I picked 15 of my favorite performances from Season 7, listed in the order I heard them. These aren’t my absolute favorite 15–the list would have been a little lopsided. I tried to spread the love around a little. Still, I’ll probably get a bunch of NO CARLY!!???! NO SYESHA!?! posts. Sigh. Not in love with the belters. Sorry.
Four of the performances were from the first Beatles week. In my opinion, the best week of the competition. I enjoyed the competition less as the season wore on–only two of the performances are from the last 5 weeks.
So there you have it. What were your favorite performances and why?
Check mine out after the JUMP…
David Cook – “Happy Together” - Top 12 Guys - I gushed on the blog about this performance only to discover…not many agreed with me. I felt so lonely! The Cook train wouldn’t be empty for long, however. David’s performance skills, and his excellent phrasing caught my attention. I said, “I think I’m officially on the David Cook bandwagon.”
Jason Castro – “Daydream” - Top 12 Guys - I was so curious to finally hear the dreadlocked one sing. When I finally did, what an awesome surprise it was. Early in the competition, Jason was a natural, full of easy confidence and charisma. This was my favorite performance of the night.
Ramiele Malubay – “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” - Top 12 Girls - Ramiele’s emotional yet restrained performance was a show stopper. At this point, she looked like she could go deep into the competition, but nerves and inexperience finally got to her.
Jason Castro – “Hallelujah” - Top 8 guys - One of the great “moments” of the entire competition. The week before, the judges challenged Jason to perform without his guitar. Boy did he ever. Jason delivered a raw, intimate, unforgettable performance.
Brooke White – “Love is a Battlefield” - Top 8 girls - An early gem from Brooke. She took this big 80’s power number and scaled it down, turning it into an intimate love song. Beautiful.
Chikezie – “She’s a Woman” - Top12 - Chikezie gets the WTF? moment of the season. And I mean that in a good way. Chikezie, who never got credit for this audacious and risky arrangement, throws in everything but the kitchen sink. A banjo and fiddle start him off acoustic blues style, before he moves into an all out balls-to-the-walls rock/soul/funk rave up. Totally awesome.
Brooke White – “Let it Be” - Top 12 - Brooke White nearly levitated off her piano stool during this powerful performance. Gorgeous, simple, heartfelt–one of the few times in the competition I was nearly brought to tears.
Amanda Overmyer – “You Can’t Do That” - Top 12 - This obscure but soulful early Beatles tune was perfect for Amanda’s blues/rock vibe. One of Lennon’s typically cynical takes on romance (pre-Ono, of course) Amanda spits out the words, without changing the gender. That night, Amanda totally took the stage, and took no prisoners.
Michael Johns – “Across the Universe” - Top 12 - This song gets the underrated performance of Season 7 award. I was left scratching my head as the judges dismissed Michael’s plaintive and moving performance. No fancy bells and whistles, just pure love from Michael. The iTunes recording is even better.
David Archuleta - “You’re the Voice” - Top 10 - I know this is a weird pick. But for once, I appreciated David’s earnest appeal. Simon accused David of not picking the song, but listening to him sing, it’s obvious he’s completely connected to the message. Really an underrated performance. If the judges had been familiar with the song, they would have given it higher marks, I think.
Michael Johns – “It’s All Wrong, but It’s Alright” - Top 9 - I consider this Michael’s swan song, even though he wasn’t actually eliminated until the following week. With this sexy, soulful performance, Michael hit his stride. If he’d stuck with the retro blues, he would have gone much deeper into the competition.
Jason Castro - “Over the Rainbow” - Top 8 - Just when the judges had given up on Jason, he pulls out a perfect, beautiful vocal for this performance inspired by the Hawaiian folk singer, Israel Kamakawiwo. Emotionally connected, intimate, lovely phrasing–this is Jason at his best.
David Cook – “Always Be My Baby” - Top 7 - David’s emo treatment of this bouncy Mariah Carey pop tune managed to dig deep, giving the song new meaning. His performance, seemingly fueled by his very ill brother Adam’s presence in the audience is powerful and gut wrenching. His tears afterward seal the deal. Not only is this a great performance, but a great TV moment. Absolutely my favorite by Cook.
David Archuleta – “Stand By Me” - Top 4 - Archie had the best performance of rock night. Yeah, I could hardly believe it myself!. Restrained and heartfelt–this was a perfect song choice for David, and one of his best of the season, I think.
David Cook – “The World I Know” - Top 2 - I’d love to say that David’s last song on the Idol stage won him the competition. It was the wrong song to sing, but frankly, David had so much momentum coming into the final, he could have performed “Ode to a Fart” in 3 parts, and it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. Still, the judges blew it when they dismissed this performance. Gorgeous, simple, and beautifully phrased, David outdid himself here. This acoustic gem was a fitting end to David’s long Idol road.
ETA: I’m going to tack on Syesha’ Mercado’s “Thank the Lord for the Night Time” from the Top 5. I thought the Amy Winehouse-style arrangement was fabulous.
