Trama

Theme: Songs From the Year In Which Contestants Were Born. Songs performed: Ramiele Malubay -- "Alone"; Jason Castro -- "Fragile"; Syesha Mercado -- "If I Were Your Woman"; Chikezie -- "If Only For One Night"; Brooke White -- "Every Breath You Take"; Michael Johns -- "We Will Rock You/ We Are the Champions"; Carly Smithson -- "Total Eclipse of the Heart"; David Archuleta -- "You're the Voice"; Kristy Lee Cook -- "God Bless the USA"; David Cook -- "Billie Jean."—IMDb editor

American Idol: The Top Ten Perform March 25, 2008

Attack of the Piano Ballads! (Or at least mostly piano-based songs)

Ryan opens by noting that the Top Ten is now set and introduces Ricky and the band and the judges.

Simon does his usual wink and Paula is wearing long, fingerless, black arm gloves.

Tonight's theme: "Family Album: The Year The Contestants Were Born"

Tidbits: Joely Fisher and Brad Garrett of Fox's "'Til Death," which is airing right after Idol, are in the audience.

Contestant #1:Ramiele Malubay. Sept. 6, 1987 Video Reveals: Supercute baby pictures, that she bit other little girls when she was kid and that she was a microphone hog at karaoke parties.

Song: "Alone," Heart

Performance: This is a great song that gets overdone on this show, with Carrie Underwood's probably being the best. Her pitch is all over the place.

Randy: Says it wasn't the right song choice for her, for him and that "it was a little pitchy all over the place."

Paula: Is glad that America has heard her sing prior to this. Says she was brave to do what she did since Ramiele is very sick. (Paula and Randy sound sick too)

Simon: He thought the first part was okay and that it wasn't as bad as Randy says but that in the middle "it all got a bit shrieky and shouty." He adds that considering she got through last week she will again this week.

Ryan chat: Ramiele says that she doesn't actually have the flu, just that her voice went "bye-bye." (We're thinking she might go bye-bye tomorrow night.)

Contestant #2: Jason Castro. Mar. 25, 1987 (Happy Birthday!)

Video Reveals: He doesn't realize that he does in fact know how to pronounce Aries. Those baby blues were there from the beginning. Great video of him and his brother playing with toy guitars and keytars.

Song:"Fragile," Sting

Performance: He accompanies himself on acoustic guitar on a song about peace that will probably be unfamiliar to a lot of the audience. He sings part of it in Spanish. It's very soft and the song doesn't offer much range but he does fine.

Randy: It's one of his favorites but thinks that Jason didn't do anything different vocally. He concludes it was nice.

Paula: Says that he's staying true to who he is, that it's a beautiful song, thinks he's playing it safe and didn't wow her but that's who he is.

Simon: Thinks he's had two bad weeks - which is met with a smattering of boos. He says "I think it's time you start taking this a little bit more seriously" and calls it the equivalent of someone busking outside a subway station. Says Jason is potentially a winner but not with performances like this week after week. The mosh pit disagrees.

Ryan chat: He asks Jason if he's taking it seriously. He says he is and does the cute head duck thing and then agrees with Simon's comment that his guitar playing was a little sloppy.

Contestant #3: Syesha Mercado. Jan. 2, 1987

Video Reveals: That she was a big crybaby as a kid and then she does that creepy cry-baby thing again. She was on a dance team as a kid and talks about her many sides including mature and goofy.

Song: "If I Were Your Woman." This is generally considered a Gladys Knight track, and recordings of it go as far back as 1976 but Stephanie Mills did do a version in 1987

Performance: Syesha shows off her mature side and reverts to her big fluffy hair. This is a classic diva track and she does a good, if not particularly exciting, job of it, going up high at the end.

Randy: Believes this was a good moment for Syesha calling it her best performance ever. He also thinks it was stellar, blazing hot, was shocked and says "We've got another competitor in the competition!"

Paula: Agrees and says this is going to be the moment everyone remembers that Syesha flipped it and became the dark horse and thinks she's going to sail through to next week.

Simon: It's three for three as the Brit agrees it was definitely her best so far. He disagrees about the end with Randy, however, saying the high notes stretched the limits of her voice.

Contestant #4: Chikezie Eze. Sept. 11, 1985. Interviewed by Ryan in Coca-Cola corner he says that even though the judges didnt like his ballads, the voice coaches and Ricky Minor told him to follow his heart.

Video Reveals: SUPER cute baby photos. His parents said he hummed "Stand by Me" from age 3. (Side note: Does anyone else think his dad looks like Rog from "What's Happening!") Chikezie says Nigerian cultural music was played in his home where faith and education were the focus.

Song: "If Only For One Night."This is a Brenda Russell song but Luther Vandross did the most famous version in 1985.

Performance: Another piano ballad. Chikezie's got lovely tone but it comes off as a generic soul ballad, which is what the judges were warning him about. (The quiet-storm-y background video of flickering candles doesn't help.) He also reaches out to the ladies in the arm-waving mosh pit. Nice but snoozy.

Randy: Was disappointed that he didn't make it feel young and hip like Syesha did with her song and calls it a throwback and kind of boring.

Paula: Disagrees saying Chikezie is a good throwback. She also thinks he did a great job with the "textures" of his vocals. Considering the vibe, we think those textures might've had traces of bearskin rug.

Simon: Thinks he sang it well but that the performance was cheesy with the reaching out to the audience and what not. Chikezie counters that since the performance is for the audience it made sense. Simon shoots back that the performance was really for Chikezie. He says he misses his personality and originality and Randy agrees.

Contestant #5: Brooke White. June 2, 1983 Video Reveals: She's the oldest of four and was a cute, towheaded kid. Her mom looks super-young. She plays piano by ear and has since she was very young. She loves seeing her family in the audience and misses them.

