Crisis On Hand: An American Idol Finalists Ranking List

[Elliott]

9 hours ago, KelseyW said:

Wondering if the stairs one is about Haley? Since she tripped going up them during "What is and What Should Never Be". Or was it down them? I blocked it out. lmao   

Probably Lauren Alaina since she fell down the stairs in one of their video packages and they replayed it the entire season.

[Elliott]

125. Jasmine Trias - I'm not even remotely a fan. If it wasn't for Leah and Camile, she'd be my least favourite that season by a mile. I can't even enjoy her disco performances as a lulzy guilty pleasure since LaToya went home.

124. Bucky Covington - Meh.

123. Anthony Fedorov - He's cute. But meh otherwise.  

122. Jason Castro - He had a couple of performances I liked and his voice cleaned up well in the studio recordings, but I was pretty apathetic towards him for most of the season, and I'm still lowkey bitter about him and Brooke being safe over Carly & Syesha for Top 6 week.  

121. Malaya Watson - She had potential but I think she had trouble reigning it in, which was why her performances were like a rollercoaster. In a season that was as boring as it was, I'm glad she provided the entertainment at least.

[Elliott]

On 6/22/2020 at 4:32 PM, Crisis said:

The Simon comments about a packed suitcase and plane ticket had to be after Everlasting Love because the other comment about hoping every household in Hawaii having at least 5 phone lines was after It's Raining Men. It's possible about Jasmine getting enough votes due to those factors.

She probably garnered a lot of the sympathy vote, but Hawaii pretty much had the entire two-hour voting block to themselves. Voting stopped on the west coast by the time voting started in Hawaii, and voting stopped in Alaska an hour into Hawaii's window.

[Elliott]

120. Caleb Lee Hutchinson - I liked him a lot during the season, but I don't think I really considered him my actual #1 favourite until after the finale. I liked most of his performances, though When Doves Cry is easily my favourite of his and of the season. (In fact, if I was to do a "Top 100 Performances" list or something of that sort, it'd probably be the only S16 performance on it ) He's steadily climbed on my overall rankings in the time since S16, especially after getting to see him perform a couple times across two summers and meeting him both years as well. He's grown as a performer and I really enjoyed his EP. Easily in my Top 20, perhaps in my Top 10.

119. Casey James - I didn't really have any strong feelings for him in S9, but I was fine with him making it to third considering Lee & Crystal were my top two and he didn't make it there over one of them.  He was decent on the Idol tour, but I haven't really kept up with him since outside of what gets posted to Idol news blogs.

118. Justin Guarini - I wasn't really a fan all things considered, though it's grown into more apathy over him. I appreciate what he did for Idol in the nostalgia sense and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Him always tweeting about Kelly's success is nice to see, too.

117. Ryan Starr - My original favourite from S1  She wasn't that great on the show after she made the finals, but I liked her Top 10 and Top 7 performance well enough. Of course, You Really Got Me was the first iconic train wreck and it's still a guilty pleasure of mine from how bad it is.  I liked the singles she put out a few years after Idol, and nowadays she's having some moderate success as a travel blogger.

116. Alyssa Raghu - I didn't really remember her in S16 when everyone was talking about her being "robbed" so I found it hilarious when suddenly everyone turned on her when she made the finals in S18. All things considered, I'd probably put her around this spot, too. She was alright, and I think she was getting better performance-wise as the show went on. Her Somebody to Love was actually one of my favourites of Queen night, so I would've kept her around after that. When it came down to her and Ashley for the final spot, I would've preferred Ashley based off their overall work, but I can't fault them for picking Alyssa since I thought Alyssa did better that particular night.

[blackfield]

I kind of knew the hint about casey but was afraid to say it as he is still one of my fav contestants. and i don't think he should be that low. loved his performances minus a few like both his top 3 and  lowdy miss clowdy. still he is one of the best guitar players on the show who actually PLAYED the guitar unlike many others who faked it and just strum half a chord. and if you ask me he still managed to get a (sort of) successful music career after idol. at least he manages to make a living from playing music. his second album is pretty good! 

