David Archuleta
David Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...
by a margin of roughly 12 million votes out of over 97 million, which was at that time the highest recorded vote total ever recorded in the show's history. The split was 56 percent to 44 percent.
The seventh season was the first season during which neither the winner nor the runner-up was ever in the bottom group during any week before the finale on May 21, 2008, with the second being the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
. It was also the second season during which both the winner and the runner-up were male contestants, with the second season
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 of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
being the first and the third being the eighth season
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...
.
Changes from past seasons
Prior to the start of season 7, Executive Producer Nigel LythgoeNigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
admitted that season 6 had placed more focus on the guest mentors than the contestants. Changes were planned for season 7 designed to return attention to the contestants by providing more information on their backgrounds and families.
A major change for the seventh season was allowing contestants to play musical instruments, an element that originated on Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
and can also be seen on Norway's Idol
Idol (Norway)
Idol: Jakten på en superstjerne is a television show on the Norwegian television channel TV 2, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. The show describes itself as a "Search For A SuperStar". The contestants are first narrowed down to 100 contestants, and then down to 24-50 through several...
and Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol
Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
. A brand new set was built, and a new introduction credit sequence created. The season finale also moved from the Kodak Theatre
Kodak Theatre
The Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland shopping mall and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles...
to the larger Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Regional auditions
For Season 7, auditions began in San Diego, California on July 30, 2007, and continued in the following cities:| Episode Air Date | Audition City | Date | First Audition Venue | Callback Date | Callback Venue | Golden Tickets |
| January 15, 2008 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
August 27, 2007 | Wachovia Center Wachovia Center The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.... |
September 1-2, 2007 | Hyatt Regency | 29 |
| January 16, 2008 | Dallas, Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
August 6, 2007 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
September 20-23, 2007 | W Hotel Dallas Victory | 24 |
| January 22, 2008 | San Diego, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
July 30, 2007 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
September 12-13, 2007 | Rancho Bernardo Inn | 31 |
| January 23, 2008 | Charleston, South Carolina Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the... |
August 18, 2007 | North Charleston Coliseum North Charleston Coliseum The North Charleston Coliseum is a 14,000-seat multi-purpose arena in North Charleston, South Carolina. It is part of the North Charleston Convention Center Complex, which also includes a Performing Arts Center, and is owned by the City of North Charleston and managed by SMG... |
September 6-7, 2007 | Charleston Area Convention Center | 23 |
| January 29, 2008 | Omaha, Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River... |
August 10, 2007 | Qwest Center Omaha Qwest Center Omaha CenturyLink Center is an arena and convention center facility in the North Downtown neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1.1 million ft² facility has an 18,300-seat arena, a 194,000-ft² exhibition hall and 62,000 ft² of meeting space.... |
October 5-6, 2007 | Qwest Convention Center | 19 |
| January 30, 2008 | Miami, Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
August 22, 2007 | American Airlines Arena | September 29-30, 2007 | JW Marriott Hotel | 17 |
| February 5, 2008 | Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... |
August 14, 2007 | Georgia Dome Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the... |
October 8-10, 2007 | Georgia International Convention Center Georgia International Convention Center The Georgia International Convention Center or GICC, opened in April 2003, is the second largest convention center in the State of Georgia: second only to the Georgia World Congress Center. It is located at 2000 Convention Center Concourse, just off Camp Creek Parkway and Roosevelt Highway in... |
21 |
| Total Tickets to Hollywood | 164 | |||||
Contestants were required to be between the ages of 16 and 28 on July 28, 2007, and eligible to work in the United States. Those ineligible include former contestants who had previously reached the semifinal of Season 1 - 3 or the last phase of Hollywood round of Season 4 -6 (top 44 of Season 4 and 5, top 40 of Season 6), those holding recording or management contracts, or those who were not US citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. permanent residents).
One auditioner this year Alexis Cohen
Alexis Cohen
Alexis Cohen was a reality TV show contestant and singer born in Brooklyn, New York best known for her appearances on American Idol and compared her singing style to vocalists such as Grace Slick, Janis Joplin and Pat Benatar...
gained media attention due to her outraged reaction and profuse profanities after the judges rejected her in the Philadelphia audition. She also returned in Season 8 to audition in New York and her audition was featured. She was later found dead in a hit-and-run accident.
Another auditioner who gained some public attention was Renaldo Lapuz
Renaldo Lapuz
Renaldo Lapuz is a Filipino-American who auditioned on the seventh season of the television series American Idol, singing the self-written song "We're Brothers Forever."-Biography:...
who sang his own composition "We're Brothers Forever" which he wrote for Simon Cowell. He was later asked to return to perform in the finale.
Hollywood week
The Hollywood week took place at the Pasadena Civic Center in Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, over a period of five days. A total of 164 contestants were invited from the seven audition cities. This year the process was altered slightly to ensure that no talent would be prematurely dismissed. The contestants were allowed two performances before elimination, and the group round was removed.
The first round of individual performance lasted two days. For the first time ever, contestants had the option of either being accompanied by the band or playing an instrument themselves. Some were shown playing the keyboard, guitar, or even the drums. If the judges approved of the contestant's performance, they received a "free pass" to the third and final round of performances, and 48 contestants were given this "free pass". Unlike previous seasons, contestants whose performances not considered good enough were given a second chance in the second round. They lined up on stage in groups of 10 and each sang a short segment of a song "a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
." After each group had finished, the judges cut those they felt not talented enough. Almost 100 were eliminated in this round.
In the final round, all the remaining contestants performed individually a song chosen from a large list of songs provided accompanied by the band and three backup singers. After each performance, the judges decided whether or not to cut the contestant. By the end of the day, only 50 contestants remained. The judges then deliberated further on who should be in the Top 24, and their decision was revealed the next day in the Green Mile episode.
One of the more prominent contestants during the Hollywood week was Josiah Leming
Josiah Leming
Josiah Leming is an American singer-songwriter, best known for appearing in Season 7 of American Idol, where he was cut during the Hollywood round of the auditions, just before the semifinals. His cut followed a subpar performance, but was considered somewhat controversial nonetheless. Leming's...
whose unhappiness with the backing band resulted in him dismissing the band. He was cut in the Green Mile episode. Another piece of drama involved contestant Kyle Ensley when Simon Cowell voiced strong objection over him not being selected for the semifinals. It was later revealed that his non-selection resulted in serious rift between Simon Cowell and the show producer Nigel Lythgoe.
Semi-finalists
- Daniel 'Danny' Anthony Noriega (born September 29, 1989 in Azusa, CaliforniaAzusa, CaliforniaAzusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
) is a 22-year-old (18 at the time of the show) who auditioned in San Diego. He previously auditioned for Idol in season 6American Idol (Season 6)The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
and made it to Hollywood week but was cut in the first round. His elimination song was Soft Cell's version of "Tainted Love". Shortly following his elimination, Noriega received an offer from Rosie O' Donnell to perform on her cruise. Danny is working on his debut album and has just released his debut single, "Poisonous Cure", on February 15.
- Luke Menard (born December 1, 1978 in Crawfordsville, IndianaCrawfordsville, IndianaCrawfordsville is a city in Union Township, Montgomery County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County...
) is a 33-year-old (29 at the time of the show) who auditioned in OmahaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
with "Bend and BreakBend and Break"Bend and Break" is a song performed and composed by English rock band Keane and was released as the sixth and last single from their debut album Hopes and Fears...
" by Keane. In Hollywood, he sang "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"Arthur's Theme " is a song performed by Christopher Cross, which was the theme to the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli...
" by Christopher CrossChristopher CrossChristopher Cross is an American singer-songwriter from San Antonio, Texas. His debut album earned him five Grammys. He is perhaps best known for his Top Ten hit songs, "Sailing", "Ride Like the Wind", and "Arthur's Theme ", the last of which he performed for the film Arthur starring Dudley Moore...
and "Grace KellyGrace Kelly (song)"Grace Kelly" is a song by the English singer Mika, released for download on January 9, 2007. It also appears on Mika's 2007 album Life in Cartoon Motion. Produced and mixed by Greg Wells, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number three and the UK Official Download Chart at number one...
" by MikaMika (singer)Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
. Previously, he auditioned for the sixth season in MemphisMemphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and sang "How Deep Is Your LoveHow Deep Is Your Love"How Deep Is Your Love" is a pop song recorded by the Bee Gees in 1977 and released as a single in September. Originally intended for Yvonne Elliman, it was ultimately used as part of the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever. It was a number three hit in the United Kingdom and Australia...
" but did not make it to Hollywood. Prior to Season 7 of Idol, he was a member of the a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group Chapter 6Chapter 6 (band)Chapter 6 is a professional, all-male, a cappella, vocal ensemble which predominantly tours the United States. Composed of six vocalists and one arranger, Chapter 6 is the only vocal ensemble to win both the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and The National Harmony Sweepstakes...
and has toured with them for the past 6 years, as well as appearing on their albums and DVD. After leaving Idol, Menard was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphomaHodgkin's lymphomaHodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
. He successfully went through chemotherapy and will soon be undergoing radiation therapy. He was declared cancer free on December 18, 2008.
- Robert "Robbie" Carrico (born November 13, 1981 in Beckley, West VirginiaBeckley, West VirginiaBeckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...
) is a 29-year-old (26 at the time of the show) from Melbourne, FloridaMelbourne, FloridaMelbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
who auditioned for the show in Miami. His professional singing career prior to American Idol includes being a member of the pop group Boyz N Girlz UnitedBoyz N Girlz UnitedBoyz N Girlz United was an American pop group consisting of members Robbie Carrico , Daniel Dix , Rina Mayo and Criss Ruiz...
, which opened for Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
during her "...Baby One More Time...Baby One More Time...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
" tour in 1999. The band's song "Messed Around" was written and produced by JC Chasez from *NSYNC.
- Jason Yeager (born August 26, 1979) is a 32-year-old (28 at the time of the show) from Grand Prairie, TexasGrand Prairie, TexasGrand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Ellis, and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas and is a part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Grand Prairie is a suburb of both Dallas and Fort Worth and had a population of 175,396 at the 2010 census.- History :The city of...
who auditioned in Dallas. He appeared and was a finalist on the first season of Making the BandMaking the BandMaking the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each iteration focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang...
, the MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show that led to the formation of boy band O-Town. He released a Christian album called The Heart of Me in 2008
- Colton Berry (born October 11, 1989) is a 21-year-old (18 at the time of the show) from Staunton, VirginiaStaunton, VirginiaStaunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
who auditioned in Charleston.
- Garrett Haley (born August 1, 1990) is a 21-year-old (17 at the time of the show) from Elida, OhioElida, OhioElida is a village in Allen County, Ohio, United States with a population of 1,917 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Lima, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Elida is located at ....
, who auditioned in San Diego.
- Asia'h Epperson (born August 20, 1988) is a 23-year-old (19 at the time of the show) from Joplin, MissouriJoplin, MissouriJoplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
who auditioned in Atlanta singing "How Do I LiveHow Do I Live"How Do I Live" is the title of a song written by Diane Warren. It was originally recorded by LeAnn Rimes in 1997 and shortly afterward by Trisha Yearwood...
." Two days before the auditions, her father died in a car accident. Her elimination song was "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston. She currently has a few songs of her own on her MySpace page, including a cover of "Can't Buy Me LoveCan't Buy Me Love"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...
". She now lives in Atlanta, GA and is working on her new album. She was arrested August 12, 2010 for assaulting a club goer. In January 2011, she became a part of the original cast of the musical Hair Show starring Chaka Khan. Promotional material for the musical revealed that she is now a protégé of Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
- Kady Malloy (born May 9, 1989) is a 22-year old (18 at the time of the show) from Houston, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
who auditioned in Dallas. She became known on the show for her impersonation of Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and can also impersonate several other artists. Malloy is trained in operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singing. Her elimination song was "Who Wants to Live ForeverWho Wants to Live Forever"Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the English rock band Queen. The song is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, released in June 1986, and was written by guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander, directed by Russell Mulcahy...
" by QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. She has released several songs to her MySpace and shot a video for a cover of "Time After TimeTime after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
" with Colton Berry. Simon's comment after her audition was: "Out of all of the people we have seen during this season you are the best." Kady is currently in a pop-country duo with Nashville musician Andrea Young. The pair began writing and recording in early 2010 and perform across the country.
- Alaina Whitaker (born February 21, 1991) is a 20-year-old (17 at the time of the show) contestant from Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
who auditioned in Dallas. She was a member of the female country group Della Rose along with Andrea Young and Erin James. Before the show, she and her sister won a talent competition in Tulsa, beating one of David Cook's bands, Midwest Kings. Whether or not Cook was in the band at the time is unknown. Her group Della Rose was working on their debut album in Nashville before they disbanded. The group has opened up for numerous major country acts including Travis TrittTravis TrittJames Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
, and Keith AndersonKeith AndersonKeith Anderson is an American country music artist. Before signing to a record deal, Anderson was one of several co-writers on "Beer Run ", a duet by Garth Brooks and George Jones, released in late 2001. Anderson was signed as a recording artist to Arista Nashville in 2004...
