If you were on American Idol.....
 

I am amazed every year at the song selection during the first round of the final 24 - we hear the judges criticize the songs and tell the contestants they have to bring it. Why do we keep getting "lullabies" from the majority of the constestants?

If you were a contestant on American Idol, what song would you sing and why?

...if I were on American Idol, Fox could be sued for cruel and unusual punishment by the viewers!

My friends and I have had lengthy discussions about what we would use for our AI audition song. My go to song is "Sweet Child of Mine." This is, of course, dependent upon me actually being able to sing (which I can't).

I think if I were auditioning for AI, going a cappella, I think I might choose Material Girl by Madonna. Upbeat, and can be sung fairly well even without the music. It has sharps and flats, so I could show how well I can control my voice. Either that or Mercedes Benz, by Janis Joplin. Funny little tune, meant to be sung a cappella.

Once I made it to the 24 or 12 and could have some back-up and a band, I think I might choose Janis again, Piece of My Heart. Or maybe Somebody to Love, by Jefferson Airplane. Or All Things (Just Keep Getting Better) -- original theme from the Queer Eye series. Yeah, that would be a song you could really perform and get the crowd all riled up!

Fun!

I've actually thought about auditioning for AI... I think the song I would sing would probably be "Let's Give Them Something To Talk About" Bonnie Raitt or "The Swan Song" by one of my favorite bands, Within Temptation. I think both of them would really show off my range and colorful singing. Alas, AI has never come within 800 miles of me, and I've never been able to afford to fly where it is.

Jules you can't be any worse than some of the ones who are on there LOL.... I love it! I would get tossed off the stage though. :) Simon would have a heyday with me!!

I've considered auditioning as well, but certainly not until I've lost LOTS of weight! I agree, though--I can understand singing a slow song in the initial audition, but once you're in the top 24, you need to really PERFORM...get the crowd going, bring excitement, keep it upbeat! I get so BORED with all the sappy slow songs...why do you think the "rockers" always do so well, even if they don't really actually sing very well (*ahem* Constantine *ahem*)?

I like the idea of "Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About." I might also go with some standby classics like "Respect." I think my personal first choice would be "I Will Survive."

I'd sing "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by REM. I know I wouldn't have a chance anyway, so why not take the time I have to yell really fast into a mic and have fun? :D

I'd probably sing "Final Distance" by Hikaru Utada because I sang it often during karaoke in Japan and I felt I could sing it well. It's Japanese, but I like it and it's hard for me to find pop songs that fit my voice well!! After so many years singing in choirs, I pretty much can't sing anything except opera and classical without it sounding like crap :( I hate it.

I'm going to be doing a solo in May for our big Variety Show, though, and I've already decided I'm going to sing "Blue Orchid" by the White Stripes. That way I can rock out and show off my soprano-ness.

Probably Gretchen Wilson's I'm Here for the Party. I think that's a good party song. If only I could sing..........but I can't :P

Great suggestions so far - too bad we can't talk to the contestants before they decide! I would probably go with something upbeat like Tennesse Plates by John Hiatt or soulful like Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (my favorite song of all time).

Of course, I'm too old (37) to audition, so you won't see me out there unless AI decides to do a take off show called "American Idol - One Last Shot At The Dream" for all of us over 35.....

Hey Simon, you listening out there????

IF I could sing...and really sing...I'd sing Kelly Clarkson - Since You Been Gone. I always threaten my DD that when I go to her school for Activity night, I"m going to the karaoke room and sing it...after I make sure everyone in the room knows I'm her mom. Hey...I'm just making up for the stretch marks she gave me... :lol3:

I also would like to sing that Santana/Michelle Branch song that goes "little bit of this...little bit of that..." The game of love!! That's it...Couldn't think of it for a minute.

I'd do "Ring of Fire". Few people realize it was written by a woman (June Carter Cash, actually), and I don't think it's ever been recorded by a woman, so it'd be different. My voice honestly doesn't lend itself too well to a lot of faster-paced songs.

"Ace of Spades" by Motorhead.


....okay, just kidding! I always thought "Never Been To Spain" by 3 Dog Night would be a great song for one of the guys to sing. "Thing Called Love" by Bonnie Raitt for the girls would be good, or the original version by John Hiatt. But there are way too many sleepers this year. And if they're not singing sleepers, they're singing cheeseball songs like the one I just saw, Donna Summer's "Last Dance". Come ON!

Lena: You have great taste in music.

Cindy B.

Hehe I've been threatening DS with the same thing since he was in kindergarten. He's in high school now. The look of abject terror on his face is priceless, even now!

Cindy B. : Thanks! I love music, all sorts, all genres. I'm even trying to appreciate some of the hip-hop stuff, but that's just a bit of a stretch for a 70's-gal like me (decade, not age, although they're merging faster than I want to think about :o !

Hey, just a thought... Do the contestants have to choose from a pre-determined list of available songs? Who makes up that playlist? I sure wish I had some input -- I'd give 'em a playlist with some spunk to it!

Feel like making love the kid rock version

I agree, Lena... their song choices could really use some of your spunk. :)

I'm not 100% sure how it works, but I know in order to perform a song on the show, you have to have the artist's permission. That's not true for the initial auditions because they are performed a capella and are not earning anything from it, so you can sing whatever you want at an open audition (there are a bunch of other reasons/regulations, but that's it in an itty bitty nutshell). That's why some people sang Kelly Clarkson songs for their auditions, but now they can't because she hasn't given Fox permission for them to sing her songs on the show.

I wish they would pick more upbeat songs or, if they must pick ballads, pick something I know so I can tell if you're doing it well, not some obscure song I've never heard before! :dizzy: I think if I were on the show, I would do some obscure stuff, but it would be fun (Center of Attention by Guster, maybe a little quirky OAR). Ooh, and I think I'd do '8 Days a Week' by the Beatles (and just change all occurences of "girl" to "boy") :p

I think I would choose one of the songs from my first CD, "Eight Days a Week" by the Beatles. Maybe follow it up with Roberta Flack's "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face." Okay, I paid $50 to a guy at a Beatlefest to record the CD and I think Simon Cowell would pay me $50.00 not to sing.:D

Ooooo "First Time Ever I saw Your Face"... absolutely beautiful song. I need to go ITune that!

Addendum: Anything from Joss Stone, Dido or Norah Jones. My new three favorites. ;)

My daughter was the "new" kid, she joined drama in her freshman year. One of the things they had to do was sing acepella--She picked Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic". Two of the girls in the class were in choir too and after she was done, they were like "wow" and tried to get her to join. She didn't--she said the school was a "jock" school and most of the ones who were in choir were also the snobby jocks. BTW she is also very athletic and when they saw her in gym class the coaches were on her big time. The funniest story she told about gym class was when they did archery. She had won patches at a christian summer camp for archery and blew some of the guys away. The only ones that did as well as her were the ones that did bow & arrow hunting.

Hi Jules

Your daughter sounds like a neat kid and able to be her own person! Glad you can be so proud of her!!

I'd probably pick "Superstar" by Jamelia, I love that song! Or "Creep" by Radiohead. With editing of the swear words of course. Or if I was feeling really fed up of Cowell "Not if you were the last junkie on earth" by Dandy Warhols!!! We get a lot of Cowell here, as he is British, he's so annoying (but kinda cute in a black t-shirt!!!)

I though tof a good song--True Colors by Cyndi Lauper which was also recorded by Phil Collins so male or female could pull it off!

Both my kids are very special!! I am very proud. Neither are followers which made me glad and both will stand up for the under-dog!