American Idol (season 10)
Encyclopedia
The tenth season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

 premiered on January 19, 2011 and concluded on May 25, 2011, on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...

. The show underwent a number of changes from season nine
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...

, including the reduction of the judging panel to its original number of just three judges (two of whom are new), a returning executive producer, a new music director as well as multiple format changes. Beginning this season, Idol was also moved from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...

 returned to the senior production team as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...

 for the series. American singer Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

 and American singer-actress Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 joined the judging panel as replacements for Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...

, Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....

, and Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...

 who all left at the end of season nine. Ray Chew
Ray Chew
Ray Chew is an American musician who specializes in keyboards and contemporary and orchestral arranging.Chew was a member of the Saturday Night Live Band from 1980 to 1983...

 replaced Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...

 as the show's musical director and leader of the Idols live band.

Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

, which is part of Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...

, replaced Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....

 as Idols official partner record label. Interscope's Chairman Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine
James "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...

, a songwriter and producer, was made in-house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis. He is supported by associated producers: Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...

, Alex da Kid
Alex da Kid
Alexander Grant , better known as Alex da Kid, is a Grammy award winning English music songwriter and hip-hop producer.-Early life:...

, Tricky Stewart, Don Was
Don Was
Don Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...

, will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...

, and Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....

 who all help contestants tailor their song choices to their chosen genre of performance, as well as work in producing arrangements for the contestants and offering original material to be performed.

This is the first season in which 15 year-olds could audition. Other changes include online voting, extra rounds such as the Las Vegas and a final solo round, and a return of the judges' wild card choice. More contestants made it to Hollywood in season 10 than in previous seasons. This is also the first season where 11 contestants went on tour instead of 10.

On May 25, 2011, after 122.4 million votes were cast for the finale (and nearly three-quarters of a billion votes for the seasonal total), Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery
Scott Cooke "Scotty" McCreery is an American country singer from Garner, North Carolina . He also won the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, Clear as Day was released in October 2011...

 was crowned the winner of the tenth season of American Idol, making him the youngest male winner at 17 years and 7 months old, and the second youngest winner ever behind season 6 winner Jordin Sparks, who was 17 years and 5 months old when she won in 2007.

Changes

Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...

, who had been a judge since the first episode of the first season, announced on January 11, 2010 that he would not be returning as a judge for this season in order to focus on launching the American version
The X Factor (U.S.)
The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox....

 of his hit British singing competition The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...

. Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....

 officially announced her departure on July 29, 2010, after judging for only one season, because she felt the show was not the "right fit" for her. Kara DioGuardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...

 then announced on September 3, 2010, that she would also not return this season. On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 and Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

 would join the judging panel.

There were a number of other major changes in season ten, from the judges to the format of the show itself. Nigel Lythgoe returned as the executive producer, and Ray Chew
Ray Chew
Ray Chew is an American musician who specializes in keyboards and contemporary and orchestral arranging.Chew was a member of the Saturday Night Live Band from 1980 to 1983...

 has been hired as the show's new musical director, replacing Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor is a music director, composer and music producer, now best known as musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno after Kevin Eubanks left. Minor was born in Monroe, Louisiana to parents Cole and Goldie Minor and was raised in South Central Los Angeles, CA...

, who left the show along with vocal coach Dorian Holley
Dorian Holley
Dorian Holley is an American musician, backing singer and vocal coach. Holley began his professional career as an on-stage backing vocalist for international entertainer Michael Jackson during the Bad World Tour in 1987. The series of concerts had him perform to millions of people throughout the...

 to become the musical director of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...

. Peisha McPhee, mother of season 5's runner-up Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...

, joined as one of the vocal coaches. In this season, online voting was also offered for the first time for fans with Facebook accounts; up to 50 votes may be cast.

Season 10 also saw a return to the process of singers singing 2 songs each on performance nights starting earlier in the season, and 3 songs each starting on Top 3 night.

New rounds

Extra rounds were added in the Hollywood phase of the competition which would narrow the contestants down to sixty potential finalists. Those who made the final sixty were then taken to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

 in an extra round where they were asked to sing songs from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

, and then a further solo round in Los Angeles. It was originally planned that 20 contestants would be left by the end of the Hollywood rounds, however, 24 contestants were chosen instead for the semifinal, and they would perform in two groups of twelve in a semi-final sudden death round where ten finalists – five girls and five boys – would be voted in by the viewers. The judges were given three wild card picks, making a total of thirteen finalists.

Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...

 had previously suggested significant format changes that would replace the following semifinal, with contestants having "to make the best music video, to promote themselves, and to work with a band and dancers for an awards show-style performance." However, the plans were shelved. Despite previous reports that Idol producers had axed the weekly music theme, the themes remained.

Partnership with Universal Music

At the end of season nine
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...

, Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....

's affiliation to Idol also ended. The partnership was superseded by a new deal with Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...

, meaning that the winner would now be signed to Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

. Interscope's sister labels, A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...

 and Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...

, would also be involved in promoting and distributing the albums of the show's finalists. Chairman of the Interscope-Geffen-A&M
Interscope-Geffen-A&M
Interscope-Geffen-A&M is an umbrella label, owned by Universal Music Group. The company was formed in 1999, when Geffen Records and A&M Records were merged into Interscope Records—the flagship imprint of the operation....

 label group, Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine
James "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...

, worked directly with contestants this season as the in-house mentor. Additionally, a team of Universal Music-associated producers and songwriters, such as Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...

, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....

 and Alex da Kid
Alex da Kid
Alexander Grant , better known as Alex da Kid, is a Grammy award winning English music songwriter and hip-hop producer.-Early life:...

, also worked alongside the contestants to help them take on original arrangement and material. Some suggested changes, such as allowing the finalists to release music while the season is still in progress rather than waiting to record an album, were not implemented, although music were released somewhat earlier than previous seasons.

Regional auditions

The judges were Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

, and Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...

.

This is the first season in which the contestant age minimum was reduced to 15 years old. The maximum age however still remained 28.

Auditions were held in the following cities:
Episode air date Audition city First audition date Audition venue Callback audition date Callback venue Golden tickets
January 19, 2011 East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....

August 3, 2010 Izod Center September 28–30, 2010 Liberty House Restaurant 51
January 20, 2011 New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

July 26, 2010 New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Arena
New Orleans Arena is an indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome....

October 17–18, 2010 Hilton Riverside Hotel
Hilton New Orleans Riverside
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, located at 2 Poydras Street in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, is a 29-story, -tall skyscraper. The hotel is part of the Hilton Hotels chain. A portion of the building complex overlooks the Mississippi River front...

37
January 26, 2011 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

July 21, 2010 Bradley Center
Bradley Center
The Bradley Center is an indoor arena, located on the northwest corner of North 4th and West State Streets, in Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin....

October 2–3, 2010 Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum is located on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Beginning around 1872, multiple organizations were founded in order to bring an art gallery to Milwaukee, as the city was still a growing port town with little or no facilities to hold major art exhibitions...

53
January 27, 2011 Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

July 17, 2010 Bridgestone Arena October 25–26, 2010 Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium
The Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live performance venue, located at 115 5th Avenue North, in Nashville, Tennessee and is best known as the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry....

561
February 2, 2011 Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

August 11, 2010 Frank Erwin Center
Frank Erwin Center
Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, commonly known as Frank Erwin Center or UT Erwin Center, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin...

October 8–9, 2010 Barton Creek
Barton Creek, Austin, Texas
Barton Creek is a neighborhood located west of West Lake Hills, Texas, west of the Lost Creek neighborhood, and east of the town of Bee Cave, Texas. The Barton Creek neighborhood is just south of Bee Caves Road and west of Texas State Highway Loop 360...

 Resort & Spa
50
February 3, 2011 Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

September 22, 2010 The Forum
The Forum (Inglewood, California)
The Forum is an indoor arena, in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2010, it was owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which occasionally used it for church services, while also leasing the building for sporting events, concerts and other events.Along with Madison...

November 3–4, 2010 AT&T Center
AT&T Center (Los Angeles)
The AT&T Center, formerly called the SBC Tower, Transamerica Building, and Occidental Life Building, is a tall skyscraper in South Park, Los Angeles, California. Built to house the offices and computer center of the Occidental Life Insurance Company, it was completed in 1965 and has 32 floors...

301
February 9, 2011 San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

August 19, 2010 AT&T Park
AT&T Park
AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000....

November 9–10, 2010 Westin St. Francis 471
Total Tickets to Hollywood 327

Note 1: Actual number not announced on the show but this number is based on the number of names listed on americanidol.com website and may not be the actual total.

In addition to the above cities, for the first time contestants were allowed to audition online via Myspace / Facebook / Twitter. To audition, they were required to upload a 40-second audition clip of them singing a pre-approved song. The internet auditioners were called back to Los Angeles to audition in front of the judges.

Hollywood week

The Hollywood week phase of the competition was held in the Pasadena Civic Center. There were a record-number 327 contestants in the first round, which lasted over two days, exceeding season 2
American Idol (Season 2)
The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...

's record of 234. The contestants emerged in groups of ten and each performed individually a cappella. After the whole group had finished their performances, those who failed were cut immediately. 168 advanced to the next round, where the contestants performed in groups; out of the 168, only 100 advanced to the next round. In the next round, the contestants performed solo, accompanied by a band or an instrument. The contestants were then separated into four rooms, with two of the four rooms containing eliminated contestants and the other two containing contestants who made it into the next round. Only 61 of the 100 remaining advanced.

This year, due to the large number of contestants, two more rounds were added. The 61 remaining contestants proceeded to Las Vegas where they performed songs from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 as duos and trios in the Love theatre
LOVE (Cirque du Soleil)
Love is a 2006 theatrical production by Cirque du Soleil which combines the re-produced and re-imagined music of The Beatles with an interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance. The show plays at a specially built theatre at The Mirage in Las Vegas.A joint venture between...

 at The Mirage
The Mirage
The Mirage is a 3,044 room hotel and casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.The Mirage is connected by a free tram to Treasure Island. The marquee in front of the Mirage is the largest free standing marquee in the world.-History:The Mirage was built by...

 for this newly added 'Las Vegas' round. After that, 41 advanced to the final "Sing For Your Life" round back in Los Angeles. In that round, each contestant performed a song of their own choosing at Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...

' Spruce Goose aircraft hangar. The Top 24 were then selected from the remaining 41 for the semifinals. This episode was notable for the emotional breakdown of judge Jennifer Lopez after telling contestant Chris Medina that he had been eliminated.

Semi-finalists

The twenty-four semi-finalists were revealed in two stages. The first five were revealed on February 23, 2011, and the remaining 19 were revealed on the following night's episode. The following are semi-finalists who failed to reach the finals.
Females
Contestant Age Date of Birth Hometown Audition Location
Kendra Chantelle 22 September 27, 1988 Loudon, Tennessee
Loudon, Tennessee
Loudon is a city in and the county seat of Loudon County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 4,476 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located in eastern Tennessee, southwest of Knoxville, on the Tennessee River...

 
Nashville, Tennessee
Lauren Turner 24 May 8, 1986 Covington, Louisiana
Covington, Louisiana
Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....

 
New Orleans, Louisiana
Ta-Tynisa Wilson 20 June 19, 1990 Aurora, Illinois
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...

 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Rachel Zevita 23 October 20, 1987 New York, New York  Jersey City, New Jersey
Julie Zorrilla 20 November 10, 1990 Bogotá, Colombia  San Francisco, California
Males
Contestant Age Date of Birth Hometown Audition Location
Jovany Barreto 23 September 3, 1987 Harvey, Louisiana
Harvey, Louisiana
Harvey is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Harvey is on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 
New Orleans, Louisiana
Jordan Dorsey 21 April 23, 1989 Laplace, Louisiana
Laplace, Louisiana
LaPlace is a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the east bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The population is 32,134 at the 2010 census....

 
New Orleans, Louisiana
Clint Jun Gamboa 26 June 9, 1984 Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 
San Francisco, California
Tim Halperin 23 May 27, 1987 Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

 
Los Angeles, California
Brett Loewenstern 17 December 13, 1993 Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA, incorporated in May 1925. In the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 86,396. However, the majority of the people under the postal address of Boca Raton, about...

 
New Orleans, Louisiana
Robbie Rosen 17 December 27, 1993 Merrick, New York
Merrick, New York
Merrick is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 22,097. The name "Merrick" is taken from Meroke, the name of the Algonquian tribe formerly indigenous to the area...

 
Jersey City, New Jersey

Semi-finals

The semi-final round began on Tuesday, March 1, 2011. This year, the producers used a new format. Below are the two semi-final groups (males and females) with contestants listed in their performance order. The top five males and top five females, along with the three wild card choices by the judges, advanced to the finals. There were twenty-four semifinalists, twelve females and males. The males started the semifinal round, and the females continued on following night's episode, the contestants perform songs of their choice (there was no particular theme).

Males

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 Clint Jun Gamboa "Superstition
Superstition (song)
"Superstition" is a popular song written, produced, arranged, and performed by Stevie Wonder for Motown Records in 1972, when Wonder was 22 years old. It was the lead single for Wonder's Talking Book album, and released in many countries. It reached number one in the USA, and number one on the soul...

" (Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

)
Eliminated
2 Jovany Barreto "I'll Be" (Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain
Edwin McCain is an American singer-songwriter and musician.-Career:While his albums are released under his name, he does have a permanent band, referred to as the Edwin McCain Band...

)
Wild Card
3 Jordan Dorsey "OMG
OMG (song)
"OMG" is a song by American recording artist Usher. The song features will.i.am, who also wrote and produced the song. It uses the auto-tune effect in several lines, as well as Jock Jams-esque sports arena chanting. It was released on March 22, 2010 as the first worldwide single off his sixth...

" (Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...

)
Eliminated
4 Tim Halperin "Streetcorner Symphony
Streetcorner Symphony
"Streetcorner Symphony" is the fifth single from Rob Thomas's solo album …Something to Be. It was released on October 16, 2006. The song features John Mayer on lead guitar and backing vocals ....