, who was also known as the groups Mentor. Whitaker is currently working on a solo album and now resides in Nashville.
- Alexandréa Lushington (born February 13, 1991) is a 20-year-old (17 at the time of the show) from Douglasville, GeorgiaDouglasville, GeorgiaThe city of Douglasville is the county seat of Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 30,961...
who auditioned in Atlanta. In 2004, she sang against fellow Idol semi-finalist David Archuleta on an episode of the television show Star SearchStar SearchStar Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
.
- Joanne BorgellaJoanne BorgellaJoanne Borgella is an American singer, songwriter, actress, jewelry designer and she is signed to Wilhelmina Models in New York City, Miami and LA...
(born May 29, 1982) is a 29-year-old (25 at the time of the show) model from Hoboken, New JerseyHoboken, New JerseyHoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
who auditioned in Philadelphia. Before auditioning for Idol, she appeared in and won Mo'Nique's Fat ChanceMo'Nique's Fat ChanceMo'Nique's Fat Chance is a reality TV miniseries. It features 10 plus-sized women competing in a beauty pageant to become "Miss F.A.T.," which is explained as "Fabulous and Thick." It is hosted by actress Mo'Nique and has aired since 2005 on the Oxygen network.-2005 edition:The winner of the 2005...
.
- Amy Davis (born June 19, 1982) is a 29-year-old (25 at the time of the show) professional model from Lowell, IndianaLowell, Indiana-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 7,505 people, 2,697 households and 2,030 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,839.2 per square mile . There were 2,809 housing units at an average density of 688.4 per square mile...
. She auditioned in Dallas.
Top 24 – 1960s
| Order | Males | Females | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result | ||
| 1 | David Hernandez | "In the Midnight Hour In the Midnight Hour "In the Midnight Hour" is a song originally performed by Wilson Pickett in 1965 and released on the 1966 album The Exciting Wilson Pickett. It was composed by Pickett and Steve Cropper at the historic Lorraine Motel in Memphis where Martin Luther King, Jr. would later be murdered in April 1968... " (Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100... ) |
Safe | Kristy Lee Cook | "Rescue Me Rescue Me (Fontella Bass song) "Rescue Me" is a song written by Fontella Bass, Raynard Miner and Carl William Smith. In 1965, it was released as a single by Fontella Bass. It would prove the biggest hit of Bass' career, reaching #1 on the R&B charts for four weeks and placing at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100... " (Fontella Bass Fontella Bass Fontella Bass is an American soul singer, who is best known for the 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me", which she also co-wrote.-Early life:... ) |
Safe | |
| 2 | Chikezie | "More Today Than Yesterday" (The Spiral Starecase) | Safe | Joanne Borgella | "I Say a Little Prayer I Say a Little Prayer "I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967.-Background:... " (Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health.... ) |
Eliminated | |
| 3 | David Cook | "Happy Together Happy Together (song) "Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in... " (The Turtles The Turtles The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965... ) |
Safe | Alaina Whitaker | "More Today Than Yesterday" (The Spiral Starecase) | Safe | |
| 4 | Jason Yeager | "Moon River Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists... " (Andy Williams Andy Williams Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,... ) |
Safe | Amanda Overmyer | "Baby, Please Don't Go Baby, Please Don't Go "Baby, Please Don't Go" is a blues song first recorded by Big Joe Williams in 1935. It is related to a group of early 20th century blues and work songs that include "I'm Alabama Bound", "Another Man Done Gone", and "Don't Leave Me Here", and "Turn Your Lamp Down Low".It has become a blues and rock... " (Big Joe Williams Big Joe Williams Joseph Lee Williams , billed throughout his career as Big Joe Williams, was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar... ) |
Safe | |
| 5 | Robbie Carrico | "One One (Harry Nilsson song) "One" is a song written by Harry Nilsson and made famous by Three Dog Night whose cover in 1969 reached number 5 on the Billboard chart. The song is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." It appeared initially on Aerial Ballet, Nilsson's third album.Nilsson... " (Harry Nilsson Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson... ) |
Safe | Amy Davis | "Where the Boys Are Where the Boys Are The kind of cool modern jazz popularized by such acts as Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, and Chico Hamilton, then in the vanguard of the college music market, features in a number of scenes with Basil... " (Connie Francis Connie Francis Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw... ) |
Eliminated | |
| 6 | David Archuleta | "Shop Around Shop Around "Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100.... " (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) |
Safe | Brooke White | "Happy Together Happy Together (song) "Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in... " (The Turtles The Turtles The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965... ) |
Safe | |
| 7 | Danny Noriega | "Jailhouse Rock Jailhouse Rock (song) "Jailhouse Rock" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was released as a 45rpm single on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, Jailhouse Rock... " (Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... ) |
Safe | Alexandréa Lushington | "Spinning Wheel Spinning Wheel (song) "Spinning Wheel" is the title of a popular song from 1969 by the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. The song was written by band member and Canadian musician David Clayton-Thomas and appears on their self-titled album.... " (Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears is an American music group, originally formed in 1967 in New York City. Since its beginnings in 1967, the band has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a multitude of musical styles... ) |
Safe | |
| 8 | Luke Menard | "Everybody's Talkin' Everybody's Talkin' "Everybody's Talkin" is a folk rock song released by Fred Neil in 1966 that became a global success for Harry Nilsson in 1969, reaching #2 and #6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and Pop Singles chart respectively and winning a Grammy after it was featured on the soundtrack for the film... " (Fred Neil Fred Neil Fred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being... ) |
Safe | Kady Malloy | "A Groovy Kind of Love A Groovy Kind of Love "A Groovy Kind of Love" is a pop song written by Toni Wine and Carol Bayer for the Screen Gems music publishing company. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi... " (The Mindbenders The Mindbenders The Mindbenders was a 1960s beat group from Manchester, England. They were part of the mid 1960s British Invasion with their chart-toppers "Game of Love" and "A Groovy Kind of Love".... ) |
Safe | |
| 9 | Colton Berry | "Suspicious Minds Suspicious Minds "Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned... " (Mark James Mark James (songwriter) Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, most notably Elvis' last US number one hit single, "Suspicious Minds."-History:... ) |
Eliminated | Asia'h Epperson | "Piece of My Heart Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it... " (Erma Franklin Erma Franklin Erma Franklin was an American gospel and R&B singer. She was the oldest daughter of Barbara and the Reverend C. L. Franklin and the elder sister of Aretha Franklin... ) |
Safe | |
| 10 | Garrett Haley | "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard... ) |
Eliminated | Ramiele Malubay | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me You Don't Have to Say You Love Me "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" is the title of a 1966 hit recorded by British singer Dusty Springfield which proved to be her career record reaching #1 UK and #4 US: the song subsequently charted in the UK via remakes by Elvis Presley , Guys 'n' Dolls and Denise Welch with Presley's version... " (Dusty Springfield Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s... ) |
Safe | |
| 11 | Jason Castro | "Daydream" (The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name... ) |
Safe | Syesha Mercado | "Tobacco Road Tobacco Road (song) "Tobacco Road" is a song written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk in 1960 that was a hit for The Nashville Teens in 1964 and has since become a standard across several musical genres.... " (John D. Loudermilk John D. Loudermilk John D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin... ) |
Safe | |
| 12 | Michael Johns | "Light My Fire Light My Fire "Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after... " (The Doors The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger... ) |
Safe | Carly Smithson | "The Shadow of Your Smile The Shadow of Your Smile "The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as "Love Theme from The Sandpiper", is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel with the lyrics written by Paul Francis Webster... " (Tony Bennett Tony Bennett Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz.... ) |
Safe | |
Top 20 – 1970s
| Order | Males | Females | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result | ||
| 1 | Michael Johns | "Go Your Own Way" (Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood... ) |
Safe | Carly Smithson | "Crazy on You Crazy on You "Crazy on You" is the guitar-driven debut single from the female-fronted rock band Heart's debut album Dreamboat Annie, released in 1976. Starting with an acoustic guitar intro, the song turns into fast-paced rock song that was the signature sound of the band in their early years... " (Heart Heart (band) Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music... ) |
Safe | |
| 2 | Jason Castro | "I Just Want to Be Your Everything I Just Want to Be Your Everything "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" was a hit song by pop singer Andy Gibb. The first single released from his debut album, Flowing Rivers, it became the first of three consecutive number one Billboard Hot 100 singles for Gibb... " (Andy Gibb Andy Gibb Andy Gibb was an English singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other male siblings formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.-The early years:... ) |
Safe | Syesha Mercado | "Me and Mrs. Jones Me and Mrs. Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a soul song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. It has been recorded by Billy Paul and Michael Bublé, amongst others.-Billy Paul version:"Me and Mrs... " (Billy Paul Billy Paul Billy Paul is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences... ) |
Safe | |
| 3 | Luke Menard | "Killer Queen" (Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... ) |
Safe | Brooke White | "You're So Vain You're So Vain "You're So Vain" is a song written and performed by Carly Simon and released in December 1972. The song is a critical profile of a self-absorbed lover; Simon asserts "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you." The subject's identity has been the matter of speculation, fueled by... " (Carly Simon Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work... ) |
Safe | |
| 4 | Robbie Carrico | "Hot Blooded Hot Blooded "Hot Blooded" is a song by the British-American hard rock band Foreigner, from their second studio album Double Vision. It was released as a single in July 1978 and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that September... " (Foreigner Foreigner (band) Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm... ) |
Eliminated | Ramiele Malubay | "Don't Leave Me This Way Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both... " (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco... ) |
Safe | |
| 5 | Danny Noriega | "Superstar Superstar (Delaney and Bonnie song) "Superstar" is a 1969 song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell that has been a hit for many artists in different genres and interpretations in the years since; the best known version is by the Carpenters in 1971.-Original Delaney and Bonnie version:Accounts of the song's origin vary... " (Delaney & Bonnie) |
Safe | Kristy Lee Cook | "You're No Good You're No Good "You're No Good" is a song written by Clint Ballard, Jr. which first charted for Betty Everett in 1963 and in 1975 was a #1 hit for Linda Ronstadt.... " (Betty Everett Betty Everett Betty Everett was an African-American soul singer and pianist, best known for her biggest hit single, the million-selling "The Shoop Shoop Song ".-Early career:... ) |
Safe | |
| 6 | David Hernandez | "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone Papa Was a Rollin' Stone "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a soul song, written by Motown songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong as a single for Motown act The Undisputed Truth in 1971... " (The Undisputed Truth The Undisputed Truth The Undisputed Truth was a 1970s Motown recording act, assembled by record producer Norman Whitfield as a means for being able to experiment with his psychedelic soul production techniques... ) |
Safe | Amanda Overmyer | "Carry On Wayward Son Carry On Wayward Son "Carry on Wayward Son" is a progressive rock single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1976 album Leftoverture. In 1977, the song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard pop singles chart, becoming their first Top 40 hit.... " (Kansas Kansas (band) Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"... ) |
Safe | |
| 7 | Jason Yeager | "Long Train Running Long Train Running "Long Train Runnin" is a song written by musician Tom Johnston and recorded by The Doobie Brothers. It was included on the band's 1973 album The Captain and Me and released as a single, becoming a top-ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number eight... " (The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:... ) |
Eliminated | Alaina Whitaker | "Hopelessly Devoted to You Hopelessly Devoted to You "Hopelessly Devoted to You", written by John Farrar, is a song originally performed by Olivia Newton-John. The song, featured in the film version of Grease, received an Oscar nomination as Best Original Song, losing to "Last Dance" at the 51st Academy Awards. She performed the song at the 21st... " (Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA... ) |
Eliminated | |
| 8 | Chikezie | "I Believe to My Soul" (Donny Hathaway Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations... ) |
Safe | Alexandréa Lushington | "If You Leave Me Now If You Leave Me Now "If You Leave Me Now" is the title of a popular hit ballad by the American rock group Chicago, from their album Chicago X. It was written and sung by bass guitar player Peter Cetera and released as a single in July 1976.... " (Chicago Chicago (band) Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had... ) |
Eliminated | |
| 9 | David Cook | "All Right Now All Right Now "All Right Now" is a rock single by the English rock band Free. The song, released in mid-1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "All Right Now" originally appeared on the album Fire And Water, which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed... " (Free Free (band) Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a... ) |
Safe | Kady Malloy | "Magic Man Magic Man "Magic Man" is a hit rock song released in 1976 by Heart. It was issued as the second single from the band's debut album Dreamboat Annie. Written by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the song is sung from the viewpoint of a young girl who is being seduced by an older man , much to the chagrin of her mother,... " (Heart Heart (band) Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music... ) |
Safe | |
| 10 | David Archuleta | "Imagine Imagine (song) "Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971... " (John Lennon John Lennon John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... ) |
Safe | Asia'h Epperson | "All by Myself All by Myself "All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18... " (Eric Carmen Eric Carmen Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",... ) |
Safe | |
Top 16 – 1980s
| Order | Males | Females | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result | ||
| 1 | Luke Menard | "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (Wham! WHAM! Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band.... ) |