Related Posts
Okay, this is off the cuff, like PJ, my actual favs would be mostly Jason songs so I tried to spread the love a little. The list is in no particular order.
David H. - “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” - I thought he had a chance at being my favorite of the season with this song.
Jason - “Daydream” - love, love, love this song so when Jason said he was singing it, I was a little nervous - but he “worked it out, dawg!”
Cookie - “Billie Jean” - first song I downloaded by Cookie
Brooke - “Love is a Battlefield” This song really made me notice Brooke - and although I liked others that she did, this would be the only one I would include on a list of my favorites.
Chickizie - “She’s a Woman” - This song made me smile so much!
Jason - “Hallelujah” - just wow.
Michael Johns - “Across the Universe” this was the only song I liked my Michael - I just couldn’t connect with him otherwise.
Jason - “Over the Rainbow” - Jason is love.
Cookie - “Always Be My Baby” - great is all that need be said
Jason - “Fragile”
Jason - “Travlin’ Thru” I am biased toward this song and “Fragile” because of the itunes downloads. Performance night was good on these songs but the studio versions are amazing.
Brooke - “I Am I Said” Really the best performance of anyone that night. (I lied, two Brooke performances!)
Syesha - “One Rock and Roll To Many” - the only Syesha performance I enjoyed (sorry Syesha, at least you got one - that’s one more than Archie, Carly, Kristy, or Amanda)
Cookie - “Hello” - I almost forgot about this one - who knew you could enjoy a Lionel Richie song!
Jason - (I’m getting repetitive, I know) “I Just Want To Be Your Everything”
Cookie - “Little Sparrow” I loved this performance so much - I really wasn’t looking forward to Dolly night but Cookie and Jason made it worth it.
Cookie - “The World I Know” - sewing up the win!
Okay, I think that’s 15 - that was hard! I have to say, I couldn’t pick one song by several of the contestants to include on the list.
Amanda - I wanted to like her - she just couldn’t seem to push me over the edge.
Carly - meh
Kristy - yeah, um…no. Although I give her props for fighting hard and smart!
Ramiele - cute but forgetable.
Archie - nice voice, obviously, but none of his performances were good enough to make it to MY top 15, YMMV.
Okay, I’m going to hit submit. I tried “bolding” for the first time, hopefully it worked!
ETA: Okay, so it’s 17, shoot me!
Great choices, MJ.
My top 10:
Michael - Across the Universe, IAWBIAR (I’d add Light my Fire & a couple of others but am trying to include others)
David C - Hello, Always be my Baby
Carly - Come Together, Crazy on You
Jason - Happy Together, SOTR
Chikeze - She’s a Woman
Amanda - You can’t do That
No particular order….
Jason Castro Hallelujah
Syesha: Hello Again, If I Were Your Woman, One Rock and Roll..
David Cook: Hello, Billie Jean,
Chikeze: She’s a Woman
Carly Smithson: Superstar, Here You Come Again
Ramiele: You Don’t Have To Say
David Archuleta: Angels, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Smokey Mountain Memories, Imagine
Michael Johns It’s All Wrong
Damn, that was hard!
This is in no particular order…and I didn’t attach videos o well
Jason - Hallelujah
David A - Imagine
Brooke - Let It Be
David C - Hello
David A - Stand By Me
David A - Angels
Jason - If I Fell
Jason - I Don’t Wanna Cry
Brooke - I Am…I Said
David C - The World I Know
Michael - Across The Universe
David A & C (don’t know if this counts) - Hero
David A - Think Of Me
Jason - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Brooke - Love Is A Battlefield
I absolutely loved all of those!!!
There were lots of others that i enjoyed, but if i only can choose 15 that would be it.
Looks like i’m favoring Jason, Brooke, and the Davids a lot…sorry =P I just didn’t like some of the others, and some that I did like had forgettable performances i guess.
?
=)
Hey MJ, listen 2 this…
href=”http://www.merrickchristensen.com/music.php”>
I think it might be worth posting on the blog. I don’t know, maybe.
But check it out
oops i tried linking but it didn’t work.
http://www.merrickchristensen.com/music.php
just copy & paste
Here’s my list in order of appearance (sort of):
1. Shop Around - David Archuleta - So much joy here! Also
some great, goofy banter between Archie and Ryan (this is where Ryan says you can’t adopt him, to which Archie replies “I’m 17!”
2. Daydream - Jason Castro - A breath of fresh air.
3. Hello - David Cook - This performance made me a believer. My favorite of his from the entire season.
4. Hallelujah - Jason Castro - It was at this point that I knew I was going to be watching to whole season. Breathtaking, even with the shaky ending.
5. Love is a Battlefield - Brooke - Brooke’s ability to connect with the lyrics and tug at your heart is what made me love her.
6. Let It Be - Brooke White - gorgeous.
7. She’s a Woman - Chikeze - My jaw was on the floor during this performance. Un-freaking-believable. If a contestant could win based on one single performance, and despite my undying love for Jason Castro, this might be my fave or the year. .
