# American Idol season 11

The eleventh season of American Idol premiered on Fox on January 18, 2012, and concluded on May 23, 2012. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler all returned as judges. Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine, a songwriter and producer, also returned as an in-house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis. This season followed the same format as the tenth season. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler both announced that they would be leaving the show two months after the finale, although Lopez later returned as a judge for the show's thirteenth season.
The season set a record when 132 million votes were received for the finale. On May 23, 2012, Phillip Phillips became the winner of the eleventh season of American Idol, beating Jessica Sanchez, who was the runner-up.

## Changes from previous seasons

This season, long-time vocal coach Debra Byrd was replaced by Jimmy Iovine's own team. Additionally, fashion designers Tommy Hilfiger and Soyon An were employed as image advisers for the top 13 finalists.

## Regional auditions

Auditions took place in the following cities:
American Idol (season 10) – regional auditions :
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Golden tickets |
| St. Louis, Missouri | June 28, 2011 | Scottrade Center | September 2–3, 2011 | Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark | 46 |
| Portland, Oregon | July 2, 2011 | Rose Garden | October 1–2, 2011 | Red Lion Hotel | 45 |
| San Diego, California | July 8, 2011 | Petco Park | October 9–10, 2011 | USS Midway | 53 |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | July 15, 2011 | Heinz Field | September 28–29, 2011 | David L. Lawrence Convention Center | 38 |
| North Charleston, South Carolina | July 22, 2011 | North Charleston Coliseum | August 17–18, 2011 | Hyatt Regency, Savannah, Georgia | 42 |
| Denver, Colorado | July 29, 2011 | Invesco Field | October 5–6, 2011 | Doerr-Hosier Center, Aspen, Colorado | 31 |
| Houston, Texas | August 26, 2011 | Reliant Arena | August 30–31, 2011 | Galveston Island Convention Center | 55 |
| East Rutherford, New Jersey | September 22, 2011 | Izod Center | September 24–25, 2011 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | 310 |
* 1 2 The audition episode in East Rutherford was not aired.
The audition in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was a late addition to the schedule. The audition was held, although the attendance was reportedly low. However, the audition episode was not shown. Contestants known to have auditioned in East Rutherford were listed as having auditioned elsewhere on the official American Idol website. For example, Alex Wong, who auditioned in East Rutherford, had San Diego listed as his audition city on the official website.

## Hollywood week

The Hollywood rounds were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium starting December 12, 2011. The 309 contestants performed solo for the first round, and 185 made the cut. Amongst those sent home included Jim Carrey's daughter, Jane Carrey. The second round involved group performances, and a number of contestants became ill and collapsed in the auditorium. 98 contestants moved on to the third and final round: solo performances accompanied by a band or an instrument. The contestants were then separated into four rooms, where one room of 28 contestants were all eliminated, while the 70 contestants in the other three rooms all advanced to the Las Vegas round.
In Las Vegas, the contestants performed traditional 1950s songs in groups with Elvis Presley's "Viva, Elvis!" show as the backdrop. 28 of the 70 contestants were eliminated. Next came a solo round accompanied by an instrument at the stage for Le Rêve at the Wynn Las Vegas. After the 42 remaining contestants sang their last solo, they were summoned one-by-one to appear before the judges. Twelve men and twelve women were initially announced as the semifinalists; however, the judges announced that one of four men eliminated (Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, Richie Law, or David Leathers, Jr.) would be reinstated into the competition as a surprise thirteenth male, rendering it a Top 25 this season. Ultimately, Jones was selected, and revealed at the end of the males' semifinals show for his performance.

