The finalists had the chance to select any song that hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100. They got a little bit of guidance this week from a 17 singer who has never had a #1 hit of her own, Miley Cyrus.
The Box Tops spent four weeks at #1 with The Letter in 1967 and Lee Dewyze did not do himself a favor by trying to sing this song that should have been much more fun. His tired old rock guy raspy voice just sounded like strained screaming and he had no personality up on stage.
Phil Collins spent three weeks at #1 with Against All Odds in 1984 and Paige Miles could not fall back on the excuse of having a sore throat tonight. The vocal performance she served up was weak from beginning to end. She did not take advantage of any opportunity to belt out the big notes at all.
Queen spent spent four weeks at #1 with Crazy Little Thing Called Love in 1980 and Tim Urban even slid across the stage to prove that he can get hip enough for what this song demands. The fact is that it just wasn't enough. Even with all of his attempts at stage theatrics it was still flat and boring.
Aerosmith hit #1 in 1998 with I Don't Want To Miss A Thing and Aaron Kelly brought his diminutive little self on to the stage to sing this big power ballad. He's not a very dynamic performer or vocalist but he's a nice kid....
Janis Joplin spent two weeks at #1 with Me And Bobby McGee in 1971 and let's be thankful that Crystal Bowersox got this song out of the way early in the competition. She is immediately compared to Janis and now she can put this behind her and start to really be herself.
When A Man Loves A Woman is one of the few songs that has hit #1 by two different artists: for one week by Michael Bolton in 1991 and for two weeks by Percy Sledge in 1966. Michael Lynche put in a great effort to make a hit of this song again. He showed off a very impressive vocal range and coupled that with his nice guy sincerity.
Marvin Gaye spent seven weeks at #1 with I Heard It Through The Grapevine in 1968 and Andrew Garcia hoped to liven up his image with this popular favorite. He failed miserably. His vocals are totally bland and his stage presence is embarrassingly awkward.
Fergie spent one week at #1 with Big Girls Don't Cry in 2007 and Katie Stevens made a great choice in selecting this big ballad. It was right all around in that it showed off her vocal range and it was more fresh and current.
Huey Lewis and The News spent two weeks at #1 with The Power of Love in 1985 and Casey James rocked the audience back to the past along with his bright smile and electric guitar. He's good all around - good looking, good vocals, good guitar playing. There's just nothing extra super great about his performances.
Linda Ronstadt spent one week at #1 with You're No Good in 1975 and Didi Benami tried to jazz things up a bit with her rendition. She tried to make it bigger than the original, but it took her vocals a little out of her range. While the overall performance was pretty fun, it didn't show her at her best.
Stevie Wonder spent one week at #1 with Superstition in 1972 and Siobhan Magnus brought her nerdy girl with an edge persona to this classic jam. What's special about this finalist is that she really pushes herself closer to the edge than anyone else in the competition taking risks both vocally and with her stylish look.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Paige Miles, Tim Urban and Andrew Garcia. While it would be nice to finally stop Andrew from making a fool of himself, I think he will be coming back next week while Paige end up being the lowest vote getter.
Showing posts with label Linda Ronstadt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Linda Ronstadt. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Top 10 sing Motown
To celebrate 50 years of the biggest hits of all time, the top 10 finalists made a trip to Hitsville USA where much of the Motown music catalog was recorded. They had the chance to meet Motown founder, Berry Gordy, and work with #1 hit maker Smokey Robinson.
In 1973 Marvin Gaye spent two weeks at #1 with Let's Get It On. Matt Giraud started out at the piano with his lackluster rendition of the song. After he stepped away from the piano he was completely overindulgent in his belief that he can can put more emphasis on shaking hands with the crowd than showing off that he can sing. His voice is bland and uninteresting and it was embarrassing when he got in the judges faces and sang directly to them.
In 1965 Marvin Gaye reached #6 with How Sweet It Is To Loved By You. Ten years later James Taylor did it one better by peaking at #5 with his cover. Kris Allen stood center stage with his guitar and did his best to make the song his own. His vocals are good, but still the best thing he has going for him is his looks. He's perfect for videos, but without the visual there's no reason to listen.
In 1966 Diana Ross and the Supremes spent two weeks at #1 with You Can't Hurry Love. Scott MacIntyre stayed true to himself and performed his rendition from the comfort of his piano. He added a new and different arrangement to this classic hit with some jazzy energy coupled with the background singers on stage with him. No matter what he does, Scott's genuine love of music and talent shines through and tonight was no exception.
In 1968 Stevie Wonder spent two weeks at #2 with For Once In My Life. Megan Joy (who has dropped her last name) also tried to bring some jazzy style to her rendition of the song. She definitely leaves her personal stamp on everything, but it isn't always something that keeps you coming back for more. This performance was all over the place and not in a good way.
In 1965 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles peaked at #16 with Ooo Baby Baby. Thirteen years later Linda Ronstadt bested that by hitting #7. Anoop Desai proved that he has the vocal ability to rise to the challenge and show he can tackle this extremely difficult song to bring to life. While he glided effortlessly into a smooth falsetto, he is still struggling to find some stage presence. He's either cartoonish or completely boring like he was tonight.
In 1966 The Tempations hit #13 with Ain't Too Proud To Beg. Michael Sarver took this over the top high energy song and successfully drained the life out of it. His dance moves were sorely lacking and his vocals were nothing to speak of. All he can do now is not be too proud to beg for votes.