Eliminated | Asia'h Epperson | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) "I Wanna Dance with Somebody " is the first single from Whitney Houston's second studio album Whitney. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I... " (Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... ) |
Eliminated | |
| 2 | David Archuleta | "Another Day in Paradise Another Day in Paradise "Another Day in Paradise" is a song by Phil Collins released as the first single from his number-one album But Seriously . As with his song from Genesis, "Man on the Corner" "Another Day in Paradise" was written to bring attention to the problem of homelessness; as such, the song was a substantial... " (Phil Collins Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist.... ) |
Safe | Kady Malloy | "Who Wants to Live Forever Who Wants to Live Forever "Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the English rock band Queen. The song is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, released in June 1986, and was written by guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander, directed by Russell Mulcahy... " (Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... ) |
Eliminated | |
| 3 | Danny Noriega | "Tainted Love Tainted Love "Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and... " (Gloria Jones Gloria Jones Gloria Richetta Jones is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She recorded the 1964 northern soul song, "Tainted Love", later a hit for the British synth-pop duo, Soft Cell. She was the girlfriend of glam rock artist Marc Bolan of the band T... ) |
Eliminated | Amanda Overmyer | "I Hate Myself for Loving You I Hate Myself for Loving You "I Hate Myself for Loving You" is a 1988 song from Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and the first single from the album Up Your Alley. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, Jett's third single to reach the Top 10, but her first since "Crimson and Clover" in 1982... " (Joan Jett Joan Jett Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular... ) |
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| 4 | David Hernandez | "It's All Coming Back to Me Now It's All Coming Back to Me Now "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad, written by Jim Steinman. According to Steinman the song was inspired by Wuthering Heights, and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. The Sunday Times posits that "Steinman protects his songs as if they... " (Pandora's Box Pandora's Box (band) Pandora's Box was a female pop music group assembled by Jim Steinman in the 1980s. Some of its members had previously worked with Steinman, in the ensemble Fire Inc., on the album Bat Out of Hell, on live shows and on other studio recordings... ) |
Safe | Carly Smithson | "I Drove All Night I Drove All Night "I Drove All Night" is a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and made famous by Cyndi Lauper. The song was originally written for Roy Orbison, who recorded it in 1987, but his rendition was not released until 1992, after the song had become a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic for... " (Cyndi Lauper Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album... ) |
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| 5 | Michael Johns | "Don't You (Forget About Me) Don't You (Forget About Me) "Don't You " is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and performed by the band Simple Minds in 1985. The songwriters were producer Keith Forsey "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and... " (Simple Minds Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the... ) |
Safe | Kristy Lee Cook | "Faithfully Faithfully (song) "Faithfully" is a popular song and power ballad by the band Journey, and the second single from their album Frontiers. It was written by Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their second consecutive top twenty hit from Frontiers... " (Journey Journey (band) Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded... ) |
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| 6 | David Cook | "Hello Hello (Lionel Richie song) "Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one... " (Lionel Richie Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records... ) |
Safe | Ramiele Malubay | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) "Against All Odds " is a song by British singer Phil Collins recorded for soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which its protagonist implores an ex-lover to "take a look at me now", knowing that reconciliation is "against all odds" while considering it worth trying... " (Phil Collins Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist.... ) |
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| 7 | Jason Castro | "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships... ) |
Safe | Brooke White | "Love Is a Battlefield Love Is a Battlefield "Love Is a Battlefield" is a song written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman, after Pat Benatar asked Chapman to write her a hit song. It was released as a single from Benatar's album Live from Earth. The single has been certified gold and is her highest charting single in the United States... " (Pat Benatar Pat Benatar Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States... ) |
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| 8 | Chikezie | "All the Man That I Need All the Man That I Need "All the Man That I Need" is a song written by American songwriters Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded under the name "All the man I need" by singer Linda Clifford, in 1982, for her album I'll Keep on Loving You. Pitchford and Gore had in mind Clifford and her husband... " (Linda Clifford Linda Clifford Linda Clifford is an American R&B, disco and house music singer and actress, who scored hits from the 1970s to the 1980s, most notably "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Runaway Love" and "Red Light".... ) |
Safe | Syesha Mercado | "Saving All My Love for You Saving All My Love for You "Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin with arrangement by Gene Page. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978 on their album Marilyn & Billy... " (Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... ) |
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Finalists
 David Cook (singer) David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol... (born December 20, 1982 in Houston, Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... , 24 at the time of the auditions and 25 at the time of the show) is a native of Blue Springs, Missouri Blue Springs, Missouri Blue Springs is a city in Jackson County, Missouri and is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census the population at 52,575.- Geography :... who auditioned in Omaha, Nebraska with Bon Jovi Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald... 's "Livin' On A Prayer Livin' on a Prayer "Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band... ". Cook's interest in music began early in life; he received his first guitar at the age of 2. He formed a band while still at high school called Axium Axium Axium was a Missouri-based band once headed by American Idol season 7 winner David Cook. Their sound was described as Alice in Chains meets Tantric.-History:... which was chosen as the best band in Kansas City in 2004. He later joined Midwest Kings Midwest Kings Midwest Kings is a touring band based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, whose most notable member is David Cook, winner of the seventh season of American Idol... in Tulsa, but left to pursue a solo project where he released an album titled Analog Heart Analog Heart Analog Heart is the debut solo album by singer/songwriter/guitarist David Cook. All songs on the album were written by him. Though originally released as an independent record on May 6, 2006, Analog Heart sales jumped during Cook's appearance on the seventh season of American Idol.Analog Heart won... . Prior to Idol he worked as a bartender Bartender A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner... at the "Blank Slate" in Tulsa, where he would also occasionally play shows. He enjoys doing crossword puzzles in his spare time and calls himself a "word nerd." His Hollywood performance of Bryan Adams Bryan Adams Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written... 's "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You (Everything I Do) I Do It for You " I Do It for You" is a power ballad performed by Bryan Adams and co-written with Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, featured on the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and on Adams' album Waking Up the Neighbours... " did not impress Simon Cowell but did so with his second performance Edwin McCain Edwin McCain Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band... 's "I'll Be". He wore an orange wristband to support a seven-year-old fan with leukemia from Top 12 week onwards. He was never in the "bottom three". On May 21, 2008, he was declared the winner. He was signed to RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... and released a self-titled David Cook (album) David Cook is the first major-label album from seventh season American Idol winner David Cook. The album was released on November 18, 2008 in the United States, was certified platinum and has sold over one million copies in the United States. It has produced two top twenty singles, "Light On" and... album on November 18, 2008, that was certified platinum in January 2009. |
 David Archuleta David Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:... (born December 28, 1990 in Miami, Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... , 16 at the time of the auditions and 17 at the time of the show) is from Murray, Utah Murray, Utah Murray is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray, it is the state's fourteenth largest city. According to the 2010 census, Murray has approximately 46,746 residents.Murray is close to Salt Lake City,... who auditioned in San Diego with John Mayer John Mayer John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his... 's "Waiting on the World to Change Waiting on the World to Change "Waiting on the World to Change" is the first single released from John Mayer's 2006 studio album, Continuum. The song enjoyed commercial success as a single and won the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards... ". In 2003, at the age of 12, he sang on several episodes of the television show Star Search Star Search Star Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd... and went on to win the season finale and the $100,000 grand prize. In one episode, he competed against Alexandréa Lushington, who was a fellow semi-finalist this season. He suffered from vocal paralysis after that show which affected one of his vocal cords. He impressed the judges with his performance of Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download... 's "Crazy Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song) "Crazy" is the debut single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green, and is taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere... " and Bryan Adams Bryan Adams Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written... 's "Heaven Heaven (Bryan Adams song) "Heaven" is a power ballad written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and performed by Bryan Adams. The song first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album in 1983 and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984... " during the Hollywood round. He was never in the "bottom three" in American Idol and finished as the Season 7 runner-up. He was signed to Jive Records Jive Records Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African... and has since released a number of albums. |
 Syesha Mercado Syesha Raquel Mercado is an American singer, songwriter, actress and model. Mercado was the third place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, Mercado was on The One: Making a Music Star and she won Florida Super Singer... (born January 2, 1987 in Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area... , 21 at the time of the show) is from Sarasota, Florida Sarasota, Florida Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers... who auditioned in Miami with Aretha Franklin Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All... 's "Think". She is a student at Florida International University Florida International University Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park... and has been singing and dancing since she was a child. During Hollywood week, she became ill and almost completely lost her voice. In preparation for her final Hollywood performance with Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools Chain of Fools (song) "Chain of Fools" is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and subsequently it appeared on many of her albums. It reached number one on the U.S... ", she went on voice rest and wrote down everything she had to say on a pad of paper. Prior to American Idol, she appeared on the short-lived US version of Star Academy Star Academy Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries... (known as The One: Making a Music Star The One: Making a Music Star The One: Making a Music Star was an American reality television series that aired in July 2006 on ABC in the United States, and CBC Television in Canada. The show was hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, known to Canadian viewers as the host of CBC's The Hour... when it aired on ABC in July 2006 for two weeks). Kara DioGuardi Kara DioGuardi Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159... , who was one of the coaches on the Endemol franchise, joined Idol for Season 8. She was voted off as a third-place finisher and has since pursued a career in musical theatre. |
 Rockwall, Texas Rockwall is a city in Rockwall County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Dallas. It is part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The population was 37,490 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Rockwall County. Rockwall County is the second wealthiest county in the state of Texas in terms... auditioned in Dallas with Keith Urban Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age... 's Once in a Lifetime Once in a Lifetime (Keith Urban song) "Once in a Lifetime" is a 2006 song by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was the first single from his album Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing.... and Ray LaMontagne Ray LaMontagne Raymond "Ray" Charles Jack LaMontagne is a Grammy-award winning American singer-songwriter. LaMontagne has released four studio albums, Trouble, Till the Sun Turns Black, Gossip in the Grain and God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise. He was born in New Hampshire and was inspired to create music after... 's version of Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download... 's Crazy Crazy (Gnarls Barkley song) "Crazy" is the debut single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green, and is taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere... . He started in music playing the drums. In high school, he played for a band, Keeping Lions, which has since disbanded. In 2006, he appeared on Cheyenne Kimball Cheyenne Kimball Cheyenne Nichole Kimball is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her debut album, The Day Has Come was released in July 2006 coinciding with an MTV reality series following her entry into the music industry... 's MTV MTV MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs.... reality TV series Reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded... , as her real-life dating interest. Castro is the first person in his family, which is originally from Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... , to be born in the United States. He is a student at Texas A&M University Texas A&M University Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school... , with a construction science major and music minor. He began growing his hair out for dreadlocks Dreadlocks Dreadlocks, also called locks, a ras, dreads, "rasta" or Jata , are matted coils of hair. Dreadlocks are usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of different hair textures, various methods are used to encourage the formation of locks such as backcombing... during his senior year of high school. He exited the competition in fourth place. He has since been signed to Atlantic Records Atlantic Records Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... and released a number of albums and EPs. |