## Semifinals

The semifinals began on February 28. The males and females competed on back-to-back nights, and the top five from each group, along with the judges' three Wild Card choices, advanced to the finals.
Color key:

### Top 25

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 25 - Male contestants (February 28) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Reed Grimm | "Moves like Jagger" | Wild Card |
| Adam Brock | "Think" | Eliminated |
| DeAndre Brackensick | "Reasons" | Wild Card |
| Colton Dixon | "Decode" | Advanced |
| Jeremy Rosado | "Gravity" | Wild Card |
| Aaron Marcellus | "Never Can Say Goodbye" | Eliminated |
| Chase Likens | "Storm Warning" | Eliminated |
| Creighton Fraker | "True Colors" | Eliminated |
| Phillip Phillips | "In the Air Tonight" | Advanced |
| Eben Franckewitz | "Set Fire to the Rain" | Eliminated |
| Heejun Han | "Angels" | Advanced |
| Joshua Ledet | "You Pulled Me Through" | Advanced |
| Jermaine Jones | "Dance with My Father" | Advanced |
Top 25 - Female contestants (February 29) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Chelsea Sorrell | "Cowboy Casanova" | Eliminated |
| Erika Van Pelt | "What About Love" | Wild Card |
| Jen Hirsh | "One and Only" | Wild Card |
| Brielle Von Hugel | "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" | Wild Card |
| Hallie Day | "Feeling Good" | Eliminated |
| Skylar Laine | "Stay with Me" | Advanced |
| Baylie Brown | "Amazed" | Eliminated |
| Hollie Cavanagh | "Reflection" | Advanced |
| Haley Johnsen | "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" | Eliminated |
| Shannon Magrane | "Go Light Your World" | Advanced |
| Jessica Sanchez | "Love You I Do" | Advanced |
| Elise Testone | "One and Only" | Advanced |

### Wild Card round

Following the ten singers who advanced on Thursday, March 1, six of the remaining semifinalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. The judges selected three contestants to advance to the final group of 13. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Jen Hirsh | "Oh! Darling" | Eliminated |
| Jeremy Rosado | "I Know You Won't" | Advanced |
| Brielle Von Hugel | "Someone like You" | Eliminated |
| DeAndre Brackensick | "Georgia on My Mind" | Advanced |
| Erika Van Pelt | "The Edge of Glory" | Advanced |
| Reed Grimm | "Use Me" | Eliminated |

## Top 13 finalists

* Phillip Phillips (born September 20, 1990) was from Leesburg, Georgia. He auditioned in North Charleston, singing "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" with the guitar. He performed "I Only Have Eyes For You" with Heejun Han, Neco Starr, and Jairon Jackson in Hollywood.
* Jessica Sanchez (born August 4, 1995) was from San Diego, California. She auditioned in San Diego. She performed "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" with DeAndre Brackensick and Candice Glover in Las Vegas. She also performed "The Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli.
* Joshua Ledet (born April 9, 1992) was from Westlake, Louisiana. He had originally auditioned for the tenth season, but did not make it past the audition stage. He auditioned in Houston, and was dubbed "Mantasia" (ie. the male version of American Idol third season winner Fantasia Barrino) during semifinals. He performed "Blue Suede Shoes" with Shannon Magrane, Amber Holcomb, and Curtis Finch, Jr.
* Hollie Cavanagh (born July 5, 1993) was originally from Liverpool, England, but grew up in McKinney, Texas. She auditioned in Galveston. She had originally auditioned for the tenth season, but was encouraged by Jennifer Lopez to return in a couple of years with practice. Hollie sang "Mr. Sandman" with Naomi Gillies and Marissa Pontecorvo in Las Vegas. She also sang "Change" by American Idol fourth season winner Carrie Underwood.
* Skylar Laine (born February 1, 1994) was from Brandon, Mississippi. She auditioned in Galveston, singing "Hell on Heels" by Pistol Annies. In Las Vegas, she performed "Dedicated to the One I Love" with Colton Dixon, Chase Likens, and Cari Quoyeser.
* Elise Testone (born July 29, 1983) was from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She was originally from Kinnelon, New Jersey. She auditioned in North Charleston with "Get It While You Can" by Janis Joplin.
* Colton Dixon (born October 19, 1991) was from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He auditioned in North Charleston with his younger sister, Schyler. He and Schyler had originally auditioned for the tenth season, but were both cut before the semifinals. Dixon returned in the eleventh season; however he did not plan to audition, and was simply accompanying his sister to her audition. The judges implored Dixon to audition as well, where he sang David Cook's "Permanent". Colton performed "Dedicated to the One I Love" with Skylar Laine, Chase Likens, and Cari Quoyeser in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, Schyler was eliminated, bringing Colton to tears. He performed the Coldplay song "Fix You", and dedicated it to his sister.
* DeAndre Brackensick (born October 21, 1994) was from San Jose, California. He had originally auditioned for the tenth season, but was cut before the semifinals. He auditioned in San Diego. He performed "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" with Jessica Sanchez and Candice Glover in Las Vegas.
* Heejun Han (born April 20, 1989) was from Flushing, New York. He and his family migrated from Anyang, South Korea, when he was a child. He auditioned in Pittsburgh with "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You". His audition brought Jennifer Lopez to tears, and Steven Tyler stated: "I think you are really great. I think you could be the American Idol."
* Erika Van Pelt (born December 12, 1985) was from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. She auditioned in Pittsburgh with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" by the Shirelles.
* Shannon Magrane (born October 21, 1995) was from Tampa, Florida. She is the daughter of Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster and former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joe Magrane. She auditioned in North Charleston with "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James.
* Jermaine Jones (born November 3, 1986) was from Pine Hill, New Jersey. He auditioned in Portland. Jones was not originally chosen for the semifinals, but was called back after the top 24 had been selected. On March 13, he was disqualified for having concealed prior arrests and outstanding warrants.
* Jeremy Rosado (born March 24, 1992) was from Valrico, Florida. Rosado had previously auditioned for American Idol four times.

