2008 Year End Charts

The #1 album for all of 2008 on the Billboard chart is As I Am by Alicia Keys. It's no surprise that the only Miss American Idol finalist to be in the top ten on the Year End Album chart is the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner, Carrie Underwood. She lands at #9 with her hit packed second release, Carnival Ride.

You have to go all the way down to #33 to find the next Miss American Idol finalist represented on the chart. Season Five 3rd Runner Up Chris Daughtry continued to have success through 2008 with his first album that was the #1 album for all of 2007 on that Year End Chart. Just a little bit behind Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, the Season Six Miss American Idol winner ends up at #35 with her debut album.

Carrie Underwood's first release, Some Hearts, that first hit the shelves back in 2005, continues to sell so well that it holds onto the #89 position on the 2008 Year End Chart. Her three year old album came out ahead of the debut release from Oscar winner and Season Three finalist, Jennifer Hudson, who sits at #93.

The only other Miss American Idol finalist is represented further down the chart, the under-appreciated album from Season Six 1st Runner Up, Blake Lewis, could only beat box it's way to #150 on the 2008 Year End Chart.

The top 5 songs of 2008 on the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart are: 1. Low - Flo Rida 2. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis 3. No One - Alicia Keys 4. Lolli Pop - Lil' Wayne 5. Apologize - One Republic.

Just missing the top 5, Season Six Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks lands at #6 with her duet with Chris Brown, No Air. Chris Brown actually ended up as the #1 Artist on the entire Billboard HOT 100 also landing at #9 and #10 with his smash hit songs, With You and Forever. Jordin Sparks definitely selected the right person to work with in 2008!

All by herself Jordin managed to end up at #30 with her hit song, Tattoo. She also made the 2008 year end chart at #61 with her third single, One Step At A Time, all from her debut album.

Season Seven Miss American Idol winner, David Cook, logs in at #69 for the year with his winning song, The Time Of My Life. That's just a little bit above the first single from David Archuleta, The Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, who rests at #76 with Crush.

The final song from a Miss American Idol finalist to register on the 2008 year end Billboard HOT 100 chart comes from Chris Daughtry with Feels Like Tonight at #95.

Overall, it was another great year on the charts for the Miss American finalists. I can certainly say the Jordin Sparks turned out to exceed just about everyone's expectations. She got off to a very slow start, but proved she has what it takes to be a smash hit!

Top New Artists of 2008

Every year at this time Billboard Magazine reveals which artists have been the biggest sellers and chart makers of the last 12 months. The Miss American finalists have been putting in a great showing every year and 2008 is no different.

Billboard has just revealed the Top New Artists of 2008. These are exclusively considering those artists who hit the chart for the very first time in 2008. The #1 New Artist of 2008 is X Factor winner, Leona Lewis, but right behind her at #2 on the list is the Season Six Miss American Idol winner Jordin Sparks!

It's no surprise that Jordin would put in such a great showing on this list as the radio airwaves were dominated by the string of hits that came off her debut album. This was a stark change from the reception of her winning single, This Is My Now, that completely fizzled on the charts. Thankfully, when it came time for her song, Tattoo, to come out radio completely embraced her and put it in heavy rotation. That was followed by the Grammy nominated and inescapable duet with Chris Brown, No Air. Jordin was now solidified as a teenage smash hit maker when her next single, One Step At A Time got the kids up on the dancefloor.

Further down on the year end chart for the top new artists, Season Seven Miss American Idol winner, David Cook is taking his place at #8. While his winning single, The Time Of My Life, peaked at #3, he earned this position largely due to the fact that he totally dominated the Billboard HOT 100 the week after he won. David Cook had a total of 11 songs on the chart in the same week. For that brief moment in time he achieved a chart status that can only be compared to The Beatles.

Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta lands at #10 on the list of the Top New Artists of 2008. This comes on the strength of his hugely popular debut release, Crush, that has enjoyed heavy airplay and sales for the past few months.

More 2008 year end charts will be coming out soon.....

American Idol Grammy Nominations!

It's another great year of Grammy recognition for the Miss American Idols.

Season Six Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, has been all over the radio airwaves with three hit singles in 2008, she just won her first American Music Award, and now she has her first Grammy nomination. She is in the running for Best Pop Collaboration for her duet with Chris Brown, No Air. Unfortunately, this was her one and only chance to be in the elite company of Grammy winners in the Best New Artist category, but she was overlooked.

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner, Carrie Underwood is once again nominated for Best Country Female Vocal. She has won in this category at the Grammys for two years in a row and after winning three years in a row at the CMA's it's looking good for her to win again. Once again, her biggest competition is coming from my other favorite country female vocalist, Leann Rimes. In an ideal world, these two former Best New Artist winners would be in a tie every year.

Season Three Miss American Idol winner, Fantasia, didn't even release a new album this year, but the voters seem to love her so much they had to find a way to nominate her again. This year it comes in the category Best R&B Duo for her work with another Season Three Miss American Idol finalists, Oscar Winner, Jennifer Hudson.

In fact, this is just one of Jennifer Hudson's FOUR Grammy nominations. Her debut album has been very well-received garnering recognition in the category Best R&B Album. The first single, Spotlight, is up for Best R&B Song, and, of course, Jennifer is the favorite to win Best R&B Female Vocal.

Hopefully they will all get a chance to perform on the live telecast and also get to accept their awards on the air. Carrie and Jordin were cheated at this year's American Music Awards by getting their awards in ceremonies prior to the live telecast. What a mistake that was! Hopefully the Grammys will give the fans what we want to see.

Chart Debut action

Last year at this time I was able to report that the Season Six Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, made her debut on the Billboard albums chart with first week sales of 119,000 copies. She has gone on to have huge success with three singles from that album with Tattoo being the first to go Top 10. Her Duet with Chris Brown, No Air, was the biggest hit spending many weeks in the top 5 and she followed that up with One Step At A Time that is still getting top 20 airplay. The Season Six Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Blake Lewis, had first week sales of 98,000 for his album and it, sadly, went down hill from there. The album Audio Day Dream went completely unappreciated this year and had no hit singles off of it.

Last week I shared the news that the Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta, made his strong debut on the album chart with first week sales of 183,000 to land at #2. This week he drops down to #11 on the album chart while his single, Crush, continues to hold steady with top 20 airplay and sales figures.

This week the numbers are finally in for the first week sales of Season Seven Miss American Idol winner, David Cook. Even though he comes in one position behind David Archuleta's debut at #3, David Cook sold about 100,000 copies more to have a total of 280,000. These solid numbers should translate into some more sales and airplay action for his single, Light On, that is still no where to be found in the top 50 on the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart.

And the American Music Award goes to....

The 2008 American Music Awards have come and gone and once again the Miss American Idol finalists and winners were all over the show. This year's Miss American Idol winner, David Cook, didn't get a chance to perform during the show, but they did let him sing a few songs during the Red Carpet pre-show. We'll see if this, along with his presenting an award during the show, will lead to a strong debut on the albums chart this week. This year's Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta, was greeted with a roar of applause when he took the stage to present an award, but he didn't get to sing at all. His strong sales and airplay should continue for many weeks to come.

The major disappointment of the night came when, as I suspected, the award for Favorite Female Country Artist didn't go to Carrie Underwood as it should have. The wave of support for Country Teen Queen, Taylor Swift was too strong to overcome this time around. The other disappointments came when the awards that the Miss American Idol winners did get were announced in ceremonies prior to the live telecast. The Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, was honored with the trophy for Favorite Country Album for her amazing release Carnival Ride. Carrie wasn't even in the audience, so I guess it's OK that it happened off camera. The Season Six Miss American Idol winner, super cute Jordin Sparks, was in the house and presented an award during the show, but when it came time for her to win one it also happened off camera. Jordin claimed the very well-deserved prize for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.

The only Miss American Idol finalist to get to walk up on stage and accept his award was Chris Daughtry, Season Five 3rd Runner Up. His band was honored with the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band.

So the American Idols were all over the show, but they still aren't at the level of getting an award just for showing up like Mariah Carey is. As we all know, Mariah is having a great year with the hits off her stellar album E=MC2. Mariah graced the American Music Awards stage with a beautiful performance of her latest single, I Stay In Love. Before she took the microphone and let the harmonious notes escape from her mouth she was given the Special American Music Award that recognized her outstanding chart achievements this year. When Touch My Body hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 she broke the record for Most #1 singles (18) by a solo artists as well as Most weeks at the #1 position.

Those Miss American Idols have a long way to go before reaching the amazing status of Mariah, but it sure is fun watching them give their best efforts!

David Archuleta makes his debut

Carrie Underwood has not won another award this week. We'll have to wait and see how she does at the American Music Awards this weekend. I suspect she's gonna have some tough competition from teen star Taylor Swift. She's a cute young country girl who is making it big riding on Carrie Underwood's coat tails. After Carrie become the Season Four Miss American Idol, she opened the door for country music to have a place on the mainstream pop charts right next to the rock, dance and hip hop. So along comes Taylor Swift who isn't nearly as cute as Carrie and can barely sing a note in tune, but she's selling hundreds of thousands of CDs each week.

Taylor Swift released her second CD last week and she exploded onto the chart at #1 after selling 592,000 copies. That meant that Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up David Archuleta had to settle for coming in at #2 on the Billboard albums chart. He managed to move 183,000 copies of his self-titled CD in its first week. Now we'll have to see how the Season Seven Miss American Idol winner David Cook does next week. For another week in a row David Archuleta's single Crush is still in the top 20 on the Billboard HOT 100 while David Cook's single Light On is still no where to be found in the top 50.

Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood, after her phenomenal performance at the CMA's, has reached a new peak on the Billboard HOT 100 with her wonderful song Just A Dream at #29.

It's not Just a Dream!

