MJ has a list up on her blog of her 15 favorite performances from this season. I thought it was intresting to look at because of how little crossover there was between her 15 and what I thought my 15 would be, so I went to work and here is the list that I came up with, in approximate order from best down:
The number in parentheses indicates which week of the competition (IE 20 = top 20 week, 4 = top 4 week)
David Archuleta - Imagine (20*) - I hate the commie song, but Archie sang it so clearly and purely that I was held speechless by it. I have since gone back to listen to it dozens of times and each time I am floored. Give me an album of songs like this one (without the stupid liberal message) and I will be there on day one to buy it. Far and away the best performance of the season.
Brooke White - You're So Vain (20) - Even Carly Simon called Brooke to compliment her on this understated performance that really made me fall in love with her. She sang it simply, she looked beautiful, she was having fun, and the song is absolutely right up her alley. She had a few good performances after this, but when I think of Brooke, this is still the song I think of. Love it.
David Hernandez - Papa Was a Rolling Stone (20) - It was the 2nd performance. The day I'll always remember, because that was the day that David let his voice go and showed us that he had some real talent. Unfortunately, I can only listen to him sing. That's right; I can't watch him because of his weird eyebrow thing.
David Archuleta - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me (Finale) - I wasn't expecting much from this, and I was cringing for the inevitable comparisons between him and Aiken after singing this song. Boy was I blown away.
David Cook - Billie Jean (10) - I will admit that I wasn't big on this at first go, but each successive time that I played this song I liked it more and more. Certainly his best of the year. On an aside, I had listened to the Chris Cornell version quite by accident just a week earlier and didn't like it. Perhaps that is why I didn't like Mumbly's version at first go-round.
David Cook - The Music of the Night (6) - My devoted legions of readers will know that I was no David Cook fan, but I cannot deny that I listened to his straight-up and beautiful version of this broadway classic over and over again. I was not expecting him to hit the note on "be", but he nailed it. In fact, this performance was everything that Mumbly could be, but for some reason chooses not to be.
Brooke White – Love is a Battlefield (16) - How does Brooke follow up her masterfully simple performance of You're So Vain? She comes back the next week with a masterfully simple performance of the big, powerful Benatar song. Anyone who had never heard the original would certainly be excused for thinking that this is just how the original went.
Ramiele Malubay - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (24) - Back when Ramiele looked like there would be no doubt that she would make the top 3 or 4, she absolutely wowed me with her gorgeous - and surprisingly powerful - rendition of this standard. What happened from that point? It was all downhill.
Brooke White – Let it Be (12) - How does Brooke follow up on two tremendous performances? With a third outstanding number. These three songs in a row were enough to catapult her into position to be one of the female front-runners. Unfortunately, for the rest of the season, with the exception of a couple good-but-not-great songs (Every Breath You Take and I Am... I Said), she just went downhill from there. Brooke is a studio singer, and methinks the big stage didn't do her any favors.
David Archuleta - Smoky Mountain Memories (9) - Yes. Another David Archuleta song. Sue me.
David Archuleta - The Long and Winding Road (11) - A week after flubbing the lyrics and then some on his first Beatles attempt, Archie delivered a "master class" with this simple and pure delivery. I liked it a lot, so I went and listened to the original. After that I liked Archie's version even better.
Chikezie – She’s a Woman (12) - As this song started, I thought, "oh brother what is this crap". By the end I was up dancing with Paula (figuratively speaking). But dude, what's with the golfing vest?
Syesha Mercado - One Rock and Roll Too Many (6) - Here is the song that assured Syesha her place atop the second tier. Completely opposite to Brooke, who started with some show-stoppers and went downhill, Syesha kept climbing up the hill through the season, with this as her breakout song in my opinion.
David Archuleta - Love Me Tender (4) - A lot of people say his version of Stand By Me was his best of the night. It was good. Probably should be in the honorable mention pile (laziness prohibits that idea). But I much preferred the simple (is this a theme?) Elvis cover. A lot of people (perhaps the same people?) said that he doesn't understand love and therefore couldn't infuse this song with the proper emotion. I take solace in the fact that these are the same people who keep voting for David Cook.
Jason Castro - I Don't Wanna Cry (7) Some weren't big on what he did with it, but I love the exotic feel to it, and how he finally managed to sing a song live without spitting in the mic on every other word. If he could manage to sing all his songs without the P's and H's being hurled unceremoniously into the microphone, I would have been a much bigger fan.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order):
Syesha Mercado - Hello Again (5) For a brief time she approaches too belty with this song, but the simplicity of the melody and her beautiful voice bring it back home. It was around this time that I started to wonder if she might surprise us all and knock one of the Davids out of the top 2. The producers would have none of that, however, and sealed the deal by making her sing the stupid song from happy feet.