 Brooke White Brooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &... (born June 2, 1983 in Mesa, Arizona Mesa, Arizona According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%... , 24 at time of show) was a nanny from Van Nuys, California auditioned in Philadelphia with Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006.... 's Like a Star Like a Star "Like a Star" is a song by English soul singer–songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae from her self-titled debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae . Released in November 2005 as her debut single and re-released in October 2006, the song was nominated for the 2008 Grammy Award for Song of the Year... . During her audition, she admitted to never having seen an R-rated movie, prompting Cowell to state that the show will "bring her over to the dark side." In 2005, she released an album titled Songs from the Attic under New Millennium Records. She performed Carole King Carole King Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S... 's "Beautiful" on Hollywood week. She finished in fifth place on Idol. After the contest, she started her own record label "June Baby Records" with Randy Jackson, and released an album, High Hopes & Heartbreak. |
 Carly Smithson Carly Smithson is an Irish soul/pop rock singer-songwriter and actress from San Diego, California who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2001, Smithson released her first studio album for MCA Records called Ultimate High. Smithson was dropped from the record... (born September 12, 1983 in Dublin, Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... , 24 at the time of that show) is a professional singer and bartender Bartender A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner... /waitress from San Diego, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , where she has been living for the past three years. Smithson previously signed a recording contract with major USA label MCA Records MCA Records MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003... and released an album in 2001 entitled Ultimate High Ultimate High Ultimate High is the debut album of Irish-born singer Carly Smithson, released under her maiden name Carly Hennessy in 2001 by MCA Records... under her birth name, Carly Hennessy. The album sold approximately 300 copies in the first three months following its release. Smithson was also a contestant in season five, but was dropped from the show due to a problem with her visa Visa (document) A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport... . She auditioned in San Diego with Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... 's I'm Every Woman I'm Every Woman "I'm Every Woman" is a hit song recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978. It was Chaka Khan's first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus; the song was included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie... , and performed Leo Sayer Leo Sayer Leo Sayer is a British singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades. Sayer became a naturalised Australian citizen in 2009. Sayer was a top singles and album act on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1970s... 's version of "When I Need You When I Need You "When I Need You" is a popular song written by Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded by Hammond on his 1976 album When I Need You. Produced by Richard Perry, Leo Sayer's version made number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in February 1977 after three of his earlier... " and Heart Heart (band) Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music... 's version of "Alone Alone (Heart song) -Céline Dion version:Céline Dion covered "Alone" for her 2007 album Taking Chances. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom... " in the Hollywood rounds. She finished sixth in the show. She later teamed up with former members of Evanescence Evanescence Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide... and formed a new band We Are The Fallen We Are the Fallen We Are the Fallen is an American gothic metal band consisting of former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson, Marty O'Brien and former Evanescence members Ben Moody, John LeCompt, and Rocky Gray. The band's name is an allusion to Evanescence's 2003 album, Fallen, which has resulted in criticism... as its lead singer. |
 Kristy Lee Cook Kristy Lee Cook is an American country singer who was born in Seattle, Washington and was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005 Cook released her debut album called Devoted. In June 2008, Cook signed to 19 Recordings and Arista Nashville. She released her... (born January 18, 1984, 24 at the time of that show) is a horse trainer from Selma, Oregon Selma, Oregon Selma is an unincorporated community in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. It had a population of 1,934 as of 2000. It is located in the ZIP code of 97538.-Notable residents:... . She sold her prized horse in order to afford the trip to audition in Philadelphia where she auditioned with Amazing Grace Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,... , a song she also performed during the Hollywood week. In 2001, she was signed to a major label, Arista Nashville Arista Nashville Arista Nashville is an American record label that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood... . Cook also signed with Britney Spears' production company, and Spears herself was supposed to have a cameo in Cook's first video. At the time of signing, she was managed by the former manager of LeAnn Rimes LeAnn Rimes LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her... . In 2005, she released a CD called Devoted with Ren-Hen Records. Since appearing on the show, Kristy Lee Cook has released an album entitled "Why Wait", which peaked on #8 on the Billboard country charts. The album contained a single, "15 Minutes of Shame", which peaked in the Top 30 on the Billboard country charts. As of December 2008, she has been dropped from Arista Nashville Arista Nashville Arista Nashville is an American record label that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood... . |
 Michael Johns (singer) Michael Johns is an Australian singer-songwriter who finished in eighth place on the seventh season of a United States television series, American Idol, in 2008.-Early life:... (born as Michael Lee on October 20, 1978 in Perth, Western Australia Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... , 29 at the time of that show) auditioned in San Diego with Otis Redding Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B... 's I've Been Loving You Too Long I've Been Loving You Too Long "I've Been Loving You Too Long" is a song written by Otis Redding and Jerry Butler. It appeared as the A-side of a 1965 hit single by Otis Redding - and subsequently appeared on his third album, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul... . He is Australian and moved to the United States from Australia in 1998 and lived in Buckhead (Atlanta) Buckhead (Atlanta) Buckhead is the uptown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown and Midtown... for six years, performing at local venues solo and with local band Film. He has since lived in Los Angeles, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... . After recording a demo and traveling to Los Angeles to showcase for a number of labels in 2001, he signed with Maverick Records Maverick Records Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:... and formed a rock band called The Rising. Before focusing on his singing career, he was a sportsman, winning a tennis scholarship and playing Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... for the USAFL club Atlanta Kookaburras. During the Hollywood round, he performed The Doors The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger... ' "Light My Fire Light My Fire "Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after... " but it was his performance of Queen' Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... s Bohemian Rhapsody Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera... that was one of the highlights of that week. He was surprisingly eliminated on April 10, 2008 and finished in eighth place. He released an album independently Hold Back My Heart Hold Back My Heart Hold Back My Heart is the third studio album by American Idol contestant Michael Johns. It sold 5,000 copies in its first week and a total of 20,000 copies.-Track listing:#"Heart on My Sleeve" -3:41... in 2009. |
 Ramiele Malubay Ramiele Macrohon Malubay , also known as Ramiele, is a Filipino-American singer and the ninth place finalist on the seventh season of the television series American Idol.-Biography:... (born September 6, 1987 in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... , 20 at the time of that show) Filipino Filipino people The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines .... -American from Miramar, Florida Miramar, Florida Miramar is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city was named after the Miramar district of Havana, Cuba. As of the 2010 census, the population was 122,041... auditioned in Miami with Aretha Franklin's Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman " A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her... . Prior to auditioning on Idol, she was a nursing student at Broward Community College Broward Community College Broward College, previously known as "Broward Community College", is a state college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year community college system... and worked part-time at a sushi Sushi is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari... restaurant. She started Polynesian Dancing when she was in the first grade and started singing at the age of twelve. Since the age of 12, Ramiele has sung at various Filipino-American events. She performed Aretha Franklin's Until You Come Back to Me Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) "Until You Come Back to Me " is the name of a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version did not appear on an album until 1977's Anthology... and The Kiki Dee Band Kiki Dee Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years.... 's "I've Got The Music In Me I've Got the Music in Me "I've Got the Music in Me" is a song by The Kiki Dee Band, released in 1974. It was written in 1973 by Bias Boshell, Kiki Dee Band's keyboardist.... " at the Hollywood rounds. She was eliminated as a ninth place finisher. |
 Chikezie Chikezie Ndubuisi Eze is an American singer and the tenth place finalist on the seventh season of the television series American Idol.-Early life:... (born Chikezie Eze on September 11, 1985 in Inglewood, California Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census... , 22 at the time of that show) is a Nigerian American Nigerian American Nigerian Americans are citizens of the United States of America who are or descend from immigrants from Nigeria. Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, approximately one million Nigerians have immigrated in to the United States.... from Inglewood, California Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census... who auditioned in San Diego with Luther Vandross Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times... 's version of "All the Woman I Need All the Man That I Need "All the Man That I Need" is a song written by American songwriters Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded under the name "All the man I need" by singer Linda Clifford, in 1982, for her album I'll Keep on Loving You. Pitchford and Gore had in mind Clifford and her husband... ". During the competition, he dropped using his last name because it was so frequently mispronounced ('eh-zee' and not 'EE-zee'). He previously auditioned for the show's sixth season American Idol (Season 6) The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host... , and made it into the Hollywood Round, where he was cut before the top 44. Before auditioning for Idol, he worked as a TSA Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States.... officer at Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually... . |
 Amanda Overmyer Amanda Lindsay Overmyer is an American rock singer-songwriter from Camden, Indiana who was the eleventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Following her run on Idol, Overmyer released her debut album Solidify on December 10, 2008 and is currently working on her second album... (born October 26, 1984, 23 at the time of that show) Harley Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression... -riding nurse is from Mulberry, Indiana Mulberry, Indiana Mulberry is a town in Madison Township, Clinton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2010 census. The town was named for a mulberry tree which grew at the point where it was founded.-History:... who auditioned in Atlanta with Janis Joplin Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band... 's Turtle Blues and Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums.... 's "Travelin' Band Travelin' Band "Travelin' Band" is a song written by John Fogerty and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was included on their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory. Backed with "Who'll Stop the Rain", it was one of three double sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the U.S... ". She received a nursing degree from Ivy Tech Community College and deals predominantly in respiratory issues. She has been the lead singer of several local hard rock bands, including Steeleto and Ruinaces. A week before the Hollywood week, she was injured in a serious car accident. She performed The Doors The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger... ' "Light My Fire Light My Fire "Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after... " at the Hollywood rounds. After the season ended she married her fiancé Casey Taylor. Since her elimination, she has played at The Whisky a Go Go Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:... bar in West Hollywood and various venues. Since appearing on the show, Amanda has released a rock album entitled "Solidify". The album is only available on the official Amanda Overmyer website as of January 3, 2009. |
 David Hernandez David Anthony Hernandez is an American singer and the twelfth place finalist of FOX's seventh season of the television series American Idol.-Biography:... (born May 31, 1983 in Glendale, Arizona Glendale, Arizona Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721.... , 24 at the time of that show) is from Glendale, Arizona Glendale, Arizona Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721.... and auditioned with The Temptations The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,... ' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg Ain't Too Proud to Beg "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 song and hit single by The Temptations for Motown Records' Gordy label, produced by Norman Whitfield and written by Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, and was a number-one hit on the Billboard R&B charts for... ". He was a student at Arizona State University Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... with a major in Broadcast Journalism Broadcast journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally... . He gave up his apartment to move to Hollywood. Until September 30, 2007, Hernandez worked as a male stripper named "Caden" at Dick's Cabaret in Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... , performing fully nude and giving lap dances to male patrons. This did not prevent him from being on the show. He performed Stephen Stills Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time... 's Love the One You're With Love the One You're With "Love the One You're With" is a 1970 single by folk rocker Stephen Stills. The first release off his first solo album Stephen Stills, it rose to the top twenty of the pop singles chart, peaking at No. 14.... on Hollywood week. He was voted off in twelfth place soon after his stripper past was publicized by Vote for the Worst Vote for the Worst VoteForTheWorst.com is a website that is devoted to voting for the worst, most entertaining, most hated or quirkiest contestants on the Fox Network television series American Idol... . |
Top 12 – Lennon/McCartneyLennon/McCartneyThe Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership is one of the best-known and most successful musical collaborations in history...