David Cook, the Season Seven Miss American Idol winner, will be releasing his debut album this week. Things are not looking good for his first week sales based on the lackluster reception of the first single, Light On. After making an appearance in the top 20 of the Billboard HOT 100 last month, it has dropped out of the top 50 already. Meanwhile, the Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, David Archuleta is continuing to be well-received at radio and on the charts. The sales figures will be coming out soon for the first week of his debut album being in stores. Based not only on the fact that his first single, Crush, is still in the top 20 on the Billboard HOT 100 after 13 weeks, and that the video for the song has been #1 on the VH1 Top 20 Countdown for 5 weeks now he should make an impressive debut on the album chart.

The Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four Winner Carrie Underwood keeps on collecting more honors and recognition. This week she served as the host of the CMA Awards with her usual stunning poise, style and grace. She performed her current single Just A Dream. The song recently peaked at #34 on the Billboard HOT 100 and became her 7th #1 on the Billboard Country singles chart. It's the 4th #1 song on the Country chart from her outstanding album, Carnival Ride. The others are: So Small, All American Girl and Last Name.

The song Just A Dream tells a heartbreaking story about a young bride who gets the devestating news that her fiance will not be coming home because he was killed in the war. The introduction for her CMA performance was done by a real life woman who, sadly, is a living representation of the poignant song lyrics. Just an example of why Carrie is the Supreme American Idol - she's amazingly talented and she sings songs that the public can relate to.

After her beautiful performance the award for Female Vocalist of the Year was handed to her. This is the third year in a row that Carrie Underwood has been given this honor. Three wins in three nominations!!! Carrie's phenominal career is definitely not a dream. And the award season has just begun....

The awards season begins....

The nominations for the 2008 American Music Awards have been announced and once again the Miss American Idol finalists are very well represented. In their wildest dreams did they ever think they would be catapulted into the elite stratosphere of a music legend like Mariah Carey? But here they are!

While Mariah is nominated for Favorite R&B Album for her latest stellar release E=MC2 as well as for Favorite Pop Female Vocalist, there's a few Idols in there also. Daughtry is still having huge success from his debut album getting nominations for Favorite Pop Group and for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist. This year Daughtry will have to compete against Season Six Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks who is also nominated for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist. This is Jordin's first big award nomination and I think she has a great chance of winning it. All the voting is based on online votes from the fans and I have already made her my choice.

The true veteran of award shows is the Supreme Miss American Idol winner from Season Four, Carrie Underwood. She is once again destined to add more trophies to her huge collection with nominations for Favorite Country Female Vocalist and Favorite Country Album for the wonderful Carnival Ride. We'll have to wait until Sunday November 23rd to find out who the winners are, but it should be a great night of entertainment to look forward to if these incredible nominees all perform.

It's also been a big week on the charts for the Miss American Idol Alumni Association. Season Five Finalist Kellie Pickler landed at #9 with her second album, but she was completely overshadowed by the Oscar Winning powerhouse diva from Season Three. Jennifer Hudson has finally released her debut album and it shot all the way up to #2 on the chart with sales over 200,000. Her amazing single, Spotlight, is continuing it's climb up the Billboard HOT 100. The original mix is fantastic, but I decided to also buy the funtabulous dance mix as well and I am loving it!

Season Seven Miss American Idol winner, David Cook, has released his first single , Light On, from his upcoming album and it made it's debut at #17. That's quite a bit lower from the spectacular hot shot debut at #2 for Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner-Up, David Archuleta, a few weeks ago. David Archuleta's single, Crush, is still at #25 on the chart. Crush is also having huge success on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown where it is the channel's #1 video!

David Cook may have won the Miss American Idol crown, but David Archuleta is winning the competition so far with the most sales and airplay.

CLAY IS GAY!!!

I am so pleased to report that Season Two Miss American Idol 1st Runner - Up, Clay Aiken has finally decided to swing open the closet door and openly admit that he is gay.

The cover of the latest People magazine shows Aiken holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, with the headline: "Yes, I'm Gay." The cover also has the quote: "I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things."

This is a big change from what he said in an interview with The Associated Press two years ago: "I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love."

What a relief it is for everything to be out in the open! Clay should have been crowned the Season Two Miss American Idol. He was robbed even more so than cute little David Archuleta. Clay put in the most show-stopping performance during the finals that year. He easily has the best and most effortless singing voice of any male Miss American Idol finalist. Ruben is very good, but he's just never impressed me the way Clay does. So go out and buy Clay's latest album as a coming out present for him! It's called On My Way Here and it's very good.

In other news here's the latest on the female Miss American Idol finalists and winners with the best and most effortless singing voices.

The Stand Up To Cancer benefit television special was a truly inspirational hour of celebrities and fund raising. The performance of the single, Just Stand Up, completely lived up to my expectations. What a thrill to see Carrie Underwood standing right next to Mariah Carey! They both looked and sounded amazing. If you haven't already made your contribution to the cause by purchasing the single, you really should. It is well worth it.

Jordin Sparks is still stuck at #17 on the Billboard HOT 100 with One Step at a Time. It's such a fun song with a toe tapping beat, it really should continue to make gains in sales and airplay. The same is true for the debut single from Oscar winner and Season Three Miss American Idol finalist, Jennifer Hudson. The song is called Spotlight and I strongly encourage you to check it out. It has a great beat and the vocals are exactly as amazing as we expect from her. It's just outside the top 40 on the charts, but I fully anticipate that it will be climbing soon.

Crush

As you all know, when David Cook ended up being crowned the Season 7 Miss American Idol, all of my attention went toward feeling bad for cute little David Archuleta. The judges set him up all season to think he was certain to get the crown. When he didn't, you could see that he was blind-sided by the news.

David Cook then went on to dominate the Billboard HOT 100 (for one week at least) with 11 songs debuting in the same week. David Archuleta had to once again settle for being in the shadows, but this week, his time in the spotlight has come! David Archuleta's first original single "Crush" has sold 166,000 downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and opens at #2 on the Billboard HOT 100.

Compared to the chart achievements of the other American Idols, this is pretty amazing. Even David Cook's The Time Of My Life only peaked at #3. The only other Idol single to get up to #2 is Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone from 2005. This is a very promising start to David Archuleta's music career.

Jordin Sparks, meanwhile, is continuing to inch up the Billboard HOT 100 with One Step at a Time which is now up to #21 this week.

The other exciting news to come out involves the Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, releasing a benefit single with some of the other biggest musical divas in the business. She will be joining 14 other superstars on the single to be released on Sept. 2nd that will benefit cancer research. The impressive list includes the biggest hitmakers of recent years, Fergie, Rihanna and Beyonce, and three other divas who share the honor of winning the Grammy for Best New Artist just like Carrie Underwood did. Those other divas are Sheryl Crow, the amazing Leann Rimes and the biggest mega-superstar diva of all time, Mariah Carey.

I will be right there on iTunes the day this song is available to buy it immediately. I haven't even heard it yet, but it's already my favorite song of the year!

One Step At A Time

Katy Perry is showing the Miss American Idol finalists how it's done. She's now spent her 6th week at #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 singles charts with her provocative dance pop single, I Kissed A Girl. Perhaps the expectation of a squeaky clean image is preventing the Idols from having bigger hits these days. While Katy has achieved huge success announcing to the world that she kissed a girl and she liked it, David Cook and Jordin Sparks are struggling.

While the sales for David's The Time Of My Life have slowed down, it seems like airplay is picking up a bit because it's not dropping as fast as it was off the chart. Jordin's duet with Chris Brown, No Air, is also dropping very slowly of the charts. Chris Brown is doing very well all by himself - his hot dance smash Forever is holding strong at #3 this week. It's one of my favorite songs out right now. It's great to blast really loud while driving.

Remember back when Jordin performed her new single on the American Idol finals when David Cook was crowned the Season 7 Miss American Idol? She sang One Step At A Time and she looked and sounded amazing. This song is very fun and catchy and I am happy to report that it has finally started to get the airplay that it deserves. It's sitting at #34 this week on the Billboard HOT 100.

While Jordin is making her way up the charts one little step at a time, the reigning pop superstar, Rihanna is still topping the charts with everything she puts out. She's still at #2 with her former #1, Take A Bow, and this week her latest release, Disturbia, leaps all the way up to #4. It's not that rare for an artist to have more than one song in the top five in the same week. The biggest megastars like The Beatles and the Bee Gees did it almost every week and a Legendary Diva like Mariah Carey has done it on numerous occasions. It's still a feat that no American Idol has done yet, but it can still happen - one step at a time...

I'll be Lovin U Long Time

A Miss American Idol Finalist will have really made it when they have a remix contest created for their latest release - just like Mariah!

No Bump Needed

Well, it's been quite a few weeks now since cute little David Archuleta was blindsided in front of millions of viewers when he was revealed to be the Season Seven Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up behind winner David Cook.

There was the initial splash of attention when David Cook dominated the Billboard HOT 100 charts almost as much as the Beatles. While the Fab Four were able to sustain their dominance on the charts from 1964 to 1970, David Cook could only hang on for mere weeks. All of those songs have since dropped in sales and have therefore disappeared from the HOT 100. I don't expect to see either of the Davids show up on the charts again until later in the fall when their debut albums surface.

Overall, the American Idol energy has faded from the public view. Season Six Miss American Idol, Jordin Sparks is making a slow decline on the charts with her huge smash No Air, but the follow up single, One Step At A Time, is barely making a ripple. It's too bad, because it really is a fun and catchy song. Maybe there's still a chance for it...

While the Season Four Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, is continuing to dominate on the country charts, she is having more of a struggle in her efforts to cross-over to the mainstream Billboard HOT 100. For a while it looked like her wonderful jam Last Name was going to repeat the success of Before He Cheats, but it seems to have already peaked in the top 20 and now it is on its way down. Just like with Jordin, I am going to keep my fingers crossed on this one - Last Name is an exceptionally good song and I think people are just taking a while to wake up and realize it.