" (Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (musician)
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American rock recording artist and songwriter. He is the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty. Thomas also records and performs as a solo artist...

)
Eliminated
5 Brett Loewenstern "Light My Fire
Light My Fire
"Light My Fire" is a song by The Doors which was recorded in August 1966 and released the first week of January 1967 on the Doors' debut album. Released as a single in April, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and one week on the Cash Box Top 100, nearly a year after...

" (The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...

)
Eliminated
6 James Durbin
James Durbin (singer)
James Durbin is an American rock singer and guitar player from Santa Cruz, California, who finished in fourth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

"You've Got Another Thing Comin'
You've Got Another Thing Comin'
"You've Got Another Thing Comin" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally released on their 1982 album Screaming for Vengeance and released as a single later that year...

" (Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

)
Advanced
7 Robbie Rosen "Angel
Angel (Sarah McLachlan song)
"Angel" is a song by Sarah McLachlan that originally appeared on her 1997 album Surfacing. As McLachlan explained on VH1 Storytellers, the song is about the Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboard player Jonathan Melvoin, who overdosed on heroin and died in 1996."Angel" was McLachlan's second top 5 hits...

" (Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...

)
Wild Card
8 Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery
Scott Cooke "Scotty" McCreery is an American country singer from Garner, North Carolina . He also won the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, Clear as Day was released in October 2011...

"Letters from Home
Letters from Home (song)
"Letters from Home" is the title of a song written by Tony Lane and David Lee, and recorded by American country music singer John Michael Montgomery. It was released in February 2004 as the second single from the album of the same name...

" (John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "...

)
Advanced
9 Stefano Langone
Stefano Langone
Stefano Langone is an American singer from Kent, Washington. Langone placed seventh on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

"Just the Way You Are
Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)
"Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...

" (Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...

)
Wild Card
10 Paul McDonald
Paul McDonald (musician)
Paul McDonald is an American singer-songwriter from Huntsville, Alabama, who as of 2011 resides in Nashville, Tennessee...

"Maggie May
Maggie May
"Maggie May" is a song written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album Every Picture Tells a Story....

" (Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....

)
Advanced
11 Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk is an American singer from Compton, California, who finished in fifth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

"A House Is Not a Home
A House Is Not a Home (song)
"A House Is Not a Home" is a 1964 song recorded by American singer Dionne Warwick. Written by the team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the song was a modest hit in the U.S. for Warwick, peaking at #71 on the pop singles chart as the B-side of the top 40 single, "You'll Never Get to Heaven "...

" (Brook Benton
Brook Benton
Brook Benton was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just A Matter Of Time" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote.He made a comeback in 1970...

)
Advanced
12 Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams is an American musician from Idyllwild, California who finished in sixth place on the tenth season of American Idol. He was eliminated from the competition on April 28, 2011, five weeks after being saved from elimination by the judges.-Early life:Abrams was born on February 12, 1991...

"I Put a Spell on You
I Put a Spell on You
"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked #320 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.Although Hawkins'...

" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Jalacy Hawkins , best known as Screamin' Jay Hawkins was an American musician, singer, and actor...

)
Advanced

Females

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 Ta-Tynisa Wilson "Only Girl (In the World)
Only Girl (In the World)
"Only Girl " is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 2010 through Def Jam. It was written by Crystal Johnson, Norwegian production duo Stargate and Sandy Vee, and produced by Stargate and Vee...

" (Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

)
Eliminated
2 Naima Adedapo
Naima Adedapo
Naima Adedapo is an American singer and dancer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Adedapo placed in the top 11 on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

"Summertime
Summertime (song)
"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....

" (Abbie Mitchell
Abbie Mitchell
Abriea "Abbie" Mitchell , also billed as Abbey Mitchell, was an American soprano opera singer who sang the role of "Clara" in the premier production of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in 1935....

)
Wild Card
3 Kendra Chantelle "Impossible
Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)
Stripped is the fourth studio album by American pop recording artist Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 26, 2002. It reached the top two of the album charts in both the United States and United Kingdom and features two UK number-one hits: "Dirrty" which gained criticism and controversy...

" (Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...

)
Wild Card
4 Rachel Zevita "Criminal" (Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...

)
Eliminated
5 Karen Rodriguez
Karen Rodriguez
Karen Rodriguez is an American singer from New York City, New York. Rodriguez placed twelfth on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

"Hero
Hero (Mariah Carey song)
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records as the second single from Carey's third studio album, Music Box . Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff...

" (Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

)
Advanced
6 Lauren Turner "Seven Day Fool
Seven Day Fool
"Seven Day Fool" is an R&B song written by Billy Davis, and first recorded by Etta James for Argo Records in 1961. The track was released both on a 45 RPM single , paired with "It's Too Soon to Know", and on her album The Second Time Around...

" (Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...

)
Eliminated
7 Ashthon Jones
Ashthon Jones
Ashthon Jones is an American singer from Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Jones finished as the 13th place finalist on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

"Love All Over Me
Love All Over Me
"Love All Over Me" is a song by American recording artist Monica. The Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox produced "Love All Over Me" rounds out Still Standing as another laid back, yet soulful track filled with admiration. The song was sent to rhythmic, urban, and urban ac airplay as the...

" (Monica
Monica (singer)
Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...

)
Wild Card
8 Julie Zorrilla "Breakaway
Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson song)
"Breakaway" is a 2004 song co-written by Avril Lavigne, Bridget Benenate and Matthew Gerrard and produced by John Shanks. It was recorded by pop rock singer Kelly Clarkson for the soundtrack to the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement by Disney Records, where it quickly became a charting...

" (Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

)
Eliminated
9 Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...

"Fallin'
Fallin'
"Fallin" is a song recorded, written, and produced by American recording artist Alicia Keys for her debut album, Songs in A Minor. Released to radio and music video outlets in 2001, it is generally considered her signature song. "Fallin'" became Keys' first number-one single in the United States...

" (Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

)
Advanced
10 Thia Megia
Thia Megia
Thia Megia is an American singer from Mountain House, San Joaquin County, California. Megia finished in the top 11 of the tenth season of American Idol...

"Out Here on My Own
Fame (soundtrack)
Fame is the original soundtrack of the 1980 Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning film Fame starring Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Paul McCrane and Laura Dean. The original score was composed by Michael Gore....

" (Irene Cara
Irene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...

)
Advanced
11 Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina is an American singer from Rossville, Georgia. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower was released in October 2011....

"Turn On the Radio
Turn On the Radio
"Turn On the Radio" is the title of a song recorded by American country music singer Reba McEntire to serve as the lead single for her 34th career album, All the Women I Am, which was released on November 9, 2010. It was released to country radio on July 7, 2010, and debuted at #54 on the U.S....

" (Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

)
Advanced
12 Pia Toscano
Pia Toscano
Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...

"I'll Stand by You
I'll Stand by You
"I'll Stand by You" is a 1994 song recorded by The Pretenders from their sixth studio album, Last of the Independents. Written by Chrissie Hynde in collaboration with the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg , it was the Pretenders' most recent significant hit single, and their last...

" (The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...

)
Advanced


Wildcard round
Following those ten singers advancing on Thursday, March 3, six of the remaining 14 semi-finalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. The Wild Card round immediately began, following the announcement of the ten finalists. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges then selected three contestants to advance to the final group of 13.
Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 Ashthon Jones "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger...

" (Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday is an African-American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist...

)
Advanced
2 Stefano Langone "I Need You Now" (Smokie Norful
Smokie Norful
Rev. W.R. "Smokie" Norful, Jr. is an American gospel singer and pianist, best known for his 2002 album, I Need You Now and his 2004 release, Nothing Without You, which won a Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2004.-Early life:Norful, a minister who...

)
Advanced
3 Kendra Chantelle "Georgia on My Mind
Georgia on My Mind
"Georgia on My Mind" is a song written in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell . It is the official state song of the U.S. state of Georgia. Gorrell wrote the lyrics for Hoagy's sister, Georgia Carmichael. However, the lyrics of the song are ambiguous enough to refer either to the state or...

" (Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

)
Eliminated
4 Jovany Barreto "Angel
Angel (Jon Secada song)
Angel is a 1993 hit by Jon Secada from his debut album Jon Secada. It was a major hit, reaching #18 on the pop chart, #1 on Hot Latin Tracks, and coming close to the top of the adult contemporary chart....

" (Jon Secada
Jon Secada
Jon Secada is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter. Secada was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Hialeah, Florida. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 20 million albums since his English-language debut album in 1992. His music fuses funk, soul, pop and Latin percussion...

)
Eliminated
5 Naima Adedapo "For All We Know
For All We Know (1934 song)
"For All We Know" is a popular song published in 1934. The music was written by J. Fred Coots and the lyrics by Sam M. Lewis.The first charting versions in 1934 were by Hal Kemp and Isham Jones . A version by Dinah Washington reached #88 on the chart in 1962...

" (Hal Kemp
Hal Kemp
James Harold "Hal" Kemp was a jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. He was born in Marion, Alabama and died in Madera, California following an auto accident...

)
Advanced
6 Robbie Rosen "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was his second single on Rocket Records. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship...

" (Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

)
Eliminated

Finalists

  • Scotty McCreery
    Scotty McCreery
    Scott Cooke "Scotty" McCreery is an American country singer from Garner, North Carolina . He also won the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, Clear as Day was released in October 2011...

     (born October 9, 1993) is from Garner, North Carolina
    Garner, North Carolina
    Garner is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 17,757 at the 2000 census and was 27,533 in 2009.-Geography:Garner is located at ....

     and was 17 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Josh Turner
    Josh Turner
    Joshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...

    's "Your Man
    Your Man
    Your Man is the second studio album by British country music artist Josh Turner. It released on January 24, 2006 and debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and debuted at No...

    " and Travis Tritt
    Travis Tritt
    James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...

    's "Put Some Drive In Your Country
    Country Club (album)
    Country Club is the American artist Travis Tritt's debut album, released on Warner Bros. Records in February 1990. The tracks "Country Club", "I'm Gonna Be Somebody", "Help Me Hold On", "Drift Off to Dream", and "Put Some Drive in Your Country" were released as singles...

    ". He reprised "Your Man" in the Hollywood rounds but forgot the words to Lee Ann Womack
    Lee Ann Womack
    Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....

    's "I Hope You Dance
    I Hope You Dance (song)
    "I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sandersand Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack along with Sons of the Desert...

    ". He also performed "Get Ready" with the group "The Guaps" and became involved in the drama when Clint Jun Gamboa ousted young Jacee Badeaux from their group. For his final solo he performed Josh Turner's "Long Black Train
    Long Black Train (song)
    "Long Black Train" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music singer Josh Turner. It was released in May 2003 as the second single from his debut album of the same name...

    ". McCreery was announced as the winner on May 25, 2011, and was signed to 19
    19 Entertainment
    19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...

    /Interscope
    Interscope Records
    Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

    /Mercury Nashville
    Mercury Records
    Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

    . His debut album, Clear as Day
    Clear as Day
    Clear as Day is the debut album from the season ten American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. The album was released on October 4, 2011 in the United States...

    , was released on October 4, 2011.


  • Lauren Alaina
    Lauren Alaina
    Lauren Alaina is an American singer from Rossville, Georgia. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower was released in October 2011....

     (born November 8, 1994) is from Rossville, Georgia
    Rossville, Georgia
    Rossville is a city in Walker County, Georgia, United States. The city of Rossville was named after Cherokee Indian Chief John Ross, who resided there until being forced to relocate with his people to Oklahoma in the Indian Removal. Chief John Ross' log cabin home is still located in the city and...

     and 16 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee
    Nashville, Tennessee
    Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

     with Faith Hill
    Faith Hill
    Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...

    's "Like We Never Loved At All
    Like We Never Loved at All
    "Like We Never Loved At All" is the second single from American country singer Faith Hill's album Fireflies. The song features husband Tim McGraw singing harmony vocals...

    " and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
    I Don't Want to Miss a Thing
    "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith for the 1998 film Armageddon. Written by Diane Warren, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 . The song stayed at number one for four weeks from September 5 to September 26, 1998...

    " which she also reprised for the Hollywood rounds. She also performed "Unchained Melody
    Unchained Melody
    "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....

    " twice, once for the first solo in the Hollywoods round and again for the final solo. She also performed Soul Brothers Six
    Soul Brothers Six
    Soul Brothers Six were an American rhythm and blues band formed in Rochester, New York during the mid-1960s. They are best remembered for their song "Some Kind of Wonderful", which was later a big hit for Grand Funk Railroad.-History:...

    's "Some Kind of Wonderful
    Some Kind of Wonderful (Soul Brothers Six song)
    "Some Kind of Wonderful" is a song written by John Ellison. It was first recorded in 1967 by the American group Soul Brothers Six, peaking at number ninety-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...

    " in a girl group which was notable for getting Steven Tyler to sit on the chair while they performed around him. She performed "Hello, Goodbye" for the Las Vegas' Beatles round with Scotty McCreery
    Scotty McCreery
    Scott Cooke "Scotty" McCreery is an American country singer from Garner, North Carolina . He also won the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, Clear as Day was released in October 2011...

     and Denise Jackson. Alaina was announced as the runner-up on May 25, 2011. She was signed to 19
    19 Entertainment
    19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...

    /Interscope
    Interscope Records
    Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

    /Mercury Nashville
    Mercury Records
    Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

    , and her debut album, Wildflower
    Wildflower (Lauren Alaina album)
    Wildflower received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on 4 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...

    , was released on October 11, 2011.


  • Haley Reinhart
    Haley Reinhart
    Haley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...

     (born September 9, 1990) is from Wheeling, Illinois
    Wheeling, Illinois
    Wheeling is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 34,496 at the 2000 census, and 38,555 at the 2006 special village census.-Geography:Wheeling is located at ....

     and 20 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with The Beatles
    The Beatles
    The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

    ' "Oh! Darling
    Oh! Darling
    "Oh! Darling" is a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney and appearing as the fourth song on the album, Abbey Road, in 1969. Its working title was "Oh! Darling "...