## Finals

There were twelve weeks of finals with thirteen contestants competing. At least one contestant was eliminated every week based on the public's votes, although the judges could veto one elimination through the use of the "judges' save". On March 15, 2012, during what would have been the top 12, it was announced that Jermaine Jones had been disqualified.
Color key:

### Top 13 – Whitney Houston & Stevie Wonder

Mary J. Blige served as a guest mentor this week. This week, all of the ladies performed one song from the Whitney Houston discography and all of the men performed one song from the Stevie Wonder discography. In a twist, the bottom three from each group were announced the next night. The man and the woman who each received the fewest votes faced the judges, who had to decide which contestant would be saved and which would be eliminated. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Whitney Houston or Stevie Wonder song | Result |
| Joshua Ledet | "I Wish" | Bottom three |
| Elise Testone | "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | Saved by the judges |
| Jermaine Jones | "Knocks Me Off My Feet" | Bottom two |
| Erika Van Pelt | "I Believe in You and Me" | Bottom three |
| Colton Dixon | "Lately" | Safe |
| Shannon Magrane | "I Have Nothing" | Bottom two |
| DeAndre Brackensick | "Master Blaster (Jammin')" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | Safe |
| Heejun Han | "All in Love Is Fair" | Safe |
| Hollie Cavanagh | "All the Man That I Need" | Safe |
| Jeremy Rosado | "Ribbon in the Sky" | Eliminated |
| Jessica Sanchez | "I Will Always Love You" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | "Superstition" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 13 | "As" |
| Lauren Alaina | "Georgia Peaches" |
| Mary J. Blige | "Why" |

### Top 11 – Contestants' birth year

Jermaine Jones was disqualified prior to the performance show for failing to disclose his criminal past. Footage of executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick confronting Jones was shown during what would have been his performance slot, and he was not replaced in the competition. Footage of his rehearsal singing "Somewhere Out There" and his statement was shown during what would have been his performance slot.
will.i.am served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants each performed one song from the year they were born, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Birth year | Result |
| Phillip Phillips | "Hard to Handle" | 1990 | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | "Turn the Beat Around" | 1995 | Safe |
| Heejun Han | "Right Here Waiting" | 1989 | Safe |
| Elise Testone | "Let's Stay Together" | 1983 | Bottom three |
| DeAndre Brackensick | "Endless Love" | 1994 | Safe |
| Shannon Magrane | "One Sweet Day" | 1995 | Eliminated |
| Colton Dixon | "Broken Heart" | 1991 | Safe |
| Erika Van Pelt | "Heaven" | 1985 | Bottom three |
| Skylar Laine | "Love Sneakin' Up On You" | 1994 | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | 1992 | Safe |
| Hollie Cavanagh | "The Power of Love" | 1993 | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Demi Lovato | "Give Your Heart a Break" |
| Daughtry | "Outta My Head" |