So with the Idols floundering and struggling to make their presence known on the charts that leaves the top spots wide open for other artists who don't need the American Idol Bump at all. There have been some pretty significant chart and sales achievements over the past few weeks. On the Billboard Albums chart Lil' Wayne and Coldplay posted the biggest one week sales with their latest releases. Lil' Wayne managed to sell over a million copies of his album in just one week while Coldplay sold over 700,000.

On the Billboard HOT 100, the same two artists - Lil' Wayne and Coldplay - have been resting comfortably at #1 with their hits Lollipop and Viva La Vida.

So there is still music to be bought even if it doesn't appear on American idol? Who knew...

The American Idol BUMP!

What is the American Idol bump? It's been happening for years now. It's when an artist appears on American Idol and then the next week they see a huge increase in sales and airplay resulting in an impressive bump on the Billboard charts.

One of the most significant examples happened during season five when Shakira showed up during a results show to perform her latest single Hips Don't Lie. It was somewhat unexpected because she wasn't serving as a mentor and seemed to have no connectioin to the show. The song had been out for a few weeks and wasn't really showing much chart action. Next thing you know, after the American Idol exposure, the song leaped to the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100.

There were quite a few examples of the American Idol bump this season. Natasha Bedingfield managed to make it into the top 10 with her single Pocketful of Sunshine after performing it on the show. Leona Lewis has extended her stay quite a few extra weeks in the top 5 with her song Bleeding Love after a solid appearance. The most significant bump has to belong to mentor Neil Diamond. After over 40 years in the recording industry his work with the American Idol finalists lead him to have his first #1 Album EVER!

Mariah Carey has also had the best one week sales of any album so far in 2008 for E=MC2 and it just happened to occur the week after her appearance with the Idol contestants.

Meanwhile, this week David Cook's The Time of My Life has dropped from #3 to #9 this week.

David Cook strikes it rich while Jordin and Blake were cheated!

Last year at this time I was very annoyed because rather than being able to relish in the American Idol spotlight for a little longer after she was crowned the Season 6 Miss American Idol, Jordin Sparks had to watch things fizzle around her. She, sadly, has gone down in history as the only Miss American Idol to have her first single miss out on being a #1 smash on the Billboard HOT 100.

This Is My Now debuted and peaked in the top 20 before quickly disappearing from the chart. The same was true for the first release from the Season 6 Miss American Idol 1st Runner-up, Blake Lewis. He even peaked one spot ahead of Jordin, but also dropped quickly. So here we are a year later - do we have a better understanding of what happened last year? The times, they are a changin. In the first 5 Seasons the Miss American Idol winning singles made it to the top based on sales of a physical CD single.

I must quickly take this moment to review those Billboard #1 Hits:

Season One: Kelly Clarkson - A Moment Like This
Season Two: Clay Aiken - This Is The Night
Season Three: Fantasia - I Believe
Season Four: Carrie Underwood - Inside Your Heaven
Season Five: Taylor Hicks - Do I Make You Proud

But in Season Six the music industry went through a change and physical CD singles were no longer being released. Jordin and Blake ended up being cheated because theirs were the first singles to only be available as an MP3. It's become the norm to buy music in the MP3 format a year later, but it was still kinda new and different for the American Idol music buying fans in 2007. They were used to buying a physical CD single in years past, but they were deprived of that option.

So we've made it to Season Seven and the American Idol fans have been conditioned to now satisfy their music needs with MP3s. We're past the learning curve and the music by the Season 7 Miss American Idol, David Cook has blown up BIG on this week's Billboard HOT 100. He debuted at #3 with The Time Of My Life which sold 236,000 downloads. While that's just a little shy of being a #1 chart topper, he makes up for it with TEN more songs also making it to the HOT 100! His chart success marks the most placements on the list since the Beatles charted 14 songs on the Hot 100 in the week of April 11, 1964. David Cook is almost as big as the BEATLES!!!

The next highest song for David Cook, Dream Big, charts at #15. Season 7 Miss American Idol 1st Runner-Up, David Archuleta also did pretty well this week with three songs hitting the Billboard HOT 100. His cover of Imagine has landed at #36.

And the Season 7 American Idol is....

Here we are: Two hours of fun and entertainment until the crowning of the Season 7 Miss American Idol. It all started out with a preview of this year's American Idol tour as the top 12 finalists were reunited in a high energy performance of the top 5 smash from 1970 by Rare Earth, Get Ready. Then those other 10 finalists were dismissed so the fans could see the Davids come together for a great duet. You wouldn't think that their distinct styles would blend well together, but it turned out to be quite harmonious.

Mike Myers has officially crossed the line into being totally weird as his shameless promotion for the Love Guru was just plain creepy. Thankfully it was followed a very cool performance with Seal and this year's second runner up, Syesha Mercado of his hit Waiting For You. As we have come to expect, Syesha looked and sounded great. Then, on the other side of the coin, we were forced to endure Jason Castro mumble his way through Hallelujah again. Honestly, once was enough.

The top 6 girls: Kristy Lee Cook, Amanda Overmyer, Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson, Brooke White and Syesha Mercado joined together to bring to life an exciting Donna Summer medley including She Works Hard For The Money and the #1 smash, Hot Stuff. It was fun to see the Queen of Disco herself take the stage and sing her latest release before launching into the Oscar winning Best Original Song, Last Dance.

At the beginning of this season when we first saw the top 24, it is quite likely that many fans selected Carly Smithson and Michael Johns as front-runners to make it here to the finals. It was quite a surprise when they both got sent home way too early. For a a nice little consolation prize these two very talented singers had the chance to sing a duet in front of this huge audience. They gave a bouncy big band arrangement of a song by the Box Tops that spent four weeks at #1 in 1967, The Letter. Just a taste of what could have been....

The top 6 guys: David Hernandez, Chikezie, Michael Johns, Jason Castro and our top finalists, David Cook and David Archuleta joined forces to give us a Bryan Adams medley consisting of Summer of '69 and his #1 hit Heaven. This Canadian rocker came out to sing his latest jam and then wrapped things up with his hit Somebody.

This may come as a surprise to you, but one of the most recognized hits from ZZ Top, Sharp Dressed Man, was never released as a single and therefore, it never hit the Billboard HOT 100. Even so, it was still a nice sizzling opportunity for David Cook to rock out with the bearded guitar heroes. Much less sizzling was Brooke White sitting barefoot and strumming her guitar with Graham Nash. While the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young top 20 hit from 1970, Teach Your Children is a classic song, this duet was just as drab as everything else Brooke gave us all season. The show needed a huge injection of youthful exuberance after this and no one does it better than THE JONAHS BROTHERS!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! They were right there singing their hit SOS!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

One Republic recently peaked at #2 earlier this year with their smooth synth pop song, Apologize. It was the perfect contemporary hit to match with David Archuleta's pure, sweet, sincere and earnest voice. The show is more than half over and there have been no appearances by any former American Idols! How can that be? Just when we thought Ruben's (Season 2 Miss American Idol) song last night was all we were going to get, the reigning queen, Season 6 Miss American Jordin Sparks came out on stage in glittering high heels and a spangled gold dress to sing her newest single, One Step At A Time. Her first single, Tattoo peaked at #8 and her latest, No Air is still in the the top 5 after peaking at #3. Who says the Idols aren't as successful as they used to be!

As if Jordin wasn't enough, the Idol alumni doesn't get any better than the Supreme Miss American Idol from Season Four, Carrie Underwood. She looked absolutely stunning as she belted out her new single, Last Name. Her stylist deserves an award. I mean seriously, her hair, that dress, her legs, her shoes - FLAWLESS! Carrie is just plain HOT! And the song is the catchiest thing ever. It started out, "hey cutie where are you from?" then in turned into - Oh NO what have I done!

The top 12 gave us one last medley of George Michael hits including, Faith, Father Figure and Freedom 90 before George graced the stage to sing his #1 smash that Carrie Underwood did so well on Idol Gives Back, Praying For Time.

Two hours of great entertainment flew by and it was finally time to give the Season 7 Miss American Idol crown to one of the Davids. The envelope was opened and David Archuleta had to step aside and give congratulations to this years winner - DAVID COOK! The rocker was brought to tears as he thanked his brother for encouraging him to give this a shot. He made it all the way to this night of having the glitter fall around him as he sang The Time Of My Life.

Top 2 - FINAL match - up!

Here we are in the Season 7 final match-up between the two Davids - both of whom have never landed in the bottom two all season long. They are coming in undefeated and it's a very close competition. It's also the first time since season 2 with Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard that there has been two guys going head to head in the finals. The Davids will face off in three rounds:

In round one the song selection was made by accomplished music producer, Clive Davis. For David Cook, Clive chose the song that spent two weeks at #1 in 1987 by U2, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. It's a good song, but it didn't really challenge Mr. Cook to show his range. The performance ended up being kinda straightforward and predictable. For David Archuleta, Clive chose the smash hit that has been a chart topper for Elton John twice. The first time in 1974 it peaked at #2, but in 1992 when he teamed up with George Michael, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me went all the way to #1. This song allowed Mr. Archuleta to do what he does best - start out the ballad slow and build to a dramatic climax.

For round two, the Davids had to interpret a brand new original song. Rather than both needing to sing the same song, they had the option of choosing one that they felt they could connect with best. Mr. Cook went for a song called Dream Big and he performed it with a very pop radio friendly rock arrangement that was a perfect match for his style. It was catchy and could easily become a hit. Mr. Archuleta selected something called In This Moment. It is the classic American Idol anthem with inspirational lyrics and big notes for him to belt out. He once again stayed true to showcasing his sweet innocent softness at the beginning and then bringing it home with the most sincere and earnest power notes at the end.