 

now for the clues:

• Those darn stairs! - someone who fell down the stairs.. could be number of them.  lauren alaina, is the most memorable as that fall was classic. and her reaction was the best. 
• No second chance for you! - either caleb or candice or laine who came and won the second time around.. unless the hint is something completely different.. 
• Lois Lane
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101 - lisa tucker (season 5)  who appeared on all 3 shows
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol - I have a bad feeling this is dalton rapattoni who was a member of IM5 before idol..

Edited June 24, 2020 by blackfield

[CarmenSandiego]

I’d actually rank Caleb Lee a little higher, but that’s mainly due to my liking Maddie. In terms of his performance on the show, this would be the right place to put him in.

[Crisis]

So much to respond to. I'll try to get to everyone tonight.

 

The next set will most likely be Friday at the earliest. I have a couple of tests coming up, so I'll be spending most of the time studying for those.

[Bk1234]

10 hours ago, psterina said:

Yeah …. STILL shaking my head, regarding Ashley Hess. Urggghhh.  She's my 3rd fav Idol contestant, ever. Her audition video has over 3.5 MILLION views, and there are new comments practically every day. 

Ashley Hess was my favorite from S17! I think she would have done amazing had she been one of the wild card picks. Have you heard her cover of “Grenade/Uptown Funk”? She makes it her own and it sounds amazing!!!

[miss denise]

19 hours ago, Crisis said:

After the performance, Nicki said something along the lines of she was going to pretend she didn't see that and told all three of them to get off the stage. Yeah, his final comments were something else.  He deleted that tweet not too long after posting it, but the Internet never forgets. 

 

Oh, that does sound familiar.  Yikes. So true.

 

120. Caleb Lee Hutchinson: He was my favorite of the season, although Gabby may have passed him, but either way, my favorite has shown up now, lol. Love his personality and his voice has such a comforting sound that I loved as well.  

119. Casey James: Not much of a fan, but I did love a couple of his performances, which you named. "For a second I thought Constantine managed to slither his way into another set and was prepared to throw something at my screen" I remember a lot of us thinking this!  

118. Justin Guarini: I really like him and he's among my favorites from the season. Plus, there is always a nostalgic factor in thinking about Justin. I also love him and Kelly's friendship.  

117. Ryan Starr: I was never a fan.

116. Alyssa Raghu: I like her, but she wasn't really one of my favorites. I'm not sure what it was.

 

• Those darn stairs!: I immediately thought of Lauren, although I sure hope not.  
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101: Lisa Tucker.
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol: Could be Dalton... can't think of who else might fit. But gahh if Lauren and Dalton both show up next, it's going to be such a tough set for me.  

[psterina]

1 hour ago, Bk1234 said:

Ashley Hess was my favorite from S17! I think she would have done amazing had she been one of the wild card picks. Have you heard her cover of “Grenade/Uptown Funk”? She makes it her own and it sounds amazing!!!

 

 

I must check it out. Thanks, for letting me know  

[Crisis]

12 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

My Opinions:

 

120. Caleb Lee Hutchinson- I found him very boring in S16. I'm usually not a fan of the slow, deep-voiced country singers (with the exception of Scotty), and Caleb was just that. He was my pick NOT to win the title!

119. Casey James- No comment. 

118. Justin Guarini- Who actually thought he would win over Kelly? After hearing what you said, I can't believe he made it to the finale!

117. Ryan Starr- America must have been voting for something else since she made it through after that trainwreck. 

116. Alyssa Raghu- I really liked her during S17 (not as much as Ashley Hess, who didn't make the finals ). I didn't love anyone from S17 though (except maybe Ashley Hess), so she's not in my Top 9. I wish the wildcard picks would go farther though... Maybe ABC's quickened pace hurts their chances of going farther?

 

120. Yeah, it's easy to see how he would come off as boring.

119. N/A

118. As mentioned, Justin was the heartthrob and was one of the better males considering the season. Who knows how he would've done in later seasons.

117. It was amazing how she made it through after that. Then again, AJ was still around, so he may have been her buffer

116. Ashley.  I may have an intermission and list my favorite semifinalists at some point; Ashley would definitely be on that list. As for Alyssa, pretty much the same. It would be better if they did away with the wildcard picks altogether and just have the Top 10 vote getters go through.

10 hours ago, hayden98 said:

As far as I'm aware, Caleb and Maddie are still together.  I don't remember ever being a huge fan of Caleb's, but he was always someone I rooted for as I really loved his personality. 