8. Billie Jean - David Cook - He kind of saved this night from being a total letdown. IMO
9. Travellin Thru - Jason Castro - Love this, love the studio recording. Actually Dolly Parton was one of my favorite nights, period.
10. Here You Come Again - Carly - She didn’t get enough credit for her arrangement of this song. It was subtle, emotional, mesmerizing.
11. It’s All Wrong, But It’s Alright - Michael Johns - the first time I saw him as an artist, instead of just a performer.
12. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Jason Castro - On an otherwise fairly disappointing night, Castro lit up a dark stage with his newly-learned ukelele skills and a sweet voice.
13. I Don’t Wanna Cry - Jason Castro - never got credit for changing the arrangement on this. The emotion and the phrasing in this song deserved much more than a “luau” comment from Randy.
14. Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me - David Archuleta - the kid ripped his heart out and left it on the stage. It was both gritty and pretty, all at once. Didn’t think he had it in him.
15. The World I Know - David Cook - I prefer my Cook emotional. A nice way to end the year, I thought.
Believe it or not, I had to edit this list so many times so it wasn’t as Castro-heavy! Hard to pick only 5. I also skipped 4 whole nights: ALW, Neil Diamond, and Rock and Roll night, and final 3, because other than the bus-throwing, and un-ravelling of my favorite contestant, there’s not much I remember from those nights.
Exactly!
My list is very biased… I can’t help it.
1. You’re So Vain, Brooke White - I’m surprised not more people have this on their lists. This is when Brooke stepped ahead and identified herself as Brooke White and not just one of the interchangeable blondes. She played that guitar with confidence and sang the song very well. My favorite of the season by far.
2. Let It Be, Brooke White - I think probably the most genuine, most emotional, most raw, most real I’ve ever seen in all the seasons of AI. This is the performance that solidified her fanbase. Even if it all went a little bit downhill from here, people will always look back and remember this performance and know why they were still voting for her - because this performance was worth it.
3. Hello, David Cook - my favorite performance from David Cook. This is also when he identified himself among the crowd. When he belts out “I love you”… wow. Amazing. How I wish we got a studio version of this song, one of the few performances this season to give me chills.
4. Love Is A Battlefield, Brooke White - Oh Brooke, Brooke, Brooke… this performance showed that you don’t need to belt out songs in order to make them work. She’s just sitting there, singing her heart out and it works! It totally connects, she makes the song her own and you believe it. Absolutely amazing.
5. Billie Jean, David Cook - A stellar performance. It wasn’t original in any way coz we all know it wasn’t his original arrangement but he pulled it off with flying colors. Crazy, crazy good. Hit all the right notes, his voice was perfect for the song… very haunting, chills all around. Masterful.
6. Hallelujah, Jason Castro - A beautiful performance from Jason. Like Brooke, he shows that you don’t need to belt to make songs work. Just sing from your heart and if you’ve got it, you’ll get that instant connection with your audience. And Jason has definitely got it.
7. Shop Around, David Archuleta - I’m not a huge David Archuleta fan although he grew on me towards the end… this is the one performance I really like from him… very youthful, exuberant, the kid was just having fun. And I enjoyed it a lot too.
8. Eleanor Rigby, David Cook - David Cook has done so many stellar performances this season that people tend to overlook this one. This was another amazing performance from David, his showmanship was incredible. He owned that stage.
9. One Rock N Roll Too Many, Syesha Mercado - I was never a fan of Syesha’s style coz I feel like I’ve seen it too many times before. But this is something new from her and an absolutely stellar, fun and enjoyable performance from her. She put on a great show! And what’s great about this performance, is it’s something only she could have done in this competition. I can’t imagine Brooke or Carly standing on top of that piano and dancing the way Syesha did. So that makes this performance unique and truly her own.
10. Over The Rainbow, Jason Castro - Following weeks of just okay performances, Castro blows us away with this wonderful rendition of the IZ version of Over The Rainbow. This performance is just about Jason, his voice, his emotions and his ukelele. And everything meshed well together to bring about a great performance.
Honorable mentions: I Am… I Said (Brooke), Always Be My Baby (D.Cook), Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Archie), It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right (MJohns)
In no particular order
Ramiele, “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” Love the song, she nailed it.
Michael, “Across the Universe”. As Paula would say, this is where we got to see all the colors in his voice. Honorable Mention - those sexy lovin lies.
Carly, “Blackbird” and “Here You Come Again”. When she sings like that, I’ll buy it.
Jason, “Daydream” - when we all said, who is this guy?
Archie, “Stand By Me” - when I looked at the list I knew this would be perfect for him.
Syesha “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime”. She can make a very current record if it sounds like this.
Cook, “Little Sparrow” and “Music of the Night”. Name any idol in any season who could have done BOTH of these spot-on.