Syesha Mercado - Vanishing (7) Here we go with my theme again: simple and beautiful. Oh yeah, and cleavage.** I actually liked the first 3/4 of it much more than the weird glory note at the end; hence it is an honorable mention and not a winner.
David Archuleta - Think of Me (6) I really think he could have done well with this song in its original form, but I actually liked the way he took this song and infused some pop into it. It was good, but not one that I'm aching to watch over and over again.
Michael Johns - We Are the Champions (10) MJ was the biggest disappointment of the season for me. I could see his great potential, but he always seemed so pained when he was singing, like he couldn't quite hit the notes. He was much better in this performance.
David Archuleta - Shop Around (24) - With this song, Archie proved that he was more than just a balladeer. Unfortunately, I couldn't include this one in my top 15 because of some range problems in the song. Still lots of fun.
Alexandrea Lushington - Spinning Wheel (24) - Before she was inexplicably kicked off the show, Alexandrea put herself on the map in a big way with her week 1 number. How Amanda Overmeyer got a seat in the top 12 and not Alexandrea, I will never understand. This is an honorable mention because while I think it shows her potential, the execution is not quite good enough to rank in the top 15.
David Cook - Hello (16) - I absolutely hated how this song started, and it was amusing to make fun of David's little girly "hellooooo?", but in the end, he rocked this out enough to merit an honorable mention. Liked it, didn't love it.
David Cook - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (3) - If he could have resisted the temptation to yell at the end, it may have made the top 15.
STUDIO VERSIONS that were good in spite of mediocre to poor live performances:
Jason Castro - Travelin' Through, I Don't Wanna Cry (yeah, this made my top 15, but the studio version is even better) and Memory
Brooke White - You Must Love Me, You've Got a Friend, and Hero
David Archuleta - Longer and Sweet Caroline
Syesha Mercado - If I Ain't Got You
So all in all, David Archuleta makes my top15/HM list 7 times, David Cook 4 times, Brooke White 3 times, and Syesha 3 times. Go ahead, ask me if I agree with the top 5.
* David reprised Imagine in the finale, but he added nothing new and didn't quite sing it as well. His top 20 performance remains the gold standard for me.
** I don't just like it for the cleavage. Honest.
The number in parentheses indicates which week of the competition (IE 20 = top 20 week, 4 = top 4 week)
David Archuleta - Imagine (20*) - I hate the commie song, but Archie sang it so clearly and purely that I was held speechless by it. I have since gone back to listen to it dozens of times and each time I am floored. Give me an album of songs like this one (without the stupid liberal message) and I will be there on day one to buy it. Far and away the best performance of the season.
Brooke White - You're So Vain (20) - Even Carly Simon called Brooke to compliment her on this understated performance that really made me fall in love with her. She sang it simply, she looked beautiful, she was having fun, and the song is absolutely right up her alley. She had a few good performances after this, but when I think of Brooke, this is still the song I think of. Love it.
David Hernandez - Papa Was a Rolling Stone (20) - It was the 2nd performance. The day I'll always remember, because that was the day that David let his voice go and showed us that he had some real talent. Unfortunately, I can only listen to him sing. That's right; I can't watch him because of his weird eyebrow thing.
David Archuleta - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me (Finale) - I wasn't expecting much from this, and I was cringing for the inevitable comparisons between him and Aiken after singing this song. Boy was I blown away.
David Cook - Billie Jean (10) - I will admit that I wasn't big on this at first go, but each successive time that I played this song I liked it more and more. Certainly his best of the year. On an aside, I had listened to the Chris Cornell version quite by accident just a week earlier and didn't like it. Perhaps that is why I didn't like Mumbly's version at first go-round.
David Cook - The Music of the Night (6) - My devoted legions of readers will know that I was no David Cook fan, but I cannot deny that I listened to his straight-up and beautiful version of this broadway classic over and over again. I was not expecting him to hit the note on "be", but he nailed it. In fact, this performance was everything that Mumbly could be, but for some reason chooses not to be.
Brooke White – Love is a Battlefield (16) - How does Brooke follow up her masterfully simple performance of You're So Vain? She comes back the next week with a masterfully simple performance of the big, powerful Benatar song. Anyone who had never heard the original would certainly be excused for thinking that this is just how the original went.
Ramiele Malubay - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (24) - Back when Ramiele looked like there would be no doubt that she would make the top 3 or 4, she absolutely wowed me with her gorgeous - and surprisingly powerful - rendition of this standard. What happened from that point? It was all downhill.