    ". She performed Corinne Bailey Rae
    Corinne Bailey Rae
    Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....

    's "Breathless
    Breathless (Corinne Bailey Rae song)
    "Breathless" is the fifth and final single from Corinne Bailey Rae's debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae. Released in 2007 only in the United States.-Released and charts performance:...

    " in the first solo round. In the group round she forgot her words of the song but still made it through, and in the Hollywood rounds she performed Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...

    's "God Bless the Child
    God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)
    "God Bless the Child" is a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. in 1939, first recorded on May 9, 1941 under the Okeh label.Holiday's version of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in...

    ". In the Las Vegas group round, she performed The Beatles
    The Beatles
    The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

    ' "The Long and Winding Road
    The Long and Winding Road
    "The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...

    " with Naima Adedapo and Jacob Lusk. For her final solo she performed The Shirelles
    The Shirelles
    The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...

    ' song "Baby It's You
    Baby It's You
    "Baby It's You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach , and Luther Dixon and Mack David . It was recorded by The Shirelles and The Beatles, and became hits for both...

    ". Reinhart was eliminated on May 19, 2011 and came in 3rd place. Reinhart was signed to Interscope
    Interscope Records
    Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

     after the show, and plans to release her album in early 2012.


  • James Durbin
    James Durbin (singer)
    James Durbin is an American rock singer and guitar player from Santa Cruz, California, who finished in fourth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     (born January 6, 1989) is from Santa Cruz, California
    Santa Cruz, California
    Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...

     and 22 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in San Francisco, California with Muddy Waters
    Muddy Waters
    McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...

    's "You Shook Me
    You Shook Me
    "You Shook Me" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and J. B. Lenoir. Earl Hooker first recorded it as an instrumental which was then overdubbed with vocals by Muddy Waters in 1962....

    " and Aerosmith
    Aerosmith
    Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

    's "Dream On
    Dream On (Aerosmith song)
    "Dream On" is the first single by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this blues-influenced power ballad became their first major hit and classic rock radio staple...

    ". He performed The Beatles
    The Beatles
    The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

    ' "Oh! Darling
    Oh! Darling
    "Oh! Darling" is a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney and appearing as the fourth song on the album, Abbey Road, in 1969. Its working title was "Oh! Darling "...

    " for his solo in the Hollywood round, Queen's "Somebody to Love
    Somebody to Love (Queen song)
    "Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...

    " with the group "Deep Vees" in the group round and Sam Cooke
    Sam Cooke
    Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...

    's "A Change Is Gonna Come
    A Change Is Gonna Come (song)
    "A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the...

    " for his final solo. He was the lead singer with a band The Hollywood Scars prior to Idol. He has Tourette
    Tourette syndrome
    Tourette syndrome is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical tics and at least one vocal tic; these tics characteristically wax and wane...

     and Asperger's syndrome. Durbin was eliminated on May 12, 2011 and came in 4th place. He was signed to Wind-up Records
    Wind-Up Records
    Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...

     in with an album, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster planned to be release on November 21, 2011.


  • Jacob Lusk
    Jacob Lusk
    Jacob Lusk is an American singer from Compton, California, who finished in fifth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     (born June 23, 1987) is from Compton, California
    Compton, California
    Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...

     and 23 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Los Angeles, California. Randy Jackson
    Randy Jackson
    Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...

     considered his performance of Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...

    's "God Bless the Child
    God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)
    "God Bless the Child" is a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. in 1939, first recorded on May 9, 1941 under the Okeh label.Holiday's version of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in...

    " during the Hollywood rounds the best ever seen on Idol. He also performed The Temptations' "Get Ready" with Naima Adedapo
    Naima Adedapo
    Naima Adedapo is an American singer and dancer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Adedapo placed in the top 11 on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     in the group "Ebony, Ivory, and Every", and Leon Russell
    Leon Russell
    Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....

    's "A Song for You
    A Song for You
    "A Song for You" is a soulful love song written and originally recorded by rock singer-songwriter and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album 'Leon Russell', which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understanding from an estranged lover, the tune...

    " for his final solo. Lusk was eliminated on May 5, 2011 and came in 5th place.


  • Casey Abrams
    Casey Abrams
    Casey Abrams is an American musician from Idyllwild, California who finished in sixth place on the tenth season of American Idol. He was eliminated from the competition on April 28, 2011, five weeks after being saved from elimination by the judges.-Early life:Abrams was born on February 12, 1991...

     (born February 12, 1991 in Austin, Texas
    Austin, Texas
    Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

    ) is from Idyllwild, California and 20 years old at the time of show. He auditioned in Austin, Texas
    Austin, Texas
    Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

     with Ray Charles
    Ray Charles
    Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...

    ' "I Don't Need No Doctor
    I Don't Need No Doctor
    "I Don't Need No Doctor" was a hit song written by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead, and first recorded by Ray Charles in 1966. Over the years, it has been covered by bands such as garage rock band The Chocolate Watch Band in 1969, Humble Pie in 1971, New Riders of the Purple Sage in...

    ". He impressed the judges with his performance of "Georgia on My Mind" in Hollywood week. He also performed Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...

    's "Lullaby of Birdland
    Lullaby of Birdland
    "Lullaby of Birdland" is a 1952 popular song with music by George Shearing and lyrics by George David Weiss under the pseudonym "B. Y. Forster" in order to circumvent the rule that ASCAP and BMI composers could not collaborate....

    ", The Temptations
    The Temptations
    The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...

    ' "Get Ready" with the group "Night Owls" in the Hollywood rounds, "A Hard Day's Night
    A Hard Day's Night (song)
    "A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released on the movie soundtrack of the same name in 1964...

    " with Chris Medina in the Las Vegas's Beatles round, and Kansas Joe McCoy
    Kansas Joe McCoy
    Kansas Joe McCoy was an African American Delta blues musician and songwriter.-Career:McCoy played music under a variety of stage names but is best known as "Kansas Joe McCoy". Born in Raymond, Mississippi, he was the older brother of the blues accompanist Papa Charlie McCoy...

    's "Why Don't You Do Right?
    Why Don't You Do Right?
    "Why Don't You Do Right?" is an American blues- and jazz-influenced pop song – now a standard – written in 1936 by Kansas Joe McCoy. It is a twelve-bar minor key blues form with a few chord substitutes, it is considered a classic "woman's blues" song....

    " for his final solo. He played the double bass
    Double bass
    The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...

     and melodica
    Melodica
    The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...

     on the show. He suffers from ulcerative colitis
    Ulcerative colitis
    Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon , that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset...

     which resulted in him missing the Top 13 result show. He got the one judges' save of the season on the Top 11 show. Abrams was eliminated on April 28, 2011 and came in 6th place.


  • Stefano Langone
    Stefano Langone
    Stefano Langone is an American singer from Kent, Washington. Langone placed seventh on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     (born February 27, 1989) is from Kent, Washington
    Kent, Washington
    Kent is a city located in King County, Washington, United States, and is the third largest city in King County and the sixth largest in the state. An outlying suburb of Seattle, Kent is also the corporate home for companies such as REI and Oberto Sausage...

     and 22 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in San Francisco, California with Marvin Gaye
    Marvin Gaye
    Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....

    's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine
    I Heard It through the Grapevine
    "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...

    ". He performed Stevie Wonder
    Stevie Wonder
    Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

    's "Sir Duke
    Sir Duke
    "Sir Duke" is a song composed and performed by Stevie Wonder, from his 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. Released as a single in 1977, the track topped the U.S...

    " in the Hollywood week, "Get Back
    Get Back
    "Get Back" is a song by The Beatles, composed by Paul McCartney and frequently attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The song was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969, and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston." A different mix of the song later became the closing track of Let It Be ,...

    " for the Las Vegas round with James Durbin
    James Durbin
    James Durbin is a British statistician and econometrician, known particularly for his work on time series analysis and serial correlation.He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge where his contemporaries included David Cox and Denis Sargan...

    , and his own composition "Come Home" for his final solo. He survived a near-fatal car accident in 2009 being hit by a drunk driver. Langone was chosen by the judges as one of the Wild Cards to join the Top 13 finalists. Langone was eliminated on April 21, 2011 and came in 7th place.


  • Paul McDonald
    Paul McDonald (musician)
    Paul McDonald is an American singer-songwriter from Huntsville, Alabama, who as of 2011 resides in Nashville, Tennessee...

     (born August 29, 1984) is from Huntsville, Alabama
    Huntsville, Alabama
    Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....

     and 26 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee with Rod Stewart
    Rod Stewart
    Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....

    's "Maggie May
    Maggie May
    "Maggie May" is a song written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album Every Picture Tells a Story....

    ". Prior to Idol, he was the lead singer of the band Hightide Blues formed in 2005 and renamed The Grand Magnolias in 2010. He performed Fleetwood Mac
    Fleetwood Mac
    Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

    's "Landslide
    Landslide (song)
    The country group Dixie Chicks then covered "Landslide" on their 2002 Home album. This rendition, featuring the group's trademark two- and three-part harmonies reached the Top 10 of both the pop and country charts as well as several other charts. It became the Dixie Chicks' only number 1 single ...

    " and his own composition "American Dreams" for his final solo. McDonald was eliminated on April 14, 2011 and came in 8th place.


  • Pia Toscano
    Pia Toscano
    Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...

     (born October 14, 1988) is from Howard Beach, New York and 22 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Jersey City, New Jersey
    Jersey City, New Jersey
    Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...

    , and was a make-up artist. She sang the national anthem at a Mets game. Pia Toscano
    Pia Toscano
    Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...

     and Karen Rodriguez
    Karen Rodriguez
    Karen Rodriguez is an American singer from New York City, New York. Rodriguez placed twelfth on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     get together to duet The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love
    Can't Buy Me Love
    "Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...

    " on Las Vegas, they also went to New York's LaGuardia Arts School together. She also performed Bruno Mars
    Bruno Mars
    Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...

    's "Grenade
    Grenade (song)
    "Grenade" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter and producer Bruno Mars from his debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Initially released as a promotional single on September 28, 2010, it was later announced to be the album's second single...

    " for the group round in Hollywood and Alicia Keys's
    Alicia Keys
    Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

     "Doesn't Mean Anything
    Doesn't Mean Anything
    "Doesn't Mean Anything" is a song by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It written and produced by Keys and longtime partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers for her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom , with its lyrics speaking about the importance of love against materialism and fake...

    " for her final solo. Toscano was eliminated on April 7, 2011 and came in 9th place. Toscano was signed to Interscope
    Interscope Records
    Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

     after the show.


  • Naima Adedapo
    Naima Adedapo
    Naima Adedapo is an American singer and dancer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Adedapo placed in the top 11 on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     (born October 5, 1984 in Maywood, Illinois
    Maywood, Illinois
    Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:...

    ) is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

     and 26 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Donny Hathaway
    Donny Hathaway
    Donny Edward Hathaway was an American soul singer-songwriter and musician. Hathaway contracted with Atlantic Records in 1969 and with his first single for the Atco label, "The Ghetto, Part I" in early 1970, Rolling Stone magazine "marked him as a major new force in soul music."His collaborations...

    's version of "For All We Know
    For All We Know (1934 song)
    "For All We Know" is a popular song published in 1934. The music was written by J. Fred Coots and the lyrics by Sam M. Lewis.The first charting versions in 1934 were by Hal Kemp and Isham Jones . A version by Dinah Washington reached #88 on the chart in 1962...

    ". She was doing janitorial duties at the Summerfest
    Summerfest
    Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...

     in Milwaukee before she auditioned on Idol. She performed Beatles' The Long and Winding Road
    The Long and Winding Road
    "The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...

     together with Jacob Lusk
    Jacob Lusk
    Jacob Lusk is an American singer from Compton, California, who finished in fifth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     and Haley Reinhart
    Haley Reinhart
    Haley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...

     during the Las Vegas round, and Corinne Bailey Rae
    Corinne Bailey Rae
    Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....

    's "Put Your Records On
    Put Your Records On
    "Put Your Records On" is a song by English soul singer–songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae from her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae . Written by Rae, John Beck, and Steve Chrisanthou, it was released as the album's second single in February and early March 2006 throughout Europe and as the lead single in...

    " for her final solo. Adedapo was chosen by the judges to join the competition during the Wild Card round. Adedapo was eliminated on March 31, 2011. It was not revealed which place Adedapo placed.


  • Thia Megia
    Thia Megia
    Thia Megia is an American singer from Mountain House, San Joaquin County, California. Megia finished in the top 11 of the tenth season of American Idol...

     (born January 30, 1995) is from Mountain House, San Joaquin County, California and 16 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Adele
    Adele (singer)
    Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...

    's "Chasing Pavements
    Chasing Pavements
    "Chasing Pavements" is the second single from soul singer Adele. Adele performed the song on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 7 December 2007....

    " and she turned 16 at the time of the show. She previously competed on season 4 of America's Got Talent
    America's Got Talent
    America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...

    , making it to the quarterfinals. She performed "Summertime
    Summertime (song)
    "Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....

    " from Porgy and Bess
    Porgy and Bess
    Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...

     and Louis Armstrong
    Louis Armstrong
    Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....

    's "What a Wonderful World
    What a Wonderful World
    "What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Thiele and Weiss were both prominent in the music world . Armstrong's recording was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999...

    " in the Hollywood rounds, "Here Comes the Sun
    Here Comes the Sun
    "Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...

    " for the Las Vegas round with Melinda Ademi, and Secret Garden
    Secret Garden (duo)
    Secret Garden is an award-winning Irish-Norwegian duo playing New Instrumental Music, also sometimes erroneously known as Neo-classical music.Secret Garden features the Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry and the Norwegian composer/pianist Rolf Løvland...

    's "You Raise Me Up
    You Raise Me Up
    "You Raise Me Up" was the debut single from Westlife's fifth studio album, Face To Face.This version is considered by many to be the most popular , of all the various versions of the same song. The single peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's 13th Number One. It was the first...

    " for her final solo. She is the youngest contestant to date to reach the finals. Megia was eliminated on March 31, 2011. It was not revealed which place Megia came.