Michael and Carly, “The Letter” This was my molten hot lava bomb of the season. Can’t wait for the tour.
Cook, “The World I Know.” If I can’t do it my way, winning isn’t important enough. Simon got it wrong, America got it right.
and #1 — “Always Be My Baby”. I cannot stop playing it. Don’t singles need B-sides?
I’m glad someone included Brooke’s, “You’re So Vain.” That was outstanding, IMO. Hated “The Letter, ” with MJ and Carly. I remember Bo Bice doing it during Hollywood week on season 4, and, that’s how it’s done. Not screeching, screaming, ear bleeding vocals.
I guess I’m the only one who really liked Archie singing, “Smokey Mountain Memories.” It brought tears to my eyes, and, I wasn’t ever a true fan. I didn’t like “Imagine,” as much as everyone else, for the simple fact that JHud sang it during season 3, and, gave me chills. So, there was no comparison, IMO.
No love for “Light My Fire” or “Happy Together”? Or “I’m Alive”? Oh well, I’m often in a party of one on such things.
But I’m glad somebody mentioned “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” — that was right on the money…. too bad for David Hernandez, and I’m glad he gets to tour. He’s talented, but got smacked with both the gay lap dancer thing, and some bad song choices early.
And reading everyone’s lists just bolsters my feeling that David C. ran away with this year. I can’t name a single song of his that didn’t get to me one way or another, either live or in a studio version (those studio takes were a lot better for “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “Innocent” and “Baba O’Riley.”)
David Hernandez - In The Midnight Hour
Jason Castro - Halellujah
Syesha Mercado - I Thank The Lord For the Nighttime
Chikeze - She’s A Woman
Michael Johns - It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright
Syesha Mercado - One Rock n Roll Too Many
David Cook - Always Be My Baby
David Cook - All I Really Need Is You
David Cook - Hello
David Cook - Billie Jean
David Cook - The World I Know
Ahh, “You’re So Vain” gets an honorable mention from me. I actually really, really liked YSV. I just happened to really, really like 15 other performances better. :) Same with “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” for David H.
@colette - David H. doesn’t tour. Only the Top 10 do, and David was ousted 12th. And I don’t think there was a studio version for “Baba O’Riley”, was there?
This was really hard, there were so many stunning performances this year. I got goosebumps with many of them. In no particular order, they were all fabulous. I am just going to list the best from each performer.
1.Archie-DLTSGDOM, Imagine (both times), Angels, Stand By Me, Love Me Tender, Smoky Mountains Memories, Shop Around, With You (it was just too funny), Apologize (duet with One Republic), (Long and Winding Road), And So It Goes, and When You Believe, (Ok obviously I love Archie, lordy that’s a lot)
2.Cookie-Billie Jean, Always Be My Baby, Hello, Little Sparrow (my favorite from him), Innocent (studio recording, amazing), The Music of the Night, Eleanor Rigby,Baba O’Riley, First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, and All I Really Need is You
(OMG, I am a Cookie fan too, lol) This group was amazing this year.
3. Jason Castro- Travelin Thru (LOVE this song), SOTR, Hallelujah, Daydream, Forever in Blue Jeans, September Morn, and I Don’t Wanna Cry
(He did really well too, I like his vibe.)
4. Brooke-Jolene (my favorite from her), Let it Be, You Got a Friend, I Am I Said (love love this one too) That is all I can think of for her.
5. Michael Johns-IAWBIAR, Dream On, Don’t You Forget About Me, Across The Universe (I just love that Beatle’s song in general.)
6. Ramiele-You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me (poor girl peak and that was it)
I was rooting for her to do better.
7. Chikeze-She’s a Woman
8. Syesha- One Rock and Roll too Many, Hello Again, A Change is Going to Come, Thank The Lord for the Night Time (How did she get to number 3??)
9. Carly-Here You Come Again (her best!), Total Eclipse of the Heart, Come Together, The Show Must Go On, Blackbird, and Jesus Christ Superstar
(She did get a bum rap this season.)
10. KLC-Anyways uhhh that’s it? lol…
11. Amanda-You Can’t Do That, uh that is it, she was a little scary, lol.
I wonder how she would do if she went further?
12. Hernandez-Papa was a Rolling Stone
13. Josiah Leming- Grace Kelly, To Run (in auditions), the only one who will be successful just for being the crybaby with talent from the audition show this season….
14. Alexandréa Lushington-Spinning Wheel, Baby Please Don’t Go,
I like this girl and wish she would of make it to the top 12. Oh well we got KLC instead and Syesha…
Wow, I am having Season 7 flashbacks, my goodness, that was fun though. Thanks MJ for this great blog, I love your recaps this season. Great job!
I can see why the top two were the David’s they had the most memorable performances of the whole season…:)
I actually think that Jason and David A. ran neck and neck as far as memorable performances.
MJ, why not do a list of worst performances of the season? That might be fun too.
WOW MJ, you really hate Carly, huh?! Even people who don’t like her would admit to loving one of her songs on AI; oh well. I like all the songs on your list except for Ramiele’s and Chikezie’s.
