American Idol wrapped up its final season "for now". Love it or hate it, you can't deny that Idol produced 15 seasons of great artists and great music. On top of that though, it produced some terrific live performances. So many that its pretty tough to narrow it down, but that's exactly what I tried to do. Of course, this list is completely subjective, so feel free to comment or post some of your own top performances that may have missed the cut. Without further adieu, here's my grand top 100 list (a farewell to Idol of sorts).
(All rights to original artists, American Idol/19 Entertainment/Simon Fuller)
100) Ruben Studdard (AI2) "Kiss And Say Goodbye" - The Manhattans
99) Matt Giraud (AI8) "So Small" - Carrie Underwood
98) Allison Iraheta (AI8) "Alone" - Heart
97) Thia Megia (AI10) "Out Here On My Own" - Irene Cara ("Fame")
96) Carly Smithson (AI7) "Come Together" - The Beatles
95) Mandisa (AI5) "I'm Every Woman" - Chaka Khan
94) Allison Iraheta (AI8) "I Can't Make You Love Me" - Bonnie Raitt
93) Jessica Meuse (AI13) "You And I" - Lady Gaga
Jessica Meuse - You & I - American Idol 13 (Top 4) by IdolxMuzic
92) Alex Preston (AI13) "A Beautiful Mess" - Jason Mraz
Alex Preston - Beautiful Mess - American Idol... by IdolxMuzic
91) Quentin Alexander (AI14) "I Put A Spell On You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
90) Candice Glover (AI12) "Ordinary People" - John Legend
89) Brooke White (AI7) "Let It Be" - The Beatles
88) Kelly Clarkson (AI1) "Respect" - Aretha Franklin
87) Chris Daughtry (AI5) "Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Bon Jovi
86) Casey James (AI9) "Heaven" - Bryan Adams
85) Jason Castro (AI7) "Hallelujah"- Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley
84) Anwar Robinson (AI4) "What A Wonderful World" - Louis Armstrong
83) Caleb Johnson (AI13) "Faithfully" - Journey
82) Clay Aiken (AI2) "Build Me Up Buttercup" - The Foundations
81) George Huff (AI3) "Take Me To The Pilot" - Elton John
80) Pia Toscano (AI10) "River Deep - Mountain High" - Tina Turner
79) Anoop Desai (AI8) "Always On My Mind" - Willie Nelson
78) Alex Preston (AI13) "Fairytales" - Alex Preston
Alex Preston - Fairytales - American Idol 13... by IdolxMuzic
77) Kimberly Locke (AI2) "New York State Of Mind" - Billy Joel
76) Tyanna Jones (AI14) "Stay" - Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
75) LaToya London (AI3) "All By Myself" - Eric Carmen/Celine Dion
74) David Cook (AI7) "Music Of The Night" - Andrew Lloyd Webber "The Phantom Of The Opera"
73) Caleb Johnson (AI13) "Dazed & Confused" - Led Zeppelin
72) Jax (AI14) "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" - Cher/Nancy Sinatra
71) Kris Allen (AI8) "She Works Hard For The Money" - Donna Summer
70) Crystal Bowersox (AI9) "Come Together" - The Beatles
69) Haley Reinhart (AI10) "What Is And What Should Never Be" - Led Zeppelin
68) Siobhan Magnus (AI9) "Paint It Black" - The Rolling Stones
67) Elliott Yamin (AI5) "A Song For You" - Donny Hathaway
66) Bo Bice (AI4) "Whipping Post" - The Allman Brothers Band
65) Trent Harmon (AI15) "Sharp Dressed Man" - ZZ Top
64) Pia Toscano (AI10) "I'll Stand By You" - The Pretenders
63) Clay Aiken (AI2) "To Love Somebody" - The Bee Gees
62) Jessica Sanchez (AI11) "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" - Jennifer Holliday "Dreamgirls"
61) David Cook (AI7) "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles
60) LaToya London (AI3) "Somewhere" - "West Side Story"
59) Jax (AI14) "White Flag" - Dido
58) Jacob Lusk (AI10) "A House Is Not A Home" - Dionne Warwick
57) Mandisa (AI5) "I Don't Hurt Anymore" - Hank Snow/Dinah Washington
56) Melinda Doolittle (AI6) "I Got Rhythm" - George & Ira Gershwin
55) Casey Abrams (AI10) "I Put A Spell On You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
54) Sonika Vaid (AI15)"Bring Me To Life" - Evanescence
53) Clark Beckham (AI14) "The Trouble With Love Is" - Kelly Clarkson
52) La'Porsha Renae (AI15) "Come Together" - The Beatles
51) Jessica Meuse (AI13) "Blue Eyed Lie" - Jessica Meuse
Jessica Meuse - Blue Eyed Lie - American Idol... by IdolxMuzic
50) Crystal Bowersox (AI9) "Up To The Mountain" - Patty Griffin
49) Elise Testone (AI11) "Vienna" - Billy Joel
48) La'Porsha Renae (AI15) "No More Drama" - Mary J. Blige
47) James Durbin (AI10) "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" - The Shirelles
46) Clark Beckham (AI14) "Georgia On My Mind" - Ray Charles
45) Jessica Sanchez (AI11) "The Prayer" - Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli
44) Crystal Bowersox (AI9) "Long As I Can See The Light" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
43) Candice Glover (AI12) "I (Who Have Nothing)" - Ben E. King
42) Kris Allen (AI8) "Ain't No Sunshine" - Bill Withers
41) Nadia Turner (AI4) "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" - Dusty Springfield
40) Adam Lambert (AI8) "Tracks Of My Tears" - The Miracles
39) LaToya London (AI3) "Don't Rain On My Parade" - Barbara Streisand "Funny Girl"
38) Melinda Doolittle (AI6) "Home" - Stephanie Mills "The Wiz"
37) Carrie Underwood (AI4) "Alone" - Heart
36) Clay Aiken (AI2) "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Simon & Garfunkel
35) Tamyra Gray (AI1) "A House Is Not A Home" - Dionne Warwick
34) Lee Dewyze (AI9) "Treat Her Like A Lady" - The Temptations