Brooke White – Let it Be (12) - How does Brooke follow up on two tremendous performances? With a third outstanding number. These three songs in a row were enough to catapult her into position to be one of the female front-runners. Unfortunately, for the rest of the season, with the exception of a couple good-but-not-great songs (Every Breath You Take and I Am... I Said), she just went downhill from there. Brooke is a studio singer, and methinks the big stage didn't do her any favors.
David Archuleta - Smoky Mountain Memories (9) - Yes. Another David Archuleta song. Sue me.
David Archuleta - The Long and Winding Road (11) - A week after flubbing the lyrics and then some on his first Beatles attempt, Archie delivered a "master class" with this simple and pure delivery. I liked it a lot, so I went and listened to the original. After that I liked Archie's version even better.
Chikezie – She’s a Woman (12) - As this song started, I thought, "oh brother what is this crap". By the end I was up dancing with Paula (figuratively speaking). But dude, what's with the golfing vest?
Syesha Mercado - One Rock and Roll Too Many (6) - Here is the song that assured Syesha her place atop the second tier. Completely opposite to Brooke, who started with some show-stoppers and went downhill, Syesha kept climbing up the hill through the season, with this as her breakout song in my opinion.
David Archuleta - Love Me Tender (4) - A lot of people say his version of Stand By Me was his best of the night. It was good. Probably should be in the honorable mention pile (laziness prohibits that idea). But I much preferred the simple (is this a theme?) Elvis cover. A lot of people (perhaps the same people?) said that he doesn't understand love and therefore couldn't infuse this song with the proper emotion. I take solace in the fact that these are the same people who keep voting for David Cook.
Jason Castro - I Don't Wanna Cry (7) Some weren't big on what he did with it, but I love the exotic feel to it, and how he finally managed to sing a song live without spitting in the mic on every other word. If he could manage to sing all his songs without the P's and H's being hurled unceremoniously into the microphone, I would have been a much bigger fan.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order):
Syesha Mercado - Hello Again (5) For a brief time she approaches too belty with this song, but the simplicity of the melody and her beautiful voice bring it back home. It was around this time that I started to wonder if she might surprise us all and knock one of the Davids out of the top 2. The producers would have none of that, however, and sealed the deal by making her sing the stupid song from happy feet.
Syesha Mercado - Vanishing (7) Here we go with my theme again: simple and beautiful. Oh yeah, and cleavage.** I actually liked the first 3/4 of it much more than the weird glory note at the end; hence it is an honorable mention and not a winner.
David Archuleta - Think of Me (6) I really think he could have done well with this song in its original form, but I actually liked the way he took this song and infused some pop into it. It was good, but not one that I'm aching to watch over and over again.
Michael Johns - We Are the Champions (10) MJ was the biggest disappointment of the season for me. I could see his great potential, but he always seemed so pained when he was singing, like he couldn't quite hit the notes. He was much better in this performance.
David Archuleta - Shop Around (24) - With this song, Archie proved that he was more than just a balladeer. Unfortunately, I couldn't include this one in my top 15 because of some range problems in the song. Still lots of fun.
Alexandrea Lushington - Spinning Wheel (24) - Before she was inexplicably kicked off the show, Alexandrea put herself on the map in a big way with her week 1 number. How Amanda Overmeyer got a seat in the top 12 and not Alexandrea, I will never understand. This is an honorable mention because while I think it shows her potential, the execution is not quite good enough to rank in the top 15.
David Cook - Hello (16) - I absolutely hated how this song started, and it was amusing to make fun of David's little girly "hellooooo?", but in the end, he rocked this out enough to merit an honorable mention. Liked it, didn't love it.
David Cook - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (3) - If he could have resisted the temptation to yell at the end, it may have made the top 15.
STUDIO VERSIONS that were good in spite of mediocre to poor live performances:
Jason Castro - Travelin' Through, I Don't Wanna Cry (yeah, this made my top 15, but the studio version is even better) and Memory
Brooke White - You Must Love Me, You've Got a Friend, and Hero
David Archuleta - Longer and Sweet Caroline
Syesha Mercado - If I Ain't Got You
So all in all, David Archuleta makes my top15/HM list 7 times, David Cook 4 times, Brooke White 3 times, and Syesha 3 times. Go ahead, ask me if I agree with the top 5.
* David reprised Imagine in the finale, but he added nothing new and didn't quite sing it as well. His top 20 performance remains the gold standard for me.
** I don't just like it for the cleavage. Honest.