  • Karen Rodriguez
    Karen Rodriguez
    Karen Rodriguez is an American singer from New York City, New York. Rodriguez placed twelfth on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     (born March 22, 1989 in Miami, Florida
    Miami, Florida
    Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

    ) is from New York City and 21 years old at the time of show. She turned 22 years old soon after she got voted off. She was one of the MySpace auditioners and then auditioned in front of the judges in Los Angeles, California with Whitney Houston
    Whitney Houston
    Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...

    's "You Give Good Love
    You Give Good Love
    "You Give Good Love" is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, released as the lead single from her self-titled debut album, entitled Whitney Houston in the United States in February 1985 by Arista Records, and the second single from the album in the United Kingdom. The song was...

    ". She performed Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love
    If You Had My Love
    "If You Had My Love" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, taken from her debut studio album, On the 6 . Released in 1999, the single peaked at number one in the United States, becoming Lopez's first number-one single; it also peaked at number four in the United Kingdom...

    ", Bruno Mars's "Just the Way You Are
    Just the Way You Are (Bruno Mars song)
    "Just the Way You Are" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released in the United States on July 20, 2010. It has also received airplay from AOL Radio's New Pop First station. The song was written by...

    " with Jovany Baretto in the group "Spanglish" for the Hollywood rounds, and Selena
    Selena
    Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...

    's "No me queda más
    No Me Queda Mas
    "No Me Queda Más" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena. "No Me Queda Mas" was the third lead single released from her album Amor Prohibido . The song was written and produced by Ricky Vela, A.B. Quintanilla III and Bebu Silvetti...

    " in the final round. She had previously appeared in the fifth season of a Puerto Rican talent show Objetivo Fama
    Objetivo Fama
    Objetivo Fama is a Puerto Rican singing talent contest that has been on air for over five years on WLII, the Univision outlet in Puerto Rico; and on Telefutura in the mainland United States...

    . Rodriguez was eliminated on March 17, 2011 and came in 12th place.

  • Ashthon Jones
    Ashthon Jones
    Ashthon Jones is an American singer from Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Jones finished as the 13th place finalist on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

     (born February 27, 1986) is from Goodlettsville, Tennessee
    Goodlettsville, Tennessee
    Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...

     and 24 years old when she auditioned and turned 25 at the time of show. She auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee
    Nashville, Tennessee
    Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

    . She sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls
    Dreamgirls
    Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio...

    , Blu Cantrell
    Blu Cantrell
    Blu Cantrell is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.-Biography:Tiffany Cobb was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1976. Her father was a Narragansett Native American and Cape Verdean, and played in the National Basketball Association...

    's Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
    Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
    "Hit 'em Up Style " is the debut single by American R&B singer Blu Cantrell, written and produced by Dallas Austin and featured on Cantrell's debut album, So Blu . The lyrics propose that women should take revenge on cheating spouses by draining them of their available assets, both monetary assets...

     with the group "The Hits" in the Hollywood rounds and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody
    I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)
    "I Wanna Dance with Somebody " is the first single from Whitney Houston's second studio album Whitney. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I...

    " for her final solo. Jones was chosen by the judges as one of the Wild Card finalists. Jones was eliminated on March 10, 2011 and came in 13th place.

Finals

This is the first season in which there are 12 weeks of the finals instead of 11 and the 2nd season to have 13 finalists, instead of 12 as in the previous seasons, with one of the 13 finalists eliminated each week. In Season 8 there were 13 finalists but 2 were eliminated in the first week, the final rounds thereby only lasted 11 weeks. This is the third season in which a Wild Card contestant, Ashthon Jones, was eliminated in the first round of the finals, with the first two seasons being season three
American Idol (Season 3)
The third season of American Idol premiered on Monday, January 19, 2004 and continued until May 26, 2004. The third season was won by Fantasia Barrino, who defeated Diana DeGarmo by an approximate margin of 2% ; the vote total was the highest recorded vote total in the show's history until the...

 (Leah LaBelle) and season eight
American Idol (season 8)
The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol...

 (Jasmine Murray
Jasmine Murray
Jasmine Sharee Murray is an independent American singer from Starkville, Mississippi. She is best known for being a finalist on the eighth season of American Idol where she placed 12th-13th alongside Jorge Núñez. She also competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in 2007...

). The top 13 performance show was pre-recorded, but the subsequent performance shows of the finals were broadcast live. American Idol (Season 7)
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...

 winner David Cook
David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...

 recorded the Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...

 song "Don't You (Forget About Me)
Don't You (Forget About Me)
"Don't You " is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and performed by the band Simple Minds in 1985. The songwriters were producer Keith Forsey "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and...

" as the send-off song played when a contestant is eliminated.

Top 13 – Their Personal Idols

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Personal Idol Result
1 Lauren Alaina "Any Man of Mine
Any Man of Mine
"Any Man of Mine" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Shania Twain. It was released in April 1995 as the second single from her 1995 album The Woman in Me. The song was written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and Twain...

" (Shania Twain
Shania Twain
Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...

)
Shania Twain Safe
2 Casey Abrams "With a Little Help from My Friends
With a Little Help from My Friends
-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...

" (The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

)
Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...

Safe
3 Ashthon Jones "When You Tell Me That You Love Me
When You Tell Me That You Love Me
"When You Tell Me That You Love Me" is a 1991 song released as a single by American soul singer Diana Ross. The song was subsequently covered by various artists....

" (Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...

)
Diana Ross Eliminated
4 Paul McDonald "Come Pick Me Up
Heartbreaker (Ryan Adams album)
Heartbreaker is the debut studio album by alternative country musician Ryan Adams, released September 5, 2000 on Bloodshot Records. The album was recorded over fourteen days at Woodland Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. It was nominated for the 2001 Shortlist Music Prize...

" (Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams
David Ryan Adams is an American alt-country/rock singer-songwriter, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Initially part of the group Whiskeytown, Adams left the band and released his first solo album Heartbreaker in 2000...

)
Ryan Adams Safe
5 Pia Toscano "All by Myself
All by Myself
"All by Myself" is a power ballad written and performed by Eric Carmen in 1975.The verse is based on the second movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18...

" (Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...

)
Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...

Safe
6 James Durbin "Maybe I'm Amazed
Maybe I'm Amazed
"Maybe I'm Amazed" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on his McCartney album on 17 April 1970. The studio version from the album has never been released as a single. McCartney dedicated the song to his wife, Linda, who had helped him get through the break-up of The Beatles...

" (Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

)
Paul McCartney Safe
7 Haley Reinhart "Blue
Blue (LeAnn Rimes song)
"Blue" is the title of the debut single released by American country music singer, LeAnn Rimes, released in 1996 from her debut album of the same name . The song propelled Rimes to fame at thirteen years old....

" (LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...

)
LeAnn Rimes Bottom 3
8 Jacob Lusk "I Believe I Can Fly
I Believe I Can Fly
"I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. The song later appeared on Kelly's 1998 album R.....

" (R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...

)
R. Kelly Safe
9 Thia Megia "Smile" (Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...

)
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

Safe
10 Stefano Langone "Lately
Lately (Stevie Wonder song)
"Lately" is a song by American singer Stevie Wonder recorded for his album Hotter than July . The song was notably covered by R&B group Jodeci and released as a promotional single for the live album Uptown MTV Unplugged in June 1993....

" (Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

)
Stevie Wonder Safe
11 Karen Rodriguez "I Could Fall in Love
I Could Fall in Love
"I Could Fall in Love" is the first single by American singer Selena from her last studio album Dreaming of You, released in October 1995 by EMI International.-Song information:...

" (Selena
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...

)
Selena Bottom 3
12 Scotty McCreery "The River
The River (Garth Brooks song)
"The River" is the title of a country music song co-written and recorded by American singer Garth Brooks. It was the fifth and final single from his third album, 1991's Ropin' the Wind, and in late 1991 it became his ninth Number One hit on the Billboard country charts.-Content:The song is a...

" (Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...

)
Garth Brooks Safe
13 Naima Adedapo "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...

" (Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

)
Rihanna Safe
  • Group performance: Michael Jackson
    Michael Jackson
    Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

     medley ("Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
    Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
    "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin" is a song by American songwriter and recording artist Michael Jackson. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was released on May 8, 1983, by Epic Records as the fourth single from Jackson's sixth studio album Thriller in 1982. It is the first song on Thriller...

    " / "Rock with You" / "Black or White" / "Man in the Mirror
    Man in the Mirror
    "Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...

    ")

Top 12 – Year They Were Born

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Year Result
1 Naima Adedapo "What's Love Got to Do with It" (Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...

)
1984 Bottom 3
2 Paul McDonald "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" is a song by British singer Elton John featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica...

" (Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

)
1984 Safe
3 Thia Megia "Colors of the Wind
Colors of the Wind
"Colors of the Wind" by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, was the 1995 Oscar-winner for Best Original Song from the Disney animated feature film, Pocahontas. It also won the Golden Globe in the same category as well as the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Movie...

" (Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...

)
1995 Safe
4 James Durbin "I'll Be There for You
I'll Be There for You (Bon Jovi song)
"I'll Be There for You" is a song by American hard rock band Bon Jovi from their 1988 album New Jersey, was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora...

" (Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

)
1989 Safe
5 Haley Reinhart "I'm Your Baby Tonight
I'm Your Baby Tonight (song)
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" is the lead single and title track from Whitney Houston's third studio album of the same name. The song was written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. The single features a B-side, "Feels So Good", which has not been featured on any Whitney Houston album. While L.A...

" (Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...

)
1990 Bottom 3
6 Stefano Langone "If You Don't Know Me by Now
If You Don't Know Me By Now
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by the jersey soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which became their first hit after being released as a single in 1972 topping the R&B chart and peaking at number three on the Pop chart.The...

" (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...

)
1989 Safe
7 Pia Toscano "Where Do Broken Hearts Go
Where Do Broken Hearts Go
"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is the fourth single from Whitney Houston's second album, Whitney. The ballad was released in February 1988. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn and Chuck Jackson. Wildhorn approached Jackson about the opportunity to write for Whitney Houston...

" (Whitney Houston)
1988 Safe
8 Scotty McCreery "Can I Trust You with My Heart
Can I Trust You with My Heart
"Can I Trust You With My Heart" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Travis Tritt. It was released in November 1992 as the second single released from his CD, T-R-O-U-B-L-E...

" (Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...

)
1993 Safe
9 Karen Rodriguez "Love Will Lead You Back
Love Will Lead You Back
"Love Will Lead You Back" is a song performed by Taylor Dayne. Released as the second single from Dayne's second album Can't Fight Fate , the ballad debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 27, 1990. It reached number one on April 7 that same year and spent 15 weeks in the Top 40...

" (Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne was born Leslie Wunderman on March 7, 1962 before later adopting her current stage name. She is an American pop vocalist, songwriter, and dance artist. Overall, she has had eighteen individual hit songs reach the top ten in Billboard magazine...

)
1989 Eliminated
10 Casey Abrams "Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...

" (Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

)
1991 Safe
11 Lauren Alaina "I'm the Only One
I'm the Only One
"I'm the Only One" is a Melissa Etheridge song that appears on her 1993 album Yes I Am. The single itself was released in 1993, and hit number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts in January 1995...

" (Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...

)
1994 Safe
12 Jacob Lusk "Alone
Alone (Heart song)
-Céline Dion version:Céline Dion covered "Alone" for her 2007 album Taking Chances. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom...

" (i-TEN)
1987 Safe
  • Group performance: "Born to Be Wild
    Born to Be Wild
    "Born to Be Wild" is a rock song written by Mars Bonfire and made famous by the Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf. It is often used in popular culture to denote a biker appearance or attitude...

    " (Steppenwolf
    Steppenwolf (band)
    Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...

    ) / "Born This Way
    Born This Way (song)
    "Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...

    " (Lady Gaga
    Lady GaGa
    Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

    )

Top 11 (first week) – Motown

Unmentioned mentor: Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 Casey Abrams "I Heard It Through the Grapevine
I Heard It through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a landmark song in the history of Motown. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966, the single was first recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles...

" (Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....

)
Saved
2 Thia Megia "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave
(Love is Like a) Heat Wave
" Heat Wave" is a 1963 hit single penned by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team and made popular by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. It was originally released in July 1963, on the Motown subsidiary label Gordy, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot...

" (Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...

)
Bottom 3
3 Jacob Lusk "You're All I Need to Get By
You're All I Need to Get By
"You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" from Method Man and Mary J...

" (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Tammi Terrell
Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed...

)
Safe
4 Lauren Alaina "You Keep Me Hangin' On
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Vanilla Fudge's 1967 psychedelic/hard rock remake of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" reached #6 on the Hot 100 chart two years after the release of the Supremes' recording. While the version released on 45 RPM single was under three minutes long, the album version was extended to six minutes and...

" (The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...

)
Safe
5 Stefano Langone "Hello
Hello (Lionel Richie song)
"Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one...

" (Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...

)
Bottom 3
6 Haley Reinhart "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
You've Really Got a Hold on Me
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee...

" (The Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...

)
Safe
7 Scotty McCreery "For Once in My Life
For Once in My Life
"For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song...

" (Jean DuShon)
Safe
8 Pia Toscano "All in Love Is Fair
Innervisions
Innervisions is the sixteenth album by American musician Stevie Wonder, released August 3, 1973 on Motown Records; a landmark recording of his "classic period"...

" (Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...

)
Safe
9 Paul McDonald "The Tracks of My Tears
The Tracks of My Tears
"The Tracks of My Tears" is a much recorded love ballad introduced in 1965 by The Miracles on Motown's' Tamla label. This song is considered to be among the finest recordings of The Miracles, and it sold over one million records within two years, making it The Miracles' fourth million-selling...

" (The Miracles)
Safe
10 Naima Adedapo "Dancing in the Street
Dancing in the Street
"Dancing in the Street" is a 1964 song first recorded by Martha and the Vandellas. It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.-Martha and the Vandellas original:...

" (Martha and the Vandellas)
Safe
11 James Durbin "Living for the City
Living for the City
"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...