I don’t like Carly, and, do not like even one song she did, so, MJ isn’t the only one.
I’m not going to post my list, because it’s exactly the same as Cheese’s and would seem redundant.
I downloaded only one of Archie’s performances - and it was Shop Around. He’s fabulous on that song, and I hope he remembers that moment when he’s working on his cd. The inspirational ballads? Yeah - that’s where he lost me.
The only thing I would add to all of these lists (and I know I’m a broken record) - I still maintain that the way Jason Folkified that cheesy disco Andy Gibb tune was complete magic.
Other than that - you guys have said it all :)
We don’t have to like everyone’s list or this would be sorta pointless and boring right?
Sniff. You didn’t read my list. LOL.
I had wanted to go back and add the fact that I loved FIBJ by Jason too because in that I also realized how much I loved his lower register and really, really saw how his voice will be so easily recognized. His praise or lack of it on that one got all lost and jumbled in the Paula goof. I also wanted to add that with David A after Imagine, which I really liked I just got so sick of ballads each week and tended to not pay attention to him until the finale and he “sang his face off” on Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me, I FELT his passion on that one and thats what catches me, always,the way a performance can make me “feel”
“Sniff. You didn’t read my list. LOL.
”
Or mine! LOL
Skylight1219, I’m not illiterate; I read your previous post before I left my reply. It’s all good.
And, just who accused anyone of being illiterate? That was uncalled for.
I don’t like her and I would not admit to loving any of her songs. I don’t like the way she sings, end of story.
I’m only going to do five. There are a ton others, but these are the moments that stuck out in my mind. And yes, I’m biased. Sorry.
1. Brooke White - Let It Be - One of those moments on Idol I’ll never forget. Where artistry is on full display and a contestant just yanks my heartstrings out. Brooke didn’t belt it, she didn’t melisma the hell out of it, she didn’t vocal gymnastic it to death, she didn’t destroy the melody. She simply sang it, and felt it, and made me cry in the process. I’ve watched all seven seasons of Idol, and this is my favorite performance of all time.
2. David Cook - Music of the Night- I know some of his other performances get more acclaim, but to me, this was the best performance of the season from Cook. Hell, the best performance of the season from anyone, except the one mentioned above. I was stunned by this. I didn’t know he had it in him. It almost made me cry. If ever there was a moment for idiot Randy to give a standing ovation, THIS was it. Brilliant.
3. Chikezie - She’s A Woman - One of the most brilliant performances I’ve ever seen on Idol. He didn’t impress me at any other time during his stint on the show, but this ranks up there with one of the all time best. EVER. Innovative, fun, and it came out of nowhere.
4. Brooke White - Love is a Battlefield - This performance was when I realized that I would definitely have to start voting for a contestant, and in turn, become invested in this season. And I didn’t want to be invested. Darn you Brooke White. Just the emotion in her voice during this song. Ugh. It just gets me. Darn you Brooke White.
5. Michael Johns - It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right - He looked like a rock star up there. Sexy, confident, sexy. Finally living up to the hype that surrounded him during Hollywood week. Great, great performance.
I am pretty much in agreement with MJ’s list but here are a few that I would want to include:
Carly - “Here You Come Again”. I just loved the slowed down arrangement and the tone of her lower register in that number. Yeah she gets shrill and shouty in parts, but it’s still a stunner for me.
Carly - “I Drove All Night”. I love this song so maybe I am biased but she just kills it. So much power and intensity.
Cookie “Hello”. This was such an eye opening performance for me. It got me to look beyond the hideous hair and the vests and the big scarf dangling from the back pocket and recognize that here was someone who was not your average Idol.
Archie - “And So It Goes”. His voice is so meltingly beautiful in the a cappella portion. I think I jokingly remarked in chat that night that I could see him singing Danny Boy for a PBS pledge drive and you know, I probably end up in a puddle of goo and pledging way more than I intended.
Carly and Michael “The Letter”. This was my favorite number of the finale. Their voices sound so good together. I doubt their egos would let them consider recording as a duo but I think they would sell more together than apart.
Amanda - “Carry On My Wayward Son”. This has to rank as one of the all time Idol WTF performances. From the Cruella DeVille hair and the bizarre two toned pants that somehow matched the hair to the mega bad vocals—this was a glorious, glorious trainwreck.
Great list, mj!
Thinking back on this season, I really enjoyed it almost entirely.
IMO, the best (not necessarily my favorites) performances of this season were (in no particular order):
David Cook- “Music of the Night.” I think that this song was gorgeous vocally, it was a surprising performance and it was an extremely smart, strategic move on his part. I love the studio version and listen to it regularly. Oh, and he shut up everyone who said he was just a rock performer who couldn’t really sing.
Jason Castro- “Over the Rainbow.” I had a hard time picking, because I honestly love every single one of Jason’s performances. However, this one I think connected with the audience and he showcased his vocals and talent (who learns a whole new instrument in one week so they can play it on national television?!). And as he noted, his vocals were really on that night.