 

I think I'd like Casey James more during a rewatch, but I remember just not being into him during his time on the show. I'm glad that he still seems to be making music though!

 

Our opinions on Justin seem to be pretty identical lol.

 

lmao Ryan  I appreciate how different she was compared to most of the other contestants of Season 1. I wanna say the self-sabotage rumors are true??? Also, Rodesia  Her performance was a trainwreck, but I really loved her voice anyway.

 

Alyssa was someone that I remember liking always, but wasn't crazy about. Her voice is quite amazing tbh, but I think she falls into the category of "auditioned too soon" - twice! Huge kudos to her being the first repeat semifinalist (and improving on top of that). I'm looking forward to what Alyssa does in the future; she's released at least one single thus far, and it's pretty catchy imo.

 

For the clues.... I'm pretty sure Lisa Tucker is one of them. The only people I can think of for the stairs clue are Lauren Alaina and Haley Reinhart, but it feels pretty early for either of them (totally not just based on my bias for them lol).

 

Nice to see they may still be together! Fair thoughts about Caleb. Even if his voice or style may not be everyone's cup of tea, he did appear to be likable at least.

 

Fair enough about Casey.

 

LOL at having pretty identical opinions about Justin.

 

Yes at Ryan!  This is the first time I've seen someone show love to Rodesia. 

 

I pretty much agree about Alyssa. Both times it appeared she auditioned too soon. Agreed about her being the first repeat semifinalist.

 

We'll see about the guesses...

 

10 hours ago, anonymouskid_35 said:

 Agree too! I totally love that gorgeous tone of Alyssa, especially when she auditioned back in Season 16 singing Almost Is Never Enough (ugh can't get enough of that performance). However on Season 17, it's just sad though that because of the comments of others, she totally changed her style and how she performs (shows how quickly others can affect you), it's good though that she tried to work the stage a little more, but she tried WAY TOO HARD, but yeah I would've ranked her higher, for me, but Crisis' opinions were understandable

 

Yeah, it is sad she changed her style because of the comments of others. Considering she was 17 at the time, it's easy to see how she can be so impressionable. She did try way too hard, though. It's something that comes with more experience and understanding who you are.

[Crisis]

10 hours ago, Elliott said:

125. Jasmine Trias - I'm not even remotely a fan. If it wasn't for Leah and Camile, she'd be my least favourite that season by a mile. I can't even enjoy her disco performances as a lulzy guilty pleasure since LaToya went home.

124. Bucky Covington - Meh.

123. Anthony Fedorov - He's cute. But meh otherwise.  

122. Jason Castro - He had a couple of performances I liked and his voice cleaned up well in the studio recordings, but I was pretty apathetic towards him for most of the season, and I'm still lowkey bitter about him and Brooke being safe over Carly & Syesha for Top 6 week.  

121. Malaya Watson - She had potential but I think she had trouble reigning it in, which was why her performances were like a rollercoaster. In a season that was as boring as it was, I'm glad she provided the entertainment at least.

 

125. I can see why no one could enjoy her disco performances as a guilty pleasure because of LaToya leaving. That was disappointing.

124. Fair enough

123. 

122. Yeah, it was mildly infuriating to see Carly and Syesha in the B2 while Brooke and Jason were safe, though I liked Brooke and she won't be showing up any time soon

121. Pretty much agree about Malaya

 

10 hours ago, Elliott said:

120. Caleb Lee Hutchinson - I liked him a lot during the season, but I don't think I really considered him my actual #1 favourite until after the finale. I liked most of his performances, though When Doves Cry is easily my favourite of his and of the season. (In fact, if I was to do a "Top 100 Performances" list or something of that sort, it'd probably be the only S16 performance on it ) He's steadily climbed on my overall rankings in the time since S16, especially after getting to see him perform a couple times across two summers and meeting him both years as well. He's grown as a performer and I really enjoyed his EP. Easily in my Top 20, perhaps in my Top 10.

119. Casey James - I didn't really have any strong feelings for him in S9, but I was fine with him making it to third considering Lee & Crystal were my top two and he didn't make it there over one of them.  He was decent on the Idol tour, but I haven't really kept up with him since outside of what gets posted to Idol news blogs.

