"American Idol" Song Data
Posted May 6th, 2008 by Rich Heldenfels
Creedence yes, Ike & Tina no.
I had some trouble getting onto the Rock Hall Web site earlier, but I wanted to check whether tonight's contestants stuck to the hall's "500 songs that shaped rock and roll" list that the hall thought was the basis of tonight's song selection. Now that I've checked, the answer is basically yes, although there were some nuanced differences.
David Archuleta: Both Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and Elvis's "Love Me Tender" are on the list.
Jason Castro: "I Shot the Sheriff" is on the list, credited to the Wailers (with a note that the Wailers included Bob Marley). "Mr. Tambourine Man" is on the list, but for the Byrds' version, not Bob Dylan's original.
David Cook: Both Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" and the Who's "Baba O'Riley" are on the list.
Syesha Mercado: Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" is on the list. "Proud Mary" is on the list in the Creedence Clearwater Revival version, not the Ike & Tina version she drew on.
I'm not saying there was any more rule-bending here than in any given category on "Idol."
But, as you can see from the complete list, there were some real opportunities that the contestants didn't take on. I've already said that I don't think the show licensed the entire catalog. Still, the possibilities for great performances were considerable, and tonight's so-so results are yet another reason to lament the state of the show this season.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:14 am
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
May 7th, 2008 at 1:04 am
[...] Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night: here are quick notes as I am watching, slightly delayed on TiVo: S… wrote an interesting post today on "American Idol" Song DataHere's a quick excerpt"American Idol" Song Data May 6th, 2008 Creedence yes, Tina no. I had some trouble getting onto the Rock Hall Web site earlier, but I wanted to check whether tonight's contestants stuck to the hall's "500 songs that shaped rock and roll" list. But now that I've checked, he answer is basically yes, although there were some nuanced differences. David Archuleta: Both Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and Elvis's "Love Me Tender" are on the list. Jason Castro: "I Shot the Sheriff" is on the list, [...]
May 7th, 2008 at 7:33 am
No one will be able to convince me that Jason Castro is just "phoning it in" at this point. If he's saved tonight, its a joke and he should just say "look, I've done all I can, I don't want to be here" and walk away.
May 7th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Wow, now that I see the list, I'm really mad. You're right, these kids missed some incredible opportunities. And we had to sit thru Proud Mary, Stand by Me, I Shot the Sheriff and Mr. Tambourine Man???????
May 7th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Well, Elizabeth, the Castronauts or whatever they call themselves are still in Jason's court. (See http://jasoncastroonline.com. Some strong language.) And you're right, Eric, one look at that song list tells you how unimaginative things have gotten this year.