The Top 10 Performances of American Idol 7

The seventh season of American Idol was full of strong talent and exciting performances. It also marked a major milestone for itsdestiny.net: Our panelists found themselves agreeing with each other more this season than any other!

This most agreeable season found its most agreeable end with the crowning of the superb David Cook as the American Idol.

Following are the It's Destiny! panelists' picks for the top ten best performances of the season.

The Top 10 Performances of American Idol 7: Tammy's List

1. "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" by Michael Johns
This performance is what made Michael Johns' early boot from Idol so shocking. It is simply flawless, from beginning to end. I don't want to live in a world where viewers don't appreciate this kind of artistry!

2. "Billie Jean" by David Cook
Sure, there was the whole 'that's not his own arrangement!' (since when was this Composer Idol?) debacle, but aside from that, this was the song that made David Cook a household name, improving on Chris Cornell's version (yes, he did!).

3. "Travelin Thru" by Jason Castro
Others may have picked 'Hallelujah', but for me, this was the perfect song for Jason, and he seemed so happy and in his element, working the folky singer-songwriter vibe to the hilt.

4. "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by David Cook
Another challenge from Simon, and once again David rises to the occasion. At this point, we've all learned not to underestimate David Cook. He's got a fire in his belly, this one. Who knew he had such range and could pull off a song known primarily for being sung by divas?

5. "Hello" by David Cook
Tell David Cook that he has no charisma, will ya, Simon? Well that seemed to work wonders for the former bartender, spurring him on to prove the crusty Brit wrong the next week, blowing viewers away in the process, with this amped up version of the Lionel Richie hit.

6. "Imagine" by David Archuleta
With this song, the young David suddenly became a shoe-in for the finale, and it became a race to see who would join him there. Fangirls worldwide swooned at the impeccable vocals and 'aw, shucks!' cuteness. Me, I wanted to adopt him.

7. "Over the Rainbow" by Jason Castro
What's not to love? Classic song with a modern twist, Jason did this song right and sucked me into the Castro Vortex from note one with his breathy, emotive vocals. And did I mention he's dreamy? Because he totally is.

8. "She's A Woman" by Chikezie
Oh Chikezie. Who knows what would have become of you if you hadn't insisted on singing sappy 70's dreck without giving it the old 'Chikezie twist'? You have such potential, as evidenced with this fun, energetic, folk/rock tune. At least you made the tour?

9. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" by David Archuleta
Alright, who didn't want to hate this one? Chosen by legendary-in-his-own-mind record exec Clive Davis, and sung to death on Idol, I started to listen to this with as big a closed mind as you can get. But by the chorus, the little David had me in his grasp, and was spitting out the closing lyrics with an intensity we hadn't seen all season. Nobody saw this one coming!

10. "Eleanor Rigby" by David Cook
Okay, I have to admit that this one, while a success for Cook on Idol, may have been added to my top ten list solely because of the level of hotness that David has cultivated for this song. The popped collar on the leather jacket, the rapidly improving hair (and hairline!), and the rocker swagger all make it one I soon won't forget. Mmm.

The Top 10 Performances of American Idol 7: Liza's List

1. "Always Be My Baby" by David Cook
This is where David Cook became the American Idol. With his own original arrangement, David turned this song on its ear in more ways than one. He turned this sunny, pop love song into a haunting, bittersweet rock ballad. The musical nuances he put into the song were genius, from the strings, to the dramatic build-up to the bridge, to the minor note he ended in. When you add in all that was going on with David that night (his brother being in the audience for the first time) and the emotions that spilled out, this performance was the big, memorable moment of the season.

2. "Let It Be" by Brooke White
One of the best things about music is how it can strike an emotional chord. This performance gets me every time. Brooke just totally sang it from the heart and was so moved by the song and by the experience of singing it on that stage. David Cook said it best on American Idol Extra - it was such an real, organic moment, and it wasn't for the cameras, the judges or anyone but her. As he said, it was "what this show should be about".

3. "The World I Know" by David Cook
When I first watched this performance, my initial reaction was somewhat similar to Simon's - that David didn't really pick the right type of song to close on. But then when I went back and rewatched and really listened to this performance, I was totally moved by it. David really connected with the song on an emotional level and just laid it all out there while delivering one of his best vocal performances of the season. He didn't change up the arrangement of the song, but the minor vocal changes he made in the song totally pawned Collective Soul's version. His falsetto on the line "love is gathering" and at the very end of the song were divine.

4. "It's All Wrong But It's All Right" by Michael Johns
I still find it hard to believe that Michael was eliminated a week after this performance. This was the most soulful, sexy performance of the season (maybe even the entire series). And Michael proved here that David Cook wasn't the only one who could re-arrange songs.

5. "Hello" by David Cook
David really made a name for himself with this performance, turning this cheesy Lionel Richie ballad into a cool rock song. When I first heard he was going to do this song, I was like WHAT?! And when he finished, I was like WOW WHAT?!?!?! It wouldn't be the last time he blew me away.

6. "Here You Come Again" by Carly Smithson
For all the big notes that Carly liked to sing (and sometimes screech) throughout the show, her best moment came when she was singing simply, as she did on this slowed-down version of this song. This was just purely lovely.

7. "Billie Jean" by David Cook
This wasn't the first time he sang an alternative arrangement of an 80's song, nor was it an original arrangement, but the sheer chutzpah of doing this kind of thing on American Idol definitely warrants a spot in the Top 10. What was always so impressive about David was his fearlessness. When he did "Hello" and "Billie Jean", it was on nights when the themes were loose. He could have chosen from a ton of rock songs, but instead he chose to re-invent songs that had no business being rock songs. But it's not just the guts that made this a stand-out; David's vocals were SO strong on this song.