33) Sarina Joi Crowe (AI14) "Mama Knows Best" - Jessie J
32) Blake Lewis (AI6) "You Give Love A Bad Name" - Bon Jovi
31) Jessica Sanchez (AI11) "I Will Always Love You" - Whitney Houston
30) Melinda Doolittle (AI6) "I'm A Woman" - Christine Kittrell/Peggy Lee
29) Crystal Bowersox (AI9) "Give Me One Reason" - Tracy Chapman
28) Trent Harmon (AI15) "Waiting Game" - Parson James
27) David Archuleta (AI7) "Imagine" - John Lennon
26) Jordin Sparks (AI6) "I (Who Have Nothing)" - Ben E. King
25) Jena Irene (AI13) "Creep" - Radiohead
24) Melinda Doolittle (AI6) "Sweet Sweey Baby (Since You've Been Gone)" - Aretha Franklin
23) La'Porsha Renae (AI15) "Diamonds" - Rihanna
22) Katharine McPhee (AI5) "Over The Rainbow" - Judy Garland
21) Joshua Ledet (AI11) "It's A Man's, Man's, Man's World" - James Brown
20) Chris Daughtry (AI5) "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" - Fuel
19) Jennifer Hudson (AI3) "Circle Of Life" - Elton John "The Lion King"
18) Kris Allen (AI8) "Heartless" - Kanye West
17) Casey James (AI9) "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon
16) David Cook (AI7) "Hello" - Lionel Richie
We're now starting to get to the top of the list as we get to the top 15, so from here on out I'll include just a few blurbs about the performances. The following are performances that I consider "A+" quality.
15) Constantine Maroulis (AI4) "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
(Constantine may have mugged the camera while performing, but he certainly sold every single performance, including this one. Its always tough to do a really good abridged version of "Bohemian Rhapsody".)
14) Adam Lambert/Allison Iraheta (AI8) "Slow Ride" - Foghat
(This was arguably the best duet performance Idol has ever seen. The resident rockers of Season 8 just let loose.)
13) Elise Testone (AI11) "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin
(I feel like Elise was under-appreciated both among her season, and overall among Idol's pantheon of rock performers.)
12) Joshua Ledet (AI11) "When A Man Loves A Woman" - Percy Sledge
(Joshua had a certain flair to him. At times he went over the top, but he was always entertaining. He took you to church with performances like this.)
11) Melinda Doolittle (AI6) "My Funny Valentine" - (Jazz Standard, famously recorded by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald & Frank Sinatra)
(Melinda has made a number of appearances on this list. She was able to do a variety of different genres, from rock and Broadway, to even jazz. She could simply do it all.)
10) Jena Irene (AI13) "Can't Help Falling In Love" - Elvis Presley
(People look down on some of the later seasons, but you can't argue that Jena had a standout performance with this. Throughout the season she was able to both rock out, and also give tender performances on the piano.)
9) Trent Harmon (AI15) "Chandelier" - Sia
(There was just something magical with this song and Trent. He reprised it for the finale, and was somehow able to add even more to it. Just the way he builds and picks his moments makes this performance.)
8) Candice Glover (AI12) "Lovesong" - The Cure
(Much like with the previous performance, there was something with this song and Candice that just clicked. She was able to command the stage.)
7) Joey Cook (AI14) "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft/ Charli XCX
(I'm not sure Idol had seen a performance quite like this. Joey put a "Postmodern Jukebox" spin to this Iggy Azalea track and created a moment with it. Sidenote: since Idol, Joey has done performances with PMJ)
6) David Cook (AI7) "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
(David upped the ante on what was expected for future contestants. Here, David did a Chris Cornell version of the MJ classic. You never quite knew what to expect from him week to week.)
5) Fantasia Barrino (AI3) "Summertime" - "Porgy and Bess"
(Talk about an intimate performance, here Fantasia was able to enrapture the audience with this tour de force.)
4) Haley Reinhart (AI10) "House Of The Rising Sun" - Traditional Folk Song
(Haley was greatly under-appreciated during her Idol run. It seemed judges were always finding ways to pick her apart, but even they couldn't do that with this. Honestly, anyone wanting to do "House Of The Rising Sun" on a singing show should second-guess themselves, because Haley absolutely slayed it.)
3) Bo Bice (AI4) "In A Dream" - Badlands
(Talk about risky performances, Bo decided in Top 3 week to do this performance A Capella. There are so many things that could have gone wrong, but Bo just zeroed in and made this work. Idol hasn't seen a performance like this.)
2) Kelly Clarkson (AI1) "Stuff Like That There" - Betty Hutton
(What made this performance so impressive was just the pure difficulty of the song at hand. But Kelly, the original Idol herself, of course was able to fully attack this song and made it look like it was a regular in her songbook.)
1) Adam Lambert (AI8) "Mad World" - Tears For Fears
(The quintessential American Idol performance. Adam was able to combine theatricality to his style without it coming off as too much, if that makes sense. This performance was just incredibly subtle and lyrical. In my opinion, the best Idol performance.)
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