Round three was their last chance to present themselves to the voting audience and they could select any song of their own choice. David Cook took a risk, yet played it safe at the same time. He took a risk in that he chose a completely unfamiliar song that was never a big hit. He played it safe in that it was a very standard modern rock hit that didn't challenge him at all. The World I Know by Collective Soul sounded very good in Mr. Cook's hands, but it was kinda anti-climactic. David Archuleta had a slightly different risk/safe selection. His risk was in selecting a song that we have already heard him perform - John Lennon's #3 smash from 1971, Imagine. But it was safe, because it was a crowd pleaser the first time around and he easily went in for the knock-out giving an exceptional crowd pleaser again.

Over all, it was a great night of entertainment and a good competition. Neither of the David's went out on a limb and served us any big surprises. It would have been nice to hear David Cook work his magic by breathing new life into an old song one more time, but he didn't. Because of that my prediction for the Season 7 Miss American Idol Crown is going to have to be David Archuleta. He simply shined with his smooth pure vocals and he oozed that captivating sincere and earnest personality.

Hope you didn't turn off the TV too quickly or you would have missed the Season 2 Miss American Idol, Ruben Studdard come back to the center of the American Idol stage and perform Celebrate Me Home. The Velvet Teddy Bear sounded great.

Who is going to the Finals?

McFadden and Whitehead hit the top 20 in 1979 with their one and only hit song, the disco jam Ain't No Stopping Us Now. This was another song that allowed the top three finalists to strut their stuff around the stage and do some fun and festive finger snapping disco choreography. This is the kind of footage that will follow rocker David Cook for the rest of his life - the serious rocker dancing grapevines and jazz squares!!!!

Season Three Miss American Idol winner Fantasia had a huge smash hit last year with When I See U. She came back to the American Idol stage tonight to perform another smoking hot stone groove jam from the same album. She reminded viewers what a true original she is as she slammed the floor with her hot moves and passionate vocals on the song Bore Me. There was nothing boring about it - even her hair was dyed a vibrant cherry red.

The emotional strings were pulled as Ryan introduced footage of each of the top three finalists, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado and David Cook, trips to their home towns. They were showered with love and support from their friends, families and thousands of fans. They couldn't help but be brought to tears as they were confronted with the reality of being in the middle of their musical dreams coming true. Surely the viewers at home were overwhelmed by the emotions as well.

Unfortunately, the journey had to come to an end for Syesha Mercado as she was revealed as the lowest vote getter of the week. She sang If I Ain't Got You one last time demonstrating that while she's out of the running, she's still a very talented young woman.

I got my prediction correct this week and I'm looking forward to a very exciting finals next week between the Davids!

The Top 3 sing three each

It's all about threes tonight: The top three finalists sing three songs each. One personally selected by one of the three judges, one of their own choosing, and one selected by the American Idol producers.

Paula Abdul specially picked Billy Joel's And So It Goes for David Archuleta. This song barely cracked the top 40 in 1990, but David was able to work his magic and make it ooze with even more earnest sincerity than ever. For his own choice he decided to demonstrate that he is 17 and capable of singing a current smash hit on the charts this week. Chris Brown is the biggest hitmaker of the year so far and his jam With You recently peaked at #2. It was unexpected to see and hear David do something so contemporary, but with a little more practice he will show that he can do it convincingly. His final song, selected by the producers, brought him back to singing a heartfelt ballad. In 1980 Dan Fogelberg spent two weeks at #2 with Longer. This song is beautiful and sweet and all the things that David can bring to life very easily. It wasn't a big dramatic showstopper, but it was definitely enough to please his adoring fans.

Randy Jackson wanted to hear Syesha Mercado sing a song that hit #4 in 2004, Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You. This is a very straightforward choice that she was able to perform easily. Her vocals were perfect and she looked stunning in a glamorous gold full length gown. For her own choice, Syesha showed the all-around stage performer that she wants to be. Once again looking fabulous she added fun choreography to her rendition of the 1958 top 10 hit by Peggy Lee, Fever. It may be an old song, but Syesha made it vibrant and festive. The producers apparently wanted to pull out a much more contemporary festive vibe by having her perform the Happy Feet soundtrack toe tapper Hit Me Up. This third song allowed her to showcase a full range of styles in one evening of performances.

For six weeks in 1972, Roberta Flack stayed at #1 with The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. It's a subtle sensitive ballad that made Simon Cowell curious as to what David Cook could do with it. He did not disappoint with his strongest vocals so far in the competition and another powerful arrangement elevating the song to a new and exciting level. For his own choice, David played it very safe by selecting the top 20 hit from 2005 by Switchfoot, Dare You To Move. The song didn't allow him to do anything unexpected or special. The same can be said for the producers choice of the #1 smash by Aerosmith from 1998, I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. David performed with an orchestra and it sounded good, but it do anything exceptional from the original. He's set a pretty high bar for himself, so when he does good it doesn't really feel good enough.

I am very pleased that all three finalists proved they are very worthy of making it this far in the competition. They are all very clearly passionate about music and are excited and happy about having this opportunity of a lifetime. It will be very sad that one of them must be cheated out of making it to the finals. It is very hard to predict, so I am just going to base it on what has happened so far all season. While Syesha Mercado has put in very good performances each week, she has still ended up in the bottom three consistently. It just seems to make sense that now that we are down to only three she will be sent home since neither of the Davids has ever been in the bottom three.

The Results - Rock - n - Roll Hall of Fame

After weeks of lackluster group performances, it took the music of an amazing Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee to get some energy out of the final four finalists. Steely Dan hit #11 in 1973 with Reeling In The Years and it was actually enjoyable to see the kids bring it to the American Idol stage. The vocals were strong, but it was the well placed choreography that kept the performance fun and entertaining. It was nice to see they could sing and dance at the same time.

With only four finalists remaining it didn't take long for Ryan to reveal that both of the Davids are safely coming back next week in the top 3 while Syesha is once again left hanging in the bottom two. Of course, the good news is that she is there with Jason Castro.

Last year as Blake Lewis glided his way into the finals, he was often compared to Maroon 5, the 2004 Grammy winners for Best New Artist. A full year after hitting #1 with their smash, Makes Me Wonder, they are back on the American Idol stage cranking out another single from their hit album, If I Never See Your Face Again. Too bad we can't say the same thing for Blake's singles. His album, Audio Day Dream, is really good and you should give it a listen if you haven't yet.

Season Four will always go down in history as the year that the Supreme Miss American, Carrie Underwood, was crowned. Think back to 2005 and try and remember who she was standing next to on that stage. It doesn't really matter, because she clearly had no competition, but that season's rocker, Bo Bice managed to get enough votes each week to make the finals. While his first album failed to give him any hits, he's trying again by coming back to the American Idol stage to sing the first single from his second album, Witness. We wish him luck.

There's no reason to drag out the misery any longer. Syesha has survived the bottom two for another week and is joining the Davids in the TOP 3! Jason Castro is finally the lowest vote getter of the week and he is finally going home. He was clearly just as relieved as we are during his incredibly weak performance of I Shot The Sheriff. It's like he's happy he doesn't have to work anymore.

I made only one prediction this week and I am thrilled that I got it right. It's going to be an exciting top 3 next week. Will the Davids have an easy path to the finals or will Syesha knock one of them out with another showstopping performance?

The Final Four - Rock - n - Roll Hall of Fame

Tonight the remaining four finalists had the opportunity to select songs from artists who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

David Cook opened the show with his take on the very first song Duran Duran charted with in 1983, Hungry Like The Wolf. Their era defining original went all the way to #3, but David didn't seem very sure about what he wanted to with it. He didn't add anything extra special to this performance so it was pretty straightforward while still strong. For his second song David decided to leave his mark on the Who's classic anthem Baba O'reilly (commonly referred to as Teenage Wasteland). This classic rock album track is legendary so David took on a big challenge when he decided to play with the arrangement. He did a very good job stripping it down and re-working it to the kind of teenage angst that is being sung about on current rock radio. He lived up to the Final Four expectations.

Syesha Mercado is proving once again that she is not one to shy away from a fight. As the only girl left in the competition she stepped up with her entire arsenal ready for action. Her first weapon of choice was the Tina Turner staple Proud Mary. While it peaked at #4 in 1971, this song is the showstopper every time Tina performs live. Syesha looked and sounded amazing as she recreated the incredibly athletic dance choreography. It was quite a work out, but it was worth it. Syesha's line of attack came from another direction for her second song. She selected Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come which cracked the top 40 in 1965. This time she stood center stage in a glamorous long gown and let her emotional vocals out shine all of the boys. She is getting better and better each week proving that it is no mistake that she is still here.

Jason Castro quit trying weeks ago. He's still all wide-eyed and surprised that he made it this far and he's finally starting to be afraid because he has no other tricks up his sleeve or hidden in his dreads. He took what should have been the perfect match for him, Eric Clapton's 1974 #1 smash, I Shot The Sheriff, and squandered yet another opportunity. He seemed completely disconnected and off of the beat. For his second song, he made another selection that should have been a breeze for him, The Byrd's 1965 #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man, but his lack of commitment showed through again. Jason does not put any time into rehearsing the songs and it is evident in how he forgets the lyrics. His vocals are completely bland and unimpressive and he shows no passion or energy in the performance.

Thankfully we have David Archuleta, who is still taking the competition seriously. He chose to perform one of the most beloved songs of all time, Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Two generations of fans brought this song to the top 10. It hit #4 in 1961 and then it came back again 25 years later to hit #9 in 1986. David's pure vocals reminded the audience of this treasured song. But that was just a small taste of what David had to present. For his second song, David pushed every button that he has to push. He sat center stage to sing Love Me Tender. Elvis kept this song at #1 for 5 weeks in 1956 and David used everything he had to relate this love song to his fans. His sweet voice pleaded to them to love him tender and when he made eye contact there was no resisting him.