8. "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions" by Michael Johns
The week before this performance, Michael made a comment on the result show that "apparently I peaked in Hollywood." Nothing like a little Queen to get your mojo back. Michael, who became a front-runner with an amazing performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Hollywood but seemed to struggle a little during the semifinal rounds, made a huge comeback with this ROCKSTAR performance. This is a very hard song to sing (just ask JD Fortune), but Michael nailed it.

9. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by David Cook
I can't imagine what was going through David's mind when he heard that Simon chose this for him to sing. The original version of this song is SO plodding and slow. But with this, David proved that he really could sing anything. Simon's applauding mid-song says it all.

10. "Eleanor Rigby" by David Cook
OK, I'm really not trying to turn this list into David Cook's greatest hits, but honestly, his song choices and his performances cannot be denied. This was a total ROCKSTAR moment, with the light show and the confidence and Rock God swagger he exuded during the song. It made me forget that I was watching Idol. And that's something that David did consistently throughout the competition. When he was on stage, it was like watching a David Cook concert, not a cheesy karaoke show.

Honorable Mention: "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by David Hernandez, "Over The Rainbow" by Jason Castro, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" by David Archuleta, "Love Is A Battlefield" by Brooke White, "All I Really Need Is You" by David Cook

The Top 10 Performances of American Idol 7: Destiny's List

1. "You'll Always Be My Baby" by David Cook
Original and beautiful, this unexpected haunting take on Mariah Carey's pop hit confirmed Cook's status as the most talented contestant of the season. The innovative and bold stylings of the song paired with his stunning vocals and raw emotion all combined to make pure magic. The best not only of the season, but a serious contender for best of the series.

2. "Hello" by David Cook
This was the hardest working performance in all of Idol history, for it alone instantly elevated David Cook's status in the competition from somewhat creepy and inconsequential contestant to major contender. His fresh take on the song took everyone by surprise. Beyond what it did for his standing in the competition, the performance can be taken out of context and stand alone as totally relevant, cool and captivating. True artistry right there on American Idol. Exciting.

3. "It's All Wrong But It's All Right" by Michael Johns
This was THE performance of the entire series for adults in AI land. OK, this was THE performance for women in AI land. Sophisticated, sexy and commanding, Michael Johns was at the top of his game here. Passion. Soaring, rich vocals. Did I mention sexy? When he uttered, "can I use you for awhile?" women everywhere sighed and then collectively agreed. Yikes. Michael's early elimination from the competition wasn't fair to him, but it is the audience that was most cheated. It was all wrong (and it's NOT all right). We were robbed of seven weeks of performances of this caliber. Total shame.

4. "I Don't Wanna Cry" by Jason Castro
Jason took control of this Mariah Carey song by infusing it with his own subtle yet passionate style. The instrumentation of this acoustic performance paired beautifully with Jason's distinct vocals and straight-from-the-heart emotion. The cry in Jason's voice perfectly conveyed the lyrics and mood of the song. Jason never tries to be something he's not, and as this performance showed, that leads to effortless creation of his signature style. He proved that you don't have to hit huge glory notes to make a major impact on American Idol.

5. "Traveling Through" by Jason Castro
This performance captured Jason's enchanting spirit and energy. His vocals were strong and full of color, and his ability to tell the story of the song was captivating. Jason wasn't ever ashamed to put his heart on the line while on the show, and this performance was a beautiful display of that.

6. "Imagine" by David Archuleta
David's stunningly pure vocals on this performance were undeniable. His arrangement of the song was equally thoughtful and heartfelt, even if it did stray a bit too much from the original melody. With its big, belting glory notes full of drama, this was the epitome of an American Idol signature performance. This performance made it easy to envision David Archuleta winning the title and being covered in confetti.

7. "Hallelujah" by Jason Castro
Heartfelt. Beautiful. Soulful. This is where Jason first proved that you don't have to hit huge glory notes to make a major impact on American Idol.

8. "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Jason Castro
This performance was signature Castro. Beautiful and distinct vocals. Pure and unassuming delivery. Jason's inner joy was in full view here. He put his heart on display and in the process walked right into the hearts of everyone watching.

9. "Groovy Kind Of Love" by Kady Malloy
Kady Malloy was probably the best female voice of the season. This stunning performance leaves one to only imagine what magic she could have created if given the chance to spend a few weeks on the big stage. Her vocals on this song were absolutely mesmerizing.

10. David Archuleta "With You"
Though this performance was panned by many, it played a crucial part in the competition. This more "youthful" song (as Archuleta called it) reminded everyone that David was indeed a teenager and allowed them to think of him as a contemporary artist rather than just an old-fashioned crooner. The hip yet romantic tone of the song undoubtedly drove his teen and pre-teen fans into a frenzy that will keep them devoted for some time to come. Just the fact that he would choose to do this song was endearing, as it was so seemingly out of his comfort zone. It was nice to see him loosen up and have fun onstage. His vocals sounded great, and it was just plain fun to hear him utter those lyrics. Definitely one of the most fun performances of the entire season. Did I mention it was fun?

Honrable Mentions: "I Am Your Brother" by Renaldo Lapuz, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by David Cook, "Daydream" by Jason Castro, "Let It Be" by Brooke White, "Forever In Blue Jeans" by Jason Castro

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