I saw countdown lists like these at IDF, so I decided to start one here before I move on there. :p

*Karen's Top 60 Performances of AI5*

Some things you gotta know...

- These are performances by the top 12 only, both from semis and finals.

- This list is not a favorites list or a best/worst list...I tried to include and rank performances that I personally enjoyed and/or thought of as vocally great.

- I will try to be fair and unbiased on this countdown.

- Post-season...I ADORE Chris and Elliott, love Taylor, really like Katharine, like Mandisa, Paris, and Ace, am neutral about Lisa, dislike Kellie and Kevin, and strongly dislike Bucky and Melissa.

- The breakdown of performances by each contestant on this list goes like this:

* Taylor Hicks - 12
* Paris Bennett - 7
* Chris Daughtry - 6
* Elliott Yamin - 6
* Katharine McPhee - 6
* Ace Young - 4
* Bucky Covington - 4
* Kellie Pickler - 4
* Mandisa - 4
* Lisa Tucker - 3
* Kevin Covais - 2
* Melissa McGhee - 2

- For entertainment purposes only (Hey, I'm trying to get practice as a journalistic writer here. :p ).

- Feel free to comment. Just remember that it's only my OPINION and be rational in any disagreements.

K...As of now, I only have the last ten performances ranked. But please do keep on the lookout on this thread! :cool:

hmm this sounds like an awesome idea :woohoo: can't wait to see!

hmm this sounds like an awesome idea :woohoo: can't wait to see!
Ditto :woohoo:

Okay...I'm halfway through ranking the performances. Hopefully I'll have the last ten up sometime by today. :)

#60 - #51

60. Bucky Covington – “Best I Ever Had”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/bestieverhad.jpg
The countdown kicks off with a soon-to-be-classic by the country crooner. The song was a snoozefest, but Bucky was in his element on Country night and he owned it. It was one of his better vocal performances in the competition.

59. Lisa Tucker – “I Am Changing”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/normal_1.jpg
Weird song choice, but we were all instantly wowed by Lisa’s pipes when she sang this as her first song.

58. Elliott Yamin – “I Believe to My Soul”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/normal_8662335cgiammarco51820064143.jpg
Sadly, it was a rather lackluster night for Elliott during the top three round, but he shone on his personal song choice. It was a gamble to take on a soul legend like Ray Charles, yet he worked it out. Plus, brownie points for throwing in his own name in there.

57. Kevin Covais – “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/grapevine.jpg
I thought this was an underrated performance by Kevin. I don’t think he was a strong vocalist and it certainly didn’t show on this song, but he had a lot of fun singing this song and I had fun watching him.

56. Mandisa – “I’m Every Woman”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/everywoman.jpg
This was an EXTREMELY overrated performance to me. But I liked it because it showed off her range and it showcases the genre of music she would excel at if she made an album. Kudos.

55. Taylor Hicks – “Jailhouse Rock”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/jailhouserock.jpg
I wanted to punch Simon after his comment to Taylor after this performance because I disagreed with him - I LOVED it! I thought it was one of the best performances of the night. Plus, it was an authentic, classic performance by Taylor. I have to admit though, I liked it a little less after Rebecca Romijn made him sing it at the results show. So I guess it’s one that I wouldn’t like to hear over and over again. :lol:

54. Lisa Tucker – “Here’s Where I Stand”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/whereistand.png
I didn’t like this performance the first time I saw it, but compared to the other performances of top eight girls night, it really stood out vocally. Plus, it was one of Lisa’s personal best.

53. Taylor Hicks – “Try a Little Tenderness”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/tenderness.jpg
I was pretty bored throughout the top three performance round, so I didn’t get to enjoy this performance to the fullest (Hey, it was the last one!). I remember Nadia Turner did this song on tour last year and I enjoyed it. Of course, I was wondering how Taylor would fare with it…It was a little crazy. But what can I say? It was classic Taylor – fun, uninhibited, and of course, soulful.

52. Kellie Pickler – “I’m the Only One”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/theonlyone.jpg
Thought the judges really pimped this one up, but it was one of Kellie’s best.

51. Paris Bennett – “Work it Out”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/workitout.jpg
I enjoyed this performance right when I saw it. Paris shone on a night where other people SUCKED for the most part (Sorry, I was just so disappointed by 21st century week.). She demonstrated excellent vocals and awesome performance capabilities. It made me feel like I was at a Paris concert!

Thpse are good ones!:D

But eah the Elis e medley was about the only great thing on the Elvis results show

good choices :woohoo:

When I didn't see Melissa's 2 in there, SHAFTED at the bottom of the countdown, I got excited. YAY :D

#50-#41

50. Melissa McGhee – “What About Love”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/whataboutlove.jpg
I love the song and it’s definitely one of the best tracks on the “Encores” CD, but am I the only one who felt like she was yelling through the song? Nonetheless, I do credit this as one of Melissa’s best performances in the competition.

