American Idol’s Declining Viewership

 

American Idol	Viewership	Ratings	Season Winner	Runner Up
Season 1   2002	23.021M	10.8/30	Kelly Clarkson	Justin Guarini
Season 2   2003	38.060M	16.8/37	Ruben Studdard	Clay Aiken
Season 3   2004	28.839M	12.0/32	Fantasia Barrino	Diana DeGarmo
Season 4   2005	30.269M	12.5/31	Carrie Underwood	Bo Bice
Season 5   2006	36.383M	14.2/36	Taylor Hicks	Katherine McGee
Season 6   2007	30.755M	11.5/31	Jordin Sparks	Blake Lewis
Season 7   2008	31.688M	11.4/30	David Cook	David Archuleta
Season 8   2009	28.838M	10.0/28	Kris Allen	Adam Lambert
Season 9   2010	24.215M	8.2/24	Lee DeWyze	Crystal Bowersox
Season 10  2011	29.288M	9.2/26	Scotty McCreery	Lauren Alaina
Season 11  2012	21.5M	6.4/18	Phillip Phillips	Jessica Sanchez
Season 12  2013	13.6M	3.4/11	Candice Glover	Kree Harrison

Goodbye General Schwarzkopf

Thank you for your service to our country.  You did her proud.  We are a nation grateful for you and all who serve.

American Idol – Carole King

Carole King?  Really?  How is this modern and contemporary?

This episode sucked!  Most of the performances sucked and the duets were atrocious.  So I’m not going to comment on all the performances.

Scotty was surprisingly good with You’ve Got a Friend.  James had the best performance of the night with Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.  And Jacob is going home, I fear.  Though I can wish for Haley to go home.  Please unsuckIdol !!!

American Idol – Songs from the 21st Century

Well, the irony is not lost on me with the first six to go home singing So What? By P!nk.  I mean, with lyrics like “Guess what, and now that we’re done…”  My question is, can anyone help Paul a) remember the words and b) actually hit the notes?

And look who’s in the audience.  It’s Mark Ballas from Dancing with the Stars looking all hot and sexy.  I guess those rumors about Mark and Pia are true.  Pia is 19.  How old is Mark?  25?  Hmmmm.  And we all know that Pia is performing on Dancing with the Stars next week.

Scotty – Swinging, by LeAnn Rimes

He’s doing the version by LeAnn Rimes, but this song was originally done back in 1983 by John Anderson.  I’ve always loved this song, but I can barely hear Scotty over the band.  Only okay.

James – Uprising, by Muse

Great song!  Stop screaming though.  I still say this song should have been done by Queens of the Stone Age.

Haley – Rolling in the Deep, by Adele

I’ve said since the beginning of the season that I was waiting for someone to do an Adele song on Idol.  I mean, the album is brilliant.  She’s been featured on everything from Grey’s Anatomy to Glee last night.  And now the person I can’t stand the most is doing Rolling in the Deep?  UGH!  It would have been a good performance had she not growled through half of it.  Again, ugh!

Jacob – Dance with My Father, by Luther Vandross

He recognized the pitch problem in the beginning and corrected it.  Great middle and amazing end.  But it didn’t WOW me like he usually does.

Casey – Harder to Breathe, Maroon 5

Well the irony here is that Adam Levine is a sex symbol for the heavens, while Casey is not.  But they both have amazing voices.  I can’t believe you just kissed Jenny from the Block!  That tool balls!!!  Wait, did Ryan just say “So this is what it feels like to be a man” ?

Stefano – Closer, by Ne-yo

Let me cool down first.  I just witnessed a mass amount of sex appeal ooze out of my TV screen.  Wow, that was hot!  The singing was amazing as well.  But get rid of those blonde bimboes singing back up.  Final thoughts: I will come closer to you any day!

Lauren – Born to Fly, by Sara Evans

Gurrl!  Oh, I was talking about the fiddle player.  Don’t know the song at all, but it was a good performance.  Not sure it was good enough to keep you safe.

American Idol — Movie Week

I actually enjoy Movie Week each year.  It often showcases great, but overlooked songs, like Kris Allen doing “Falling Slowly” two years ago.  So here we go…

 

Paul – Old Time Rock ‘n Roll

Really?  Ok this is now just getting ridiculous!  Paul needs to go!  Sorry VFTW.

Haley – The Climb

Great performance.  She missed a few notes near the end, but should be safe.  SHOULD.