### Top 10 – Billy Joel

P. Diddy served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed one song from the Billy Joel discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
During the results show, the top 10 contestants performed "Happy Birthday to You" along with Joe Perry to celebrate the birthday of judge Steven Tyler.
| Contestant | Billy Joel song | Result |
| DeAndre Brackensick | "Only the Good Die Young" | Bottom three |
| Erika Van Pelt | "New York State of Mind" | Eliminated |
| Joshua Ledet | "She's Got a Way" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | "Shameless" | Safe |
| Elise Testone | "Vienna" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" | Safe |
| Hollie Cavanagh | "Honesty" | Safe |
| Heejun Han | "My Life" | Bottom three |
| Jessica Sanchez | "Everybody Has a Dream" | Safe |
| Colton Dixon | "Piano Man" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 10 | "The Longest Time" |
| Top 10 with Joe Perry | "Happy Birthday to You" |
| Lana Del Rey | "Video Games" |
| Haley Reinhart | "Free" |

### Top 9 – Personal idols

Stevie Nicks served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed two songs each from their own personal idols: one solo and one trio with two fellow contestants. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Personal idol | Result |
| Colton Dixon | 1 | "Everything" | Lifehouse | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | 2 | "Gunpowder & Lead" | Miranda Lambert | Bottom three |
| Heejun Han | 4 | "A Song for You" | Donny Hathaway | Eliminated |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 5 | "Jesus, Take the Wheel" | Carrie Underwood | Bottom three |
| DeAndre Brackensick | 6 | "Sometimes I Cry" | Eric Benét | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 7 | "Sweet Dreams" | Beyoncé | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 9 | "Still Rainin'" | Jonny Lang | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 10 | "Without You" | Mariah Carey | Safe |
| Elise Testone | 12 | "Whole Lotta Love" | Led Zeppelin | Safe |
| Colton Dixon, Phillip Phillips & Elise Testone | 3 | "Landslide" "Edge of Seventeen" "Don't Stop" | Fleetwood Mac & Stevie Nicks | |
| DeAndre Brackensick, Heejun Han & Joshua Ledet | 8 | "The Lady in My Life" "Rock with You" "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" | Michael Jackson | |
| Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine & Jessica Sanchez | 11 | "Like a Prayer" "Borderline" "Express Yourself" | Madonna | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Nicki Minaj | "Starships" |
| Scotty McCreery | "Water Tower Town" |

### Top 8 – Music from the 1980s

Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal served as guest mentors this week. Each contestant performed two songs: one solo and one duet with a fellow contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | 1980s song | Result |
| DeAndre Brackensick | 1 | "I Like It" | Eliminated |
| Elise Testone | 2 | "I Want to Know What Love Is" | Bottom three |
| Phillip Phillips | 4 | "That's All" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 6 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 7 | "How Will I Know" | Safe |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 9 | "Flashdance... What a Feeling" | Bottom three |
| Colton Dixon | 11 | "Time After Time" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | 12 | "Wind Beneath My Wings" | Safe |
| Colton Dixon & Skylar Laine | 3 | "Islands in the Stream" | |
| DeAndre Brackensick & Hollie Cavanagh | 5 | "I'm So Excited" | |
| Phillip Phillips & Elise Testone | 8 | "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" | |
| Joshua Ledet & Jessica Sanchez | 10 | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Jennifer Lopez, featuring Pitbull | "Dance Again" |
| The Wanted | "Glad You Came" |
| Kellie Pickler | "Where's Tammy Wynette" |

