Joshua Ledet’s cover of “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” was one of the showstopping performances of the season. (Photo by FOX’s Michael Becker.)
By: Jacob Elyachar
Stop! If you have not read part one of this two-part series, click on the link before you read this article: https://jakes-take.com/2012/05/21/the-top-10-best-performances-from-american-idol-season-11-part-one/
The American Idol finale is where dreams are realized and superstars are born. Tonight, Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips will perform three songs: their favorite performance of the season, Idol creator Simon Fuller’s selection and their coronation song. Part two of my series features performances from both finalists and eliminated fan favorites.
5. Colton Dixon, Piano Man (Top 10-Billy Joel Week)
Colton stole Top 10 week and cemented himself as a frontrunner that could have won the competition with this performance. His vocals were fantastic and his showmanship was spot on.
To watch the performance that made Colton Dixon a star, click here: http://youtu.be/53tw5c9H5g4
4. Elise Testone, Whole Lotta Love (Top Nine-Personal Idols)
Elise struck gold when she sang the Led Zeppelin classic that impressed both in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine and guest mentor Stevie Nicks during rehearsals. When she hit the stage and sang this song, it was an instant Idol moment.
Elise’s cover of “Whole Lotta Love” brought the house down and was one of the best performances of Personal Idols night. Click here to watch it: http://youtu.be/Usn3o3kle44
3. Elise Testone & Phillip Phillips, Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around (Top Eight- 1980s Week)
One of the best duets of this season was Elise and Phillip’s cover of Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty’s 1981 hit: “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” This performance featured a lot of vocal chemistry that exploded on the Idol stage and wowed their respective fanbases, the Judges and the audience.
While Elise and Phillip did not receive a standing ovation from the Judges for this performance, this duet was truly remarkable. To re-watch this performance, click here: http://youtu.be/PqdW4eEFcIM
2. Jessica Sanchez, I Will Always Love You (Top 13-Whitney Houston)
The youngest singer in the competition started her path to the finale with an impressive tribute to the late Whitney Houston. This was one of the only two master class vocal performances of the entire season.
To watch Jessica’s best performance of the season that received a standing ovation from the Judges, click here: http://youtu.be/kPX-H3KGjJI
1. Joshua Ledet, It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World (Top Four- Songs They Wish They’d Written)
When it came to choosing who would take the top spot on in this countdown, I chose Joshua Ledet because he always delivered explosive and memorable performances during his tenure on Idol. Joshua’s cover of the Godfather of Soul’s signature song was the season’s best performance because it showed off his vocal range and astonishing showmanship.
Despite the fact that he came in third, Joshua has a bright recording career in front of him. Click here to watch this outstanding performance: http://youtu.be/j4babjH3QF8
American Idol’s two-part finale starts tonight with the final performance show of the season at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST on FOX.
