American Idol Top 10 Perform Songs from Their Birth Year

We have come down to the top 10 finalists on American Idol. This is a tough group to judge, because all have had bad nights. What makes things harder to judge is that overall they have all shown that they can perform very well most of the time. No one is clearly less talented.

That being said, there were two obvious weak points tonight.

Ramiele Malubay - "Alone" Heart
She was just really sick, and bad. She had to shout her way through a song that Carrie Underwood proved herself a star with a few seasons ago.

Randy Jackson - "... it was the wrong song for you.. It was really pitch-y"

Paula Abdul - "... I know you are sick"

Simon Cowell - "... not as bad as Randy thought"

Jason Castro - "How Fragile We Are" Sting
His runs seemed more controlled this week, and he sang with ease. It was a good song choice for Jason, he just gets kind of lazy in his performance.

Randy Jackson - "... good song choice... it was nice"

Paula Abdul - "... true to who you are"

Simon Cowell - "... you had better start taking this competition seriously... that sounded like a guy playing his guitar outside a subway... the guitar work was clumsy"

Syesha Mercado - "If I Were Your Woman"
I really like Syesha. Her song choice has always been in question, never her singing ability. This was her best performance so far.

Randy Jackson - "... best ever... blazin' hot"

Paula Abdul - "... this is the moment Syesha became the dark horse to win"

Simon Cowell - "... your best so far... the end was not good... I think the song stretched your vocals and showed your vocal limits"

Chikezie - "Only For One Night" Luther Vandros
Chikezie, what happened? This was awful, he loves to sing ballads but they don't love him.

Randy Jackson - "... old school... it was boring"

Paula Abdul - "... it was a good throwback

Simon Cowell - "... it was sang well, but it was a cheesy performance... I miss your personality"

Brooke White - "Every Breath You Take" The Police
This started out scary. She hit the wrong note, stopped, and restarted. Then it sounded great until the band kicked in and turned it into the original arrangement. I don't always like her on the piano, but tonight it worked.

Randy Jackson - "... it was just okay for me"

Paula Abdul - "... it was better than last week"

Simon Cowell - "... I agree with Randy... it was good enough to stay, but not a good arrangement... the band should have stayed out."

Michael Johns - "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" Queen
I think Michael Johns will make a good front man for an LA bar band. I just don't see him as an American Idol. He is pretty limited vocally, he sounded good tonight but the melody is pretty simple.

Randy Jackson - "... Finally dude, that was the best, for me, from you this entire show"

Paula Abdul - "... you found your song"

Simon Cowell - "... star potential... the only memorable performance so far"

Carly Smithson - "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
This was a really poor performance from Carly, I really expected better. She shouted the song, and stood frozen in the middle of the stage in a tight dress.

Randy Jackson - "... interesting song choice... just okay for me... bad note at the end"

Paula Abdul - "... you could do no wrong tonight"

Simon Cowell - "... you were tense... something didn't quite work"

David Archuleta - "You're the Voice" John Palmer
I don't think that I've ever heard this song before, but I thought that he sang it well. It was more upbeat than David's attempts of late. Simon obviously thinks that someone else is too big of an influence in David's song choice.

Randy Jackson - "... wrong song, but very nice"

Paula Abdul - "... you can sing the phone book"

Simon Cowell - "... I would be shocked if you picked that song yourself... I didn't like the performance at all, it reminded me of a theme park with dancing animals.

Kristy Lee Cook - "God Bless the U.S.A." Lee Greenwood
This was a brave (and very smart) song to choose. If she did a good job, the shear emotions of the song could carry her through. If she did a poor job, it would surely be over. She did a decent job, not too fancy, but enough to go to the next round.

Randy Jackson- "... there were pitch-y spots, but it was a nice song"

Paula Abdul - "... great song choice... not your best performance"

Simon Cowell - "... your best performance by a mile... the most clever song choice ever"

David Cook - "Bill Jean" Michael Jackson
David Cook put on another great rock performance tonight to end the show. I had never heard this version of the song, though I know Ryan said it was someone else's cover. I really enjoyed the performance, and think he has a shot at winning. I still don't think he is as good as Chris Daughtry.

Randy Jackson - "... the most original... you might be the one to win it all"

Paula Abdul - "... you are so brave, and smart"

Simon Cowell - "... that was brave, it was either going to be insane or amazing. It was amazing!"

This weeks disappointments were Ramiele Malubay, Carly Smithson, and Chikezie. I think it will be the end for Ramiele, but you never know who will get the votes.