Brooke White- “Let It Be.” Just gorgeous. She put her whole heart into it, and it was raw and real. To perform like that and have it come across on TV is an amazing feat.
Chikezie- “She’s A Woman.” I did NOT know he had that in him, and I loved every second of it. He somehow managed to sing a rock/country style song and did amazing. Not bad for an R&B type singer.
Michael Johns- “It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright.” I think it was really smart for him to sing a really simple, stripped down song. He sang it beautifully, showed emotion, and really connected with the (female, at least) audience.
Carly Smithson- “Here You Come Again.” She took a break from her typical yelling-my-head-off style of singing, and it was beautiful. I absolutely loved it.
David Cook- “Always Be My Baby.” I was so surprised that he took this kind of silly, poppy, girly, crush song and turned it into such a beautiful love song. His interpretation of this song is just beautiful, and I could not believe what new depth he brought to the lyrics with his arrangement.
And honorable mentions:
Jason Castro- “If I Fell”, “Daydream”, “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” and “Hallelujah.” (what can I say? I love Jason)
Syesha Mercado- “One Rock ‘n’ Roll Too Many.” It would have been on my “best” list if she hadn’t said “meh-NAY” instead of many…. it drove me crazy.
David Archuleta- “Shop Around.”
David Cook- “Billie Jean” and “Eleanor Rigby.”
Carly Smithson- “Come Together.”
Brooke White- “Love Is A Battlefield.”
Ooooo, this was hard to do! Here are my top 5:
Jason- “Hallelujah.” The Top 16 performance. My favorite of the season- mesmerizing, raw and personal. Beautiful.
Cook- “Billie Jean.” Awesome, what a show stopper!
Cook- “Hello.” Hello David Cook, this is when I realized this guy had something special.
Brooke- “Let It Be.” Total connection between song, singer and piano. Lovely.
MJ- “IAWBIAR.” His one truly great performance. Sexiest performance ever on Idol.
The rest are in no particular order:
Archie- “Imagine”
Chikezie- “She’s a Woman”
Ramielle-”You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”
Carly- “Here You Come Again”
Archie-”Angels”
Jason- “Over the Rainbow”
Brooke-”Love is a Battlefield”
Cook- “Eleanor Rigby”
Syesha -”One Rock and Roll Too Many”
Jason- “Daydream”
Chikezie - “She’s A Woman”
Amanda Overmyer - “You Can’t Do That”, “Baby Please Don’t Go”, “I Hate Myself for Lovin’ You”,
David Hernandez - “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone”
David Cook - “Little Sparrow”
David Archuleta - “Shop Around”, “Smokey Mountain Memories”, “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”
Jason Castro - “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (for the pure sweetness of it)
Michael Johns - “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right”
Syesha Mercado - ” A Change is Gonna Come”
I love this thread. Thank You! In no particular order here are my 15 plus thoughts.
Brooke White “Let it Be” – I thought she poured that well known overemotional side of her into this song and delivered an a amazing performance. I thought that everything worked for her on this and she was able to last as long as she did because of this one.
Brooke White “Love is a Battlefield” – I loved this rearrangement of the song and the fact that she took something that I never thought would work on her and made it work perfectly for herself.
Carly Smithson “Crazy on You” – To be able to take on a Heart song and be able to toss off those high notes like they were nothing made me think that a rocker girl had the chance to actually win this year.
Carly Smithson “Here You Come Again” – I thought this was the performance of the season. She took a well known up-tempo song slowed it down and built to that gorgeous final held out belt note. I don’t think she got the credit she deserved for this one.
Carly Smithson “Superstar” – This finally felt like Carly stopped trying to please and just sang the heck out of this song. I have heard countless versions of this song and I think hers was one of the strongest out there. I thought that she looked was a Superstar that night and even better on results show.
Chikezie “I Belive To My Soul” – I hadn’t care for Chikezie before this and thought that he picked a perfect song and delivered it as a standout performance.
David Archuleta “Imagine” – I remember before he became overly pimped (which was a second after he finished this song.) thinking that stupid thing that Randy says all the time about being only 17. I thought his breathy tone sounded beautiful on this and even though I wasn’t a fan I knew this guaranteed him that he was going to go far on the show.
David Archuleta “Stand By Me” – I still remember thinking “Oh God” he’s doing this song and then afterwards being blown away by everything that he did, from the sound of his voice and just the right emotion I thought this was one of his best and was so happy I didn’t hear him do his shriek note.
David Cook “Always Be My Baby” – I’m surprised I don’t have more David Cook on my list and there are a few that just made it but I thought that this was the song and performance that really made me think of him as an original artist. He took this song that you would have thought wouldn’t fit him and made it fit him perfectly.
David Hernandez “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” – I thought he did a great job building this number in an exciting way with both his voice and the arrangement and I thought he was never better then this.