This Final Four is pretty much a joke. It's clear that Jason Castro does not belong there. The other three finalists are genuinely putting their hearts and efforts into this and he clearly doesn't even care. Keeping my fingers crossed for no surprises, my prediction is that Jason will finally be sent packing tomorrow night.

The Results - Neil Diamond

What should have been a fun energetic opening medley was tarnished by the mediocre voices singing it. This year's top five finalists aren't the best vocalists American Idol has ever seen so it was hard for them to do justice to the Neil Diamond medley. It could have opened stronger if David Cook had sung the #1 smash from 1970, Cracklin' Rosie in it's entirety rather than allowing Jason Castro to barely whisper the lyrics. It was just another example of how Jason doesn't care to actually learn and rehearse the songs he's singing. The rest of the medley included Neil's other chart-topper, Song Sung Blue from 1972, which also suffered from the weak vocals from the finalists.

While everyone who genuinely loves music can see that it is time for Jason Castro to go home, Ryan called him out to the center of the stage early on to reveal that he is safe. He's definitely coming back for another week of musical abuse so the audience had the whole hour to get over it and start accepting it. Ryan revealed that the Davids are also safe leaving Syesha Mercado and Brooke White as the bottom two.

After revealing all of the standings early it left time for Natasha Bedingfield to perform her latest hit single , Take Me Away. It's exactly the a kind of catchy song that a singer like Brooke White would need in order to compensate for her lack of vocal talent. Natasha did a great job and hopefully it will become a chart topper. Neil Diamond then took center stage to sing a track from his new album coming out next week. After all these years he demonstrated what it takes to have career longevity - you have to love what you're doing, and you can tell that he still does.

The time came to reveal that after being one of the lowest vote getters almost every week, Syesha Mercado has made it through by the skin of her teeth one more time. Brooke White became very emotional when she heard the news that she is going home, yet she still struggled to get through I Am, I Said one last time.

Last year at this time I was very excited about looking ahead to the next week with the best top four ever. Season Six had four very dynamic, talented and unique finalists move forward while here in Season Seven I cannot say the same thing. Jason Castro is going to come back next and wander aimlessly across the stage like he always does. It's very clear that there's no one home because it's obvious that the lights aren't on! He's insulted the guest mentors with his ignorance every week and now he's coasting into the finals. Can he be stopped? Will he be able to turn things around and actually get better? The Davids and Syesha have to work extra hard to make a dent in his dominance over the doofus voters next week if they want to stay alive.

The Top 5 sing Neil Diamond

The top 5 finalists get the wonderful opportunity to work with the extremely accomplished singer/songwriter/performer Neil Diamond. He has an incredibly extensive catalog of hits and the finalists will be able to perform two each.

Jason Castro selected Forever In Blue Jeans for his first song. This great song peaked in the top 20 in 1979 and it would seem like a good match for Jason's casual attitude. He strummed his guitar as usual and really took the casual demeanor to the extreme. He seemed even more vacant and disconnected than ever. The same was true for his second song, September Morn', which was another top 20 hit in 1980. These songs have a depth and maturity that is far beyond Jason's capabilities. Simply put, the songs are too big for him.

David Cook walked into this theme with a clear advantage over the others as his vocal style is very similar to that of Neil Diamond. That and he's also knowledgeable and passionate about music. David selected I'm Alive for his first song. This was the last song that Neil charted with on the Billboard HOT 100 when it cracked the Top 40 in 1983. David made it sound fresh, energetic and ready for radio airplay all over again. The same is true for his second selection, All I Really Need Is You. It's an obscure song from Neil's catalog, but in David's hands it doesn't matter. His voice is the perfect match to rejuvenate these songs.

The Monkees hit #1 for 7 weeks in 1966 with the Neil Diamond penned I'm A Believer. Brooke White seemed to have chosen this song to very clearly demonstrate how awkward she can look on stage. The song is really fun, but Brooke doesn't have the inherent qualities to do it justice. For her second song, she went in the complete opposite direction with the introspective ballad, I Am, I Said that hit the Top 5 in 1971. She was able to sit comfortably behind the piano and let the lyrics of the song take center stage. We were reminded of two things tonight: Brooke has a very limited vocal range that is clearly exposed when she sings ballads. Brooke is also very limited in the range of musical styles that she can perform. She can really only do one thing well while all of her other efforts come off as awkward.

David Archuleta is an extremely talented young man who is gifted with an effortless vocal range and a warm, sincere personality that is the definition of "like able". The challenge for him comes from finding songs that are a good match for his extreme earnestness. He first tried to see if the Top 5 smash from 1969, Sweet Caroline, would work. While vocally he was successfully, it was a little strange to hear this song that has been sung in many a bar late into the night come from this young man. His second song was a slightly better match: America - Top 10 - 1981. The lyrics celebrating the desire to immigrate to "my country tis of thee" sounded more natural coming from the little darling.

After weeks of being in the bottom three, Syesha Mercado is finally showing a full range of personality and style. She was a great entertainer last week and tonight she got even better. For her first song she chose Hello Again which went Top 10 in 1981. Neil has never been known for his impressive vocal range, so it was nice to hear this song re-interpreted with many interesting nuances and shades that Syesha made seem effortless. She then gave an other exhibition of her complete comfort on stage and become a totally different character with her rendition of the 1967 Top 20 hit I Thank The Lord For The Night Time. It was an exuberant vocal celebration.

The bottom two this week is very clear. I have no choice but to predict that Jason Castro and Brooke White will finally stop getting votes after these catastrophic efforts tonight. While I have been leaning toward Brooke going home for the past two weeks, I think it is finally time for Jason to hit the road and never come back. His face is not pretty enough to excuse his complete ignorance when it comes to musical knowledge. He should be embarrassed about everything that he doesn't know. There really is nothing underneath those dreads. He should have gone home a long time ago.

The Results - Andrew Lloyd Webber

The top 6 finalists had the honor of opening the show singing a group performance of All I Ask Of You from Phantom of the Opera as Andrew Lloyd Webber accompanied on the piano. Unfortunately, since a couple of the finalists are vocally challenged, this great song didn't sound as great as it should have. Everyone else seemed to tone it down in order to remain in the weak and limited range of Jason Castro and Brooke White.

Ryan asked the finalists to come out in pairs and find out who was going to be safe and who would be in the Bottom Two. The first to hear the news was the Davids, and no surprise, they are both safe. That surprise came when it was revealed that Brooke White is safe and Syesha Mercado is in the bottom two.

In Britain, Simon Cowell created a show called X Factor which is basically just like American Idol. The winner last season was a young woman named Leona Lewis and she ended up breaking all sales and airplay records in Britain with her first release. Turns out that she is also doing very well here in the states. Her album, Spirit, was just #1 on the Billboard Albums chart and her single, Bleeding Love, has spent two weeks on top of the Billboard HOT 100 singles chart. She came to American Idol stage to sing her smash hit.

The remaining finalists, Carly Smithson and Jason Castro then got to hear the next surprise of the night: Jason is safe and Carly is joining Syesha in the bottom two. These two very talented young women then showed off how this is the best bottom two ever as they both gave encore performances from last night. No matter what happens the news is going to be bad - a very talented finalist will be going home too soon. In this case, Syesha is safe and Carly is going home.

Really, it doesn't come as a surprise because the evidence has been there that both Carly and Syesha have had a hard time connecting with the audience. They have both ended up in the bottom three a few times, but it still doesn't make it any easier to accept. So I didn't get any of my predictions correct this week. It makes absolutely no sense that people are voting every week to keep Brooke and Jason on the show. Jason has demonstrated every week that his pretty little head is completely empty in that he is incapable of articulating a complete sentence much less express any knowledge or passion for creating music. Brooke is just looking more awkward every week as she is clearly too small of a talent for a stage this big. Brooke and Jason should both feel very lucky to have this opportunity as they are taking it away from more deserving finalists.

The top 6 sing Andrew Lloyd Webber

Some of the most memorable songs from the Broadway stage in the past 40 years have been composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Tonight the top 6 finalists had to prove their ability to interpret these amazing songs.

When it comes to naming one's favorite show tunes, few people immediately think of those catchy songs from Starlight Express. That did not stop Syesha Mercado from selecting One Rock and Roll Too Many and truly making it work. While it may not have been familiar to most listeners, she proved herself as a very talented live stage performer. Her voice sounded even stronger than ever and she exuded a vibrant and fun personality that was the perfect match for the song. This was the best she has done so far.

One of the favorite show tunes that just about everyone mentions is Memory from Cats. People have loved hearing Betty Buckley, Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow elevate these lyrics with their powerful and impressive vocal ranges. As we have learned so far in the competition Jason Castro has never impressed with his vocal range. This young man knew nothing about what he was doing when he selected this song. It is a complete mis-match for his folk singing, acoustic guitar driven style. The final performance was a complete mess.

Just when we thought one finalist making a complete mess was tragic enough, we are given another. Brooke White messed up pretty bad last week when she had to rise to the Mariah standard and failed and now she has to go out of her element again with a show tune. When Andrew Lloyd Webber created an original song for Madonna in the movie version of Evita, You Must Love Me ended up winning the Oscar for Best Original Song. The song tells of the overwhelming sadness as Eva Perron realizes that she is close to death. In Brooke's hands the song was just plain sad. She couldn't remember the lyrics and the trembling in her voice was not from getting into character, it was from her acceptance that she is completely out classed by the other finalists.

David Archuleta chose to sing Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera. He has demonstrated once again that he can sing anything and make it sound like an inspirational adult contemporary hit. He has a very effortless vocal range that expresses the sentiment of the lyrics exactly as they should be every time. He is already a star whether he wins the Miss American Idol crown or not, but if he keeps on winning over fans with songs like this....