Song: "Every Breath You Take," The Police

Performance: Her straightened locks look great but she muffs the opening and starts again. It's just her and, that's right, her piano, for this ballad. Then the strings come in. Then the band comes in on the bridge. It's a fine performance but also on the sleepy side.

Randy: Thought it was an interesting song choice and that the front part was good, mistake notwithstanding. He didn't love the arrangement and was waiting for something different to happen.

Paula: Liked it more than last week's ultra-yellow "Here Comes the Sun." She says Brooke is unique and has her own niche.

Simon: Agrees with Randy about the arrangement and thought it would've been cooler if it had just been her and the piano and once the band joined in it got old-fashioned. That said, he thought it was good enough to keep her in for another week.

Contestant #6: Michael Johns. Oct. 20, 1978 Video Reveals: His parents say he was a big smiler who was also very competitive. He has a sister with whom that competitive edge reared its head. He wanted to be a tennis player until music found him at 15

Song: "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions," Queen

Performance: There's lots of white lights flashing and people in the band and audience are doing the stadium rock clap. He shows off a nice guttural edge in the first part and then when "Champions" kicks in (which begins as, you guessed it, a piano ballad) he keeps the intensity up. So far it's the most lively performance of the night and it also draws the biggest and longest cheers from the crowd.

Randy: Thinks that Michael finally believes in himself and that it's the best performance he's given since he's been on the show.

Paula: Says he found the right song and calls it his "shining moment."

Simon: Agrees saying "This is the first time with you I saw star potential. You just got it right." He calls it the only memorable performance of the night so far.

Contestant #7: Carly Smithson. Sept. 12, 1983

Video Reveals: She had a big old head of curly hair as a kid, thinks she's a classic Virgo, and her mom says she named her after Carly Simon who was playing on the radio in car on the way to the hospital.

Song: "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Bonnie Tyler

Performance: Starts out as a, gasp, piano ballad. This is pretty much a straight cover with Carly getting a little raspy for the occasion. In fact, it feels almost like an impression until the very last note when she goes all nutty with awkward melisma. (She has terrific breath control, though).

Randy: Thinks it's an interesting song choice but he only liked it, didn't love it. He thinks the note at the end went sharp. He's not a fan of the rock thing for her. (Although didn't he love her version of "Come Together"?)

Paula: Believes that Carly could take a song she didn't like and make her buy it. Unlike Randy she loved the end and didn't care that it wasn't in tune.

Simon: Thinks that even though she sang parts very well that she was too tense or uptight and tells her to lighten up a little bit.

Contestant #8: David Archuleta. Dec. 28, 1990. David chats with Ryan in Coca-Cola corner. He reveals that he's going to school in Hollywood, laments that he's missed a few dances, and worries he might miss the prom. Ryan then embarrasses him by asking if the girl he might take is in the audience and then Fox embarrasses her by putting her on camera.

Video Reveals: That he has a brother and three sisters. His parents say everyone gets along great. Then there's sweet video of David and his older sister dancing as kids.

Song: "You're the Voice." This song was popularly done by Aussie rocker John Farnham but we think Archuleta knows, or was directed to, the 1991 version by Heart from the "Essential Heart" cd, which is clearly getting a workout this season. Which is just fine because we heart Heart. (David Foster also apparently did a version in 1990)

Performance: It's not a ballad but there's plenty of piano. It's an uptempo anthem about peace and Archuleta is earnest, vocally strong, and the crowd digs it.

Randy: Calls it a strange song choice but says Archuleta's got "mad skills."

Paula: Says they were all trying to figure out the song, and this is when Farnham's name comes up. She also says David could sing the phone book and she'd love it.

Simon: Thinks he sang it well in parts but didn't like the performance at all and likens it to a theme park performance: "one of those ghastly songs when you've got animated creatures with you and everyone joins in together." He adds he'd be amazed if David chose the song himself because "it's not you."

Contestant #9: Kristy Lee Cook. Jan. 18, 1984

Video Reveals: That Kristy was a really loud, blond, smiley kid who started singing at about two. She used to annoy her siblings by singing on car trips.

Song: "God Bless the U.S.A.," Lee Greenwood

Performance: Definitely her best so far, her voice is strong and rousing and it's a very savvy, unimpeachably patriotic choice.

Randy: Calls it very nice . Paula: Says it was poignant and respectful and a good choice, noting the growing strength of her voice.

Simon: Thinks it was her best performance "by a mile" and the most clever song choice he's heard in years. He also calls Greenwood a brilliant writer and says the song will keep her in the competition.

Contestant #10: David Cook. Dec. 20, 1982

Video Reveals: That his family thinks he was a cute kid but he felt as if he had the massive skull of a supervillain from Marvel comics. He got his first guitar at 2 and there's a shot of him in sunglasses and shorts standing on his bed rocking out as a toddler.

Song: "Billie Jean," which Ryan calls Chris Cornell's version of the Michael Jackson song. (It's on the former Soundgarden frontman's latest solo album)

Performance: This one is acoustic guitar based, slowed down to waltz time and hews closely to Cornell's take. It's amazing how indestructible the melody to this song is and Cook sings it well with his excellent pitch and rising intensity. He nails some money notes at the climax.

Randy: Thinks Cook is the most original and bold contestant "Idol" has ever had. And that performance might be the one that helps him win the whole thing. It was also "blazing, molten, hot."

Paula: Can't sit down as she marvels at how smart, brave, and willing to stretch the boundaries Cook is.

Simon: Agrees about the bravery saying "it could've either been insane or amazing and I have to tell you it was amazing."