I love American Idol, and therefore I can't stand when certain kickass Idol performances are forgotten years later. Here are eight you should keep close to your heart and voice box.
1. Von Smith, "You're All I Need" (season 8)
The ultra-talented Von Smith had the misfortune of auditioning for American Idol during season eight, the year when the Top 36 was slashed down to a Top 13 using a dubious voting system. It didn't help that folks like Adam Lambert and Alexis Grace (!) were endlessly touted before the Top 36, making their inclusion in the Top 13 almost inevitable compared to their little-seen competitors. Von's voice speaks -- nay, soars! -- for itself. So grand and crystal clear, and if I do say so myself, better than 99% of the vocalists we've heard on the show since.
2. Allison Iraheta and Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time" (season 8)
I've always said that Idol's masterstroke is the season finale, where the scads of guest performers and surprising duets make you fall in love with the show all over again. In season 8, hard-rocking teen Allison Iraheta hollered her way to fourth place, but in the season finale she slowed down with a sweet, pretty version of "Time After Time" with Cyndi Lauper. They're very different voices that sound both harmonious and mature with one another.
3. Mishavonna Henson, "Drops of Jupiter" (season 8)
Like Von Smith, Mishavonna Henson was lost in the gigantic Top 36 shuffle, even with her strong voice and Carly Smithson-esque command. (God, I loved Carly Smithson.) I'll always appreciate Mishavonna for legitimizing one of the goopiest ballads of the 2000s, Train's "Drops of Jupiter." You'll never want to hear Pat Monahan's version again, even if you never did in the first place.
4. Didi Benami "Play With Fire" (season 9)
It's so rare on Idol that you see a performer not only pick the right song, but an amazingly fitting and surprising song, and that's what chanteuse Didi Benami achieved during Rolling Stones week of season 9. She selected the slow, sinister "Play With Fire" and ignited it with a siren wail chorus and her curiously soft bleat. Even with the lyrical stumble in the second verse, it remains a distinct and sincerely resonant performance. This girl does not want you to mess with her, and her stunning cat eyes and eerie voice deliver that message right to your spine.
5. Katelyn Epperly "The Scientist" (season 9)
Katelyn Epperly missed out on season nine's Top 12, but not before she gave us this elegaic, pitch-perfect version of Coldplay's "The Scientist." Then-judge Ellen DeGeneres derided her rendition as too slow, but come on. This was daringly slow, and therefore it's a complete anomaly in the history of Idol balladry: a euphoric melodic crawl.
6. Pia Toscano, "River Deep, Mountain High" (season 10)
Pia Toscano spent much of her Idol run committing to the most overplayed ballads of all time, but before she was eliminated from season 10 in a shocking ninth place, she gave us this rollicking, powerhouse version of the speedy "River Deep, Mountain High." This is how I prefer to see belters work: with kinetic grace and energized delivery.
7. Haley Reinhart, "What Is and What Should Never Be" (season 10)
Haley Reinhart is one of the few Idol contestants who seemed utterly bland during her initial weeks on the show, gurgling through overplayed schlock like Alicia Keys'"Fallin'" and LeAnn Rimes'"Blue," before becoming a righteous vixen who slayed with unusual selections like "Rolling in the Deep" (a very new song at the time) and "Rhiannon." Her best work may be this lengthy, unexpected version of Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be." She's bluesy, brassy, and even after she trips in her kickass heels, a consummate performer. No Idol performance compares to this sprawling beast.
8. Elise Testone, "Whole Lotta Love" (season 11)
Speaking of Zeppelin: This was a hailed performance at the time, but since season 11 winner Phillip Phillips tore up the iTunes charts with "Home" while runner-up Jessica Sanchez secured a role on Glee,Elise Testone has become the forgotten powerhouse of the season. Never forget her yowling, completely comfortable work on the legendary "Whole Lotta Love," because she could basically claim to be Robert Plant's niece after this performance. Just bad-ass.
What are your favorite underrated Idol performances? I'll add one more to this list in spirit because I can't find the clip on YouTube: season 11 hopeful Lauren Turner with "Seven Day Fool."