Songbook
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syesha Mercado | "Got to Get You into My Life Got to Get You into My Life "Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by The Beatles, first released in 1966 on the album Revolver. Written by Paul McCartney , it made prominent use of a brass section... " |
Bottom Three |
| 2 | Chikezie | "She's a Woman She's a Woman "She's a Woman" is a song by The Beatles. It was released as the B-side to "I Feel Fine" in 1964, their last single release that year. It reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 from frequent airplay.-Composition:... " |
Safe |
| 3 | Ramiele Malubay | "In My Life In My Life "In My Life" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney . The song originated with Lennon, and while Paul McCartney contributed to the final version, the extent of his contribution is in dispute. George Martin contributed the instrumental bridge... " |
Safe |
| 4 | Jason Castro | "If I Fell If I Fell "If I Fell" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared in 1964 on the album A Hard Day's Night in the United Kingdom and on the North American album Something New... " |
Safe |
| 5 | Carly Smithson | "Come Together Come Together "Come Together" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on The Beatles' September 1969 album Abbey Road.... " |
Safe |
| 6 | David Cook | "Eleanor Rigby Eleanor Rigby "Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney... " |
Safe |
| 7 | Brooke White | "Let It Be Let It Be (song) "Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band... " |
Safe |
| 8 | David Hernandez | "I Saw Her Standing There I Saw Her Standing There "I Saw Her Standing There" is a song written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and is the opening track on The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me, released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 22 March 1963.... " |
Eliminated |
| 9 | Amanda Overmyer | "You Can't Do That You Can't Do That "You Can't Do That" is a song written by John Lennon and released by The Beatles as the B-side of their sixth British single "Can't Buy Me Love".-Composition:... " |
Safe |
| 10 | Michael Johns | "Across the Universe Across the Universe "Across the Universe" is a song by the English group The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the various artists charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World in December 1969, and later, in different form, on Let It Be,... " |
Safe |
| 11 | Kristy Lee Cook | "Eight Days a Week Eight Days a Week "Eight Days a Week" is a song by The Beatles.Eight Days a Week may also refer to:*Eight Days a Week , a 1999 comedy film*Eight Days a Week , a CW sitcom that never aired... " |
Bottom Two |
| 12 | David Archuleta | "We Can Work It Out We Can Work It Out "We Can Work It Out" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a "double A-sided" single with "Day Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release... " |
Safe |
Top 11 – The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amanda Overmyer | "Back in the U.S.S.R." | Eliminated |
| 2 | Kristy Lee Cook | "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away You've Got to Hide Your Love Away "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by John Lennon and released on the album Help! in August 1965.-Composition and recording:... " |
Bottom Two |
| 3 | David Archuleta | "The Long and Winding Road The Long and Winding Road "The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet... " |
Safe |
| 4 | Michael Johns | "A Day in the Life A Day in the Life "A Day in the Life" is a song by The Beatles, the final track on the group's 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the song comprises distinct segments written independently by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with orchestral additions... " |
Safe |
| 5 | Brooke White | "Here Comes the Sun Here Comes the Sun "Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles... " |
Safe |
| 6 | David Cook | "Day Tripper Day Tripper "Day Tripper" is a song by The Beatles, released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out". Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the Rubber Soul album... " |
Safe |
| 7 | Carly Smithson | "Blackbird Blackbird (song) "Blackbird" is a Beatles song from the double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney.-Origins:... " |
Bottom Three |
| 8 | Jason Castro | "Michelle Michelle (song) "Michelle" is a love ballad by The Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. It is featured on their Rubber Soul album. The song departs from most of The Beatles' other recordings in that some of the lyrics are in French... " |
Safe |
| 9 | Syesha Mercado | "Yesterday Yesterday (song) "Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded... " |
Safe |
| 10 | Chikezie | "I've Just Seen a Face I've Just Seen a Face "I've Just Seen a Face" is a song by The Beatles. It appears on their 1965 United Kingdom album Help!, although in the United States it and "It's Only Love" first appeared on the Capitol version of the Rubber Soul album.-Composition:... " |
Safe |
| 11 | Ramiele Malubay | "I Should Have Known Better I Should Have Known Better "I Should Have Known Better" is a song composed by John Lennon , and originally released by The Beatles on the United Kingdom version of A Hard Day's Night, their soundtrack for the film of the same name.... " |
Safe |
Top 10 – Year They Were Born
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ramiele Malubay | "Alone Alone (Heart song) -Céline Dion version:Céline Dion covered "Alone" for her 2007 album Taking Chances. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom... " (i-TEN) |
Safe |
| 2 | Jason Castro | "Fragile Fragile (song) "Fragile" is a song composed by English musician Sting from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun. Released as a single the following year, it placed to number 70 on the UK Singles Chart. Sung additionally in both Spanish and Portuguese under the title Fragilidad, it appeared twice more on his... " (Sting) |
Bottom Three |
| 3 | Syesha Mercado | "If I Were Your Woman If I Were Your Woman (song) "If I Were Your Woman" is a song recorded Gladys Knight & the Pips. The song was written by Pam Sawyer, Clay McMurray, and Gloria Jones and it was produced by McMurray. Released in late 1970 from the album of the same title, it spent one week at number-one on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart in... " (Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight... ) |
Bottom Two |
| 4 | Chikezie | "If Only for One Night The Night I Fell in Love (album) The Night I Fell in Love is the fourth studio album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross, released in 1985. In 1986, it was nominated for one Grammy Award, "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male", and two American Music Awards, "Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist" and "Favorite Soul/R&B Album".-Track... " (Luther Vandross Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times... ) |
Eliminated |
| 5 | Brooke White | "Every Breath You Take Every Breath You Take "Every Breath You Take" is a song by The Police on the band's 1983 album Synchronicity, written by Sting and Andy Summers . The single was one of the biggest hits of 1983, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for eight weeks and the UK Singles Chart for four weeks. It also topped the... " (The Police The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland... ) |
Safe |
| 6 | Michael Johns | "We Will Rock You We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century... " / "We Are the Champions We Are the Champions "We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems... " medley (Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... ) |
Safe |
| 7 | Carly Smithson | "Total Eclipse of the Heart Total Eclipse of the Heart "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night... " (Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:... ) |
Safe |
| 8 | David Archuleta | "You're the Voice You're the Voice As a lead promotion for their first live album Rock the House Live! in 1991, US rock band Heart released their live version of "You're the Voice" as a single. It was captured during the US leg of their Brigade world tour in November 1990... " (John Farnham John Farnham John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as... ) |
Safe |
| 9 | Kristy Lee Cook | "God Bless the USA God Bless the USA "God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No... " (Lee Greenwood Lee Greenwood Melvin Lee Greenwood is an American country music artist. Active since the early 1980s, he has released more than twenty major-label albums and has charted more than 35 singles on the Billboard country music charts.... ) |
Safe |
| 10 | David Cook | "Billie Jean Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and... " (Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... ) |
Safe |
Top 9 – Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
Mentor: Dolly PartonDolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooke White | "Jolene Jolene (song) "Jolene" is a song written and performed by Dolly Parton from her album Jolene , produced by Bob Ferguson. It is ranked #217 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".-History:... " |
Bottom Three |
| 2 | David Cook | "Little Sparrow Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies" is an American folk music ballad, originating from the Appalachian region. It has been recorded under either of its two title variations by numerous artists, including The Carter Family, Joan Baez, Odetta, Peter, Paul and Mary, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton... " |
Safe |
| 3 | Ramiele Malubay | "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind Heartbreak Express -Chart performance:-External links:*... " |
Eliminated |
| 4 | Jason Castro | "Travelin' Thru" | Safe |
| 5 | Carly Smithson | "Here You Come Again" | Safe |
| 6 | David Archuleta | "Smoky Mountain Memories Heartsongs: Live From Home -Chart performance:-External links:* at dollyon-line.com... " |
Safe |
| 7 | Kristy Lee Cook | "Coat of Many Colors Coat of Many Colors -Personnel:*Dolly Parton – vocals, guitar*Billy Sanford – guitar*Dave Kirby – guitar*Jerry Shook – guitar*George McCormick – guitar*Pete Drake – pedal steel guitar*Bobby Dyson – bass*Jerry Carrigan – drums*Buck Trent – banjo*Mack Magaha – fiddle... " |
Bottom Two |
| 8 | Syesha Mercado | "I Will Always Love You I Will Always Love You "I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:... " |
Safe |
| 9 | Michael Johns | "It's All Wrong But It's All Right" Two Doors Down "Two Doors Down" was a song written and performed by Dolly Parton, which provided a 1978 U.S. country and pop hit for her. The song was sung from the perspective of a woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend and is debating attending a party two doors down the hall from her apartment... " |
Safe |
Top 8 – Inspirational Music
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Johns | "Dream On Dream On (Aerosmith song) "Dream On" is the first single by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this blues-influenced power ballad became their first major hit and classic rock radio staple... " (Aerosmith Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many... ) |
Eliminated |
| 2 | Syesha Mercado | "I Believe I Believe (Fantasia song) "I Believe" is the debut single released by singer and American Idol season 3 winner, Fantasia Barrino. The song significantly helped Fantasia rise to fame. The song was co-written by former American Idol contestant Tamyra Gray.-History:... " (Fantasia) |
Bottom Three |
| 3 | Jason Castro | "Over the Rainbow Over the Rainbow "Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie... " (Judy Garland Judy Garland Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage... ) |
Safe |
| 4 | Kristy Lee Cook | "Anyway Anyway (song) "Anyway" is a song co-written and recorded by American country artist Martina McBride. The song was released in November 2006 following a performance on the 2006 CMA Awards, and served as the lead-off single from her ninth studio album, Waking Up Laughing... " (Martina McBride Martina McBride Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range.... ) |
Safe |
| 5 | David Cook | "Innocent Innocent (Our Lady Peace song) "Innocent" is a single that was released by Canadian alternative rock band Our Lady Peace in late summer of 2002 from their album Gravity. It was written by lead vocalist Raine Maida.-Song information:... " (Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace is a Canadian alternative rock band that formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Headed by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band additionally consists of Jeremy Taggart on percussion, Duncan Coutts on bass, and Steve Mazur as lead guitarist... ) |
Safe |
| 6 | Carly Smithson | "The Show Must Go On The Show Must Go On (Queen song) "The Show Must Go On" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but written primarily by Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his... " (Queen Queen (band) Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor... ) |
Bottom Three |
| 7 | David Archuleta | "Angels" (Robbie Williams Robbie Williams Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams... ) |
Safe |
| 8 | Brooke White | "You've Got a Friend You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year... " (Carole King Carole King Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S... ) |
Safe |
Top 7 – Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
Mentor: Mariah CareyMariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist when applicable) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Archuleta | "When You Believe When You Believe "When You Believe" is an Academy Award-winning song by American recording artists Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The song was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz for the 1998 DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. A version of "When You Believe" was produced as a single with... " (Mariah Carey Mariah Carey Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993... & Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among... ) |
Safe |
| 2 | Carly Smithson | "Without You " (Badfinger Badfinger Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,... ) |
Safe |
| 3 | Syesha Mercado | "Vanishing Mariah Carey (album) Mariah Carey is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 12, 1990 by Columbia Records. The album contains a range of contemporary genres, and the songs are a mix of slow ballads and dance tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with... " |
Bottom Three |
| 4 | Brooke White | "Hero Hero (Mariah Carey song) "Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records as the second single from Carey's third studio album, Music Box . Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff... " |
Bottom Two |
| 5 | Kristy Lee Cook | "Forever Forever (Mariah Carey song) "Forever" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, Daydream. It was released by Columbia Records on March 10, 1996, as an airplay-only single from the album. The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, and was composed throughout 1995... " |
Eliminated |
| 6 | David Cook | "Always Be My Baby Always Be My Baby "Always Be My Baby" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, Daydream. It was released by Columbia Records on March 9, 1996 as the third US single and fourth overall. The song was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, who also produced the song... " |
Safe |
| 7 | Jason Castro | "I Don't Wanna Cry I Don't Wanna Cry "I Don't Wanna Cry" is a song written by Mariah Carey and Narada Michael Walden, and produced by Walden for Carey's debut album, Mariah Carey . The ballad was released as the album's fourth single in the second quarter of 1991. It became another U.S. number 1 single for Carey... " |
Safe |
Top 6 – Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
Mentor: Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
| Order | Contestant | Song (production) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syesha Mercado | "One Rock & Roll Too Many Starlight Express Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates... " (from Starlight Express Starlight Express Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates... ) |
Bottom Two |
| 2 | Jason Castro | "Memory" (from Cats Cats (musical) Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot... ) |
Safe |
| 3 | Brooke White | "You Must Love Me You Must Love Me "You Must Love Me" is a pop ballad recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna from the soundtrack album Evita of the motion picture of the same name. It was released in October 1996 by Warner Bros. as the first single from the album. Written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the song won an... " (from Evita Evita (film) Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce... ) |
Safe |
| 4 | David Archuleta | "Think of Me Think of Me "Think of Me" is a song composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber from his stage musical The Phantom of the Opera.It is sung by Elissa in the fictional Hannibal opera. At first, Carlotta Giudicelli is cast in the part, but during rehearsal a backdrop falls dangerously close to her. She quits, having had many... " (from The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical) The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,... ) |
Safe |
| 5 | Carly Smithson | "Superstar Superstar (Jesus Christ Superstar song) "Superstar" is the title song from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It was released as a single in 1969, before the album was completed. Sung by Murray Head with the Trinidad Singers, it reached number 78 on first release. Murray Head reached... " (from Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971... ) |
Eliminated |
| 6 | David Cook | "The Music of the Night" (from The Phantom of the Opera) | Safe |
Top 5 – Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
Mentor: Neil DiamondNeil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
Each contestant sang two songs.