In 1963 Martha Reeves and the Vandellas hit #4 with Heat Wave. Twelve years later Linda Ronstadt had to settle for peaking at #5. Lil Rounds has proven week after week that she has a wonderful voice. Tonight she got up there in a fabulous frock with flouncy fringe and honored the legendary Motown history with a sincere tribute. In doing so, she sacrificed the chance to elevate the song and make it her own. It could have been so much more, but it was still one of the best.
In 1965 Smokey Robinson and Miracles hit #16 with The Tracks of My Tears. Eleven years later Linda Ronstadt's cover version only hit #25. Adam Lambert rose all the way to the top of any and all charts with his exceptional version of this tender ballad. It was a subtle performance, yet electrifying at the same time. His vocal range simply shined through with this unique and tender arrangement. He's proving himself as a real star.
In 1966 The Temptations only hit #29 with Get Ready. You may be more familiar with the version by Rare Earth that hit #4 in 1970. Danny Gokey's version is one that was instantly forgettable. His amateurish screams coupled with his stumbling dance moves were only a few parts of this mess. If only he had spent the entire performance blending in with the back-up singers because that was the best part.
In 1972 The Temptations spent one week at #1 with Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Allison Iraheta came here tonight to show that she did not belong in the bottom three last week. She used her throaty voice to leave her mark on this dynamic song and it was pure entertainment. A great effort that should keep her safe for another week.
My prediction for the bottom three is picking up where I left off last week: Danny Gokey and Michael Sarver should take the first two positions. Are fans still jumping on the bandwagon for Danny? I hope not. The boys should be joined in the bottom three by Megan Joy. My prediction for the finalist who will be going home is Michael Sarver.
In 1973 Marvin Gaye spent two weeks at #1 with Let's Get It On. Matt Giraud started out at the piano with his lackluster rendition of the song. After he stepped away from the piano he was completely overindulgent in his belief that he can can put more emphasis on shaking hands with the crowd than showing off that he can sing. His voice is bland and uninteresting and it was embarrassing when he got in the judges faces and sang directly to them.
In 1965 Marvin Gaye reached #6 with How Sweet It Is To Loved By You. Ten years later James Taylor did it one better by peaking at #5 with his cover. Kris Allen stood center stage with his guitar and did his best to make the song his own. His vocals are good, but still the best thing he has going for him is his looks. He's perfect for videos, but without the visual there's no reason to listen.
In 1966 Diana Ross and the Supremes spent two weeks at #1 with You Can't Hurry Love. Scott MacIntyre stayed true to himself and performed his rendition from the comfort of his piano. He added a new and different arrangement to this classic hit with some jazzy energy coupled with the background singers on stage with him. No matter what he does, Scott's genuine love of music and talent shines through and tonight was no exception.
In 1968 Stevie Wonder spent two weeks at #2 with For Once In My Life. Megan Joy (who has dropped her last name) also tried to bring some jazzy style to her rendition of the song. She definitely leaves her personal stamp on everything, but it isn't always something that keeps you coming back for more. This performance was all over the place and not in a good way.
In 1965 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles peaked at #16 with Ooo Baby Baby. Thirteen years later Linda Ronstadt bested that by hitting #7. Anoop Desai proved that he has the vocal ability to rise to the challenge and show he can tackle this extremely difficult song to bring to life. While he glided effortlessly into a smooth falsetto, he is still struggling to find some stage presence. He's either cartoonish or completely boring like he was tonight.
In 1966 The Tempations hit #13 with Ain't Too Proud To Beg. Michael Sarver took this over the top high energy song and successfully drained the life out of it. His dance moves were sorely lacking and his vocals were nothing to speak of. All he can do now is not be too proud to beg for votes.
In 1963 Martha Reeves and the Vandellas hit #4 with Heat Wave. Twelve years later Linda Ronstadt had to settle for peaking at #5. Lil Rounds has proven week after week that she has a wonderful voice. Tonight she got up there in a fabulous frock with flouncy fringe and honored the legendary Motown history with a sincere tribute. In doing so, she sacrificed the chance to elevate the song and make it her own. It could have been so much more, but it was still one of the best.
In 1965 Smokey Robinson and Miracles hit #16 with The Tracks of My Tears. Eleven years later Linda Ronstadt's cover version only hit #25. Adam Lambert rose all the way to the top of any and all charts with his exceptional version of this tender ballad. It was a subtle performance, yet electrifying at the same time. His vocal range simply shined through with this unique and tender arrangement. He's proving himself as a real star.
In 1966 The Temptations only hit #29 with Get Ready. You may be more familiar with the version by Rare Earth that hit #4 in 1970. Danny Gokey's version is one that was instantly forgettable. His amateurish screams coupled with his stumbling dance moves were only a few parts of this mess. If only he had spent the entire performance blending in with the back-up singers because that was the best part.
In 1972 The Temptations spent one week at #1 with Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Allison Iraheta came here tonight to show that she did not belong in the bottom three last week. She used her throaty voice to leave her mark on this dynamic song and it was pure entertainment. A great effort that should keep her safe for another week.
My prediction for the bottom three is picking up where I left off last week: Danny Gokey and Michael Sarver should take the first two positions. Are fans still jumping on the bandwagon for Danny? I hope not. The boys should be joined in the bottom three by Megan Joy. My prediction for the finalist who will be going home is Michael Sarver.
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