49. Mandisa – “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/dontyouworryboutathing.jpg
She simply thrived on Stevie Wonder night.

48. Bucky Covington – “Real Good Man”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/realgoodman.jpg
This was one of the better performances on 21st Century night, plus he got to show off some personality. I really liked the seawalk-like thing he did.

47. Kevin Covais – “When I Fall in Love”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/whenifallinlove.jpg
This performance was Chicken Little’s most heartfelt one in the competition. I felt bad that Kevin got eliminated after he sang this song because he did well on it. Standard ballads like these can totally be his thing when he chooses the right ones, such as this one.

46. Taylor Hicks – “Levon”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/levon.jpg
Okay…so I wasn’t that much of a Taylor fan when he auditioned in Vegas, I was with Simon on that one. I was also with him when he commented “I was wrong when I said you couldn’t sing.” Or something like that. It wasn’t one of my favorite performances of the night, but I thought he did a great job and it sure set ground for me becoming the Taylor fan that I am now.

45. Ace Young – “Butterflies”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/butterflies.jpg
I thought the whole falsetto thing was weird at first, but as time went on, this performance really grew on me. It simply oozed charm.

44. Paris Bennett – “Kiss”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/kiss.jpg
I hated the song, but thought she sang it really well. She had a lot of fun up there, it came naturally.

43. Elliott Yamin – “Moody’s Mood for Love”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/moodforlove.jpg
I became an Elliott fan as soon as he sang this song. He wowed me. It was an amazing vocal. Although I enjoyed his first performance in the semis, this one pretty much started the chain of the wonderful performances he had to offer.

42. Kellie Pickler – “Something to Talk About”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/somethingtotalkabout.jpg
Sassy, fun, and in her element – this was a Kellie performance that was vocally good AND enjoyable. Plus, great song choice!

41. Paris Bennett – “All I Do”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/allido.jpg
I was half-asleep the first time this performance got aired, but when I rewatched it, I realized why Paris was so deserving of being in the top twelve. When you sing a song well, have fun with it, and captivate the audience, you deserve to be on that big stage.

Good choices


Ehh I didnt like Real Good Man too much, but hey at kleast its in the second bottom 10 LOL Elliott's hair is SO SHORT

#40-#31

40. Mandisa – “I Don’t Hurt Anymore”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/idonthurtanymore.jpg
Honestly, the performance was a little cabaret, but I still really enjoyed it. Like Simon said, it was a very sexy song and for the most part, she sang it well. I was amazed by Mandisa’s consistency at this point of the competition.

39. Taylor Hicks – “Something”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/something.jpg
The first time I saw this performance, I didn’t like it too much because I thought it was boring. But…I did think this was one of Taylor’s best vocal performances in the competition.

38. Paris Bennett – “The Show Must Go On”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/showmustgoon.jpg
This was the perfect conclusion to Queen night and it proved that Paris can rock too.

37. Bucky Covington – “Superstition”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/superstition.jpg
I really didn’t like it when Bucky made the top 12, but I was fairly pleased with the performance he delivered on that night. Stevie Wonder wasn’t in his element at all, but he chose the right song for him and he sang it well. Plus, he picked one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs! This perf will go down as one of my “guilty pleasures” of AI5.

36. Lisa Tucker – “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/signedsealeddelivered.jpg
This was an entertaining performance and a commendable vocal. It marked the first time Lisa didn’t sing a ballad during the competition and she ended up doing a really good job. The best (and my personal favorite) Lisa Tucker performance ever.

35. Taylor Hicks – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/crazylove.jpg
After two weeks of crappy performances by the guy, this one marked the return of Taylor Hicks. The crazy dancing and the stage presence put us in a jubilant mood once again. It was the perfect Queen song for his style.

34. Ace Young – “In the Still of the Night”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/inthestillofthenight.jpg
An underrated Ace performance, IMO. I didn’t like the falsetto at the end, but the rest of it was just so pure and soothing to listen to.

33. Chris Daughtry – “Suspicious Minds”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/suspiciousminds.jpg
An extremely underrated performance by Mr. Daughtry. I guess it’s because it wasn’t in his hard rock element. I thought it was an excellent vocal though. Plus, it was his swan song, so I get a little emotional sometimes when I hear it. :(

32. Katharine McPhee – “Come Rain or Come Shine”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/comerainorcomeshine.jpg
She captured the sultriness of this song through her performance. Her jazzy, soulful voice fit so perfectly on this one.

31. Katharine McPhee – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/overtherainbow.jpg
Yeah. Let the Karen bashing begin. :grr: Ha ha, seriously…I think this is one of Katharine’s best vocal performances, but in terms of overall performance, I honestly think she’s had better and you all will find out during the rest of this countdown. When everyone kept on saying this was THE showstopper of the season, I actually liked it less and less because it was being shoved down everyone’s throats like it was a fact and I think other people had their showstoppers too. Anyway, she did better on this song on finale night than on top three night, IMO.