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist when applicable) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Castro | "Forever in Blue Jeans Forever in Blue Jeans "Forever in Blue Jeans" is a song by Neil Diamond which was co-written with his guitarist Richard Bennett. This up-tempo track, released as a single by Columbia in February 1979, was taken from the previous year's Neil Diamond album You Don't Bring Me Flowers.The song officially peaked at #20 on... " |
Safe |
| 2 | David Cook | "I'm Alive Neil Diamond discography This is a discography for Neil Diamond.Neil Diamond currently has 37 top 40 hits. He has sold 75 million albums world-wide.-Studio albums:Notes*ATennessee Moon also reached #3 on the Country Albums chart.-Live albums:-Compilations:... " |
Safe |
| 3 | Brooke White | "I'm a Believer I'm a Believer "I'm a Believer" is a song composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by The Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single, produced by Jeff Barry, hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966 and remained there for seven weeks,... " (The Monkees The Monkees The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,... ) |
Eliminated |
| 4 | David Archuleta | "Sweet Caroline Sweet Caroline "Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song... " |
Safe |
| 5 | Syesha Mercado | "Hello Again The Jazz Singer (soundtrack) The Jazz Singer is an album by Neil Diamond from 1980, which served as soundtrack album to the 1980 remake of the film The Jazz Singer. The soundtrack was released in November 1980 originally on Capitol Records. EMI Films produced the film... " |
Safe |
| 6 | Jason Castro | "September Morn Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present.... " |
Safe |
| 7 | David Cook | "All I Really Need Is You"" | Safe |
| 8 | Brooke White | "I Am...I Said I Am...I Said "I Am...I Said" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. Released as a single in March 1971, it was quite successful, at first slowly climbing the charts, then more quickly rising to number 4 on the U.S. pop singles chart by May 1971... " |
Eliminated |
| 9 | David Archuleta | "America America (Neil Diamond song) "America" is the name of a patriotic song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond, released in 1980 as part of The Jazz Singer soundtrack album... " |
Safe |
| 10 | Syesha Mercado | "Thank the Lord for the Night Time Just for You (Neil Diamond album) Just for You is the name of Neil Diamond's second album. Like his debut, it has never been released on CD, though all but two of the tracks were made available on the Classics: The Early Years compilation... " |
Safe |
Top 4 – Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
Each contestant sang two songs.| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Cook | "Hungry Like the Wolf Hungry Like the Wolf "Hungry Like the Wolf" is a song by the British New Wave band Duran Duran. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Colin Thurston for the group's second studio album Rio . The song was released in May 1982 as the band's fifth single in the United Kingdom... " (Duran Duran Duran Duran Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States... ) |
Safe |
| 2 | Syesha Mercado | "Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums.... ) |
Safe |
| 3 | Jason Castro | "I Shot the Sheriff I Shot the Sheriff "I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley, told from the point of view of a man who admits to having killed the local sheriff, but claims to be falsely accused of having killed the deputy sheriff. He also claims to have acted in self defense when the sheriff tried to shoot him. The... " (Bob Marley Bob Marley Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers... ) |
Eliminated |
| 4 | David Archuleta | "Stand by Me Stand by Me (song) "Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3... " (Ben E. King Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S... ) |
Safe |
| 5 | David Cook | "Baba O'Riley Baba O'Riley "Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"... " (The Who The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction... ) |
Safe |
| 6 | Syesha Mercado | "A Change Is Gonna Come A Change Is Gonna Come (song) "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the... " (Sam Cooke Sam Cooke Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and... ) |
Safe |
| 7 | Jason Castro | "Mr. Tambourine Man Mr. Tambourine Man "Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and... " (Bob Dylan Bob Dylan Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly... ) |
Eliminated |
| 8 | David Archuleta | "Love Me Tender Love Me Tender (song) "Love Me Tender" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music, adapted from the tune of "Aura Lee" , a sentimental Civil War ballad.- History :... " (Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... ) |
Safe |
Top 3 – Judges' choice, Contestant's choice & Producer's Choice
Each contestant sang three songs.| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) — Judge | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Archuleta | "And So It Goes And So It Goes "And So It Goes" is a ballad written by Billy Joel in 1983, though it wasn't released until six years later. It appeared as the tenth and final track of his megahit album Storm Front. The original 1983 demo was released on the 2005 box set My Lives. Joel wrote the song about a doomed relationship... " (Billy Joel Billy Joel William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to... ) — Paula Abdul |
Safe |
| 2 | Syesha Mercado | "If I Ain't Got You If I Ain't Got You "If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded, written, and produced by American recording artist Alicia Keys for her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Released in February 2004 as the album's second single, the song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Keys' second... " (Alicia Keys Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano... ) — Randy Jackson |
Eliminated |
| 3 | David Cook | "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by British political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who was later to become his wife. At the time the couple were lovers, although MacColl was married to someone else. MacColl and Seeger included the song in their... " (Peggy Seeger Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger is an American folksinger. She is also well known in Britain, where she lived for more than 30 years with her husband, singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl.- The first American period :... ) — Simon Cowell |
Safe |
| 4 | David Archuleta | "With You With You (Chris Brown song) "With You" is a pop/R&B song by Chris Brown, nominated for 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and written by Johntá Austin, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate... " (Chris Brown) |
Safe |
| 5 | Syesha Mercado | "Fever Fever (1956 song) "Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958.... " (Little Willie John Little Willie John William Edward John was better known by his stage name Little Willie John. Many sources erroneously give his second name as Edgar... ) |
Eliminated |
| 6 | David Cook | "Dare You to Move Dare You to Move "Dare You to Move" is a single by the alternative rock band Switchfoot from the band's fourth studio album, The Beautiful Letdown. The song was originally called "I Dare You to Move", and was on the album Learning to Breathe, but the band decided to remix it and put it on The Beautiful Letdown... " (Switchfoot Switchfoot Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream... ) |
Safe |
| 7 | David Archuleta | "Longer Longer "Longer" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg. The song can be found on Fogelberg's 1979 album Phoenix... " (Dan Fogelberg Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music... ) |
Safe |
| 8 | Syesha Mercado | "Hit Me Up Hit Me Up "Hit Me Up" is the Second single by American singer Gia Farrell. The song is included on the Happy Feet movie soundtrack.This song was featured in Wheat Thins's new commercial for their garden vegetable flavored crackers, and gained attention again when it was performed in May 2008 by Syesha... " (Gia Farrell Gia Farrell Jeannie Marie Bocchicchio , better known by her stage name Gia Farrell, is an American singer-songwriter. Her 2006 single "Hit Me Up" was featured on the Happy Feet soundtrack in 2006.-Early life:... ) |
Eliminated |
| 9 | David Cook | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing I Don't Want to Miss a Thing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith for the 1998 film Armageddon. Written by Diane Warren, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song stayed at number one for four weeks from September 5 to September 26, 1998... " (Aerosmith Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many... ) |
Safe |
Finale – Clive DavisClive DavisClive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
' choice, New Song & Contestant's Choice
Each contestant sang three songs.| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Cook | "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a song by rock band U2. It is the second track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree and was released as the album's second single in May 1987... " (U2 U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music... ) |
Winner |
| 2 | David Archuleta | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John's 1974 album Caribou; it was released that year during the latter half of May in the United Kingdom, and on 10 June in the United States.-Lyrics and music:... " (Elton John Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... ) |
Runner-Up |
| 3 | David Cook | "Dream Big Dream Big (David Cook song) "Dream Big" is a rock song performed by David Cook on season 7 of American Idol, of which he won. It was written by Emily Shackelton as an entry for the American Idol Songwriting Contest 2008... " |
Winner |
| 4 | David Archuleta | "In This Moment" | Runner-Up |
| 5 | David Cook | "The World I Know The World I Know "The World I Know" is a song by the American alternative rock band Collective Soul, originally released on their 1995 eponymous album. Written by lead singer and guitarist Ed Roland and guitarist Ross Childress, "The World I Know" peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart when released as a... " (Collective Soul Collective Soul Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993... ) |
Winner |
| 6 | David Archuleta | "Imagine Imagine (song) "Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971... " (John Lennon John Lennon John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... ) |
Runner-Up |
Elimination chart
| Female | Male | Top 24 | Top 12 | Winner |
| Safe | Safe First | Safe Last | Eliminated |
| Stage: | Semi Finals | Finals | |||||||||||||
| Week: | 2/21 | 2/28 | 3/6 | 3/12 | 3/19 | 3/26 | 4/2 | 4/101 | 4/16 | 4/23 | 4/302 | 5/7 | 5/14 | 5/21 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Contestant | Result | |||||||||||||
| 1 | David Cook | Winner | |||||||||||||
| 2 | David Archuleta | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Syesha Mercado | Bottom 3 | Bottom 3 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 4 | Jason Castro | Bottom 3 | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Brooke White | Bottom 3 | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Carly Smithson | Bottom 3 | Bottom 3 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 7 | Kristy Lee Cook | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 8 | Michael Johns | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 9 | Ramiele Malubay | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 10 | Chikezie | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 11 | Amanda Overmyer | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 12 | David Hernandez | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 13-16 | Danny Noriega | Elim | |||||||||||||
| Asia'h Epperson | |||||||||||||||
| Luke Menard | |||||||||||||||
| Kady Malloy | Bottom 3 | ||||||||||||||
| 17-20 | Robbie Carrico | Elim | |||||||||||||
| Alaina Whitaker | |||||||||||||||
| Jason Yeager | |||||||||||||||
| 21-24 | Colton Berry | Elim | |||||||||||||
| Joanne Borgella | |||||||||||||||
| Amy Davis | |||||||||||||||
| Garrett Haley | |||||||||||||||
1 Due to the Idol Gives Back special airing on the show's regular Wednesday results night, the results show was moved to Thursday.
2 From this point forward, neither the bottom 3 nor bottom 2 contestants were explicitly identified.
Results night performances
During the Hollywood weeks, "Hollywood's Not AmericaHollywood's Not America
"Hollywood's Not America" is a song by American pop singer/songwriter Ferras and is featured on his debut studio album, Aliens & Rainbows. It was released on January 29, 2008, as the lead single from that album....
" by Ferras
Ferras
Ferras Alqaisi , known as Ferras, is a Jordanian-American Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who has signed with EMI as part of Capitol Records.-Career:Ferras grew up feeling out of place in a small Illinois town called Gillespie...
played when contestants were eliminated, while "Best Days" by Graham Colton
Graham Colton
Graham Colton is an American singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma most widely known for his hit song "Best Days", featured on the television series American Idol and Kyle XY...
was the elimination song for the semi-finals round. For the finals, season 2
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 of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...
winner Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard
Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
remade Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
' "Celebrate Me Home
Celebrate Me Home (song)
"Celebrate Me Home" is a song written by Bob James and Kenny Loggins, and recorded by Loggins as the title track of his 1976 debut solo album Celebrate Me Home.-The Song:...
" as the exit song.
Group song
The contestants also performed medleys of songs from that week's theme.- Top 24: A medley of songs from the 1960s, including "Needles and PinsNeedles and Pins (1963 song)"Needles and Pins" is a song written by Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono. In his autobiography, Bono states that he sang along with Nitzsche's guitar-playing, thus creating both the tune and the lyrics, being guided by the chord progressions....
" and "When You Walk in the RoomWhen You Walk In The Room"When You Walk in the Room" is a song written and recorded by Jackie DeShannon, first released by her in 1963 but covered by many artists. The lyrics of the song attempt to detail the singer's emotions when in the presence of the person he or she loves...
" by The SearchersThe Searchers (band)The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
, "Spanish HarlemSpanish Harlem (song)"Spanish Harlem" is a song released by Ben E. King in 1960 on Atco Records, written by Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller...
" by Ben E. KingBen E. KingBenjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...
, and "Bend Me, Shape MeBend Me, Shape Me"Bend Me, Shape Me" is a song written by Scott English and Larry Weiss. It was first recorded by The Outsiders as a track on their album The Outsiders In in 1966...
" by The American Breed. - Top 20: A medley of songs from the 1970s, including "I Saw the LightI Saw The Light (Todd Rundgren song)"I Saw the Light" is the opening track from Todd Rundgren's 1972 Something/Anything? double album. The song is a pastiche of 1960s pop songs and a homage to singer-songwriters Laura Nyro and Carole King....
" by Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, "It's a HeartacheIt's a Heartache"It's a Heartache" is a country rock song that was recorded separately by Bonnie Tyler and Juice Newton in 1977. Tyler's version charted in the UK in November 1977 and both versions charted in the United States in 1978. The song was also recorded by Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes in 1978, but it...
" by Bonnie TylerBonnie TylerBonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
, "The Things We Do for Love" by 10cc10cc10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name...
, and "I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
. - Top 12: A medley of songs by The Beatles including "All My LovingAll My Loving"All My Loving" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , from the 1963 album With The Beatles. Though it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, it drew considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP...
," "I Feel FineI Feel Fine"I Feel Fine" is a riff-driven rock song written by John Lennon and released in 1964 by The Beatles as the A-side of their eighth British single. The song is notable for the use of feedback on a recording for the first time by any musician...
," "Can't Buy Me LoveCan't Buy Me Love"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...
," and "Help!Help! (song)"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
." - Top 11: A second medley of Beatles songs including "While My Guitar Gently WeepsWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by George Harrison, first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their eponymous double album...
," "Here, There and EverywhereHere, There and Everywhere"Here, There and Everywhere" is a song written primarily by Paul McCartney , recorded for The Beatles 1966 album Revolver. In his biography Many Years From Now, McCartney said the song is one of his favourites. Beatles' producer George Martin has also mentioned it as one of his favourite McCartney...
," "BecauseBecause (The Beatles song)"Because" is a song written by John Lennon and recorded by The Beatles in 1969. It features a prominent three-part vocal harmony by Lennon, McCartney and George Harrison, overdubbed three times to make nine voices in all...
," and "The EndThe End (The Beatles song)"The End" is a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney for the album Abbey Road. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the medley that dominates side two of the LP version of the album.-Composition and recording:McCartney said, "I wanted...
." - Top 10: "Right Back Where We Started FromRight Back Where We Started From"Right Back Where We Started From" is a song written by Pierre Tubbs and J. Vincent Edwards which was first recorded in the summer of 1975 by Maxine Nightingale for whom it was an international hit...