Stefano – End of the Road

Foreshadowing? We shall see.  The first part was karaoke, but the second part was very solid.

Scotty – I Crossed My Heart

This was just the opposite.  First part was amazing – authentic George Strait.  The second part was only ok.

Casey – Nature Boy

Nice and sweet.  Total hat tip for doing a Nat King Cole song.  And doing it well!

Haley – Call Me

UGH!  Here is my concern.  If Paul goes, she becomes the VFTW pick.  I hate her!

Jacob – Bridge Over Troubled Water

I have to agree with Jimmy Iovine about preaching to America.  But I love it when Jacob takes me to church.  Preach on!

James – Heavy Metal

Here, I just don’t know.

American Idol Top Nine — Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame

Well it’s obvious America has different thoughts on who should go than I do.  That’s okay, for now.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Paul in the Bottom Three last week.   This week on American Idol, we are “treated” to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Week.  Hmmm, okay.  We are down to only three girls left.  I only see maybe one of them making it into the Top Five.  Maybe.  On to the performances.

Jacob – Man in the Mirror

What a way to start the show.  OMG!  That’s Siedah Garrett!  She’s awesome.  And Jacob continues to impress.  Werk it gur!

Haley – Piece of My Heart

Pat Benatar called.  She wants her dress from the Love is a Battlefield video back.  Actually a decent performance.

Casey – Have You Ever Seen the Rain

Nice to slow it down a little.

Lauren – Natural Woman

Great shoes girl.  First part put me to sleep.  A typical performance.  VFTW tweets, “singing the song as if she just wants to get through it because there’s a cake waiting off stage for her afterwards.”  Love them!

James – While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Pitchy!

Scotty – That’s Alright Mama

Actually a fun performance!

Pia – River Deep Mountain High

My expectations are VERY high for this song!  Of course the Tina Turner original is out of this world.  But Glee gave it new life a few months ago with Mercedes and Santana singing it.  Oh look – a new use for Hammer pants!  Surprisingly, this was a very good performance.

Stefano – When a Man Loves a Woman

Horrible head voice.  Second part of the song is much better than the first.

Paul – Folsom Prison Blues

Hmmm.  Kenny Loggins does Johnny Cash…horribly!

American Idol – Top 11 redux

Well, it seems that America is pretty tone deaf!  Last week’s results definitely showed that people aren’t voting for talent (but hey, we knew that all along).  Anyway, though he didn’t give a great performance last week, I am glad the judges used the save on Casey.

Scotty – Country Comfort

Is it a good idea to sing an Elton Joun song that NO ONE has ever heard of?

Naimia – I’m Still Standing

Reggea?  Hmmmm.  But she did make it work.  I’m just worried that people at home won’t get it.  This is one of the first pop songs I heard and liked.  And I love the video.  I just hope everyone else likes it.

Paul – Rocket Man

I think he’s high!

Pia – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me

Bringing a little church up in here.  Great performance!  You keep telling her to switch it up.  Why aren’t you saying the same thing to Scotty?

Stefano – Tiny Dancer

Hold me closer Tony Danza.  Oh wait!  If the first note is off, it’s a good sign that you’re going home.

Lauren – Candle in the Wind

One word: karaoke.  Probably one of Elton John’s most well known song… butchered!

James – Saturday Night’s Alright

Once he got on stage and stopped pandering to the crowd, it was good.  A little Lady Gaga with the piano on fire.

Thia – Daniel

One of my favorites of Elton!  I even liked the Wilson Phillips cover of the song.  The first part was awesome.  The second part, not so much.

Casey – Your Song

Talk about from zero to hero!  So far, the best of the night!

Jacob – Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

Not his best performance, but leaps and bounds above move of the night.

Haley – Benny & the Jets

Love the dress!  That’s all.  PS, you’re no Michelle Pfieffer!  PPS, Randy, you’re on crack if you think this was the best of the night!

American Idol Top 11 – Motown Week

There continue to be three categories in which to put these singers – really good, ok, and go chew on a shotgun blast.  Next week, I will give you my pick for the Top 5.  There were trainwrecks aplenty on the way to Motown week.

Casey – I Heard it Through the Grapevine

Started aweful, got a little better, but screeched and screamed through most of it.

Thia – Heat Wave

Great job!  Foot apping.  She lost her rhythm near the end.