31. Katharine McPhee – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/overtherainbow.jpg
Yeah. Let the Karen bashing begin. :grr: Ha ha, seriously…I think this is one of Katharine’s best vocal performances, but in terms of overall performance, I honestly think she’s had better and you all will find out during the rest of this countdown. When everyone kept on saying this was THE showstopper of the season, I actually liked it less and less because it was being shoved down everyone’s throats like it was a fact and I think other people had their showstoppers too.
that's EXACTLY how i felt about bo's acapella last season :lol:

anyway...REALLY good list :woohoo: i agree with a lot of it.

that's EXACTLY how i felt about bo's acapella last season :lol:

anyway...REALLY good list :woohoo: i agree with a lot of it.
W00ters!! :woohoo: Thanks for reading. We're halfway through!!

that's EXACTLY how i felt about bo's acapella last season :lol:

anyway...REALLY good list :woohoo: i agree with a lot of it.
Ditto :woohoo:


Anyways WOOHOO a Chris song LOL even if it was his swan song :( im just glasdd to see a chris song finally in the ocutndown

Ditto :woohoo:


Anyways WOOHOO a Chris song LOL even if it was his swan song :( im just glasdd to see a chris song finally in the ocutndown
lol it's BETTER if he's not on the countdown too much yet, means more stuff at the top.

lol it's BETTER if he's not on the countdown too much yet, means more stuff at the top.
Oh right I just like seeing a Chris song LOL

#30-#21

30. Taylor Hicks – “Dancing in the Dark”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/dancinginthedark.jpg
American Idols are supposed to be versatile and be able to sing many genres of music, right? Taylor was considered to be a front-runner throughout the competition, but it seemed like he always singing soul. Then he took on this Springsteen classic and guess I was proven wrong. Awesome vocal and plus brownie points for dancing with Paula!

29. Mandisa – “Never”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/never.jpg
I concur with Randy – What a way to start the show. Mandisa kicked off the competition with a bang and left a great first impression on all of us with her powerhouse pipes. This will always be my favorite performance by her. Maybe because I like the song so much, but also because when I saw this performance, I knew she’d be one to go far in the competition (Though I didn’t want her to go at #9…). She was so right – Sisters can rock too!

28. Elliott Yamin – “Teach Me Tonight”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/teachmetonight.jpg
A very underrated performance, overshadowed by all the amazing ones he had later on in the competition. Still, the guy has soul and good chops too!

27. Paris Bennett – “Be Without You”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/bewithoutyou.jpg
I love this song and the contemporary R&B genre totally works for her. It was a really professional-sounding performance. It could’ve gone straight to record.

26. Katharine McPhee – “Who Wants to Live Forever”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/whowantstoliveforever.jpg
Yeah, there were a few pitch problems here and there, but I still think this is an amazing performance by Katharine. I never saw her evoke so much emotion into a song.

25. Taylor Hicks – “Takin’ it to the Streets”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/takingitothestreets.jpg
Okay…so I thought this performance was EXTREMELY overrated when I first saw it. Too bad the DVD I recorded it on BROKE, so I couldn’t rewatch it over and over again. But I did remember I still enjoyed watching it because it was so much fun and looking back on it now, it was probably the best performance of that night. He sounded great when he sang an encore of it on top three results night, AND it’s my favorite track on the Encores CD!

24. Chris Daughtry – “Making Memories of Us”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/memoriesofus.jpg
This marked the first time Chris broke out of his “rocker” shell and broke into his soft side. I loved it. His voice just flowed effortlessly through a song genre that he normally wouldn’t sing.

23. Taylor Hicks – “Do I Make You Proud”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/doimakeyouproud.jpg
This song pretty much sealed the deal for Taylor’s win. It immediately screamed to me “AMERICAN IDOL.” Congrats Taylor!

22. Ace Young – “Tonight I Want to Cry”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/tonightiwanttocry.jpg
Ballads like these are Ace’s strong points. It was sweet, tender, and a genuine performance.

21. Katharine McPhee – “Since I Fell for You”
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/twice_da_sweetness/AI5%20Performance%20Countdown/sinceifellforyou.jpg
Kat’s naturally jazzy and smoky voice allowed her to give this effortless and eloquent performance. Nothing leaves a better first impression on American Idol than a solid first performance (Or maybe a solid first audition, LOL).

Awesome choices!!!! LOL the rasgones and Prato bees sogns are in theer :rotflmao:

What do you mean it's not a favorites list?!

When you rank it according to your enjoyment, it is completely a favorites list.

What do you mean it's not a favorites list?!

When you rank it according to your enjoyment, it is completely a favorites list.
It's a mix of my favorites and the best/worst. :p

There's a difference.