Jason Castro “Over the Rainbow” – As much as I hate Jason I thought he was incredibly smart choosing this arrangement of the song and really shined on this and I thought he sounded his best on this.
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Jason Castro “Travelin Thru” – I have always loved this song and listened to the original countless times and I thought that he did this song justice with a great performance.
Kristy Lee Cook “Faithfully” – I know I’m going to be laughed at for this one but I really liked the country vibe that she gave to this song. I didn’t think that it distracted from it like “Eight Days a Week” and still sounded like it could be a single.
Michael Johns “It’s All Wrong but it’s Alright” – I never saw the appeal of Michael Johns until this performance where it felt like he knew what he was doing and looked confident and in control.
Syesha Mercado “One Rock n Roll Too Many” – As a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music I was surprised Syesha picked the one song that I wasn’t familiar with I thought she turned in a sexy stylish performance.
There were a few others I wanted to include in here but tried to spread the wealth.
1. Billie Jean — David Cook — I considered others for the top spot, but this was the best musical moment of the entire year, especially that high note.
2. Always Be My Baby — David Cook — The most creative song of the year. This one got me onto itunes looking to buy.
3. Music of the Night — David Cook — Beautiful curveball.
4. Imagine — David Archuleta (semifinals) — I loved it when I saw it. I got tired of the message songs and the additions of runs to songs that I preferred to be simple, but this was lovely.
5. Hello — David Cook — Made you sit up and take notice.
6. Let It Be — Brooke White — Beautiful and pure. I wish that she hadn’t had the crisis of confidence later in the season, because so many of her early performances were great.
7. The World I Know — David Cook — The vocals on this are so lovely. I never really liked this song before, but I love this version. Plus, it forced Simon to eat crow. It deserves bonus points just for that.
8. Over the Rainbow — Jason Castro — The only real highlight of Idol Gives Back, to me. I thought this was better sung than Hallelujah, so I put it higher.
9. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face — David Cook — Very hard song sung very well.
10. She’s a Woman - Chikezie — What a fantastic, entertaining, energetic performance. Michael and Carly have been singled out as ones who went too soon, but I had rather hoped that Chikezie would stay longer.
11. It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right — Michael Johns — Very nice, bluesy take on the song.
12. Little Sparrow — David Cook — One of the things that I liked about him was that he gave us a variety of songs. This was a key part of that.
13. Here You Come Again — Carly Smithson — I liked that she took it down a notch for this one.
14. Eleanor Rigby — David Cook — Few people have looked like they were enjoying performing before the Idol audience as much as he did during this song.
15 (tie). Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me — David Archuleta & I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For — David Cook. On the night, I honestly felt like it was a tie, and after a repeat viewing, still basically feel the same. Archie was a vocal powerhouse on this song and the runs actually made sense here, while Cookie’s was (I thought) better performed and his lower-key vocals made sense for this song. If I had to break the tie, I’d give it to Cookie because of degree of difficulty (iconic U2 song vs. song that has been successfully covered before), but they were both great.
If I went down to 25, I’d get a couple of Syesha’s, one of Ramiele’s, and one of David H’s, but nothing from Amanda or KLC.
Actually, even if there was a Top 25 performances, I can’t think of any song of Carly’s I would put on the list.
When I heard David Hernandez sing “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” I thought he would be in the TOP 10 Tour. However, I didn’t think Amanda or Kristy would be there. I sincerely believe AI will use David in some kind of capacity.
My mind is brainwashed since I have a CD with many of Jason’s songs and I have been playing it 4-5 times a day. So, my list will include several of Jason’s memorable songs. I do like “Forever in Blue Jeans” and the studio version of MTM is really good.
My list in alphabetical order (* = absolutely rocked it for me):
Amanda = none
Brooke White = Let it Be, Love is a Battlefield*
Carly = Here You Come Again *
Chickezee = She’s a Woman *
David A = Stand By Me
David C = Hello, Billie Jean*
Jason = All* except MeeShell & WSTS
KLC = None
MJ = IAWBITAR*,
Ramiele = None
I also went the route of picking a favourite performance for each of the top 12, otherwise, my list would be top-heavy with the Davids.
1. David Cook - Hello … Cookie had me at “Hello”. Not necessarily my absolute favourite Cook performance but this was the one that made me sit up and take notice. Before this week, I just thought he had a nice voice for an emo rocker type.
2. David Archuleta - Smoky Mountain Memories … One of the few performances this season that actually gave me chills.
3. Syesha Mercado - Tobacco Road … An early performance but one of her best; she comes across more naturally and less calculated than in later performances.
4. Jason Castro - Daydream … Quintessential JC - a pitch perfect performance.
5. Brooke White - Love Is A Battlefield … Acoustic Pat Benatar - who would’ve thunk?
6. Carly Smithson - Crazy On You … Carly’s a perfect fit for the Heart songbook.
7. Kristy Lee Cook - Faithfully … One of the few KLC performances that I really liked.
8, Michael Johns - It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright … One of his few performances that didn’t come across like a copy (albeit high quality copies) of the original.