118. Justin Guarini - I wasn't really a fan all things considered, though it's grown into more apathy over him. I appreciate what he did for Idol in the nostalgia sense and he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Him always tweeting about Kelly's success is nice to see, too.

117. Ryan Starr - My original favourite from S1  She wasn't that great on the show after she made the finals, but I liked her Top 10 and Top 7 performance well enough. Of course, You Really Got Me was the first iconic train wreck and it's still a guilty pleasure of mine from how bad it is.  I liked the singles she put out a few years after Idol, and nowadays she's having some moderate success as a travel blogger.

116. Alyssa Raghu - I didn't really remember her in S16 when everyone was talking about her being "robbed" so I found it hilarious when suddenly everyone turned on her when she made the finals in S18. All things considered, I'd probably put her around this spot, too. She was alright, and I think she was getting better performance-wise as the show went on. Her Somebody to Love was actually one of my favourites of Queen night, so I would've kept her around after that. When it came down to her and Ashley for the final spot, I would've preferred Ashley based off their overall work, but I can't fault them for picking Alyssa since I thought Alyssa did better that particular night.

 

120. Good to see he was your #1 favorite from the season. That's pretty cool you got to see him perform a few times as well as met him each time. Wow at him being in the Top 20 or even Top 10

119. Fair enough

118. Pretty much agree when it comes to Justin. I've soften my stance a bit on him as well

117. Yes, You Really Got Me is an iconic train wreck. Nice to see she's having some success as a travel blogger, considering how messy she was post-Idol

116. Fair to think she was getting better performance wise. As for the wildcard spots, I had a feeling Uche and Alyssa were locks barring any real screw-ups. I'd like to think the judges wanted to pick Ashley; however, they couldn't justify not picking Dimitrius after the performance he gave. Besides, Ashley didn't do herself any favors with her song choice, and this is coming from someone who was rooting for her and really wanted her in the Top 10. At least neither Eddie nor Evelyn were picked.

 

10 hours ago, blackfield said:

I kind of knew the hint about casey but was afraid to say it as he is still one of my fav contestants. and i don't think he should be that low. loved his performances minus a few like both his top 3 and  lowdy miss clowdy. still he is one of the best guitar players on the show who actually PLAYED the guitar unlike many others who faked it and just strum half a chord. and if you ask me he still managed to get a (sort of) successful music career after idol. at least he manages to make a living from playing music. his second album is pretty good! 

 

now for the clues:

• Those darn stairs! - someone who fell down the stairs.. could be number of them.  lauren alaina, is the most memorable as that fall was classic. and her reaction was the best. 
• No second chance for you! - either caleb or candice or laine who came and won the second time around.. unless the hint is something completely different.. 
• Lois Lane
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101 - lisa tucker (season 5)  who appeared on all 3 shows
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol - I have a bad feeling this is dalton rapattoni who was a member of IM5 before idol..

 

I'm starting to sense you have a certain type when it comes to idol contestants.  It's good to see he manages to make a living doing music.

 

As for the guesses to the clues, we'll find out soon enough...

 

7 hours ago, CarmenSandiego said:

I’d actually rank Caleb Lee a little higher, but that’s mainly due to my liking Maddie. In terms of his performance on the show, this would be the right place to put him in.

 

Fair enough.

 

2 hours ago, miss denise said:

120. Caleb Lee Hutchinson: He was my favorite of the season, although Gabby may have passed him, but either way, my favorite has shown up now, lol. Love his personality and his voice has such a comforting sound that I loved as well.  

119. Casey James: Not much of a fan, but I did love a couple of his performances, which you named. "For a second I thought Constantine managed to slither his way into another set and was prepared to throw something at my screen" I remember a lot of us thinking this!  

118. Justin Guarini: I really like him and he's among my favorites from the season. Plus, there is always a nostalgic factor in thinking about Justin. I also love him and Kelly's friendship.  

117. Ryan Starr: I was never a fan.

116. Alyssa Raghu: I like her, but she wasn't really one of my favorites. I'm not sure what it was.

 

• Those darn stairs!: I immediately thought of Lauren, although I sure hope not.  
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101: Lisa Tucker.
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol: Could be Dalton... can't think of who else might fit. But gahh if Lauren and Dalton both show up next, it's going to be such a tough set for me.  