" by Maxine NightingaleMaxine NightingaleMaxine Nightingale is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in the 1970s, with the million seller "Right Back Where We Started From" Maxine Nightingale (born 2 November 1952; Wembley, London) is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is best known for her hits in...
. - Top 9: "9 to 59 to 5 (Dolly Parton song)"9 to 5" is a song written and originally performed by Dolly Parton for the 1980 film comedy Nine to Five, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Parton in her film debut....
" by Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
. - Top 8: "Shout to the LordShout to the LordShout to the Lord is a live praise and worship album of Christian Contemporary music by Hillsong Music.-Making of the album:Shout to the Lord was recorded live at the Hills Christian Life Centre by Darlene Zschech and the Hillsong team....
" by Hillsong. - Top 7: "One Sweet DayOne Sweet Day"One Sweet Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and R&B group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Carey, Walter Afanasieff and the members of Boyz II Men: Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary. "One Sweet Day" was produced by Carey and Afanasieff for...
" by Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
with Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
. - Top 6: "All I Ask of YouAll I Ask of You"All I Ask of You" is a song from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical version of The Phantom of the Opera.It was released as a single on both 7 and 12 inch vinyl in 1986 by Cliff Richard and Sarah Brightman.It was certified Silver in the UK....
" from The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
." - Top 5: A medley of songs by Neil DiamondNeil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, including "Cracklin' RosieCracklin' Rosie"Cracklin' Rosie" is a 1970 song written and performed by Neil Diamond in 1970, from his album Tap Root Manuscript. This was Neil Diamond's first American #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1970, and his third to sell a million copies. It become Diamond's breakthrough single on the UK...
," "Song Sung BlueSong Sung Blue"Song Sung Blue" is a 1972 song written and recorded by Neil Diamond. The song was released off his album, Moods and later appeared on many of Diamond's live and compilation albums....
," and "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation ShowBrother Love's Travelling Salvation ShowBrother Love's Travelling Salvation Show is the name of Neil Diamond's fourth studio album, released in 1969. Four months after the title cut became a #22 hit, Diamond recorded and released a new single, "Sweet Caroline", which reached #4...
." - Top 4: "Reelin' in the YearsReelin' in the Years"Reelin' In the Years" is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the sixth track on their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill.The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. The song was also a #11 hit on the Pop singles chart in 1973. In March 2005, Q...
" by Steely DanSteely DanSteely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
. - Top 3: "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by McFadden & WhiteheadMcFadden & WhiteheadMcFadden and Whitehead were an American songwriting, production, and recording duo, best known for their signature tune "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"...
.
Finale
- Top 12 - "Get Ready" (The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
). - Top 2 - "HeroHero (Chad Kroeger song)"Hero" is a single by Chad Kroeger, the lead singer of Nickelback, recorded in 2002 for the soundtrack to the film Spider-Man. The recording features Kroeger; Josey Scott, the lead singer of Saliva; Tyler Connolly, guitarist and lead singer of Theory of a Deadman; Mike Kroeger, bassist of...
" (Chad KroegerChad KroegerChad Robert Kroeger is aCanadian songwriter, singer, and guitarist best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Canadian rock band Nickelback...
and Josey ScottJosey ScottJosey Scott is the former lead vocalist of Post-grunge/hard rock band Saliva. In addition to Saliva, Scott co-wrote and performed "Hero" with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback.- Career :Prior to Saliva, Scott fronted a Memphis-area heavy metal band called BlackBone in...
) - The top 2 meet Guru PitkaThe Love GuruThe Love Guru is a 2008 comedy film, directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba along with Romany Malco and Justin Timberlake. In addition to starring in the film, Myers wrote The Love Guru with Graham Gordy and produced it with Gary Barber. The film was released by...
(Mike MyersMike Myers (actor)Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
) - SealSeal (musician)Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
and Syesha Mercado - "Waiting For YouWaiting For You (Seal Song)"Waiting for You" is a song by Seal. It was released as the final single from his fourth studio album Seal IV.-Formats and track listings:US Maxi CD single #"Waiting for You" "Waiting for You" is a song by Seal. It was released as the final single from his fourth studio album Seal IV.-Formats and...
" - Jason CastroJason CastroJason René Castro is an American acoustic/folk-pop/contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and was the fourth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol...
- "Hallelujah" - Girl finalists - Donna SummerDonna SummerLaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
medley - "She Works Hard for Her MoneyShe Works Hard for the Money (song)"She Works Hard for the Money" is a 1983 hit single by singer Donna Summer. It was the first single released from the album of the same name.-Premise:The song, co-written by the singer, told a story of a woman who "works hard for [her] money"...
", "Hot StuffHot Stuff (Donna Summer song)"Hot Stuff" is a hit single released by American singer Donna Summer in 1979 as the first single release from her Bad Girls album through Casablanca Records...
" - Donna Summer with Top 12 girls - "Stamp Your FeetStamp Your Feet"Stamp Your Feet" is a song by Donna Summer released as the first official single from her 2008 album, Crayons. The song was written by Summer, Danielle Brisebois, and Greg Kurstin, who also produced the track.-American Idol performance:...
", "Last DanceLast Dance (song)"Last Dance" is a hit 1978 song by singer Donna Summer. The song appeared on the Thank God It's Friday movie soundtrack. It was written by Paul Jabara and was co-produced by Summer's regular collaborator Giorgio Moroder, along with Bob Esty...
" - Carly SmithsonCarly SmithsonCarly Smithson is an Irish soul/pop rock singer-songwriter and actress from San Diego, California who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2001, Smithson released her first studio album for MCA Records called Ultimate High. Smithson was dropped from the record...
and Michael Johns - "The Letter" (The Box TopsThe Box TopsThe Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...
) - Jimmy KimmelJimmy KimmelJames Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money...
- Guy finalists - Bryan AdamsBryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
medley "Summer of '69Summer of '69"Summer of '69" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Bryan Adams, from his fourth studio album, Reckless . The song was written by Adams and Jim Vallance, a long-time writing partner of Adams. "Summer of '69" was produced by Adams and Bob Clearmountain. It was released in June 1985 under...
", "HeavenHeaven (Bryan Adams song)"Heaven" is a power ballad written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and performed by Bryan Adams. The song first appeared on the A Night in Heaven soundtrack album in 1983 and was later included on Adams' album Reckless in 1984...
" - Bryan Adams with the guys - "I Thought I'd Seen EverythingI Thought I'd Seen Everything- UK digital download :- Release history :- Chart :...
", "Somebody" - ZZ TopZZ TopZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
and David Cook - "Sharp Dressed ManSharp Dressed Man"Sharp Dressed Man" is a song performed by ZZ Top from their album Eliminator released in 1983. The song was produced by band manager Bill Ham, and recorded and mixed by Terry Manning....
" - Graham NashGraham NashGraham William Nash, OBE is an English singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer...
and Brooke White - "Teach Your ChildrenTeach Your Children"Teach Your Children" is a song by Graham Nash. Although it was written when Nash was a member of The Hollies, it was never recorded by that group, and first appeared on the album Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released in 1970. The recording features Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar...
" - Jonas BrothersJonas BrothersThe Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
- "SOSSOS (Jonas Brothers song)"S.O.S" is a song by American pop band Jonas Brothers. The song was released as the band's second single from Jonas Brothers, their second studio album, in 2007. It was also their debut single in Europe in May 2008 and in UK in early June 2008...
" - Renaldo LapuzRenaldo LapuzRenaldo Lapuz is a Filipino-American who auditioned on the seventh season of the television series American Idol, singing the self-written song "We're Brothers Forever."-Biography:...
- "We're Brothers Forever" - One Republic and David Archuleta - "ApologizeApologize (song)"Apologize" is a song written by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder for OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud. A remix version was included on the Timbaland album, Shock Value and on the deluxe version of Dreaming Out Loud...
" - Jordin SparksJordin SparksJordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
- "One Step at a TimeOne Step at a Time (song)"One Step at a Time" is the third single from American Pop/R&B singer Jordin Sparks, from her eponymous debut album. Written by Robbie Nevil, Lauren Evans, Jonas Jeberg and Mich Hansen the song was released in the U.S. on June 10, 2008...
" - Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
(with Ben StillerBen StillerBenjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
, Jack BlackJack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
and Robert Downey, Jr. as the Pips) - "Midnight Train to GeorgiaMidnight Train to Georgia"Midnight Train to Georgia" is a 1973 number-one hit single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records...
" - Carrie UnderwoodCarrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
- "Last NameLast Name"Last Name" is the title of a song composed by country singer Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird. It is the third single from Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride. It was released in the United States on April 7, 2008, by which point the song had already charted...
" - Top 12 - George Michael medley - "FaithFaith (George Michael song)"Faith" is a #1 song, written and performed by George Michael, released as a single on Columbia Records, from his 1987 Faith album. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of the year in the United States in 1988....
", "Father Figure", "FreedomFreedom! '90"Freedom '90" is a song written and performed by George Michael, and released on Columbia Records in 1990. The "'90" added to the end of the title is to prevent confusion with an international hit by Michael's former band, Wham!, also titled "Freedom".It was the third single taken from Listen...
" - George MichaelGeorge MichaelGeorge Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
- "Praying for TimePraying for Time"Praying for Time" is a U.S. number-one song written and performed by George Michael, released on Epic Records in 1990. It spent one week in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and was the last solo single from Michael to occupy the top of the chart in the US.-History:The song was...
" - David CookDavid Cook (singer)David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
- "The Time of My LifeThe Time of My Life (David Cook song)"The Time of My Life" is the coronation song and the debut single for the winner of the seventh season of American Idol, David Cook.-Background:...
"
Other performances
Guest artists may perform songs to promote their work or the show itself, or for charitable purpose. Most performed on the result shows, except for Ruben Studdard at the end of the Top 2 performance show and those on the Idol Gives Back special. Included is a list of those songs with the impact of performance on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart for the week. See Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
for the list of performances in that special episode.
| Week | Performer(s) | Title | Hot 100 Reaction (chart position) |
Hot Digital Songs Reaction (chart position, sales for week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 24 | Paula Abdul Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits... Randy Jackson Randy Jackson Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew... |
"Dance Like There's No Tomorrow Dance Like There's No Tomorrow "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" is a dance-pop song by American singer Paula Abdul, and American musician Randy Jackson. It is Abdul's first single release in nearly twelve years. The single was produced by DEEKAY and Randy Jackson and appears on his album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol... " (video premiere) |
#62 (+18 - new peak) | #36 - 32,215 (+559%) |
| Top 20 | No guest performer | |||
| Top 16 | Blake Lewis Blake Lewis Blake Colin Lewis is an American singer-songwriter and beatboxer who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released.... |
"How Many Words How Many Words "How Many Words" is the official second single by singer/songwriter Blake Lewis, from his debut album A.D.D. . The song was expected to be followed by "Know My Name", and then "Without You". However, due to being dropped by Arista Records, "How Many Words" is the final single from his debut album... " |
— | #128 - 10,182 (+999%) |
| Top 12 | Katharine McPhee Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records... David Foster David Foster David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni... (piano) |
"Something Something "Something" is a song by The Beatles, written by lead guitarist George Harrison in 1969. It was featured on the album Abbey Road, and was also the first song written by Harrison to appear on the A-side of a Beatles' single... " |
No legal digital release | |
| Top 11 | Kellie Pickler Kellie Pickler Kellie Dawn Pickler is an American country music artist and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol, eventually finishing in sixth place. In 2006, she signed to 19 Recordings and BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing... |
"Red High Heels Red High Heels "Red High Heels" is a song written by Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo, Karyn Rochelle, and co-written and recorded by American country artist Kellie Pickler. The song was her debut single, and was released on September 13, 2006... " |
Ineligible to re-enter | — |
| Top 10 | Kimberley Locke Kimberley Locke Kimberley Dawn Locke is an American singer-songwriter and model. She has recorded in the dance, pop and adult contemporary music genres.... |
"Fall" | — | — |
| Top 9 | The Clark Brothers The Clark Brothers Sons of Sylvia is an American country pop trio composed of three brothers with the surname Clark: Adam , Ashley and Austin . All three, along with their three other brothers Aaron, Andrew, and Alan, originally comprised a sextet called The Clark Family Experience... |
"This Little Light of Mine This Little Light of Mine "This Little Light of Mine" is a gospel children's song written by Harry Dixon Loes in about 1920. Loes, who studied at the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music, was a musical composer, and teacher, who wrote, and co-wrote, several other gospel songs. The song has since... " |
— | — |
| Dolly Parton Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk... |
"Jesus and Gravity" | — | — | |
| Top 8 | Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history... & Chris Brown |
"No Air No Air "No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell... " |
#3 (+4 - new peak) | #4 - 153,648 (+34%) |
| Top 7 | Elliott Yamin Elliott Yamin Elliott Yamin , born Efraym Elliott Yamin, is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and placing third on the fifth season of American Idol.... |
"Free" | — | — |
| Mariah Carey Mariah Carey Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993... |
"Bye Bye Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song) "Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the... " |
#23 (debut) | #11 - 60,037 (+999%) | |
| Top 6 | Leona Lewis Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor.... |
"Bleeding Love Bleeding Love "Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007... " |
#1 (4th week as #1) | #1 - 235,880 (+30%) |
| Top 5 | Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle... |
"Pocketful of Sunshine Pocketful of Sunshine (song) "Pocketful of Sunshine" is a pop song performed by Natasha Bedingfield for her second North American album Pocketful of Sunshine. It was released as the album's second single in 2008. The single was supposed to be released in the UK as Natasha's second single from the re-release of N.B. on 7 July... " |
#8 (+11 - new peak) | #4 - 134,830 (+110%) |
| Neil Diamond Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present.... |
"Pretty Amazing Grace" | — | — | |
| Top 4 | Maroon 5 Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album... |
"If I Never See Your Face Again If I Never See Your Face Again "If I Never See Your Face Again" is a song written by Maroon 5 members Adam Levine and James Valentine for Maroon 5's second studio album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long . A remix of the song was recorded with pop singer Rihanna, and was released as the fourth single from the album instead of the... " |
#57 (debut) | #21 - 42,983 (+999%) |
| Bo Bice Bo Bice Harold Elwin "Bo" Bice, Jr. is an American singer and musician who placed second to Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol. He has recorded three studio albums, including one on RCA Records... |
"Witness" | — | — | |
| Top 3 | Fantasia | "Bore Me (Yawn)" | No legal digital release | |
| Top 2 | Ruben Studdard Ruben Studdard Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol... |
"Celebrate Me Home Celebrate Me Home (song) "Celebrate Me Home" is a song written by Bob James and Kenny Loggins, and recorded by Loggins as the title track of his 1976 debut solo album Celebrate Me Home.-The Song:... " |
— | —* |
| "—" denotes songs that did not chart | ||||
Idol Gives Back
The "Idol Gives BackIdol Gives Back
Idol Gives Back is the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of American Idol during its sixth season. A second Idol Gives Back concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the show. Idol Gives Back was not held in 2009 due to the ongoing...