9. Ramiele Malubay - I Should Have Known Better … Fun, uptempo and sassy.
10. Chikezie - She’s A Woman … Probably the only performance of his that I liked but what a performance!
11. Amanda Overmyer - I Hate Myself For Loving You … She took control and owned this performance.
12. David Hernandez - Papa Was A Rolling Stone … He wasn’t long in the competition but this performance still stands out as one of the best of the entire season.
…and 3 more:
13. David Archuleta - Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me … He saved one of his best performances for top 2 week, reminding everyone why he deserved to be there.
14. David Cook - Always Be My Baby … Rockin’ out on Mariah Carey - ‘nuf said!
15. Carly Smithson - Come Together … Her vocals are spot on; it was a toss-up between this and Crazy On You for my favourite Carly performance.
Sorry ladies! Obviously my reading comprehension skills aren’t what they used to be. The situation has been rectified, and I have studied your lists thoroughly. And of course, I think you’re both brilliant.
I read all of pj’s, jersey’s, and SpenserJ’s lists, and I’m going to add my love for Jason’s take on I Just Wanna Be Your Everything. ;)
My other favorite performances from the Top 10, also just off the top of my head:
Chickezie: I Believe To My Soul, She’s A Woman, If Only For One Night (I was a Chickezie fan. Heh.)
Ramiele: You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
Michael: Go Your Own Way, Across The Universe, A Day In The Life (I didn’t know the lyrics, anyway, so I didn’t care about the flub), It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right, Dream On
KLC: Anyway
Carly: Come Together, Blackbird, Here You Come Again
Brooke: You’re So Vain, Love Is A Battlefield, You Must Love Me (after the lyric flub), I Am I Said
Jason: Daydream, Hallelujah, Travelin’ Thru, SOTR, I Don’t Wanna Cry, September Morn (Yep, I may be the only who liked it. Heh.
)
Syesha: Me And Mr(s). Jones, Vanishing (I’m not sure I liked liked it, but I remember it, so I must have. lol), One Rock and Roll Too Many
Archie: Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Imagine (the finale one; I have always liked Archie’s voice but I didn’t really pay much attention to him in the beginning because it seemed like a given then that he was going to win)
Cookie: Happy Together, Hello, Little Sparrow, Billie Jean, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Dream Big (yep, yep, I liked it!), The World I Know
My list is so long already, anyway, so I’ll just let it all out and add some more:
- one of Asia’h’s songs (I can’t remember the title right now)
- Alexandrea’s Spinning Wheel and If You Leave Me Now
- Josiah’s Grace Kelly
My favorite studio recordings:
- almost all of Jason’s (Jason is obviously my crack, heh), especially Travelin’ Thru
- Michael’s Across The Universe, A Day In The Life, IAWBIAR, Dream On
- Carly’s Here You Come Again (love, love, love this), Come Together
- Brooke’s Let It Be, I Am I Said
- Chickezie’s If Only For One Night
- Archie’s The Long And Winding Road
- Cookie’s ABMB, Little Sparrow, Innocent (I want a studio version of Dream Big!!! lol)
*whew*
Hisaki:
Thanks for the corrections. I think the feeble vessel that is my brain is now officially overflooded with Idol info.
hope David Hernandez has some kind of career that doesn’t involved delivering drinks in his birthday suit.
Still “No Light My Fire” but me…sigh……showing my age (half-dead broads for Cookie!)
Also: I have nothing against any of these kids personally, and my dislike of Carly ain’t based on anything but my eardrums. She has a great vocal instrument, and doesn’t seem to know how to use it without just turning it on and blasting. I like shading, nuance, variety in a singer, and didn’t hear enough of it from her.
David Cook..The music of the night
David Cook””Billie Jean
Jason…Forever in Blue Jeans
Jason…Hallj
Jason…Daydream
Jason…Somewhere over the Rainbow
Brooke..You must love me
Jason..Memory
Arche..Don’t Let the SUn
Arche..Smokey Mtn Memories
Arche..Long and Winding Road
Michael…It’s all Wrong but it’s All Right
Syesha…One Rock and Roll Too many
Carly…Here you Come again
Ramiele..Do I Ever Cross your mind
My list in no particular order:
Michael Johns - It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright
Brooke White - Let it be
Jason Castro - Daydream
Jason Castro - Travelin’ Through
David A. - Imagine
David A. - Stand by me
Carly Smithson - Come Together
Carly Smithson - Crazy on you
Carly Smithson - Here you come again
David Cook - Billie Jean
David Cook - Hello
David Cook - All I Really Need Is You
David Cook - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
David Cook - The World I Know
David Cook - Always Be My Baby
My favorite studio recordings:
David Cook - Always Be My Baby
David Cook - Innocent
Carly Smithson - Here you come again
Michael Johns - Across the universe
Michael Johns - A day in the life