 

120. Good to see about Caleb

119. Fair enough about Casey.  at most of us thinking about that!

118. Yes, there is something greatly nostaglic about S1. I guess it's because it was the beginning. It does appear he and Kelly have a strong friendship

117. Fair enough

116. Fair enough

 

I have a feeling I'll be breaking quite a few hearts, though as I mentioned earlier, I'm pretty much at the point where I like the remaining contestants in some form or another. I'm not sure if that's any consolation.  We'll see what happens...

[Elliott]

3 minutes ago, Crisis said:

Besides, Ashley didn't do herself any favors with her song choice, and this is coming from someone who was rooting for her and really wanted her in the Top 10.

It made sense as a "victory" song had she been voted through. It just looked ill-advised as a wildcard song pick. But realistically, I don't think the judges producers were planning on picking her. ABC Idol is all about staying as young as possible and she was already at the end of the age limit.

[Crisis]

12 minutes ago, Elliott said:

It made sense as a "victory" song had she been voted through. It just looked ill-advised as a wildcard song pick. But realistically, I don't think the judges producers were planning on picking her. ABC Idol is all about staying as young as possible and she was already at the end of the age limit.

No doubt, her song would've been great as a victory song. As I said before, they should just do away with the wildcards and have the top ten vote getters advance. However, should they continue with this format, contestants should prepare both a victory and wildcard song just in case. I can see that about ABC Idol, though some have been lucky enough not to be filtered out.

[Bk1234]

22 hours ago, Crisis said:

• Those darn stairs!
• No second chance for you!
• Lois Lane
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol

My guesses are the same as everybody else's...

• Those darn stairs!- Lauren Alaina. I think this would be a bit too low for her... 
• No second chance for you!
• Lois Lane- This clue puzzles me. Teri Hatcher, known for her portrayal of Lois Lane, was on Idol Gives Back, but she was not a contestant... 
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101- Lisa Tucker. I'm pretty sure she appeared in these three.
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol- Dalton Rapattoni. Maybe this would be too low?

Edited June 25, 2020 by Bk1234

[Crisis]

16 hours ago, Bk1234 said:

My guesses are the same as everybody else's...

• Those darn stairs!- Lauren Alaina. I think this would be a bit too low for her... 
• No second chance for you!
• Lois Lane- This clue puzzles me. Teri Hatcher, known for her portrayal of Lois Lane, was on Idol Gives Back, but she was not a contestant... 
• The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101- Lisa Tucker. I'm pretty sure she appeared in these three.
• Member of a boyband prior to Idol- Dalton Rapattoni. Maybe this would be too low?

 

We'll see...

 

I know I said tomorrow would probably be the earliest I would post my next set. However, I was able to knock out a few write-ups during my lunch break, so I may be able to post them tonight. I have a test though, so I may or may not post them depending on how I'm feeling afterwards.

[Crisis]

I just finished my test and feel content, plus I managed to finish my write ups, so I'll go ahead and post the next set a day ahead of schedule.

 

115. Lisa Tucker: Season 5 (10th Place)

We're going to go back to S5 to lead this set with Lisa Tucker. Lisa was technically sound vocally and there was potential for a strong voice. Her main shortcoming was she appeared to be too rehearsed, as if she were performing in pageants. I think she may have been in her head too much and overthought her performances. Having said that, she had a nice run in the semis. I would say her best performance was I Am Changing, which was her first semifinal performance. Her other two performances in the semis were solid as well. Unfortunately, it fell apart for her in the finals. After three ballads in the semis, she decided to go up-tempo in the Top 12 with Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours). While it looked like she put in great effort, it looked forced, unnatural, and rehearsed. The voters probably felt the same way because she was in the B2 that week. Despite that, she came back the following week with another up-tempo number with Why Do Fools Fall In Love. This one was a bigger mess than the previous week. She moved around more and as a result, her breath control was off, and she struggled to hit some of the notes. Once again, she was in the B3, but held on for at least another week. After two failed up-tempo attempts, Lisa decided to go back into her ballad box. The problem was she picked one of the absolute worst songs she could. She decided to tackle the great Kelly Clarkson ballad Because Of You. For starters, while I’m not one of those people who are up in arms if contestants sing any Kelly Clarkson songs on the show, I understand it is a huge risk to take on a song done by an Idol winner, especially the original winner who is very beloved among Idol fans. I guess Lisa figured she didn’t have much to lose, so she decided to put all her chips in on this performance. Unfortunately, she overplayed her hand and was wiped out. The song was too big for her and she came nowhere near the emotional connection needed for the song. To no one’s surprise, she was eliminated the following night. I know she received some acting gigs after Idol; other than that, I’m not sure what she’s been up to. Either way, Lisa was another finalist who belongs in the Teens Who Needed More Experience category.