" (Stevie Wonder)
Safe
  • Group performance: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough
    Ain't No Mountain High Enough
    "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes...

    " (Marvin Gaye
    Marvin Gaye
    Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....

     & Tammi Terrell
    Tammi Terrell
    Thomasina Winifred Montgomery, known as Tammi Terrell was an American singer-songwriter most notable for her association with Motown and her duets with Marvin Gaye. As a teenager she recorded for the Scepter–Wand, Try Me and Checker record labels. She signed with Motown in April 1965 and enjoyed...

    )
  • Stevie Wonder with group: "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
    Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours
    "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" is a soul single by American musician Stevie Wonder, recorded for Motown's Tamla label. Released in June 1970, the song spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number three on the U.S. Pop chart...

    ", "Happy Birthday" (to Steven Tyler)

Top 11 (second week) – Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...

Order Contestant Song Result
1 Scotty McCreery "Country Comfort
Tumbleweed Connection
Tumbleweed Connection is the third album by English international recording artist Elton John. It is a concept album based on the Country and Western/Americana themes. All songs are written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John with the exception of "Love Song" by Lesley Duncan. It was recorded at...

"
Safe
2 Naima Adedapo "I'm Still Standing
I'm Still Standing
"I'm Still Standing" is a song on English pop rock performer Elton John's 1983 album, Too Low for Zero. He sings about making a comeback despite problems in daily life. The video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, was shot in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur in France and features the colours of the...

"
Eliminated
3 Paul McDonald "Rocket Man" Bottom 3
4 Pia Toscano "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is the first single from British musician Elton John's 1974 album Caribou; it was released that year during the latter half of May in the United Kingdom, and on 10 June in the United States.-Lyrics and music:...

"
Safe
5 Stefano Langone "Tiny Dancer
Tiny Dancer
"Tiny Dancer" is a 1971 song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It appears on John's fourth album, Madman Across the Water, and was released as a single in 1972...

"
Safe
6 Lauren Alaina "Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind
"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier....

"
Safe
7 James Durbin "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a rock song performed by musician Elton John and covered by W.A.S.P., Flotsam and Jetsam, Nickelback , Queen and The Who...

"
Safe
8 Thia Megia "Daniel
Daniel (song)
"Daniel" was a major hit song by Elton John. It appeared on the 1973 album Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. It was written by John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. In the United States the song reached #2 on the pop charts and #1 on the adult contemporary charts for two weeks in the spring...

"
Eliminated
9 Casey Abrams "Your Song
Your Song
"Your Song" is a ballad composed and performed by English musician Elton John with lyrics by his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin. It appeared on John's self-titled second album in 1970....

"
Safe
10 Jacob Lusk "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was his second single on Rocket Records. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship...

"
Safe
11 Haley Reinhart "Bennie and the Jets
Bennie and the Jets
"Bennie and the Jets" is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The song is written in the key of G major and first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs....

"
Safe
  • Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery: "I Told You So
    I Told You So (Randy Travis song)
    Carrie Underwood released a cover version of the song on her 2007 album Carnival Ride. It was the fifth and final single released from the album. Her version of the song was featured on the album Now That's What I Call Country Volume 2...

    " (Randy Travis
    Randy Travis
    Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...

    )
  • Naima Adedapo and Jacob Lusk: "Solid
    Solid (song)
    "Solid" is a hit single recorded by the husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. It was featured on their album, also titled Solid and released as a single in late 1984....

    " (Ashford & Simpson
    Ashford & Simpson
    Nickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....

    )
  • Haley Reinhart, Thia Megia and Pia Toscano: "Teenage Dream
    Teenage Dream (Katy Perry album)
    Teenage Dream is the third studio album by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. The album's inspiration came from dance, pop, and rock by 1980s artists, including ABBA and The Cardigans. Perry worked with several writers and producers on...

    " (Katy Perry
    Katy Perry
    Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...

    )
  • Stefano Langone, Paul McDonald, James Durbin and Casey Abrams: "Band on the Run
    Band on the Run (song)
    "Band on the Run" is the title song from Paul McCartney & Wings' acclaimed Band on the Run album. The single sold one million copies in 1974 in the United States, where it reached number 1, and it went to number 3 in the United Kingdom...

    " (Paul McCartney & Wings)

Top 9 – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 Jacob Lusk "Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...

" (Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

)
Bottom 3
2 Haley Reinhart "Piece of My Heart
Piece of My Heart
"Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it...

" (Erma Franklin
Erma Franklin
Erma Franklin was an American gospel and R&B singer. She was the oldest daughter of Barbara and the Reverend C. L. Franklin and the elder sister of Aretha Franklin...

)
Safe
3 Casey Abrams "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a song written by John Fogerty and released in 1970 on the album Pendulum by American roots rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song charted highest in Canada, reaching number one on the RPM 100 national album chart in March 1971. In the U.S., it peaked at...

" (Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....

)
Safe
4 Lauren Alaina "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
(You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman
" A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her...

" (Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...

)
Safe
5 James Durbin "While My Guitar Gently Weeps
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by George Harrison, first recorded by The Beatles in 1968 for their eponymous double album...

" (The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

)
Safe
6 Scotty McCreery "That's All Right" (Arthur Crudup
Arthur Crudup
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup was an American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known outside blues circles for writing songs such as "That's All Right" , "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine", later covered by Elvis Presley and dozens of other artists.-Career:Arthur Crudup...

)
Safe
7 Pia Toscano "River Deep – Mountain High" (Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner
Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...

)
Eliminated
8 Stefano Langone "When a Man Loves a Woman
When a Man Loves a Woman (song)
"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966 at Norala Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. It made number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. It was listed 54th in the List of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time...

" (Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer who recorded the hit "When a Man Loves a Woman" in 1966.-Early career:...

)
Bottom 3
9 Paul McDonald "Folsom Prison Blues
Folsom Prison Blues
"Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...

" (Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

)
Safe

Mentor: Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...

  • Group performance: "I Love Rock 'n' Roll
    I Love Rock 'n' Roll
    "I Love Rock 'n Roll" is a rock song written in 1975 by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of Arrows, who recorded the first released version. The song was later made famous by the hit version recorded by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts in 1981....

    " (Joan Jett
    Joan Jett
    Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...

    ) / "The Letter" (The Box Tops
    The Box Tops
    The Box Tops were a Memphis rock group of the second half of the 1960s. They are best known for the hits "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," "Soul Deep," "I Met Her in Church," and "Cry Like A Baby," and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period...

    ) / "Sweet Home Alabama" (Lynyrd Skynyrd
    Lynyrd Skynyrd
    Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...

    )

Top 8 – Songs from the Movies

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Featured Movie Result
1 Paul McDonald "Old Time Rock and Roll
Old Time Rock and Roll
"Old Time Rock and Roll" is the title of a song by Bob Seger featured on his 1978 album Stranger in Town and released as a single in 1979. It is a nostalgic look at the music of a previous generation. The song was featured in the Tom Cruise film Risky Business and gained widespread fame because of...

" (Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...

)
Risky Business
Risky Business
Risky Business is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written by Paul Brickman in his directorial debut. It stars Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. The hit film launched Cruise to stardom.-Plot:...

Eliminated
2 Lauren Alaina "The Climb
The Climb (song)
"The Climb" is a song performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single of the film's soundtrack by...

" (Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....

)
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 Walt Disney Pictures musical comedy film based on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana which was released on April 10, 2009, by Walt Disney Pictures, it was the second Disney Channel series to have a movie for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by...

Safe
3 Stefano Langone "End of the Road
End of the Road
"End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel...

" (Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...

)
Boomerang Bottom 3
4 Scotty McCreery "I Cross My Heart
I Cross My Heart
I Cross My Heart is the title of a song written by Steve Dorff and Eric Kaz, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in September 1992 as the lead-off single to his album Pure Country, which is also the soundtrack to the movie of the same title. It reached...

" (George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

)
Pure Country
Pure Country
The album Pure Country is the soundtrack to the movie Pure Country, and all songs are sung by George Strait. It was released in 1992 by MCA Records. It is Strait's most commercially successful album, having sold over six million copies.-Content:...

Safe
5 Casey Abrams "Nature Boy
Nature Boy
Nature Boy is a song written by eden ahbez and later popularised by Nat King Cole. It may also refer to:In music:* "Nature Boy", a song by Primus from their album 'Pork Soda'...

" (Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...

)
The Boy with Green Hair
The Boy with Green Hair
The Boy with Green Hair is a 1948 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Losey. It stars Dean Stockwell as Peter, a young war orphan who is subject to ridicule after he awakens one morning to find his hair mysteriously turned green...

Safe
6 Haley Reinhart "Call Me
Call Me (Blondie song)
"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie. Released in 1980, "Call Me" topped the singles charts in both the US and the UK ....

" (Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...

)
American Gigolo
American Gigolo
American Gigolo is a 1980 crime drama film, written and directed by Paul Schrader. It is informally considered the second installment in his "lonely man" trilogy, following the Martin Scorsese directed Taxi Driver and preceding Light Sleeper .-Plot:Julian Kaye is a male prostitute in Los Angeles...

Bottom 3
7 Jacob Lusk "Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water (song)
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the title song of Simon & Garfunkel's album of the same name. The single was released on January 26, 1970, though it also appears on the live album Live 1969, released in 2008. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at...

" (Simon & Garfunkel)
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness
Varèse Sarabande released the soundtrack on January 9, 2007, which included sixteen tracks.-Box office:The film debuted first at the North American box office, earning $27 million during its opening weekend and beating out heavily promoted films such as Eragon and Charlotte's Web...

Safe
8 James Durbin "Heavy Metal" (Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....

)
Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....

Safe

Mentor: Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...

  • Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina: "American Honey
    American Honey
    "American Honey" is the title of a song written by Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey and Shane Stevens. It was recorded by the American country music group Lady Antebellum, who released it on January 11, 2010 as the second single from its second studio album, Need You Now...

    " (Lady Antebellum
    Lady Antebellum
    Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...

    )
  • Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart: "Moanin'" (Bobby Timmons
    Bobby Timmons
    Robert Henry "Bobby" Timmons was an African American jazz pianist and composer.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is best known for his role as sideman in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and the composition of "Moanin'", "Dat Dere", and "This Here", each of which are typical of his...

    )
  • Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone, Paul McDonald and James Durbin: "The Sound of Silence
    The Sound of Silence
    "The Sound of Silence" is the song that propelled the 1960s folk music duo Simon & Garfunkel to popularity. It was written in February 1964 by Paul Simon in the aftermath of the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. An initial version preferred by the band was remixed and sweetened, and has become...

    " / "Mrs. Robinson
    Mrs. Robinson
    "Mrs. Robinson" is a song written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon & Garfunkel. When released as a single in 1968, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, for their second chart-topping hit after "The Sound of Silence"...

    " (medley) (Simon & Garfunkel)

Top 7 – Songs from the 21st Century
21st century
The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 Scotty McCreery "Swingin'
Swingin'
"Swingin" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer John Anderson. Released in 1983, it was included on his album Wild & Blue. The song was the second of five Number One singles in Anderson's career, spending one week at the top of the Hot Country Songs charts...

" (John Anderson
John Anderson (musician)
John David Anderson is an American country music artist with a successful career that has lasted more than 30 years...

)
Safe
2 James Durbin "Uprising
Uprising (song)
"Uprising" is a song by English rock band Muse, featured on their fifth studio album The Resistance. Written by lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew Bellamy, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 7 September 2009...

" (Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...

)
Safe
3 Haley Reinhart "Rolling in the Deep
Rolling in the Deep
"Rolling in the Deep" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter Adele for her second studio album, 21. The song was written by Paul Epworth and Adele, who described it as a "dark blues-y gospel disco tune". It was first released on 29 November 2010 as the lead single of the album.The song has...

" (Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...

)
Bottom 3
4 Jacob Lusk "Dance with My Father
Dance with My Father (song)
"Dance with My Father" is the title track to singer-songwriter Luther Vandross' thirteenth studio album. With Richard Marx, Vandross wrote the song based on his personal experience...

" (Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...

)
Bottom 3
5 Casey Abrams "Harder to Breathe
Harder to Breathe
"Harder to Breathe" is a song by the American rock band Maroon 5. The song was written by frontman Adam Levine for the band's debut album Songs About Jane ....

" (Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...

)
Safe
6 Stefano Langone "Closer
Closer (Ne-Yo song)
"Closer" is a 2008 Single by American pop/R&B singer Ne-Yo. The song was produced by Stargate.The song was released as the first single from his third album Year of the Gentleman. It reached #1 in the UK, scoring Ne-Yo his second UK No.1 following 2006's So Sick...

" (Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...

)
Eliminated
7 Lauren Alaina "Born to Fly
Born to Fly (song)
"Born to Fly" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country artist Sara Evans. The song was released in June 2000, and served as the lead-off single to her third studio album, Born to Fly. It became Evans' second Number One hit on the U.S...

" (Sara Evans
Sara Evans
Sara Lynn Evans is an American country singer and songwriter.Evans was one of the few traditional-styled singers to emerge from Nashville in the late 1990s, according to Allmusic. Since emerging in the late 1990s, Evans has made five No. 1 Country hits and Gold and Platinum-certified albums by...

)
Safe

On performance night:
  • Eliminated finalists so far performed: "So What
    So What (Pink song)
    "So What" is a song written by American pop rock singer Pink, Max Martin and Shellback. It was released as the first single from Pink's fifth studio album, Funhouse. Pink performed "So What" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, on September 7, 2008, and the song was used to promote the 2008 MTV...

    " (Pink
    Pink (singer)
    Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....

    )

On results night:
  • Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk and Lauren Alaina: "Hey Soul Sister" (Train
    Train (band)
    Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....

    )
  • Casey Abrams, Scotty McCreery and James Durbin: "Viva la Vida" (Coldplay
    Coldplay
    Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...

    )

Top 6 – Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...

