American Idol's Road to Hollywood

Wednesday night's episode of American Idol showcased both the highlights and lowlights during the seven-city tour to find the next American Idol. Viewers saw some of the most memorable and not so memorable performances of the season. A lot of never-seen footage was shown as Ryan's voiceovers kept reminding us that, "We saved the best for last."

One of the most memorable performances of this season was General Larry Platt's performance of his original composition Pants on the Ground. Thanks to YouTube and radio stations around the country, Platt's song has become a huge hit and is even being copied by other artists. In fact, General Platt himself made an appearance on the red carpet at Sunday's Grammy Awards.

One of the most not so memorable performances was that of Adrian Chandlehi, an awkward 6' 8" 17-year-old high school student who sang Elvis Presley's I Can't Help Falling in Love With You.

It wouldn't be an Idol night without the stories that touch our hearts. Didi Benami, a 22-year-old waitress, sang a moving version of Hey Jude as a tribute to her best friend that passed away four years ago. Aaron Kelly is an adorable 16 year old from Orlando who is being raised by an aunt and uncle after being taken away from his biological parents as a child. Aaron's performance of Miley Cyrus' Climb earned him a golden ticket. The most moving story of the night is that of Hope Johnson. Hope grew up in poverty as one of six children in a very poor section of Dallas. Her parents often did not have enough money to put food on the table for dinner, so Hope would bring home part of her school lunch for her younger brother. Hope performed I Hope You Dance and earned a yes from all four judges.

All in all, over 100,000 contestants auditioned and 181 golden tickets were awarded. Tune in next Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. EST on Fox for the kickoff of Hollywood Week when Ellen DeGeneres joins Simon, Kara and Randy on the panel of judges.