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May 24
MSNBC takes a whack at putting together a list of all-time American Idol performances:
Here are my picks for the 10 best performances (well, 11 — there was one tie) over all four seasons I’ve limited each contestant to one song, with one honorable mention. Remember, this is not a 10 best singers list. (Scott Savol: Rest easy, you wouldn’t be on that list either. Sorry. buddy.)
It’s not a bad list, but I have a couple of qualms with it. Picking “Buttercup” for Clay is just wrong. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was better. I’d choose “Solitaire” over both of them.
I’m glad to see Christina Christian remembered so well. I couldn’t put Ruben up that high. I’m not sure I agree with the song selection for Kelly Clarkson, either. But these are nit-picks. It’s fun to remember some of these performances. And it makes me want season-by-season DVDs all the more. . .
The finals begin in just a few more hours. . .
May 25, 2005 @ 00:09:14
i would have added latoya london, all by myself
May 25, 2005 @ 02:33:39
The ONE time George Huff really wowed me was when he sang “Take Me To The Pilot,” so I am glad I am not the only one who acknowledges his incredible performance of that song. Otherwise, I did feel he was clearly a doomed not to win the competition contestant (I was going to say forgettable; but, hey, I just pointed out one of the times when, indeed, he was VERY memorable).
May 25, 2005 @ 07:04:56
I agree about Ruben’s “Superstar,” but his second song should have been “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” I’m probably along on this, but I thought Tamyra Gray was much better earlier in Season 1 than she was by the time she got to “A House Is Not a Home.” The competition had clearly taken a toll on her voice and she sounded hoarse. To compensate, she gave what I thought was a way-over-the-top performance. But I can understand how everyone found it so impressive.
I agree on the Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia choices, but Augie’s right about the Clay choices: he did much better than “Buttercup.” The Huff choices are good, and I remember Christina impressing me once or twice during Season 1, though I can’t remember if it was on the songs listed.
May 25, 2005 @ 07:08:24
Oh, and teddy’s right: If George Huff and Jennifer Hudson are on there, LaToya should have made the list too.
May 25, 2005 @ 08:20:36
Teddy — I’m ashamed of myself for not thinking of that. You’re absolutely right. The only thing I can think of, though, that might disqualify it: Didn’t she sing that in the round BEFORE the final group of 12 was selected? That was still in the semi-final stage, IIRC.
Christopher — George made quite a run in the middle of the season there. I thought he was going to make the final 2 or 3 at one point, but it didn’t come together for him. Nice guy, though, and very memorable.
Bluuzman — While Tamyra was getting noticable hoarse in the first season, that “House Is Not A Home” performance is the first performance on the series that people who’ve been with the show from the beginning will remember until the day the series dies. It was the first performance that hit such a high level. We need a term for such songs. . .
And I actually preferred Christina to Tamyra for much of that first season. I thought those two and Kelly would wind up in the final 3, but it wasn’t meant to be. The geeks ruled the first season, and we power dialed Nikki to the third position. ;-)
May 25, 2005 @ 09:20:06
Augie, I know you’re right about the way people regard the Tamyra performance, but I disagree. As much as I dislike Fantasia, the first time she did “Summertime,” she did turn in the kind of show-stopping performance you speak of. (After that, she butchered it every time she sang it.) As for Tamyra, I much prefer the performance she gave the same week Kelly did “Natural Woman” (it might have been “A Fool in Love” — I can’t remember for sure). For me, that was Tamyra’s best showing.