Mentor: Babyface
Order Contestant Song (original artist when applicable) Result
1 Jacob Lusk "Oh No Not My Baby
Oh No Not My Baby
"Oh No Not My Baby" is the name of a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song's lyrics describe how friends and family repeatedly warn the singer about a partner's infidelities, but the singer refuses to believe them...

" (Maxine Brown
Maxine Brown (soul singer)
Maxine Ella Brown is an American soul and R&B singer.-Background and career:Maxine Brown began singing as a child, performing with two New York based gospel groups called the Angelairs and the Royaltones when she was a teenager...

)
Safe
2 Lauren Alaina "Where You Lead
Where You Lead
"Where You Lead" is a song written in 1970 by Carole King and Toni Stern.It first appeared on King's bestselling Tapestry album in January 1971. The song was inspired from the Book of Ruth, where it says: "Where thou lead, I shall follow"....

"
Safe
3 Casey Abrams & Haley Reinhart "I Feel the Earth Move" N/A
4 Scotty McCreery "You've Got a Friend
You've Got a Friend
"You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year...

"
Safe
5 James Durbin "Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", also known as "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and originally recorded by The Shirelles. It has been recorded by many artists and was ranked among Rolling Stone 's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #125...

" (The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...

)
Safe
6 Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery "Up on the Roof
Up on the Roof (song)
"Up on the Roof" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded in 1962 by The Drifters. Released at the tail end of that year, the song became a big hit in early 1963, reaching number five on the U.S. pop singles chart and number 4 on the U.S...

" (The Drifters
The Drifters (American band)
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...

)
N/A
7 Casey Abrams "That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-De-Ho)" (The City) Eliminated
8 Haley Reinhart "Beautiful" Safe
9 James Durbin & Jacob Lusk "I'm into Something Good
I'm into Something Good
"I'm into Something Good" is a song composed by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and made famous by Herman's Hermits. The song was originally recorded by Cookies member Earl-Jean McCrea in 1964 and reached number 38 on the US pop singles chart...

" (Earl-Jean
Earl-Jean
Ethel "Earl-Jean" McCrea is an American pop/R&B singer. She was a member of The Cookies, the only person in both versions of the group, and she had a solo hit with the original version of "I'm Into Somethin' Good"....

)
N/A


Each contestant sang one solo and one duet with a fellow contestant.

Group Performance: The Final 6 performed a Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...

 medley on results night.

On results night, no "bottom three" was announced. Ryan Seacrest stated early in the show that voting results would be announced in "random order". After Haley, James, and Lauren were announced as safe, Jacob, Casey, and Scotty were the last three remaining. Ryan then repeated "Tonight the results are in random order" before announcing that Casey was eliminated. Ryan later confirmed that Jacob and Scotty were not necessarily among the bottom three vote-getters that week.

Top 5 – Songs from Now and Then

Mentor: Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 James Durbin "Closer to the Edge
Closer to the Edge
-Charts and certifications:"Closer to the Edge" debuted on the UK Singles Chart on July 11, 2010, at number 90 before climbing to number 82 the following week. On July 18, 2010, the single rose a further four places to number 78...

" (30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...

)
Safe
2 Jacob Lusk "No Air
No Air
"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks featuring American R&B singer Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Michael Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell...

" (Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...

 & Chris Brown)
Eliminated
3 Lauren Alaina "Flat on the Floor
Carnival Ride
Carnival Ride is the second studio album from American country pop artist Carrie Underwood. It was released in the United States on October 23, 2007. It has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. The album includes the singles "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name", "Just a Dream", and "I...

" (Katrina Elam
Katrina Elam
Katrina Ruth Elam is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Universal South Records in 2004, she released her self-titled debut album that year, charting in the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks with the #29 "No End in Sight" and the #59 "I Want a Cowboy"...

)
Bottom 2
4 Scotty McCreery "Gone
Gone (Montgomery Gentry song)
"Gone" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero and Jeffrey Steele, and recorded by the American country music duo Montgomery Gentry. It was released in November 2004 as the third single from the duo's album You Do Your Thing, reaching a peak of #3 on the U.S. country charts, #53 on the...

" (Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo composed of vocalists Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. The two began performing in the 1990s as part of a band which also included Eddie Montgomery's brother John Michael Montgomery, and founded the existing duo in 1999.Signed to Columbia Records,...

)
Safe
5 Haley Reinhart "You and I" (Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

)
Safe
6 James Durbin "Without You" (Badfinger
Badfinger
Badfinger were a British rock band consisting originally of Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tom Evans, active from 1968 to 1983, and evolving from The Iveys, formed by Ham, Griffiths and David "Dai" Jenkins in Swansea, Wales, in the early 1960s. Joey Molland joined the group in 1969,...

)
Safe
7 Jacob Lusk "Love Hurts
Love Hurts
"Love Hurts" is the name of a song, written and composed by Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by The Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is also well known from a 1975 international hit version by the rock band Nazareth and in the UK by a top 5 hit in 1975 by Jim Capaldi.The song was introduced...

" (The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...

)
Eliminated
8 Lauren Alaina "Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....

" (Todd Duncan
Todd Duncan
Robert Todd Duncan was an American baritone opera singer and actor.-Biography:Todd Duncan was born in Danville, Kentucky in 1903. He obtained his musical training at Butler University in Indianapolis with a B.A. in music followed by an M.A...

)
Bottom 2
9 Scotty McCreery "Always on My Mind
Always on My Mind
"Always on My Mind" is an American country music song by Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, originally recorded by Brenda Lee in 1972.Allmusic lists over 300 recorded releases of the song in versions by dozens of performers...

" (Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...

)
Safe
10 Haley Reinhart "The House of the Rising Sun
The House of the Rising Sun
"The House of the Rising Sun" is a folk song from the United States. Also called "House of the Rising Sun" or occasionally "Rising Sun Blues", it tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans...

" (Traditional)
Safe

Group Performances
  • "Happy Together
    Happy Together (song)
    "Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in...

    " (The Turtles
    The Turtles
    The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...

    )

Top 4 – Songs That Inspire / Leiber & Stoller
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Jerome "Jerry" Leiber and Mike Stoller were American songwriting and record producing partners. Stoller was the composer and Leiber the lyricist. Their most famous songs include "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "Kansas City", "Stand By Me" Jerome "Jerry" Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011)...

 Songbook

Mentor: Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Result
1 James Durbin "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...

" (Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...

)
Eliminated
2 Haley Reinhart "Earth Song
Earth Song
"Earth Song" is the third single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It is the fifth song on the second disc of the album. It is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues, gospel and opera. Jackson had a long-standing history of releasing socially conscious...

" (Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

)
Safe
3 Scotty McCreery "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)
"Where Were You " is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. Written in the wake of the September 11 attacks, it was introduced at the Country Music Association's annual awards show on November 7, 2001...

" (Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...

)
Safe
4 Lauren Alaina "Anyway
Anyway (song)
"Anyway" is a song co-written and recorded by American country artist Martina McBride. The song was released in November 2006 following a performance on the 2006 CMA Awards, and served as the lead-off single from her ninth studio album, Waking Up Laughing...

" (Martina McBride
Martina McBride
Martina McBride is an American country music singer and songwriter. McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range....

)
Safe
5 Haley Reinhart "I (Who Have Nothing)
I (Who Have Nothing)
"I " is a song originally released in English by Ben E. King in 1963."I " is based on the Italian song "Uno Dei Tanti," with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. "Uno Dei Tanti" was released by Joe Sentieri in 1961...

" (Ben E. King
Ben E. King
Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S...

)
>- 6 Scotty McCreery "Young Blood
Young Blood
"Young Blood" is a song written by the songwriting team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, together with Doc Pomus, in 1957.The song was included in the musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe.-Structure:...

" (The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...

)
Safe
7 Lauren Alaina "Trouble
Trouble (Elvis Presley song)
Amanda Lear's debut single was a recording of "Trouble", released in the UK by Creole Records. A French language translation by Vline Buggy, titled "La Bagarre", was released in France by Polydor. Lear performed the song on an episode of Musikladen aired 29 May 1976 in West Germany. Clad in black...

" (Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

)
Safe
8 James Durbin "Love Potion No. 9
Love Potion No. 9 (song)
"Love Potion No. 9" is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by The Clovers.-Story:The song describes a man seeking help finding love, so he talks to a Gypsy, who determines through palm reading that he needs "love potion number 9"...

" (The Clovers
The Clovers
-History:The group formed in 1946 at Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C., with members Harold Lucas, Billy Shelton, and Thomas Woods. John "Buddy" Bailey was added soon after, and they began calling themselves the "Four Clovers", with Bailey on lead...

)
Eliminated

Group Performances
  • Scotty McCreery and James Durbin - "Start a Band
    Start a Band
    "Start a Band" is the title of a country music song written by Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley and Kelley Lovelace. It was recorded as a duet between Brad Paisley and Keith Urban for Paisley's sixth studio album, Play. Released as the only single from that album, it is also one of only four...

    " (Brad Paisley
    Brad Paisley
    Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....

     & Keith Urban
    Keith Urban
    Keith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...

    )
  • Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart - "Gunpowder & Lead
    Gunpowder & Lead
    "Gunpowder & Lead" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert on her 2007 album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The album's third single, it became Lambert's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in July 2008...

    " (Miranda Lambert
    Miranda Lambert
    Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut...

    )

Top 3 – Contestant's Choice / Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine
James "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...

's Choice / Judges' Choice

Mentor: Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Chosen By Result
1 Scotty McCreery "Amazed
Amazed
"Amazed" is the title of a song written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey. The first version of the song was recorded by the American country music group Lonestar, whose version was released in March 1999 as the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill...

" (Lonestar
Lonestar
Lonestar is an American country music group consisting of Richie McDonald , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater , Dean Sams , and Michael Hill . McDonald left the band in November 2007 for a solo career before returning in 2011...

)
Self Safe
2 Lauren Alaina "Wild One
Wild One (Faith Hill song)
"Wild One", originally titled "She's a Wild One", is a country music song written by Pat Bunch, Jaime Kyle, and Will Rambeaux. It was first recorded in 1992 by country band Zaca Creek on their album Broken Heartland and country band Evangeline on their 1993 album French Quarter Moon...

" (Zaca Creek
Zaca Creek
Zaca Creek was an American country music group formed in 1989. The band consisted of brothers Gates, Scot, Jeff and James Foss. Their debut single, "Sometimes Love's Not a Pretty Thing," was their only song to reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, peaking at #38. It was...

)
Self Safe
3 Haley Reinhart "What Is and What Should Never Be
What Is and What Should Never Be
"What Is and What Should Never Be" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....

" (Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

)
Self Eliminated
4 Scotty McCreery "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not
Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not
"Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" is the title of a song written by Jim Collins and David Lee Murphy and recorded by American country duo Thompson Square. It was released in July 2010 as the second single from their self-titled debut album, which was released on February 8, 2011...

" (Thompson Square
Thompson Square
Thompson Square is an American country music duo composed of husband and wife Keifer Thompson and Shawna Thompson. They signed to Stoney Creek Records, a sister label of Broken Bow Records, in January 2010 and have released three singles: "Let's Fight", "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" and "I Got...

)
Iovine Safe
5 Lauren Alaina "If I Die Young
If I Die Young
"If I Die Young" is the title of a song written by Kimberly Perry and recorded by American country group The Band Perry. It was released as their second single in June 2010, and serves as the lead-off single to the group's self-titled debut album, which was released on October 12, 2010.-Content:"If...

" (The Band Perry
The Band Perry
The Band Perry, an American country music group, is composed of siblings Kimberly Perry , Reid Perry and Neil Perry...

)
Iovine Safe
6 Haley Reinhart "Rhiannon
Rhiannon (song)
"Rhiannon" is a single released by Fleetwood Mac in 1976. The song was written by Stevie Nicks."Rhiannon" was voted #488 in The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. Its US chart peak was in June 1976, when it hit #11...

" (Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

)
Iovine Eliminated
7 Scotty McCreery "She Believes in Me" (Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...

)
Judges Safe
8 Lauren Alaina "I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance (song)
"I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sandersand Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack along with Sons of the Desert...

" (Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....

)
Judges Safe
9 Haley Reinhart "You Oughta Know
You Oughta Know
"You Oughta Know" is a alternative rock song, which also is known for its grunge effect styles in it. The instruments held in it are guitars, electric guitars, drums and drum machine...

" (Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...

)
Judges Eliminated

Top 2 – Finale

Order Contestant Song (original artist) Chosen By Result
1 Scotty McCreery "Gone
Gone (Montgomery Gentry song)
"Gone" is the title of a song written by Bob DiPiero and Jeffrey Steele, and recorded by the American country music duo Montgomery Gentry. It was released in November 2004 as the third single from the duo's album You Do Your Thing, reaching a peak of #3 on the U.S. country charts, #53 on the...

" (Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry
Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo composed of vocalists Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry. The two began performing in the 1990s as part of a band which also included Eddie Montgomery's brother John Michael Montgomery, and founded the existing duo in 1999.Signed to Columbia Records,...

)
Self Winner
2 Lauren Alaina "Flat on the Floor
Carnival Ride
Carnival Ride is the second studio album from American country pop artist Carrie Underwood. It was released in the United States on October 23, 2007. It has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. The album includes the singles "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name", "Just a Dream", and "I...

" (Katrina Elam)
Self Runner-up
3 Scotty McCreery "Check Yes or No
Check Yes or No
"Check Yes or No" is the title of a song written by Danny Wells and Dana Hunt, and recorded by American country singer George Strait. It was released in September 1995 as the lead single from his 1995 box set Strait Out of the Box. It peaked at number-one on both the U.S...

" (George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

)
George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...

Winner
4 Lauren Alaina "Maybe It Was Memphis
Maybe It Was Memphis
"Maybe It Was Memphis" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis on two separate occasions. She first cut the song on Warner Bros...

" (Pam Tillis
Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....

)
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...

Runner-up
5 Scotty McCreery " I Love You This Big
I Love You This Big
"I Love You This Big" is the debut single and coronation song of American recording artist and American Idol 's season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery. It was first performed on the American Idol final performance show on May 24, 2011. The single was released to digital retailers after the final result...