Jacob – You’re All I Need

You should know by now that Jacob is my pick to win it all this year!  That being said, boy acted like a fool up there on stage.  That’s a good thing!  When you have all three d

Lauren – You Keep Me Hanging On

Find the beat honey!  And stop the vocal dipping.  Horrible ending.

Stafano – Hello

Not a good start.  Got better, but ever great.  Seems like you were straining too much.

Haley – You Really Got a Hold on Me

Good news: your hair looks amazing!

Bad news: you’re in the Bottom 3 again!

Scotty – For Once in My Life

Cute, but ehhhh…

Pia – All in Love is Fair

Started off boring, but picked up and became a great song.

Paul – Tracks of My Tears

I literally went to sleep.

Naima – Dancin’ in the Streets

Watch out Afrika Bambaataa!  Great performance!

James – Living for the City

Good performance, but pitchy.

The women continue to underperform.  And for the third straight week, one will get the boot.  BOTTOM THREE: Lauren, Haley, and Paul

American Idol Top 12

I’m going to call this week’s episode The Dirty Dozen.  That’s because most of the performances were bad.  A few were God aweful!  I had high hopes for this crop.

Of course, there were a few who shined last night.

Naima: What’s Love Got to Do with It

Love you, but you can’t “Rihanna” a Tina Turner song. #aweful

Paul: I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues

As Chikezie from Idol Season 7 named it, “The Blues”.  Ok, now the quirkiness is turning into very bad dancing and singing.  Did the guys over at VFTW get it right last week?

This is just getting bad, so time to short-hand it.

Thia: Zzzzz

James: Horrible

Haley:  Not!

Stefano: Finally a really good performance

Pia: Nice

Scotty: Ehhh

Karen: Love the Taylor Dayne

Casey: Quit screaming

Lauren: Go play in traffic.

Jacob: Another amazing performance!

BOTTOM THREE: Naima, Paul, Lauren.

American Idol – Top 13

They keep saying this is the best talent ever on American Idol, but I just don’t see it.  I mean, there are some great singers among this baker’s dozen.  But I can already pick out the Top 6 — Casey, Jacob, James, Naima, Pia, & Thia.  Scotty could push his way in there though.  So here are my thoughts on last night’s performances.

Lauren Alaina – Any Man of Mine (Shania Twain)

Yes, you’re nervous.  But don’t make this into a karaoke performance.  BTW, wat the hell are you wearing.  Oh, and QUIT SCREAMING!

Casey Abrams – With A Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles)

Very comfortable on stage.  Another perfect song for your voice.

Ashthon Jones – When You Tell Me That You Love Me (Diana Ross)

Girl, you look amazing!  But quit the “Heys.”  It sounded a little forced.  And it wasn’t up to par with Diana Ross.

Paul McDonald – Come Pick Me Up (Ryan Adams)

Still quirky.  Didn’t feel much for the song.  VFTW-approved.

Pia Toscano – All By Myself (Eric Carmen/Celine Dion)

Took a drub song and make it good.  Great outfit except for that cape.  Who do you think you are – Batgirl?

James Durbin – Maybe I’m Amazed (Paul McCartney)

I dunno.  I mean, this was a really really really good performance.  But James is one of two performers I expect greatness from every week.  He’s raised the bar so high!

Haley Reinhart – Blue (Leann Rimes)

Ehhh.  In a word, KARAOKE!  Are you yodelling?

Jacob Lusk – I Believe I Can Fly (R. Kelly)

Wow!  This is a big ass song!  A few minor off notes, but it was absolutely amazing.

Thia Megia – Smile (Charlie Chaplin/ Michael Jackson)

What an amazing voice for a 15 year old.  Loved the first part of the song.  The second part was only okay.

Stefano Langone – Lately (Stevie Wonder)

Like Stefano, and LOVE Stevie Wonder!  But not sure about this arrangement.  But homeboy is having a great time on stage.

Karen Rodriguez – I Could Fall in Love (Selena)

Honey, hit the notes.  The right ones.

Scotty McCreery – The River (Garth Brooks)

Started off great, but went a little karaoke.  Looks like you are getting a little cocky.  But you’re safe.

Naima Adedapo – Umbrella (Rihanna)

Girl got some moves!  Acted like a fool up on that stage.  Like Jacob, a few minor off notes, but damn.  Work it girl!

BOTTOM THREE: Ashton, Lauren, Karen.