 

Clue: The OC, The Vampire Diaries, Zoey 101 (Three shows Lisa appeared in)

 

114. Sam Woolf: Season 13 (5th Place)

At the beginning of S13, it was thought that Sam had a strong chance at the Idol crown. After all, he was a WGWG with a pleasant voice and appeared to be poised to be the season’s heartthrob, so it should’ve been a slam dunk for him. So, what was the problem? Well, Sam was one of the most uninteresting performers to hit the stage. He was this shy kid who always seemed to perform with a deer in the headlights look. The judges were doing everything they could to get him out of his shell, but Sam was never really able to break his inhibitions. Also, he didn’t really connect to any of the songs he sang. He did give some performances I liked such as Babylon, Time After Time, Sail Away, and It’s Time (the only time I enjoyed an Imagine Dragons song on Idol). He also gave some performances which I hoped would end soon. The main culprits were Come Together, You’re Still The One, and Sing. With Sing, he completely sucked the fun and playfulness out of the song (though to be fair, if my celebrity crush hugged me before I were to go on stage, I wouldn’t be able to walk let alone perform). The thing Sam may be the most known for is how often the show tried to keep him around. He was initially eliminated during the Top 8; however, the judges used the save on him. Then there was the infamous Top 5 Results Show. A twist was introduced in which the remaining contestants had the opportunity to vote whether or not someone would be eliminated that week. If the contestants unanimously voted not to eliminate anyone, there would be no elimination; however, two contestants would be eliminated the following week. Jena and Alex made sure that didn’t happen and unfortunately for Sam, he was the lowest vote getter and thus eliminated. Finally, I felt bad for him during the finale when he was steamrolled by PP during their “duet”. With all this said, I did like Sam all things considered; it’s just too bad it seemed he couldn't break out of his shell while on Idol.

 

Clue: No second chance for you! (referring to the Top 5 Results Show twist. I thought this one would've been guessed correctly. Maybe if I were to put something like #teamno victim, it would've been guessed easily )

 

113. Dalton Rapattoni: Season 15 (3rd Place)

Dalton is a contestant who some feel is too low. The thing is Dalton isn’t the type of contestant I normally gravitate towards, so naturally he would've been lower than this. He appeared to have lean towards the emo genre musically (he did call himself an emo after all), which is not a genre I listen to all that much. Yet there was something about him that intrigued me. I want to say it started when he auditioned with The Phantom Of The Opera; that was certainly an out of the box song choice. However, it truly began with Rebel Yell. This is the first of the many songs he would rearrange to fit his style or Dalton-ize them if you will. After that performance, I found myself wanting to see what he would do with future ones. The results were often mixed bags. I thought his better performances were the ones he would change up; these included The Sound of Silence, Dancing In The Dark, and God Only Knows. With all that said, I felt his best performance was Bird Set Free. It was easy to see he really felt that song, and he pretty much sang it straight. Unfortunately, that was the only one he sang straight that he did well on. The other times he didn’t change the song up often led to very poor results. Examples included Radioactive, Numb, and Everybody Wants To Rule The World. He did well enough to make it to the Top 3; however, it was pretty much a given barring anything unexpected, the Top 2 were going to be Trent and La’Porsha. At least Dalton got to perform what would’ve been his coronation song before his elimination and got a nice send off compared to what happened to JAX the year before. Despite this, he appeared to be genuinely happy for La’Porsha and Trent after the announcement. Dalton appeared to be a good guy all things considered. He was definitely an intriguing contestant, that’s for sure.