" (Scotty McCreery)
Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine
James "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...

Winner
6 Lauren Alaina "Like My Mother Does
Like My Mother Does
"Like My Mother Does" is the title of a song written by Nathan Chapman, Liz Rose, and Nicole Williams. It was first recorded by American country artist Kristy Lee Cook from her 2008 album, Why Wait. It was later recorded and released as a single by country music singers Jesse Lee and Lauren Alaina...

" (Kristy Lee Cook
Kristy Lee Cook
Kristy Lee Cook is an American country singer who was born in Seattle, Washington and was the seventh place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005 Cook released her debut album called Devoted. In June 2008, Cook signed to 19 Recordings and Arista Nashville. She released her...

)
Jimmy Iovine Runner-up

Lauren Alaina damaged her vocal cords while rehearsing for the finale, but she was treated and cleared to continue in the competition.

In a break with the normal format, the judges did not offer their critiques of the performances until after both contestants had sung both of their opening songs, and then the critiques were delivered to both contestants at the same time. Also, the schedule for the 2-part finale was moved back to its previous schedule of Tuesday & Wednesday.

Elimination chart

Female Male Top 24 Wild Card Top 13 Winner

Safe Safe First Safe Last Eliminated Judges' Save

Stage: Finals
Week: 3/3 3/10 3/17 3/24 3/31 4/7 4/14 4/21 4/28 5/5 5/12 5/19 5/25
Place Contestant Result
1 Scotty McCreery Top 13 Winner
2 Lauren Alaina Top 13 Runner-up
3 Haley Reinhart Top 13 Bottom 3 Bottom 3 Elim
4 James Durbin Top 13 Elim
5 Jacob Lusk Top 13 Bottom 3 Elim
6 Casey Abrams Top 13 Saved Elim
7 Wild Card Top 13 Elim
8 Paul McDonald Top 13 Elim
9 Pia Toscano Top 13 Elim
Naima Adedapo Bottom 3 Elim
Thia Megia Top 13 Bottom 3
12 Karen Rodriguez Top 13 Bottom 3 Elim
13 Ashthon Jones Wild Card Top 13 Elim
14-16 Jovany Barreto Wild Card Elim
Kendra Chantelle Wild Card
Robbie Rosen Wild Card
17-24 Jordan Dorsey Elim
Clint Jun Gamboa
Tim Halperin
Brett Loewenstern
Lauren Turner
Ta-Tynisa Wilson
Rachel Zevita
Julie Zorrilla


Results show performances

Week Performer(s) Title Hot 100 reaction Digital sales reaction Performance type
Top 24 Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 ft. Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...

 
"On the Floor
On the Floor
"On the Floor" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, featuring Latin American rapper Pitbull. It was released by Island Records on February 11, 2011, as the lead single from Lopez's seventh studio album, Love?...

"
5 (+4) new peak 219,000 (+29%) music video premiere
Top 13 Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...

 
"Aftermath" failed to chart TBA live performance
Diddy Dirty-Money ft. Skylar Grey  "Coming Home
Coming Home (Diddy-Dirty Money song)
"Coming Home" is a song by American rapper and producer Diddy and his band Dirty Money, from their debut album Last Train to Paris . It was released on November 21, 2010, as the album's fourth single. The contemporary hip-hop pop song was written by Jiraphat Wongsuwan. Alex Da Kid and Jay-Z...

"
11 (+11) new peak TBA live performance
Top 12 Lee DeWyze
Lee DeWyze
Leon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, DeWyze had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and...

 
"Beautiful Like You" failed to chart 12,000 (+8,068%) live performance
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...

 
"Just Can't Get Enough
Just Can't Get Enough (The Black Eyed Peas song)
"Just Can't Get Enough" is a song by American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. The song was written by members William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez and Stacy Ferguson, along with Joshua Alvarez, Stephen Shadowen, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Julie Frost, for the group's sixth studio album,...

"
5 (+17) new peak 198,000 (+143%) pre-recorded performance
Top 11
Week 1
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...

 
"Where You At
Where You At
"Where You At" is a song recorded by R&B singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. It was written by R. Kelly and produced by Harvey Mason, Jr.. It is the lead single from her second album I Remember Me. It debuted on January 24, 2011 and was released on February 8, 2011...

"
64 (+25) new peak 24,000 (+271%) live performance
Sugarland  "Stuck Like Glue
Stuck Like Glue
"Stuck Like Glue" is a Sugarland single released to radio July 26, 2010. It is the first single off their album The Incredible Machine, released October 19, 2010. "Stuck Like Glue" debuted at #44 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of August 7, 2010, and debuted at #20 on...

"
N/A 33,000 (+89%) pre-recorded performance
Top 11
Week 2
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...

 
"Collard Greens & Cornbread" failed to chart TBA live performance
will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...

 & Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

 
"Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)" failed to chart no release live performance
Top 9 Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis
Constantine James Maroulis is an American rock singer, actor, and writer from Wyckoff, New Jersey. He was the sixth-place finalist on the fourth season of the reality television series American Idol, and lead vocalist of the hard rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty...

 
"Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....

"
failed to chart no release live performance
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...

 
"Wild One
Wild One (Johnny O'Keefe song)
"Wild One" or "Real Wild Child" is an Australian rock and roll song written by Johnny Greenan, Johnny O'Keefe, and Dave Owens. Sydney disc jockey Tony Withers was credited with helping to get radio airplay for the song but writer credits on subsequent versions often omit Withers, who later worked...

"
ineligible to re-enter no release live performance
Top 8 Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldine Williams is an American country music singer, known professionally as Jason Aldean. Since 2005, Aldean has recorded for Broken Bow Records, an independent record label for which he has released four albums and twelve singles...

 & Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...

 
"Don't You Wanna Stay
Don't You Wanna Stay
"Don't You Wanna Stay" is a song performed by American country singer Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson from Aldean's 2010 album, My Kinda Party. It was written by Andy Gibson, Paul Jenkins and Jason Sellers...

"
31 (+11) new peak 59,000 (+64%) live performance
Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

 
"California King Bed
California King Bed
"California King Bed" is a song performed by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud . The song was released as the album's fifth single on May 13, 2011 through Def Jam. The song was written by Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson, Priscilla Renea and Alex Delicata, and was...

"
failed to chart 22,000 (+231%) live performance
Top 7 David Cook
David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...

 
"The Last Goodbye
The Last Goodbye (David Cook song)
"The Last Goodbye" is the first single for American Idol winner David Cook's sophomore album This Loud Morning. It was released on April 19, 2011.-Song information:...

"
failed to chart 22,000 (debut) live performance
Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...

 ft. Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 
"E.T.
E.T. (song)
"E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry taken from her third studio album Teenage Dream . The song was written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, and Joshua Coleman, while the production was handled by Gottwald under his stage name Dr. Luke, Martin and Ammo. "E.T." was...

"
1 (+1) 344,000 (+23%) pre-recorded performance
Top 6 Crystal Bowersox
Crystal Bowersox
Crystal Lynn Bowersox is an American singer-songwriter and actress, who was the runner-up on the ninth season of American Idol...

 
"Ridin with the Radio" failed to chart TBA live performance
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...

 
"The Lazy Song
The Lazy Song
"The Lazy Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. It was released as the third single from the album on February 15, 2011. Mars wrote the song with K'naan and his production team The Smeezingtons, who also produced the track....

"
5 (+1) new peak 194,000 (+3%) pre-recorded performance
Top 5 Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...

 
"Just a Kiss
Just a Kiss
"Just a Kiss" is a song by American country music group Lady Antebellum. It was released on May 2, 2011, by Capitol Records, as the lead single from the band's third studio album, Own the Night . Dallas Davidson collaborated with band members Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood to write...

"
7 (debut) 211,000 (debut) live performance
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 ft. Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...

 
"On the Floor
On the Floor
"On the Floor" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, featuring Latin American rapper Pitbull. It was released by Island Records on February 11, 2011, as the lead single from Lopez's seventh studio album, Love?...

"
3 (+4) new peak 175,000 (+25%) pre-recorded performance
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 ft. Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...

 
"I'm Into You
I'm Into You
"I'm Into You" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, taken from her seventh studio album, Love? . The mid-tempo pop song was written by Taio Cruz, Lil Wayne and Norwegian duo StarGate, who also produced the song. Lil Wayne also has featured vocals on the song, after...

"
72 (debut) 44,000 music video teaser
(aired following her performance)
Top 4 Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

 
"You and I" not released no release Clip from HBO Special
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...

 
"Dirty Dancer
Dirty Dancer
"Dirty Dancer" is a song by Spanish recording artist Enrique Iglesias and American recording artist Usher, recorded for Iglesias' sixth studio album, Euphoria, and included on Usher's EP Versus. A remix of the song, which features American rapper Lil Wayne, was released on May 9, 2011 by Universal...

"
"I Like It
I Like It (Enrique Iglesias song)
"I Like It" is a song performed by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias taken from his first bilingual studio album, Euphoria. It was produced by RedOne and interpolates Lionel Richie's 1983 "All Night Long " as well as featuring American rapper Pitbull and was released on May 3, 2010. The song was also...

"
18 (debut) 126,000 (debut) pre-recorded performance
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...

 
"I Am Woman"
I Am Woman (Jordin Sparks song)
"I Am Woman" is a song performed by American recording artist Jordin Sparks, taken from her upcoming third studio album. The up-tempo song was written by Ali Pierre Gaschani, Dean Josiah and Ryan Tedder, who also produced the track. "I Am Woman" premiered online via AOL Music on May 5, 2011, and...

 
82 (debut) 33,000 (debut) live performance
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

 
"(It) Feels So Good
(It) Feels So Good
" Feels So Good" is a song by Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Written by Tyler and Marti Frederiksen, it features background vocals from American recording artist Nicole Scherzinger...

"
35 (debut) 77,000 (debut) music video premiere
Top 3 Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....

 feat. 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

 
"Right There
Right There
"Right There" is a song by American recording artist Nicole Scherzinger, taken from her debut studio album, Killer Love . Written by Ester Dean, Frank Romano, Daniel Morris and co-written and produced by Jim Jonsin, the Island-flavored midtempo pop song sees Scherzinger singing about her lover and...

"
77 (debut) 29,000 (debut) pre-recorded performance
Il Volo "'O Sole Mio
'O Sole Mio
"O sole mio" is a globally known Neapolitan song written in 1898. The lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro and the melody was composed by Eduardo di Capua. Though there are versions in other languages, "'O sole mio" is usually sung in the original Neapolitan language...

"
failed to chart 10,000 debut live performance
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

 
"Run The World (Girls)
Run the World (Girls)
"Run the World " is a song performed by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. It was written by Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Knowles, Nick "Afrojack" van de Wall, Wesley "Diplo" Pentz, David "Switch" Taylor, and Adidja Palmer and produced by Switch, The-Dream, Knowles and Shea Taylor...

"
50 (+26) TBA music video premiere
(shown on Wednesday's show)
Top 2 David Cook
David Cook (singer)
David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...

 
"Don't You (Forget About Me)
Don't You (Forget About Me)
"Don't You " is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and performed by the band Simple Minds in 1985. The songwriters were producer Keith Forsey "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song known for its being in the soundtrack to the film The Breakfast Club and...

"
failed to chart failed to chart live performance
(shown on Performance night)
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...

 
"Positive" no release no release live performance
(shown on Performance night)
Finale American Idol Top 13 "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...

"
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

 & James Durbin
James Durbin
James Durbin is a British statistician and econometrician, known particularly for his work on time series analysis and serial correlation.He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge where his contemporaries included David Cox and Denis Sargan...

 
Medley: "Living After Midnight
Living After Midnight
"Living After Midnight" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally featured on their 1980 album British Steel. Speaking to the hedonistic, rebellious spirit of the 1980s, is one of the band's most popular songs....

" /
"Breaking the Law
Breaking the Law
"Breaking the Law" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally released on their 1980 album British Steel. The song is one of the band's better known singles, and is recognized by its opening guitar riff.-Music video:...

"
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk
Jacob Lusk is an American singer from Compton, California, who finished in fifth place on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...

, Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...

 
& Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin
Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...

 
"I Smile" Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Jack Black
Jack Black
Jack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...

 & Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams is an American musician from Idyllwild, California who finished in sixth place on the tenth season of American Idol. He was eliminated from the competition on April 28, 2011, five weeks after being saved from elimination by the judges.-Early life:Abrams was born on February 12, 1991...

 
"Fat Bottomed Girls
Fat Bottomed Girls
"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...

"
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
American Idol Top Seven Girls (minus Lauren Alaina)
with Beyoncé Knowles
Medley: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...

" /
"Irreplaceable
Irreplaceable
"Irreplaceable" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day . The song was written by Knowles, Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Espen Lind, Amund Bjørklund, and produced by Stargate and Knowles...

" / "Get Me Bodied
Get Me Bodied
"Get Me Bodied" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. The song was written by Beyoncé Knowles, Sean Garrett, Solange Knowles, Angela Beyince, Makeba Riddick, and Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and produced by Swizz Beatz, Beyoncé and Sean Garrett, for Knowles' second solo studio...

" /
"If I Were a Boy
If I Were a Boy
"If I Were a Boy" is a pop song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles. It was composed by Toby Gad and BC Jean. Jean initially recorded her version of the song which was rejected by Jean's record company. Knowles then recorded a new version for her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce...

" / "Deja Vu" / "Crazy in Love"
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....

 & Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...

 
"Steppin' Out With My Baby
Steppin' Out with My Baby
"Steppin' Out With My Baby" is a popular song written by Irving Berlin and introduced in the 1948 musical film Easter Parade. There it was sung by Fred Astaire as part of a dance number involving Astaire on stairs and three different dance partners....

"
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...

 
"Come Get Some
Come Get Some (TLC song)
"Come Get Some" is a song by American R&B girl group, TLC from their greatest hits album, Now and Forever: The Hits. It was released as the album's first single in 2003, 12 months after the death of TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The song features American rappers, Lil Jon and Sean P...

