The Results - Inspiration

More than two hours of musical entertainment tonight for Idol Gives Back: (but brace yourself because the show was pretty dreary)

Things got off to a fun start with the Black Eyed Peas singing another jam after releasing three #1 smash hits from their album The E.N.D. - Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling and Imma Be. Could the song they performed tonight, Rock That Body, be headed to the top of the Billboard HOT 100 next?

Joss Stone and Jeff Beck did a cover of I Put A Spell On You followed by this week's mentor, Alicia Keys taking the stage. She did a medley starting with Unthinkable and leading into her recent #1 hit Empire State of Mind.

The highlight of the night came from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four Winner and ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR, Carrie Underwood. She performed a fantastic song called Change from her spectacular multi-platinum latest album, Play On. She looked and sounded even better than ever.

It seems like Annie Lennox has completely given up on singing anything catchy and entertaining since about 1989. She once again showed up at Idol Gives Back to drone out a heartfelt, but completely boring song about a Universal Child.

One of the biggest hits on rock radio of all time is Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and it never even cracked the Billboard HOT 100. Maybe that will change with the new cover performed tonight by the Queen of Hip Hop, Mary J. Blige. It's possible that a new generation of fans is ready to take this classic up the charts.

Elton John first hit the Billboard HOT 100 at #8 in 1970 with Your Song and forty years of hits followed. His performance tonight of this lovely debut single was just as moving and inspiration as always.

I am pleased to report that I correctly predicted two of the bottom three. I knew there was no way Lee was going to be in there, but he's just completely over-rated and the judges are giving him a free pass so I took advantage of the chance to take him down a notch. Unfortunately the two I correctly predicted to be in the bottom, Casey and Aaron, are both coming back to torture us again next week. That leaves the charming and bright smile of Tim Urban getting cut from the competition. He showed some great growth from week to week and we wish him well.