The 20 Most Memorable Performances on ‘American Idol’

[john]

Lists like this are never perfect, especially since there rarely is a consensus as to what is best. Some of the selections on this list seem odd, including the selection of BATJ as Haley's stand out. But I can live with BATJ being the song they chose. It was her breakout.

For AI the list underscores that fact that they have been doing this a long time, unlike some other singing shows. It also creates buzz as people argue about who was best. It puts people in a position to say, yeah those are great performances, but how could you leave <insert favorite here> off the list?!?? It's even greater!! So, right or wrong on the selections, the presentation of Most Memorable performances is accomplishing its marketing purpose.

The absence of Moanin' was the first thing I thought about in looking at the list. AI gets a pass because it wasn't a competitive performance but it should get a special mention for being totally awesome and unique. MAE isn't the only one who likes Moanin.

[buzzenator]

About the first 30 comments after Seacrest's list deal with the outrage that David Archuleta's Imagine performance was not listed...then these comments:

Barb Burgess · Works at Land Title Guarantee
This definitely needs Haleys House of the Rising Sun
Reply · 4 · · 14 hours ago

Jerry Thomas · Top commenter
If I remember correctly Haley had 6 standing ovations during her season and one being HOTRS
Reply · 1 · · 10 hours ago

Gregg Anderson · Top commenter · Internet Systems Administrator at Enventis
Not sure why that Haley Reinhart Elton John song is included. That was pretty bad and there are far better performances.
Reply · 2 · · 14 hours ago

Jonney Calway · Assistant Manager at Haley Reinhart's Growl
are u serious LOL spits out Water...omg you are funny
Reply · · 10 hours ago

Jonney Calway · Assistant Manager at Haley Reinhart's Growl
And still the hate towards Haley...people saying Benny and the jets by Haley Reinhart doesn't belong in this list.Ya'll funny...because actually more of her performances belonged in this list..I who have nothing and House of the Rising Sun as well as her Duet "Moanin" with Casey...and haley is a heck of a singer..huge range amazing belter great style of singing poise and embrace..as adam lambert said "Haley is such an amazing singer she does things with her voice, singers cant even dream about" and that is the truth..
Reply · · 10 hours ago

[Himm2]

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...

The Scatting & Jazz boundaries were broken in 2007 with negative results when Leslie Hunt tried it with "Feelin' Good" where she ended her swansong changing the Lyrics to "Why did I decide to scat? America don't care for Jazz". It's about the only swansong I can recall where the other contestants were "Moanin' tears uncontrollably at a competitor's demise:

---

Most Memorable??? of Haley Reinhart's performances I remember more distinctly her last non-swansong she sang "What Is & What Shall Never Be" (complete with the trip recovery) and the song she got beat up the most for: Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" that I truly love every time it comes up on my ipod.

[mercfan3]

I get chills every time I watch "Earth Song"

As much as I agree with Slezak in that its probably a hard song to sing in 1:30 because it needs a buildup..there's still something about it that gives me "goosies"

[lauraliz]

I'm happy to see Haley on the list--and she so deserves it. There were a quite a few of her performances that could have been included. Actually, I was quite taken with Blue.

And Moanin should have gotten some kind of special mention

I saw the list the other day--don't remember all the songs--but was surprised by a few of them included. I tried to look at it now but it's not coming up

[ISCAT4HALEY]

For me Haley’s performance of “Earth Song” was the most memorable because of the rollercoaster of emotion I went through. I felt she nailed the Michael Jackson song. The dynamics of the song and Haley’s subtle and serene beginning, then the power in her voice, where she really excels, at the end matching the full choir behind her perfectly expressing the message of the song made me so excited because of the ups and downs Haley had been through on the show. I thought to myself, Top that!

Then to hear what Jennifer Lopez and especially Randy Jackson said made me cringe, “Did you even see the same performance?” Wrong song choice? Michael Jackson might have thought differently. I was so disappointed and angry at the same time. Then Randy Jackson went on and on, making assessments that just weren’t true about Haley’s singing. I was so upset and at that point realized I will do my small part to support Haley and I immediately went to iTunes and downloaded all of Haley’s studio songs up to that point. I know, I should have done that much earlier. Thank goodness for Steven Tyler and his continued backing of Haley saying they were both wrong.

I loved Haley’s fire and determination not to back down and her grit to come back with her spectacular performance of “I Who Have Nothing”. Just incredible.

[mercfan3]

Randy was so ridiculous. He knows music. He knows she wasn't singing at the top of her range. He knows it's the most famous shout chorus ever, and you don't add freaking runs to it. It was just horrible. And then when they brought all four of them out, just so Randy could name everyone but Haley as the best.

And JLo..lol.."no one knows that song." Really Jennifer. Really. I can't wait to see how she throws all of the pretty girls under the bus again this season. #switchingtothevoice

[Tusk]

I remember back in S10, I would often scan the various Idol sites for comments on that night's episode of AI from East coast viewers (I was unaware of Twitter, at all, just getting into posting on the web), I couldn't wait 3 hours to see it on the West Coast.

For some reason, I remember one particular poster just yukked it up about Haley's performance of BATJ.... She made a point to guffaw at the way Haley extended the S's at the end of "Jetssssssss". "Just awful" She posted...

I finally accepted that I liked Haley waaaay more than my initial favorites, James and Lauren. To hear this mocking critique, a sense of dread that I've finally gone all in w/ Haley, for her to crash and burn.... Of course that changed once I saw the performance and the ensuing praise that followed

Now that I think of it, the memories that are most emotionally indelible in my mind, were all the times I thought, Haley was down for the count. Full count, 2 outs, final game. She was done. Then she would swing away and.... ooooy yeahhh

The other times I have strong memories of that season included You and I, when everybody, pre-show, said it was a mistake to perform an unknown song, HOTRS and, of course, "Earth Song"

I Who have Nothing, was just pure drama, a surpassing of preconception and expecttation to spectacular effect...

[Miguel]

...all the times I thought, Haley was down for the count. Full count, 2 outs, final game. She was done. Then she would swing away and....

Just before Haley takes the stage for "God Bless This Child," she is gripping the microphone with two hands and makes a motion like a slugger night with a bat when standing at home plate.

[Himm2]

^^ Yep...she can sure hit a lot of Home Runs and I don't see her ever striking out.
(just don't always count on her to catch a pop-up behind the plate)