Purging my soul…one blog at a time.

Songs You’ll Never Hear on American Idol Auditions

For the record, I can’t stand American Idol. For the first four seasons or so, I completely ignored it. However, at the beginning of the last few seasons, I have always watched the open auditions in various cities.

What interests me about the auditions is the song choices. I am surprised at what songs are repeatedly chosen and even more surprised at what songs auditioners pass over each year. So I have a running list of songs that I believe I will never hear at an Idol audition, including the one that I personally would sing (alas, though I am too old) at an audition. I would sing “The Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley. You can hear the song from the album “Grace” through the media player link. Sultry lows and shreiking highs – all in one song. In the original key, thank you very much! :) I am convinced I will never hear this song by an American Idol contestant…ever. They’re too busy singing Fergie and Justin Timberlake.

Since I haven’t posted on music – one of my passions, I plan to tell what CDs never leave my car in the next post or so.

So, for all you American Idol fans out there, what song(s) do you  think you will never hear during American Idol auditions?

March 3, 2008 - Posted by Sam | American Idol, music | , , , , | 10 Comments

10 Comments »

  1. I don’t know but i hope i never have to hear another Kansas song butchered like Rocker Girl did a couple of weeks ago…or another Beatles song like last Tuesday night!

    Comment by Tracey | March 14, 2008 | Reply

  2. Kansas…ummm…good band. Yeah, attempting to make a Beatles song your own would prove to be difficult for anyone.

    Comment by Sam | March 15, 2008 | Reply

  3. Hey Sam… first off, great blog you’ve got going here. I sort of stumbled upon it, as they say, but I’m glad I did!

    Anyways, sorry to comment on such an old post, but this talk of Jeff Buckley just wouldn’t allow otherwise. The man is (or was, I suppose…) simply amazing. The Last Goodbye is definitely a great song–possibly my favorite off Grace–though it’s hard to beat Hallelujah.

    But to answer the question, I doubt there are very many artists I listen to that I’ll being hearing in an American Idol audition. I tend to keep a safe distance from “mainstream” music.

    Comment by Blake | August 4, 2008 | Reply

  4. … and that winking smiley should be a parentheses. Typos are a bit of a pet peeve for me. haha

    Comment by Blake | August 4, 2008 | Reply

  5. Blake –

    Thanks for commenting, man. Yeah, Buckley is so great – an excellent example of what songs rarely do find their way on to AI. This post has received a lot of interenet search attention, so it’ll be interesting to see if someone sings “Last Goodbye” at their audition and makes the cut. It may not be this post at all, but then again… :)

    I love “Hallelujah” as well – beautiful song. that note Buckley holds at the end is unreal.

    Sam

    Comment by Sam | August 4, 2008 | Reply

  6. I stumbled across this site as well.. I need help! I’m auditioning this Wednesday in Kansas City, MO. My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 6, and of course now is the time I’ve chosen to change my song.

    I originally had these in mind for possible song choices, all of which I’ve made into jazzier (is that a word?) versions to suit my voice

    -Come Rain or Come Shine; Bette Middler
    -Desperado; good ol’ Eagles
    -Blue Bayou; Linda Ronstadt
    -The Way We Were; Barbra Streisand (typical, I know, but I sing it well)
    -Fly Me To The Moon; Sinatra

    I think it would be difficult, at least with my voice and a capella, to sing Buckley’s Last Goodbye. But how about Hallelujah for an audition? It would be more like Rufus Wainwright’s version.. but I know it like the back of my hand.

    Let me know which song would be best! And I’ll let you know if I made it or not this Sunday, when I fly back :]

    Comment by boZo | August 5, 2008 | Reply

  7. WHOOPS! This Friday, I leave Wednesday (tomorrow)

    Comment by boZo | August 5, 2008 | Reply

  8. boZo -

    Good luck with your audition! Personally, I don’t know your vocal range or anything, so it’s hard to suggest a song for you. I like the songs you listed – classic standards so the judges can hear your voice and style inside a familiar song. Hallelujah is beautiful, however, it’s a fairly limited melody and repeats over and over like hymn stanza. Unless you can change up the delivery, I would stick with one that is not so repetitive and has a wider range to showcase your voice.

    I’d pick the song you like the most, and hopefully that will come through when you sing it. Good luck – I hope you do well. Thanks for letting some random internet guy in on your song selection. Hopefully, you have some people close to you who have heard you sing and have given you some tangible feedback. I’m sure you’ll do fine with whatever you choose. Let me know how it goes!

    Sam

    Comment by Sam | August 6, 2008 | Reply

  9. Since your post is about A. I., I want to dive into this conversation, although I’m not answering the question in your post. My comment is more about how today’s churches have been co-opted by A. I. culture.

    I’ve watched a few episodes of American Idol the last few weeks, especially the Final 36 competition. The three songs that I remember most were “oldies”: one from the 80s and two from the 60s. Two of the songs, “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (1966) and “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981), were deemed “too old-fashioned.”

    These comments remind me of worship services in churches today. A song from one or two years ago would be judged too old, if people even remember it. This is fallen human nature, ever craving for new things, as when Paul was asked by the Athenians if he had any new teaching to introduce to them (Acts 17:19).

    “‘New Song’ and American Idol(atry)”

    Comment by dvopilgrim | March 4, 2009 | Reply

  10. uh…

    Any decent song?? if it’s decent, then it will be chopped and sliced and thrown away for spare parts…

    Comment by Tigerpants | March 27, 2009 | Reply


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