 

Clue: Member of a boyband prior to Idol (the group IM5)

 

112. Lauren Alaina: Season 10 (2nd Place)

Three runner ups within the last two sets after having none for a while; I guess the laws of balance are kicking in . Like Dalton, some posters may feel Lauren is too low. However, Lauren is very similar to Kellie, in that she was someone who I didn’t like at all but have come to gradually like over the years. She was this outgoing, bubbly girl who irritated me throughout her time on Idol; honestly, I thought she was a bit of a brat. However, the main issue I had was that I felt she was handled with kid gloves and was pushed to the finale. It seemed as if every other week the judges would say something along the lines of “Lauren is back!” while she never really gave anything better than slightly above average. With all of this said, I felt I was being unfair to her, so I decided to re-watch her Idol run and have come to realize I was indeed too harsh. While I don’t think she was as good as the judges/producers wanted her to be, she was better than I initially gave her credit for. She had a few performances I liked which included Turn On The Radio, Flat On The Floor, and I Hope You Dance (too bad her other two performances that night were tragic). It was just plain to see she was underdeveloped and had ways to go before reaching her full potential. Lauren appears to be doing very well for herself post-Idol. Apparently, her career got off to somewhat of a slow start; however, she kept plugging along and appears to have a viable career. The main thing I noticed was how strong her voice had gotten over the years. During the S15 duets, she blew MacKenzie and Emily out of the water without even trying (as an aside, I’m not a fan of the celebrity duets; it’s one of the things I didn’t miss during S18. However, I didn’t mind it with the former Idol finalists). If she waited a few years for her voice to develop, I might have looked at her more favorably. As it is, while she may never crack my Top 100, let alone be an all-time favorite, I have come around on her over time.

 

Clue: Those darn stairs!  (it sounds like something Lauren would say )

 

111. Amy Adams: Season 3 (10th Place)

 

Oops, wrong one! 

 

 

That's more like it! 

 

This set started with a 10th placer; it ends with 10th placer. Not to be confused with the Golden Globe winning actress, this Amy Adams was a contestant during S3 who had her moments in the sun. Amy stood out from the crowd because she wasn’t a teen or an R&B diva. Her pink hair definitely helped as well. As for her Idol run, she started off as a part of Group 3 with The Power of Love. It was a very solid vocal, the second best of the night I thought. She was voted into the finals where she kind of struggled with You Make Me Feel Brand New. It was a bit safe and boring, plus I felt the band drowned her out. She landed in the B3 that night but was able to survive. Needless to say, Amy bounced back the following week with Sin Wagon, which was not only easily her best performance, it was one of the best performances of the season. The performance was really fun, and she was vocally on point. Seeing there were no viable country singers that season, it was a void Amy could’ve filled if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, she never really got the chance because she was eliminated the subsequent week after her performance of Dancing In The Street. The most memorable thing about it was Simon saying she reminded him of Jay Leno. I guess it was something since he didn’t have anything to say the week before. Overall, Amy appeared to be a fun, outgoing,  and friendly woman with a very pretty voice, and I wouldn’t have minded if she lasted a few weeks longer than she did.

 

Clue: Lois Lane (has the same name of the actress who plays Lois Lane in the DC Universe movies)

 

115. Lisa Tucker

114. Sam Woolf

113. Dalton Rapattoni

112. Lauren Alaina

111. Amy Adams

 

3/5 were right this time. Apologies to those who were hoping certain finalists wouldn't appear in this set.  I have to stay true to how I feel, which means I may break a heart or two unfortunately. 

 

For the upcoming set:

• Nuts of Wonder
• Sang the same song as the winner and runner up on different nights
• A swan song that sadly described the situation perfectly
• Rick Ankiel
• It's time...

Edited June 26, 2020 by Crisis

[KelseyW]

That "Nuts of Wonder" has to be Scotty...I remember that joke. lol

 

Cry Baby was Allison Iraheta's swan song...  

[Elliott]

115. Lisa Tucker - She had potential, but (like with pretty much every minor sans Allison Iraheta) was too young to handle the show.

114. Sam Woolf - I liked him, but I don't have any strong feelings about him. I found some of his performances a tad on the underrated side, and I was fine with him making it to the final five all things considered. That Top 5 twist backfiring so much was great to watch

113. Dalton Rapattoni - One of my early favourites, but I hated practically everything he did once we got to the "live" shows. Bird Set Free was easily his best, though. As I also suffer from bipolar, it was nice to see him so candid about it on the show. I also got to meet him on my birthday the year after season 15 because he came into the restaurant I worked at.

