The 20 Most Memorable Performances on ‘American Idol’

[Haleylvr4evr]

American Idol is back for its 13th season with a two-night event beginning this Wednesday and Thursday at 8/7 p.m. on FOX.

But before we look ahead to another season of incredible undiscovered talent, let’s go back to the performances that brought us (and the judges) to our feet over the past 12 years.
- See more at: http://www.ryanseacrest.com/2014/01/13/m...arXjd.dpuf

Haley's Bennie & the Jets video is on the list!!

[NUG]

American Idol is back for its 13th season with a two-night event beginning this Wednesday and Thursday at 8/7 p.m. on FOX.

But before we look ahead to another season of incredible undiscovered talent, let’s go back to the performances that brought us (and the judges) to our feet over the past 12 years.
- See more at: http://www.ryanseacrest.com/2014/01/13/m...arXjd.dpuf

Haley's Bennie & the Jets video is on the list!!

I think Haley should have half of those top 20 performances, haha! So happy she made it.

[Himm2]

12 seasons x 20 finalist live performers x an ave. of 10 songs performed by each = 1200 live performances for them to chose from...hmmm

I'll accept that Haley has at least one most memorable performance displayed of those 1200 choices.

[mercfan3]

Weird picks though. I would have expected IWHN or HOTRS over Bennie. Scotty's "Amazed is a weird choice for him too. I would have gone with "Gone" or the Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning.

[Himm2]

They may have picked B&tJets because it was the first time she really stood out from the pack and got the acclaim she deserved from the judges. IWHN & HOTRS was after the audience had already started jumping on her bandwagon.

[My Alter Ego]

LOL! Man, how Ryan has changed over the years!

Mercfan, I agree -- there are a lot of performances in this list that I see as questionable. That was really Kelly's most memorable performance?? Seriously? Reuben Studdard does have a lovely voice, but his performance skills are so BOR-RING. (So, Reuben "switches it up" [a stupid phrase, btw] by changing the hand that his mike is in and extending the non-mike holding hand. --- O-kay.) And that song??? Memorable??? Really??

And Lee DeWyze made this list at all?? Oh please!

But, yes, I'm glad that the lovely Lady Reinhart is on it. Maybe not the most memorable song for me (or you, Mercfan) -- but, it was her break out moment on Idol and she did make the list.

[Tusk]

I think Moanin' was not only memorable but, also refreshingly unexpected, perhaps worthy, even moreso, of the 'memorable' descriptor because it was unlike the normal Idol contrived and unimaginative song list...

[mercfan3]

Moanin' was also an incredible duet. Which is pretty rare on these shows. (I can only name 2 others.)

Sometimes they can be good. (Scotty and Lauren did a good one) A lot of times they are bad. But Moanin' was a moment type of performance.

I agree that Bennie was her breakout song, but I don't think there's another performance in Idol history as good as HOTRS (Maybe..maybe..Candice's Lovesong.)

[My Alter Ego]

I think Moanin' was not only memorable but, also refreshingly unexpected, perhaps worthy, even moreso, of the 'memorable' descriptor because it was unlike the normal Idol contrived and unimaginative song list...

Thank you, Tusk! I didn't want to say it because: a) I think the list is supposed to be of competitive performances (and Moanin wasn't a competitive performance); and b.) if I had, you all would have thought something along the lines of "of course MAE would say that -- she always does... blah, blah, blah."

But, yes -- this performance was completely out of the norm. In fact, in another thread I mentioned that one of the reasons that this performance was my favorite was because it was so very unexpected.

And yet, remember the reaction?? The in-house audience went nuts. Ryan "went" to the judges, something that was rare (if done at all) for result night performances prior to that. And J-Lo said that it seemed as though they had been "performing all of their lives." In reality, Haley and Casey have both been performing for about half of their lives. But, I think Jennifer probably meant to say that it seemed that the two of them had been performing together all of their lives. Which is what can happen when good musicians get together.

Yes, this was certainly my most memorable performance. And it was our first taste of what Haley and Casey can produce together -- a collaboration that many of us wish to continue (and maybe expand a bit).

[Babbs234]

I'm very happy Haley made this list. There were 120 top ten finalists over the past 12 seasons with so many performances to choose from. To have Haley stick out in their minds as one of the best is very cool!! And what we have known all along!