We didn’t start watching American Idol until season three. (But I’m still a Kelly Clarkson fan.) Season three was the year of the infamous William Hung, with his terrible rendition of “She Bangs” that ensured he didn’t get any further. (Thank goodness.) But more importantly, that was also the season of Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson. I remember how impressed I was with the talent on display that season, and we watched every episode faithfully, cheering as Fantasia won the crown that year.
Beyond the talent, I loved the judges setup, too. You could count on Paula to say something nice to the performer, no matter how bad the performance. Randy was always the middle-man: you never knew which way he would go with his comments. And then there was Simon, the harsh voice of reality in the industry. I appreciated his blunt critiques and the high bar that was set to impress him. Most of the time, I agreed with him, too. I was hooked at that point.
When season four started, we watched all of the audition rounds and never missed an episode. It was difficult to not get caught up in the moving stories of the singers – for some, this was their one chance to get out of a bad situation and make a name for themselves. While I liked pop music, I was also a fan of rock, and this season gave me more variety with Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice giving a rock edge to many of their performances. I will never forget Constantine’s performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” that season – that was the first song that I ever actively sought out to download onto my (new at the time) iPod.
Perhaps my favorite seasons, though, were seasons five and seven. Season five was the year that Taylor Hicks won American Idol, but I still remember it as the season of Chris Daughtry. I don’t think anyone heard his version of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” and had any doubt that he was a star. We were fans of his for a few reasons. He was an older contestant, working to raise a family, and we identified with him, having a daughter of our own at that point. When he was eliminated at the top four, we were stunned and furious. Thankfully, like so many other Idol alumni, that didn’t stop him, and we were thrilled to attend the first concert in Columbus a few years later for his band, Daughtry.
But Chris Daughtry paved the way for David Cook in season seven. Another rock singer, I was stunned at his arrangement of Lionel Richie’s song, “Hello,” turning what always seemed to be a soft melody into a rock anthem. But I was even more impressed during Mariah Carey week, where each of the singers – even the guys – had to perform a Mariah Carey song. Of all of the contestants, I wondered how he’d be able to make a song work. Yet his original arrangement of “Always Be My Baby” is now probably my favorite song of his, and definitely my favorite arrangement ever of that song. (It remains in my iTunes playlists, along with a few of his other songs.) Never have I been so invested in a reality TV show as I was that season, jumping out of my seat and clapping when David Cook was announced as the winner.
The tagline of “Superstars Made Here” is truth in advertising: had it not been for American Idol, there are several great stars that we might never have had the chance to hear. No other show has produced this many top singers. Idol’s alumni have sold more than 60 million albums, have garnered more 250 million downloads and have been certified with 20 Platinum and 13 Gold records; and more than 70 Idol contestants have been on the Billboard charts with 440 songs attaining No.1 Billboard hit status. Idol contestants have conquered Broadway, television and film, and have won numerous awards and accolades, including American Country Music Awards, Country Music Awards, Grammy Awards and an Academy Award. Not bad for 13 completed seasons of a talent show!
The new season of American Idol is on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8/7c on FOX, and it’s already shaping up to be a solid season of talent, based off of the auditions I’ve seen so far. I was really impressed with the vocalists coming out of the Nashville auditions alone. Reality TV that focuses on the drama between contestants just isn’t for me. I prefer the focus to be on solid talent, and American Idol is the best at delivering that. (Other than Hollywood Week, which always has a little drama with it.) The show keeps drawing me back in because I love the chance to hear new, fantastic singers.
What about you – which singer was your favorite from past American Idol seasons? Will you be watching this season? Tell me in the comments to enter for a chance to win $100 VISA gift card.
Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/4/15 – 2/11/15.
Be sure to visit the American Idol brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!
I am days away from getting on a plane to go run in the Star…
Well, a late recap is slightly better than never, right? Things are finally slowing down…
How's 2016 been going so far, you ask? Well, the two words that best describe…
It's flu shot season, which means that the traffic has started to pick up on…
Disclaimer: We were provided a free digital download of Marvel’s Ant-Man for the purposes of…
Ever since I ran the Princess Enchanted 10k at Walt Disney World earlier this year,…