Carly Smithson has one of the best voices in the competition this year, but each week she has struggled with everything from song choice, to expressing the emotions appropriately and deciding what to wear. Tonight, as she performed Jesus Christ Superstar, she did everything exactly as she should have. All of the pieces fell into place so that she could showcase her talents at their best. Very entertaining.

The Music of The Night is a haunting love song from Phantom of the Opera performed as the monster tries to seduce his captive young diva. Rather than needing to rework the song into his rock style, David Cook genuinely brought the song to life because he skillfully knows how to work the lyrics. His voice was the perfect match for the intensity and drama that needs to be conveyed with every syllable. The Davids could be in a serious wrestling match for the Miss American Idol crown.

Predicting the bottom three is going to be very difficult this week. While it is a no-brainer that Jason Castro and Brooke White should have never made the top 12, much less be here in the top 6. The difficult question comes when trying to predict which of the remaining far-superior finalists must join them in the bottom three. Unfortunately, both Syesha and Carly have struggled to find a fan-base and have ended up in the bottom three before. Even though Syesha clearly gave her best performance of the season so far, I fear she will end up in the bottom three for two reasons: She performed first and may be forgotten and she performed a song that was unfamiliar to most of the listening audience. I predicted that Brooke White was going to go home last week, but now it has to finally be her time.

The Results - Mariah Carey

What happens when the two biggest hit making acts of the early 90's team up to record a collaboration? The answer is obvious - the record becomes the biggest hit of all time! Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey released their eulogy to lost loved ones, One Sweet Day in 1996 and not only did it debut at #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 but it stayed there for a record breaking 16 weeks. The Lucky 7 finalists gave one of their best group performances so far with their moving interpretation of this timeless classic.

Ryan split the finalists into two groups. On the left side of the stage he instructed Jason Castro, Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado to stand and wait while David Cook, Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White were on the right side. That left poor little David Archuleta waiting all by his lonesome backstage.

Season 5 Miss American Idol Elliot Yamin took the stage to perform a song called Free from his album. It was pretty good, but the big news was that his wonderful mother passed away last week. This was the first time he had to perform and not have her in the audience. Mariah is continuing her ability to write the kind of moving songs people can relate to. After having such a huge success with One Sweet Day, she is sticking with that theme on her latest single that she performed tonight, Bye Bye. It's a tribute to her father who passed away a few years ago. It's quite likely that this could become her record breaking 19th #1 song. She is currently at #1 this week for a second week with her 18th #1 hit Touch My Body.

David Archuleta was informed that he is safe and that he should go stand with the group that he thought was the top vote getters. Cute little David sat on the floor and refused to choose while Ryan mixed things up and instructed David Cook to switch groups with Syesha Mercado. After the switcheroo, Ryan revealed that Syesha was part of the bottom three with Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White. Syesha and Brooke are both safe while down-to-earth country girl Kristy Lee Cook is out of the running.

This week I got two of my predictions correct. I'm glad that Carly was spared from being in the bottom three for a change, but I'm disappointed that Kristy Lee isn't coming back. I felt she was getting better each week. Brooke, on the other hand, peaked weeks ago and she is overstaying her welcome. I suspect it will finally catch up to her next week.

The Lucky 7 sing Mariah!!!!

In the seven seasons of American Idol, there has never been a more accomplished mentor than the one the lucky 7 finalists had the chance to work with this week. From 1990 to the present Mariah Carey has consistently written, produced and performed the songs that are at the top of the charts. She shared her experience and wisdom with the finalists as they attempted to make a selection from her songbook their own.

In 1998 Mariah was asked to join Whitney Houston for a duet of the theme song for the animated film, the Prince of Egypt. The song When You Believe ended up peaking at #15 and after Mariah and Whitney performed it at the Oscars the song took the statue for Best Original Song. David Archuleta is like two divas in one because he managed to bring his sincere persona and vocals to this song and completely make it work. All that was missing was the glamorous long gown, but he'll have plenty of time to do that in the future.

Mariah is the rare diva who writes almost all of her own material. After hitting #1 in 1992 with her cover of the Jackson 5's I'll Be There, Mariah started to include a cover version on many of her albums. On Music Box it was a cover of Nilsson's Without You. While his was a #1 smash in 1972, Mariah's peaked at #3 in 1994. Carly Smithson selected this song that allowed her to belt out some amazing big notes. She also looked much more sophisticated as her silky dress had sleeves that covered her tattoos.

After 18 years of recording amazing songs, Mariah still acknowledges Vanishing from her 1990 self-titled debut album as one of her all-time favorites. It's a uniquely "Mariah" song that is full of elaborate vocal runs and impressive high notes. Staying true to her choices so far this season, this was the clear option for Syesha Mercado to try once again to prove that she is a contender. The fact is that Syesha did a more than respectable job presenting this classic album track to a new audience. And she looked incredibly classy while while doing it.

Mariah spent four weeks at #1 in 1994 with Hero. It's one of her career defining songs that her adoring fans expected to hear at all of her concerts. It's a genuinely inspirational song about believing in one's self. Brooke White did her best expressing that sentiment to the audience as she took her comfortable place behind her piano. But as was expected, her limited vocals prevented her from elevating the song to the inspirational heights. She tried and faltered to the point of appearing nervous and awkward.

In 1996 Mariah had just set the all-time Billboard HOT 100 record for spending 16 weeks at #1 with One Sweet Day. So while Forever was never released as a single, demand was so high for Mariah that the song was in heavy rotation at radio anyway. Kristy Lee Cook has once again chosen a song that she can make her own and that directs the focus on her best qualities. She didn't need to play with the arrangement too much to turn the song into a legitimate country tune and her vocals were just as impressive as last week.

Also in 1996, Mariah spent two weeks at #1 with Always Be My Baby. In her original arrangement, it's the kind of song that the campers might sing sitting around the fire while roasting marshmallows. Like we have come to expect from David Cook, he found a way to re-invent this song and completely make it his own while staying true to its meaning. He definitely knows how to work with all of the pieces that go into making music: producers and arrangers, the live musicians in a band, and commanding the stage with his vocals and presence.

In 1991 Mariah had her fourth consecutive #1 song from her self-titled debut album, I Don't Wanna Cry. Jason Castro despite his limited vocal abilities, is still in the competition. Each week he manages to smile just right, flash his bright eyes and "sing" barely well enough to keep coming back. Somehow he should be able to do that again this week, but thankfully without the use of a ukulele. Similar to David Cook, Jason made the song fit his persona with a tropical arrangement and it was actually kinda nice.

This was easily the best week on American Idol EVER!!! In previous seasons the mentors have been incredible artists and musicians, but they have all had their hit-making success in the past. With Mariah, the lucky 7 finalists got the chance to learn from someone who is an exceptionally accomplished hit maker on the charts THIS WEEK! Her catalog of music also requires the finalists to truly step up and prove themselves. I am pleased to report that with the exception of Brooke White, they all did well. My prediction is that Brooke will be sent home with the lowest number of votes and she will be joined in the bottom three by Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson. Both Syesha and Carly are very talented, but they don't seem to be connecting with the audience very well.

The Results - Inspiration

The inspirational spirit of Idol Gives Back was continued with the opening group performance by the top 8 finalists of Shout To The Lord. Now that Idol Gives Back is coming to an end for this year, hopefully we will not have to get any more performances like this one.

Ryan informed Brooke White, David Cook and David Archuleta in rapid succession that they were all safe and assured the opportunity to work with Mariah Carey next week. We were then treated to a performance by the reigning Miss American Idol, Jordin Sparks. She is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard HOT 100 with her duet with Chris Brown, No Air. These two hot young stars belted out this wonderful ballad that peaked at #5, but is down to #7 this week even though it is the greatest airplay gainer of the week. It is sure to gain even more sales and airplay after this performance.

Ryan then announced that both Jason Castro and Kristy Lee Cook were also safely on their way to working with Mariah. That just left Michael Johns, Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado as the remaining bottom three. After sending Carly and Syesha to safety, Michael Johns was revealed as the lowest vote getter of the week and he is unfortunately going home too soon.

The one time I got all three of my predictions correct in this unpredictable season I wish I had been wrong. Michael is a very talented and charismatic performer and it is just plain crazy that people didn't call in to vote for him even though he had a difficult time selecting a better suited song for the inspirational theme. It's also strange that such talented singers as Carly and Syesha are having a hard time connecting with the audience. It will be interesting to see how the vocally challenged finalists (Brooke and Jason) will do given the chance to work with an exceptional talent like Mariah. Next week promises to be a music lovers dream come true. :)

Idol Gives Back 2008

The familiar beat of the current top 10 smash, Don't Stop The Music, could be heard opening the show for this year's Idol Gives Back. Could that mean that chart-topping star Rihanna is the first of many big name talents helping out? The vocals started and it sounded like Rihanna, but it was just our top 8 Finalist Syesha Mercado still looking for her own identity. She was joined by the rest of the top 8 and the winners of Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew for a very entertaining group performance.

Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson provided their version of a street savvy contribution to the evenings fund raising efforts followed by the unmistakable sound of Before He Cheats. Just as we were looking forward to seeing the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four's Carrie Underwood take the stage, it was Teri Hatcher from Desperate Housewives who took the mike instead. She actually sang the whole song. The real Carrie only came out at the end which just made no sense.

The excitement picked up when super hot teen sensation Miley Cyrus took the stage and gave a small sample of her Best of Both Worlds live concert experience. Unfortunately, she did not sing her current smash See You Again, but it was still lots of fun. She was followed by Fergie who proved with her three #1 hits last year that she doesn't need anyone to be a huge success. Even so, she shared the stage with Best New Artist Grammy winner John Legend for a performance of Finally. Afterward, she introduced classic rock band Heart who started to sing their hit Barracuda. To this day Ann Wilson holds the title of having the best voice in rock music so when Fergie came back to share lead vocals it was a risk. She did a very respectable job holding her own and she didn't need to add the cartwheels as a distraction, even though it was pretty entertaining.