"
TBA TBA live performance
TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...

 & American Idol Girls
Medley: "Come Get Some
Come Get Some (TLC song)
"Come Get Some" is a song by American R&B girl group, TLC from their greatest hits album, Now and Forever: The Hits. It was released as the album's first single in 2003, 12 months after the death of TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The song features American rappers, Lil Jon and Sean P...

" / "No Scrubs
No Scrubs
"No Scrubs" is a 1999 song recorded by R&B girl groupTLC for their album FanMail. Released as the album's first single, "No Scrubs" became TLC's third number-one single and eighth top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned them their second Grammy nomination for Record of the Year...

"
/ "Waterfalls"
Not eligible
Not eligible
TBA
10,000 (+756%)
live performance
Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...

 & Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery
Scott Cooke "Scotty" McCreery is an American country singer from Garner, North Carolina . He also won the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, Clear as Day was released in October 2011...

 
"Live Like You Were Dying
Live Like You Were Dying (song)
"Live Like You Were Dying" is a song written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman and performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. The song appears on his Live Like You Were Dying album. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard country music charts, and held that position for a total of seven...

"
Not eligible 24,000 (+520%) live performance
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...

 & Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 
"Aguanile" (from the movie El Cantante
El Cantante
El Cantante is a 2006 American film released in the United States on August 3, 2007. The biopic stars singer Marc Anthony and actress-singer Jennifer Lopez . The film is based on the life story of salsa legend Héctor Lavoe...

)
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...

 & the American Idol Men
Medley: "Kiss
Kiss (song)
In 1988 Art of Noise released a cover of the song, featuring Tom Jones on vocals. The song became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number eighteen on the U.S. dance charts and number five on the UK Singles Chart, higher than the original in that country...

" / "She's a Lady
She's A Lady
"She's a Lady" is a song written by Paul Anka and performed by Tom Jones, and released in 1971. It is his highest charting U.S. release, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is one of Tom Jones's most famous recordings. The song reached #4 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey and spawned a...

"
/ "What's New, Pussycat?
What's New Pussycat? (song)
"What's New Pussycat?" is a song made famous by singers such as Tom Jones, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Anita Kerr and The Four Seasons; it was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It is the title tune of the movie starring Peter Sellers.Barbra Streisand performed several...

" /
"Green, Green Grass of Home" /
"Love Me Tonight" / "Delilah
Delilah (1968 song)
"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.-Success:It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling...

" / "It's Not Unusual
It's Not Unusual
"It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the...

"
Not eligible Not eligible live performance
Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

 
"The Edge of Glory
The Edge of Glory
"The Edge of Glory" is a song by American recording artist and songwriter Lady Gaga, from her second studio album Born This Way . The song was released digitally on May 9, 2011, and was added to the United States mainstream radio playlists on May 17, 2011...

"
8 (+11) 165,000 (+74%) live performance
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...

 & Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina is an American singer from Rossville, Georgia. Alaina was the runner-up on the tenth season of American Idol. Her debut studio album, Wildflower was released in October 2011....

 
"Before He Cheats
Before He Cheats
"Before He Cheats" is a song written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and the third wide-release single from Carrie Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts. It was the fifth release from the album overall. It was named the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association...

"
Not eligible 10,000 (+156%) live performance
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...

 
"1+1
1+1 (song)
"1+1" is a song recorded by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles for her fourth studio album, 4 . Knowles debuted the song on May 25, 2011, on American Idol, and digitally released it as a promotional single in the United States through Columbia Records...

"
57 (debut) 57,000 (debut) live performance
Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...

 & The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...

 ft. the cast of
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is a rock musical with music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge and a book by Julie Taymor, Glen Berger, and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The musical is based on the Spider-Man comics created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, published by Marvel Comics, as well as the 2002...

 
"Rise Above" 74 (debut) 36,000 (debut) live performance
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

 
"Dream On
Dream On (Aerosmith song)
"Dream On" is the first single by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this blues-influenced power ballad became their first major hit and classic rock radio staple...

"
Not eligible 13,000 (+406%) live performance
Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery
Scott Cooke "Scotty" McCreery is an American country singer from Garner, North Carolina . He also won the tenth season of American Idol on May 25, 2011. His debut studio album, Clear as Day was released in October 2011...

 
"I Love You This Big
I Love You This Big
"I Love You This Big" is the debut single and coronation song of American recording artist and American Idol 's season 10 winner, Scotty McCreery. It was first performed on the American Idol final performance show on May 24, 2011. The single was released to digital retailers after the final result...

"
11 (debut) 171,000 (debut) live performance

Gender voting bias and elimination of Pia Toscano

The first five contestants eliminated from the finals were all female contestants, and this early elimination of females led to criticism of bias against women. Idol producer Ken Warwick
Ken Warwick
Ken Warwick is a television executive producer and director, most noted for producing the reality television series American Idol, and Pop Idol. Before being a producer he was a dancer. Warwick has received numerous awards for his television programs including a BAFTA, the Golden Rose of Montreux,...

 said, "It's no secret that most reality shows are female driven, either by moms or by young girls. It does mean we're going to get a heftier amount of female votes and it's always bent towards the boys, obviously, we are very much aware that the voting can be skewed towards the boys." The voting also provoked considerable criticism after the last of these five females, Pia Toscano
Pia Toscano
Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...

, a presumed front-runner, was surprisingly eliminated in ninth place. In response to criticism, the producers considered tweaking the voting format for next season. However, after Toscano's elimination, the next five eliminated contestants were all males, leading to the first Top 3 with two females since season six
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...

.

Judges critique

Online critics from major news sources like Brian Mansfield
Brian Mansfield
Brian Mansfield is an American writer and journalist. A longtime music writer and critic for USA Today, Mansfield is also the writer/producer of syndicated weekly radio program America's Opry Weekend for American radio network Dial Global Radio Networks and author and co-author of a number of books...

 of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

, Craig Berman of MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

, Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

, Andrea Reiher of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...

, and Tom Gliatto of People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...

 criticized the judges for being too nice, not being honest enough, not offering enough constructive criticism towards the contestants, and for not giving any guidance and direction for the viewers/voters in terms of why they should or should not be voting for someone. Executive producer Ken Warwick responded to these criticisms and said, "The truth of the matter is these kids are very good and I wouldn't influence the judges to say anything they don't absolutely believe ... They are trying to keep things on the straight and narrow. What they feel are genuine feelings, that's all I can ask them to do." Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...

, another executive producer, also responded to these criticisms on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 and answered, "IT IS NOT ABOUT THE JUDGES OPINION IT'S ABOUT YOURS!! U R NOT SHEEP!" In October 2011, however, judge Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...

 revealed that all three judges will be tougher on the contestants in season 11
American Idol (season 11)
The eleventh season of American Idol is scheduled to premiere on Fox on Sunday, January 22, 2012 following the 2011–12 NFL playoffs. The show will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 PM/7:00 Central.-Judges and host:...

.

Lee DeWyze finale involvement

Many fans of season nine
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...

 winner, Lee DeWyze
Lee DeWyze
Leon James "Lee" DeWyze, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter from Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the winner of the ninth season of American Idol. Prior to Idol, DeWyze had a solo career and formed the Lee DeWyze Band. He had also released two independent albums called So I'm Told in 2007 and...

, were upset that he did not take part in the season ten finale like he was rumored to. Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe responded on his Twitter that he asked DeWyze to take part in the finale, but he declined, "I was so upset Lee DeWyze wouldn’t present the winners trophy to Scotty, he wrote. "Especially as he’d been on the show this Season. I guess he was shy.” However, DeWyze said that he was actually not asked to take part in the finale. “Just for the record… I was not asked to be involved in the Finale. It wasn’t until about 2 minutes before they announced that Nigel had approached me and asked if he could “borrow” me for a second. I didn't feel a last second jump on stage was appropriate. It was Scotty’s moment. I appreciate American Idol, and the opportunity it has given me. And the people who have made that show possible. I am not angry, or bitter etc. It was an amazing Finale, and I would have loved to be a part of it. I just wasn't asked.” DeWyze was seen in the audience towards the end of the show.

Chris Medina

Eliminated contestant Chris Medina
Chris Medina
Christopher Edward "Chris" Medina is an American singer born in Chicago, Illinois. Medina is most notable as a former American Idol contestant during the tenth season of Idol and his single, "What Are Words", which went to #1 in Norway and Sweden and spent 19 weeks at number 1 combined...

 released a single called "What Are Words
What Are Words
"What Are Words" is a hit song written by Rodney Jerkins, Andre Lindal and Lauren Christy, and performed by American singer Chris Medina. It was released on February 25, 2011, the day after his surprising elimination on the reality tv-show American Idol...

" on February 25, 2011, the day after his elimination. The song is about his fiance who suffered a brain injury as the result of an automobile accident. The song debuted at #22 on the Heatseekers Songs
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

 chart, and then reached #83 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. It has since sold 61,000 copies He performed the ballad on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...

 on February 28, 2011 and on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...

 on March 4, 2011.

Carson Higgins

On March 3, 2011, it was announced that eliminated contestant Carson Higgins had joined the cast of the Los Angeles production of the Paul Storiale play The Columbine Project. The play was inspired by the tragic events at Columbine High School
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...

 in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

 in 1999, and will be performed at the Avery Schreiber Theatre
Avery Schreiber
Avery Lawrence Schreiber was an American comedian and actor. He was a veteran of stage, TV, and film.-Biography:...

 in North Hollywood beginning April 22, 2011.

Caitlin Koch

Caitlin Koch, who auditioned for this season of American Idol but was cut in Hollywood, auditioned for the first season of The X Factor USA
The X Factor (U.S.)
The X Factor is an American television music competition to find new singing talent. The show is produced by creator Simon Cowell's company SYCOtv. It premiered on September 21, 2011 on Fox....

. She made it to bootcamp and then to judges' houses, but was not chosen by Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...

 for the live finals.

U.S. Nielsen ratings

American Idol ended the 2010-2011 television season as the #1 and #2 show in Total Viewers, and the #1 and #3 show in Adults 18-49. The Wednesday performance shows earned an average of 25.864 million viewers and an 8.8/24 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic, while the Thursday results show earned an average of 23.798 million viewers and a 7.7/22 rating in the Adults 18-49 demographic. The show's success helped Fox network achieve the longest winning streak in broadcast history of seven consecutive season in the Adult 18-49 demo.
Episode list
EWLINE
Show # Episode Airdate U.S. viewers
(millions)
Rating/share
Households
Rating/Share
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...


(18–49)
Note Weekly
rank
1 New Jersey Auditions 26.23 14.2 / 22 9.7 / 26 3
2 Louisiana Auditions 22.90 12.5 / 20 7.8 / 21 4
3 Wisconsin Auditions 25.33 13.8 / 22 9.2 / 24 1
4 Tennessee Auditions 22.48 12.4 / 20 7.7 / 21 2
5 Texas Auditions 25.14 13.4 / 21 9.0 / 24 4
6 Los Angeles Auditions 21.89 11.9 / 19 7.5 / 20 6
7 San Francisco Auditions 24.05 13.0 / 21 8.4 / 23 2
8 Hollywood Round, Part 1 21.94 12.0 / 19 7.3 / 20 3
9 Hollywood Round, Part 2 23.20 12.7 / 20 8.2 / 23 1
10 Hollywood Round, Part 3 22.18 12.0 / 20 7.6 / 22 2
11 Las Vegas Round/Top 24 Chosen, Part 1 22.72 12.5 / 20 7.9 / 21 3
12 Top 24 Chosen, Part 2 21.76 11.9 / 19 7.2 / 20 4
13 Top 12 Males Perform 21.39 11.7 / 18 7.6 / 21 3
14 Top 12 Females Perform 22.77 12.7 / 20 7.8 / 22 2
15 Top 10 Finalists + 3 WCs Revealed 25.26 13.8 / 23 8.2 / 24 1
16 Top 13 Finalists Perform 24.40 13.5 / 22 8.1 / 23 1
17 Top 13 Results Show 22.05 12.6 / 20 6.7 / 19 2
18 Top 12 Finalists Perform 22.58 12.9 / 21 7.6 / 22 1
19 Top 12 Results Show 19.57 11.2 / 20 5.7 / 19 2
20 Top 11 Finalists Perform 23.95 13.5 / 22 7.9 / 22 1
21 Top 11 Results Show 21.30 12.1 / 20 6.4 / 20 3
22 Top 11 Part 2 Finalists Perform 24.18 13.6 / 21 7.7 / 21 1
23 Top 11 Part 2 Results Show 22.63 12.9 / 21 6.8 / 20 3
24 Top 9 Finalists Perform 23.13 13.2 / 21 7.3 / 21 1
25 Top 9 Results Show 21.54 12.3 / 20 6.4 / 20 3
26 Top 8 Finalists Perform 23.03 12.7 / 20 7.3 / 21 1
27 Top 8 Results Show 21.92 12.5 / 21 6.4 / 20 2
28 Top 7 Finalists Perform 22.54 12.7 / 20 7.1 / 20 1
29 Top 7 Results Show 20.32 11.5 / 20 5.8 / 19 2
30 Top 6 Finalists Perform 22.32 12.6 / 20 7.1 / 20 2
31 Top 6 Results Show 19.60 11.5 / 19 5.7 / 17 3
32 Top 5 Finalists Perform 21.14 12.2 / 19 6.6 / 19 3
33 Top 5 Results Show 21.29 12.2 / 21 6.3 / 20 2
34 Top 4 Finalists Perform 23.05 13.0 / 21 7.1 / 20 1
35 Top 4 Results Show 22.45 12.6 / 21 6.5 / 20 2
36 Top 3 Finalists Perform 23.56 13.3 / 21 7.4 / 20 1
37 Top 3 Results Show 21.76 12.5 / 21 6.3 / 20 3
38 Top 2 Finalists Perform 20.57 11.4 / 18 6.4 / 19 4
39 Winner Revealed 29.29 15.6 / 25 9.2 / 26 1

External links

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