" initiative returned on April 9 for a second year, with a special start time of 7:30 p.m. ET, running for 150 minutes. Again, proceeds will go to children's charities in Africa and the United States. Unlike "Idol Gives Back 2007" when no finalist was eliminated (and two were eliminated in the following week), Michael Johns was eliminated during "Idol Gives Back 2008."
Controversies
- Season 7 contestant Carly Smithson stirred up controversy due to a prior major label record deal she had with MCA Records. It has been reported that MCA spent over 2 million dollars promoting Smithson's previous album "Ultimate High," which she made under the name Carly Hennessy. The album only sold 378 copies but is now available on iTunes. To further complicate things, Randy Jackson worked for MCA during the same period of time that Smithson was signed. The media noted that several of the other season 7 semi-finalists had previously also had record deals, including Kristy Lee CookKristy Lee CookKristy Lee Cook is an American country singer who was born in Seattle, Washington and was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005 Cook released her debut album called Devoted. In June 2008, Cook signed to 19 Recordings and Arista Nashville. She released her...
, Brooke WhiteBrooke WhiteBrooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &...
, and Michael JohnsMichael Johns (singer)Michael Johns is an Australian singer-songwriter who finished in eighth place on the seventh season of a United States television series, American Idol, in 2008.-Early life:...
(David Cook released an independent solo albumAnalog HeartAnalog Heart is the debut solo album by singer/songwriter/guitarist David Cook. All songs on the album were written by him. Though originally released as an independent record on May 6, 2006, Analog Heart sales jumped during Cook's appearance on the seventh season of American Idol.Analog Heart won...
and had finished recording a follow-up prior to his audition for the show, but he was never involved with a record label or contract). According to a poll conducted by AOL Television, 63 percent of those polled believed that contestants who have already had record deals should not be contestants on American Idol. However, Idol rules state that contestants are eligible as long as they are no longer under contract when Idol begins, irrespective of any past contracts.
- David HernandezDavid HernandezDavid Anthony Hernandez is an American singer and the twelfth place finalist of FOX's seventh season of the television series American Idol.-Biography:...
was revealed by VotefortheWorst.comVote for the WorstVoteForTheWorst.com is a website that is devoted to voting for the worst, most entertaining, most hated or quirkiest contestants on the Fox Network television series American Idol...
to have worked as a stripperStripteaseA striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
in Phoenix, AZ. According to the owner of Dick's Cabaret, David's job included a routine featuring full nudity and performing lap dances for male clientele.
- On the April 29 show, the five remaining contestants each sang two songs. Diverting from their usual format, due to time constraints, the judges' critiques after each performance were instead to be bundled until after both songs were performed. However, after the first round had finished, host Ryan SeacrestRyan SeacrestRyan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
asked for comments, and judge Paula AbdulPaula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, in discussing Jason Castro, delivered feedback on his second song before he had performed it. This has led to speculation that the show is scripted or rigged. The next day, Abdul claimed on Seacrest's radio show that she listened to the performance in rehearsal and in the rushed atmosphere of the show was confused and thought she was supposed to critique both.
- The presence of David Archuleta's father was a matter of some discussion and he was banned from providing his son with musical input during his song preparation
iTunes
During Season 7, American Idol partnered with iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
to make available for sale exclusive performance videos, live performance singles of the semi-finalists and full length studio recordings of the songs that contestants performed on the show. In order to keep the competition fair, these singles were not allowed to appear on iTunes sales charts until after the finale. The contestants' performances during the season were removed from sale soon after the finale.
The winning song, "The Time of My Life
The Time of My Life (David Cook song)
"The Time of My Life" is the coronation song and the debut single for the winner of the seventh season of American Idol, David Cook.-Background:...
", was recorded by David Cook and released on May 22, 2008. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 2008. It was the first winner's song not to be performed during the competition as the Top 2 each selected a different song from a list of 10 entries in song-writing competition to perform instead. Cook performed "The Time of My Life" after Ryan Seacrest announced him as the winner of Season 7.
Post-Idol
David Cook's debut albumDavid Cook (album)
David Cook is the first major-label album from seventh season American Idol winner David Cook. The album was released on November 18, 2008 in the United States, was certified platinum and has sold over one million copies in the United States. It has produced two top twenty singles, "Light On" and...
was released on November 18, 2008, on 19 Recordings / RCA Records and was certified platinum by the RIAA on January 22, 2009. Cook teamed with Grammy winning producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
) on the album. A single from the album, "Light On
Light On
"Light On" is the first official single released from American Idol season 7 winner David Cook's major label debut studio album, David Cook. The single has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.-Song information:...
", was released and peaked at 20 on the billboard top 100 list. His sophomore album, "This Loud Morning", will be released on June 28th, 2011.
David Archuleta signed with Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
and his self-titled debut album
David Archuleta (album)
David Archuleta is the self-titled debut album of American Idol season 7 runner-up David Archuleta. It was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States, under Jive Records. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 29, 2009. The first single, "Crush", was released to radio on...
was released on November 11, 2008 and debuted at number 2. Archuleta's album certified gold. Archuleta's first single, "Crush
Crush (David Archuleta song)
"Crush" is the first single by American Idol season seven runner-up David Archuleta. It was first released to radio stations via New York City's radio station Z100 on August 1, 2008, and commercially in the United States on August 12, 2008, through digital distribution...
", debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #1 on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart, giving it the highest single debut of 2008 and the highest single debut in 18 months. The song has sold 1.9 million copies as of January 2009.
Albums
Personal/Individual Albums- Why Wait (Kristy Lee CookKristy Lee CookKristy Lee Cook is an American country singer who was born in Seattle, Washington and was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005 Cook released her debut album called Devoted. In June 2008, Cook signed to 19 Recordings and Arista Nashville. She released her...
) - David ArchuletaDavid Archuleta (album)David Archuleta is the self-titled debut album of American Idol season 7 runner-up David Archuleta. It was released on November 11, 2008, in the United States, under Jive Records. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 29, 2009. The first single, "Crush", was released to radio on...
(David ArchuletaDavid ArchuletaDavid Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...
) - David CookDavid Cook (album)David Cook is the first major-label album from seventh season American Idol winner David Cook. The album was released on November 18, 2008 in the United States, was certified platinum and has sold over one million copies in the United States. It has produced two top twenty singles, "Light On" and...
(David CookDavid Cook (singer)David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
) - Solidify (Amanda OvermyerAmanda OvermyerAmanda Lindsay Overmyer is an American rock singer-songwriter from Camden, Indiana who was the eleventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. Following her run on Idol, Overmyer released her debut album Solidify on December 10, 2008 and is currently working on her second album...
) - Hold Back My HeartHold Back My HeartHold Back My Heart is the third studio album by American Idol contestant Michael Johns. It sold 5,000 copies in its first week and a total of 20,000 copies.-Track listing:#"Heart on My Sleeve" -3:41...
(Michael JohnsMichael Johns (singer)Michael Johns is an Australian singer-songwriter who finished in eighth place on the seventh season of a United States television series, American Idol, in 2008.-Early life:...
) - High Hopes & Heartbreak (Brooke WhiteBrooke WhiteBrooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &...
) - Christmas from the Heart (David Archuleta)
- Jason CastroJason Castro (album)Jason Castro is the self-titled debut studio album recorded by Jason Castro. The album was released April 13, 2010.-Background:On April 12, 2009, Jason signed to Atlantic Records, and released his first official single, "Let's Just Fall in Love Again," which peaked at #113 on Billboard Hot 100 and...
(Jason Castro) - Tear the World DownTear the World Down- External links :*...
(Carly SmithsonCarly SmithsonCarly Smithson is an Irish soul/pop rock singer-songwriter and actress from San Diego, California who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2001, Smithson released her first studio album for MCA Records called Ultimate High. Smithson was dropped from the record...
) - The Other Side of DownThe Other Side of DownThe critical reception for The Other Side of Down has been generally positive. Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B, praising Stomping the Roses and Elevator and stating that "[Archuleta's] vocals gleam with dewy naïveté". Newsweek praised Archuleta for "finally acting his age" and especially...
(David ArchuletaDavid ArchuletaDavid Archuleta, is a former United States Air Force Airman of Okinawan stationary troops and is currently an American male kickboxer.-Biography:...
) - Who I Am (Jason Castro)
- This Loud MorningThis Loud Morning-Background:David Cook began to concentrate working on this his second album after his first major tour, the Declaration Tour, concluded in December 2009. While on the tour, he put down some riffs and lyrical ideas, and started song-writing as a band towards the end of the tour...
(David Cook)
Single
David Cook- "The Time of My LifeThe Time of My Life (David Cook song)"The Time of My Life" is the coronation song and the debut single for the winner of the seventh season of American Idol, David Cook.-Background:...
" - "Light OnLight On"Light On" is the first official single released from American Idol season 7 winner David Cook's major label debut studio album, David Cook. The single has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.-Song information:...
" - "Come Back to MeCome Back to Me (David Cook song)"Come Back to Me" is the third official single to be released from American Idol season 7 winner David Cook's major label debut studio album, David Cook. It was released with "Bar-ba-sol" as a joint double-A single...
" - "Bar-ba-solBar-ba-sol"Bar-ba-sol" was the third official single released from American Idol season 7 winner David Cook's major label debut studio album, David Cook...
" - "PermanentPermanent (song)"Permanent" is the fourth single released by David Cook. The song was performed on the finale of season 8 of the TV show American Idol, and the performance then released onto iTunes as a charity single....
" - "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
- "Don't You (Forget About Me)Don't You (Forget About Me)"Don't You " is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and performed by the band Simple Minds in 1985. The songwriters were producer Keith Forsey "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and...
" - "The Last GoodbyeThe Last Goodbye (David Cook song)"The Last Goodbye" is the first single for American Idol winner David Cook's sophomore album This Loud Morning. It was released on April 19, 2011.-Song information:...
"
Kristy Lee Cook
- "15 Minutes of Shame15 Minutes of Shame"15 Minutes of Shame" is the title of a song written by Kelly Archer, Casey Kessel, and Justin Weaver. It was recorded by American country music artist Kristy Lee Cook, who released it in August 2008 as the debut single from her album Why Wait...
"
US Nielsen ratings
Season 7 of American Idol was the top show for the 2007-8 broadcast prime-time season. The Tuesday episode viewership averaged 27.665 million while the Wednesday episode averaged 26.843 million, taking the top 2 spots for the season. The show helped Fox become the top network for the first time in its history, and gave it its fourth successive win in the 18/49 demo.| Episode list | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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EWLINE
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