Annie Lennox provided her annual contribution to Idol Gives Back and then we were given the Carrie Underwood performance we were cheated of earlier. George Michael hit #1 in 1990 with his poignant ballad Praying For Time. Lyrically it is the perfect embodiment of what the night is all about and Carrie added her outstanding vocal talents to breath new life to this wonderful song. Gloria Estefan then energized the crowd to Get On Their Feet and give to this important fundraising event.

The top 8 finalists were put to work answering phones and accepting donations, but they were given a break to perform the hit song from the musical Rent, Seasons of Love. The theme for the entertainment this evening has been to tease the audience. First it was with Carrie Underwood and now with Miley Cyrus. To the pleasure of the audience, Miley came back to sing See You Again!

The only other Idol alumni to make an appearance tonight was Season Five Miss American Idol third runner up Chris Daughtry. I guess Kelly Clarkson was busy with other commitments this year.

Idol Gives Back came to an end with a sensational preview of what the finalists will be treated to next week. Mega million selling superstar hit maker Mariah Carey graced the stage to perform one of the many smash hit songs from her Grammy winning The Emancipation of Mimi. Fly Like A Bird, with it's message of hope and faith was the perfect way to sum up this important evening of entertainment.

Mariah Carey

The Top 8 sing Inspiration

This is Idol Gives Back week and just like last year the finalists have been instructed to sing an inspirational song:

Aerosmith took Dream On to the top 10 in 1976. Michael Johns decided that as long as the word "dream" is in the title a song can be considered inspirational. It's doubtful that very many other music lovers have ever perceived the song for this context, but he gave it his best shot. He performed it like the classic rock anthem that it is giving it his usual smoldering swagger. He even showed off more of his vocal range by throwing in some passionate high notes.

In 2004 when Fantasia was crowned the Season Three Miss American Idol winner, she stood under the falling glitter and performed I Believe. The song ended up hitting #1 on the Billboard HOT 100. Just like last week, Syesha Mercado bravely chose to interpret a song that is bigger than she is. It was very hard to not think of Fantasia as Syesha gave a very capable reading of her song. It was not until she hit some exceptional high notes at the end that Syesha stepped out of the shadow.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow has been a timeless piece of music since it first appeared in 1939 in the film The Wizard of Oz. Numerous artists have successfully reinvented the song from the original arrangement made famous by Judy Garland. Jason Castro found a version to mimic that utilizes a ukulele so he wouldn't have to challenge his limited talents very much. It was a pleasant surprise to hear him actually demonstrate some vocal range this time around rather than simply letting his smile and eyes do all the work.

Kristy Lee Cook took the stage with her strongest vocal performance so far as she sang the Martina McBride ballad Anyway. Kristy genuinely looked and sounded like a star as the emotional power of the song came through very clearly with her sensitive and moving interpretation.

David Cook has been getting better and better each week, but he had to peak somewhere. It looks like he may have done that last week since his performance of Innocent by Our Lady Peace failed to keep him moving up to the next level. While he is still showing off a great personality, his vocals were less than impressive. He should be encouraged to show off some vocal range if he comes back next week.

Carly Smithson has never had a problem with showing off her exceptional vocal range. Tonight she used the Queen song The Show Must Go On to demonstrate that she's better than everyone else. While she sounded great, the song didn't seem the fit the theme very well and that may cause some difficulty in getting the audience to appreciate her superior talents.

Since every note that comes out of David Archuleta is inspirational this was a breeze for him. He propped himself up behind a grand piano and he expressed that radiant sincerity singing words like "love" and "angels". He was surrounded by a warm glow that simply pulls everyone toward him even closer.

In 1971 James Taylor spent one week at the top of the Billboard HOT 100 with You've Got A Friend. This song is a perfect match for Brooke White's talents and personality as it doesn't challenge her to break out of her comfort zone. Her vocal range is still just as limited as usual, but the audience can still see that she's a genuinely nice girl who would be great to have as a friend.

Some of the most talented finalists left in the competition may find out what it's like to be in the bottom three after their uninspired song choices and performances. I'd love to be wrong with my predictions this week as I fear that Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson will be side by side facing elimination. Worst of all, I am predicting that Michael Johns will be going home too soon after all the votes are counted.

The Results - Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton had her biggest success on the charts when she stayed at #1 for two weeks in 1980 with the theme song from the huge hit smash movie 9 To 5. The top 9 finalists gave their best group performance of the season so far when they opened the show with this fun toe-tapper.

Afterward, Michael Johns, David Archuleta, and Carly Smithson all heard the good news that they are one step closer to working with Mariah Carey on April 15th. After waiting through a performance from the winners of The Next Great American Band, The Clark Brothers, David Cook, Syesha Mercado, Jason Castro all found out that they, too, will have the privilege of getting closer to being mentored by Mariah Carey. That left the bottom three as Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook and Brooke White who will be at risk of missing out on the Mariah opportunity of a lifetime.

Dolly Parton has a brand new album in stores now called Backwoods Barbie and she performed a wonderful song from it called Jesus and Gravity. It's a classic slice of down to earth inspiration that we've come to love from Dolly.

Brooke and Kristy Lee were both sent back to safety while Ramiele Malubay has to face the reality of being so close to working with Mariah, but being denied the chance.

I did a little bit better this week correctly predicting two of the bottom three. The time was right for Ramiele to be sent packing while the anticipation builds for a performance from Mariah Carey on April 9th during the Idol Gives Back show. Mariah will then return to mentor the remaining finalists for their April 15th performances and then treat the audience to another spectacular performance on the April 16th results show.

As Mariah Carey has just achieved her 18th #1 single on the Billboard HOT 100 this week, she serves as the embodiment of what American Idol finalists strive for: Career longevity and ongoing success as a recording artist.

The Top 9 Finalists sing Dolly Parton

This week the top 9 finalists had the chance to learn from the music and movie legend, Dolly Parton. Here's the songs they decided to perform:

Brooke White started things off with her interpretation of Jolene. Her familiar guitar strumming was a good fit for this great song, but as usual, her limited vocal range prevented it from reaching its full potential. She also had some difficulty adding any personality to her performance.

David Cook followed things up with his unique interpretation of Little Sparrow. Thankfully, he did not turn the song into a full out rock scream fest. Instead, he showed his range and versatility. He demonstrated his ability to find the balance of making the song his own while maintaining the integrity of the song.

Ramiele Malubay tried to keep the energy up with her interpretation of Do I Ever Cross Your Mind. This cute young lady never has to worry about overpowering a song with her personality or style. She doesn't have enough of either as was exemplified with this forgettable attempt.

Jason Castro picked up his guitar and gave his predictable interpretation of Travelin Thru. The competition has been on for enough weeks for everyone to know that Jason does not have a great voice or much talent at all. Fans are voting for his nice smile, his bright eyes and those distinctive dreadlocks. He brought nothing special to the song.

Carly Smithson provided a spectacular interpretation of the song that Dolly peaked at #3 with in 1977 on the Billboard HOT 100, Here You Come Again. It was a very simple arrangement that allowed the melody and her voice to take center stage. It was a new twist on a great song that audiences will want to hear again and again.

David Archuleta raised his own personal standard of excellence with his interpretation of Smoky Mountain Memories. He may be young and he still has room for improvement, but he's got so much natural talent and personality that he's already the best of the bunch. He seems to sing with a sincere connection and understanding of the song and he conveys that with every note. All that and he has the brightest eyes and the nicest smile of them all.

Cute country girl Kristy Lee Cook appropriately took the stage barefoot as she interpreted The Coat of Many Colors. She sincerely brought to life the message of being poor, but feeling rich because of having love. This was the perfect showcase of both the song and for Kristy's talents.

Syesha Mercado took a risk by deciding to interpret I Will Always Love You. Dolly first presented the song in her movie Best Little Whorehouse In Texas where it was a a very sweet and sad farewell song. The world knows the song best as the anthem that Whitney Houston took to #1 for 14 weeks in 1992 from The Bodyguard. Syesha tried to have it both ways by combining the arrangements and for the most part it worked for her. This was probably the best she has done so far in the competition, but it exemplifies her struggle to find an identity. She was better at the beginning and struggled at the end, but it was still a respectable effort.

Michael Johns brought the show to a great ending with his interpretation of It's All Wrong, But It's All Right. He commanded the stage as he performed this song with a bluesy and passionate energy that we have come to expect from him. Nothing wrong - all right.

My predictions for this unpredictable season are very easy this week. Brooke White, Jason Castro and Ramiele Malubay are really starting to stand out as not as good as the others. They should all be in the bottom three and Ramiele should be going home.

The Results - Beginnings

What kind of song can the finalists open with when the theme is songs from the year they were born? The answer is so obvious - Right Back Where We Started From! The disco smash that Maxine Nightingale kept at #2 for two weeks in 1976. The Top 10 finalists were clearly having fun as they gave this preview of what they will be doing on the summer tour.

Chikezie was the first to hear that he must sit in one of the stools reserved for the bottom three. Brooke White was the first to be sent to the safety of the couch followed by Carly Smithson. David Archuleta then heard the news that he could sit his cute little self down on the couch and David Cook then joined him. Syesha Mercado, unfortunately, had to join Chikezie in the stool next to him. Michael Johns had the good fortune to make it to safety.