112. Lauren Alaina - Mehhhhhhhhhhh.

111. Amy Adams - I really liked Amy in S10 and was bummed that she left so early considering who was still in the cast.

[blackfield]

why are you targeting all my fav contestants!? what have I done to you?

dalton doesn't deserve to be that low. loved all his performances and the way he rearranged his songs. he's also a very good songwriter which was never mentioned on the show. just go find some of his originals like hercules, somewhere in america, open book, clockwork, holy man, stop..

 

• Nuts of Wonder
• Sang the same song as the winner and runner up on different nights
• A swan song that sadly described the situation perfectly - if it is allison and cry baby I am coming to get you!!!  
• Rick Ankiel
• It's time...

[Bk1234]

8 hours ago, Crisis said:

115. Lisa Tucker

114. Sam Woolf

113. Dalton Rapattoni

112. Lauren Alaina

111. Amy Adams

 

3/5 were right this time. Apologies to those who were hoping certain finalists wouldn't appear in this set.  I have to stay true to how I feel, which means I may break a heart or two unfortunately. 

 

For the upcoming set:

• Nuts of Wonder
• Sang the same song as the winner and runner up on different nights
• A swan song that sadly described the situation perfectly
• Rick Ankiel
• It's time...

Yes, you broke some hearts with these rankings, but I like that you’re staying true to your opinions.

 

My Opinions:

Lisa Tucker- No comment.

Sam Woolf- When it came down to the Top 13, two favorites immediately emerged. One, who is my favorite from the season, I will not name until they are ranked, and the other was Sam Woolf. The tone of his voice really got me from the start. I also enjoyed watching him slowly try to come out of his shell. However, when it got to the later rounds it was clear to see that he was one of the weaker ones. I stopped looking forward to his performances. So, in terms of your rankings, this is an ok spot, but I would’ve ranked him over C.J. Harris.

Dalton Rapattoni- While I loved his performance of “Rebel Yell,” he never emerged as a favorite to me (MacKenzie did ). I just never resonated with him for some reason. However, I will note that he gave some great performances. So, maybe you ranked him too low?

Lauren Alaina- Ooh... I actually don’t know how to feel about this ranking. Yes, I enjoyed her performances, but she wasn’t my all-time favorite from the season. I really enjoyed Lauren’s performance of “Turn On The Radio.” While I think you could have ranked her a bit higher, this ranking doesn’t really bother me.

Amy Adams- No comment.

[Bk1234]

My Take On The Clues:

 

Nuts of Wonder- I think this clue refers to Scotty McCreery. During Hollywood Week, he botched the lyrics to “I Hope You Dance,” and sang “nuts of wonder.” 
 

Sang the same song as the winner and runner up on different nights-

 

A swan song that sadly described the situation perfectly- I think this clue could refer to Allison Iraheta who sang “Cry Baby” for her swan song. Like the song title, she was crying through the whole thing. 

 

Rick Ankiel- 

 

It’s time...- 

Edited June 26, 2020 by Bk1234

[hayden98]

ITA that Lisa should've waited a few years.

 

Sam was someone that I believe I was fond of early on, but while his voice was usually pretty good, he was definitely inhibited by his (lack of) performance skills.

 

Dalton was never one of my top favorites his year, but I always liked him and I still follow him on social media.

 

At one point, Lauren might've been in my top 5/10 contestants of all time. I'd probably attribute that largely to being active in her fan forum during the season (I had just joined IDF at that time) and I have many fond memories chatting with people over there. I think you nailed what are some of my favorite performances of hers. I'm very glad that she's kept up doing music since her time on the show; she's really grown in her skill and confidence as a performer in the years since she was on Idol.  

 

I remember Amy being fun and I wish she'd lasted a little bit longer.

 

Ooooh, for the clues.... I know Scotty is the first one. Not too certain about the others though.

[Bk1234]

I also forgot to mention something about Sam. I remember he did TWO duets with Alex. In these duets it was glaringly obvious that Alex was much more talented than Sam. In my opinion, these duets hurt Sam because they exposed everything he lacked. However, Sam most definitely won in the looks department!

Edited June 26, 2020 by Bk1234

[CarmenSandiego]

No real complaints about these rankings.  Especially Sam’s.