Season Two Miss American Idol will be remembered for having the three most worthy vocalists remaining in the final three: Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken and Kimberley Locke. The Season Two Miss American Idol second runner up, Kimberley Locke, has managed to make a pretty good place for herself in this tough business having quite a few hits on the adult contemporary charts as well as having a holiday themed hit every Christmas. She came back to the American Idol stage tonight looking very sophisticated and classy and sounding as great as always.

Ramiele Malubay was very relieved to hear that she can go sit on the couch. Kristy Lee Cook also is safe leaving Jason Castro to join Syesha and Chikezie. But Jason wasn't there for long as he was quickly sent to the couch. Syesha has been in this position before so close to being sent home and then at the last second hearing that she is safe. Chikezie's boring song choice sealed his fate.

This unpredictable season has continued to take twists and turns as I only got one of my predictions right. Looking back, I wish I had been brave and predicted Jason Castro would be in the bottom three. While the voters are finally getting it right with Jason, they are still allowing Brooke and Ramiele to come back each week. And poor Syesha is going to have to come up with some amazing over the top gimmick to keep her safe - It worked for Kristy Lee Cook!

The Top 10 sing their beginnings

Tonight the top 10 finalists had to select a song that was a hit the year they were born.

Ramiele Malubay was born in 1987 when Heart spent three weeks at #1 with Alone. This song has become an American Idol favorite clearly because it allows the finalist to show off their entire range. Ramiele probably gave us her best vocal so far, but she doesn't have much of a gimmick to make her extra memorable.

Jason Castro was born in 1990 when Sting released Fragile. Rather than pursuing the haunting introspection of the original, Jason stuck with his limited abilities and made this song into a laid back spanish bilingual salsa. Because of his immaturity it was the same old gimmick with the guitar and the weak vocals.

Syesha Mercado was born in 1987 and for some reason she selected a song that Gladys Knight took to the top 10 in 1971, If I Were Your Woman. It's a great song but this arrangement wasn't as interesting as the original. Syesha still found a way to let her voice take center stage and sound as good as we always thought she could.

Chikezie was born in 1985 when Luther Vandross released If Only For One Night. For the past couple of weeks Chikezie has strutted his stuff showing a full range of performance versatility, but tonight he fell back into a rut. This was a very bland imitation of the original.

Brooke White was born in 1983 when the Police spent eight weeks at #1 with Every Breath You Take. Those were eight long boring weeks back then so it wasn't much for Brooke to work with, but it was actually a good fit for her performance limitations. She sat behind the piano and played in her comfort zone, even after a shaky start.

Michael Johns was born in 1978 when Queen hit the top 5 with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions. It was a very good choice that Michael decided to sing a medley of both songs because he had the chance to truly entertain the crowd with rocking energy. He knows what he does best and this song allowed him to do it.

Carly Smithson was born in 1983 when Bonnie Tyler spent four weeks at #1 with Total Eclipse Of The Heart. This is a dramatic power ballad that allowed Carly to exhibit everything she can do better than the other finalists. It was passionate, intense and completely entertaining.

David Archuleta was born in 1990 and for some reason he picked an obscure song called You're The Voice by John Farnham. This was not a good song choice at all so he had to completely depend on that adorable cute face and sincere personality to make it work. It goes without saying that he has enough cuteness and sincerity to make anything work.

Kristy Lee Cook was born in 1984 when Lee Greenwood first served the world his patriotic anthem God Bless The USA. Kristy is a sweet talented young woman, but if she wants to have a chance in this competition she's going to need a much bigger gimmick to keep her alive. This was a blatant attempt to appeal to the audience that no one else is playing to and it will most likely work.

David Cook was born in 1982 when Michael Jackson took the world by storm and dominated the top of the charts for seven weeks with Billie Jean. David truly has the gimmick that is gonna take him to the finals. He has once again reinvented an oldie by turning it into an electrifying rock jam. David could easily be topping the charts very soon.

This season has proven itself to be very unpredictable. It doesn't matter if your the best vocalist in the competition, like Carly, you can still end up in the bottom three. Syesha found herself there as well, but I'm still gonna predict who I think SHOULD be in the bottom three. Brooke made up for her stammering start, but I don't think well enough. Chikezie should be joining Brooke because he settled back into bland. Ramiele's lack of a distinctive identity will not only have her in the bottom three with Brooke and Chikezie, but it should be sending her home.

The Results - Beatles night - Part 2

Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Neil Diamond have been revealed as the Season Seven American Idol mentors - Quite impressive! Not so impressive was the medley of Beatles songs the top 11 finalists opened the show with.

One by one the finalists were to come center stage and find out if they get to sit comfortably on the couch and make the top 10 or sit in one of the stools reserved for the bottom three. Brooke White made it to the couch while Carly Smithson, in a shocker, had to go sit in the first stool. David Archuleta is safe and so is Michael Johns. David Cook was the next to make the safety of the couch while Kristy Lee Cook had to sit on a stool next to Carly. Jason Castro and Ramiele Malubay also got the good news of being in the top 10.

In Season Five Kellie Pickler was very easily written off as the poor man's Carrie Underwood. She managed to make the top 10 that year despite her limited vocal range and ditzy persona. In the time since then Ms. Pickler has actually released a very good collection of songs on her debut album and has become quite the respectable live performer. She came back to the American Idol stage to sing her crowd pleaser, Red High Heels and while she still doesn't come close to the sales and talents of the Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie, she still pulled off some good entertainment.

Syesha Mercado was the next to find out she is safe followed by Chikieze. That left Amanda Overmyer to join Carly Smithson and Kristy Lee Cook in the bottom three. Carly Smithson was sent back to safety as was Kristy Lee Cook. In an unexpected twist, Amanda Overmyer has ended up as the lowest vote getter of the week and we have seen the last of her Janis Joplin southern rock musical interpretations.

I only got one of my predictions correct this week and while I am disappointed to see Amanda leave too soon, I am glad that Kristy Lee Cook is getting the chance to bring her girl next door persona back for another week. I gotta wonder what is wrong with these voters? Carly Smithson has one of the best voices ever to sing on the American Idol stage and yet people are calling in for Brooke White and Jason Castro. Brooke and Jason both score 10's when it comes to good personalities, but they are sorely lacking in vocal range and stage presence. Who knows what surprises we'll get next week.

The top 11 sing the music of the Beatles!

The music of the Beatles is so great that it takes two weeks to do it justice. Here is how the top 11 finalists decided to pay tribute:

The Fab Four brought the Liverpool sound across the ocean to the United States and we loved every note. Who would have thought we'd be hearing the music of these British boys interpreted with the southern rock stylings of Amanda Overmyer. Her take on Back in the USSR was just as rousing and energetic as we have come to expect from her. More of the same? Yes, but she's good at it.

Kristy Lee Cook was harshly criticized for her country twist on the song last week, so tonight she took a more straightforward approach. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away was in the movie Help!, but it was never actually a hit for them. It was a one hit wonder for a folk quartet called The Silkie in 1965. Kristy did a fine job with this lovely song. She looks beautiful and has a very nice voice. She's way too sweet to be mean to her.

The final #1 song for the Beatles, The Long And Winding Road, spent two weeks at the top in 1970. David Archuleta performed this song to prove that he is so much more than a cute young fresh face. Even though he stumbled a bit last week, there was no sign of hesitation tonight. He sounded pure and powerful - just like a Miss American Idol winner.

One of the most impressive things about the music of the Beatles is that many of their songs are instantly recognizable even though they were never singles and never hit the Billboard HOT 100. Michael Johns performed one of those classics, A Day In The Life, and he tried to generate his trademark smouldering heat. He just needs to stand there and the temperature begins to rise, even though the end result is a little uneven.

Brooke White broke out of her comfort zone a bit with her rendition of Here Comes The Sun. She did not hide behind a piano or a guitar this time around. It was just her slender frame attempting to dance in a sunny yellow dress. Unfortunately it allowed some performance awkwardness to show through along with some vocal imperfections.

Day Tripper hit the top 5 in 1965 and it was just about as hard rocking as the Beatles ever got. David Cook took that opening electric guitar riff and ran away with it. He is easily proving himself as the best rocker the American Idol stage has ever seen. He's got a very nice personality and you can clearly see his genuine love of music - the areas that the previous rockers in seasons past were lacking.

Carly Smithson just has one of those voices. She has strength coupled with range. She can sing anything, it seems, and make it listenable. The Beatles catalog is amazing and full of some of the catchiest hooks of all time so even though Carly chose to sing Blackbird, one of their least catchy songs, she still managed to make it work. Even so, here's to the hope that she chooses something more fun next week.

It was too late change his mind and pick up his guitar so Jason Castro had to stick with the way he rehearsed it. With this kid it is definitely a personality contest and not a singing contest. He's got a pretty face and those dreadlocks. He brought nothing special vocally to his rendition of Michelle, just his smile. The rest was awkward and imperfect.

Yesterday spent four weeks at #1 in 1965 and since then it has become the most covered song of all time. Syesha Mercado continued the tradition sitting on the edge of the stage with accoustic guitar accompaniment. The end result was very emotionally vulnerable even though she still hasn't found the best way to showcase her vocals.

Chikezie once again tried to step up his game and show more of his range. This time he demonstrated his harmonica skills on I've Just Seen A Face from the Help! album. It's obvious that he's working hard each week as the end result is sweaty and entertaining.

Ramiele Malubay started out a little timid with her light and bouncy version of I Should Have Known Better. As the song went on she started to have fun and sound better. There's a very good voice in there, but she needs to find her confidence and stage presence to really win over the fans.

David Archuleta reclaimed his standing as the clear front runner with his performance tonight while some of the others faltered. My predictions for the most at risk for going home are Brooke White and Jason Castro. They are both very nice personalities, but there vocals are simply not up to par. They should be joined in the bottom three by the wonderfully sweet Kristy Lee Cook. She's very pretty and talented, but she's getting lost in the shuffle.