### Top 7 (April 12) – Music from the 2010s

Akon served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs: one solo and either one duet with a fellow contestant or one trio with two fellow contestants. Contestants are listed in the order they performed. The judges chose to use their "judges' save" when Jessica Sanchez was announced as the performer to be eliminated. As a result, no one was eliminated this week.
| Contestant | Order | 2010s song | Result |
| Skylar Laine | 1 | "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" | Safe |
| Colton Dixon | 2 | "Love the Way You Lie" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 4 | "Stuttering" | Saved by the judges |
| Joshua Ledet | 5 | "Runaway Baby" | Bottom three |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 7 | "Fuckin' Perfect" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 8 | "Give a Little More" | Safe |
| Elise Testone | 10 | "You and I" | Bottom three |
| Phillip Phillips & Elise Testone | 3 | "Somebody That I Used to Know" | |
| Colton Dixon & Skylar Laine | 6 | "Don't You Wanna Stay" | |
| Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet & Jessica Sanchez | 9 | "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 7 | "Raise Your Glass" |
| James Durbin | "Higher Than Heaven" |
| Jennifer Hudson & Ne-Yo | "Think Like a Man" |

### Top 7 (April 19) – Music from now & then

Each contestant performed two songs: one Billboard number one hit from the 21st century and one song from the classic soul era. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 1 | "Rolling in the Deep" | Bottom three |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 8 | "Son of a Preacher Man" | Bottom three |
| Colton Dixon | 2 | "Bad Romance" | Eliminated |
| Colton Dixon | 9 | "September" | Eliminated |
| Elise Testone | 3 | "No One" | Bottom three |
| Elise Testone | 10 | "Let's Get It On" | Bottom three |
| Phillip Phillips | 4 | "U Got It Bad" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 11 | "In the Midnight Hour" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 5 | "Fallin'" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 12 | "Try a Little Tenderness" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | 6 | "Born This Way" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | 13 | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 7 | "I Believe" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 14 | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 7 | "Dancing in the Street" |
| Kris Allen | "The Vision of Love" |
| LMFAO | "Sorry for Party Rocking" |

### Top 6 – Queen

Each contestant performed two songs, one of which was from the Queen discography. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Jessica Sanchez | 1 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 7 | "Dance with My Father" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | 2 | "The Show Must Go On" | Bottom three |
| Skylar Laine | 8 | "Tattoos on This Town" | Bottom three |
| Joshua Ledet | 3 | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 9 | "Ready for Love" | Safe |
| Elise Testone | 4 | "I Want It All" | Eliminated |
| Elise Testone | 10 | "Bold as Love" | Eliminated |
| Phillip Phillips | 5 | "Fat Bottomed Girls" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 11 | "The Stone" | Safe |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 6 | "Save Me" | Bottom two |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 12 | "The Climb" | Bottom two |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 6 with Brian May & Roger Taylor | Queen medley: "Fat Bottomed Girls" "Another One Bites the Dust" "We Will Rock You" "We Are the Champions" |
| Queen Extravaganza | "Somebody to Love" |
| Stefano Langone | "I'm on a Roll" |
| Katy Perry | "Part of Me" |

### Top 5 – Music from the 1960s & British pop

Steven Van Zandt served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs: one solo and either one duet with a fellow contestant or one trio with two fellow contestants. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 1 | "River Deep – Mountain High" | Bottom two |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 7 | "Bleeding Love" | Bottom two |
| Phillip Phillips | 2 | "The Letter" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 8 | "Time of the Season" | Safe |
| Skylar Laine | 3 | "Fortunate Son" | Eliminated |
| Skylar Laine | 10 | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | Eliminated |
| Jessica Sanchez | 5 | "Proud Mary" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 11 | "You Are So Beautiful" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 6 | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 12 | "To Love Somebody" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet & Phillip Phillips | 4 | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | |
| Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine & Jessica Sanchez | 9 | "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Coldplay | "Paradise" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Blown Away" |
| Coldplay | "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" |

### Top 4 – Music of California & songs the contestants wish they'd written

Each contestant performed three songs: one solo, one duet with a fellow contestant, and one song with all four contestants. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Phillip Phillips | 1 | "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 8 | "Volcano" | Safe |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 2 | "Faithfully" | Eliminated |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 9 | "I Can't Make You Love Me" | Eliminated |
| Joshua Ledet | 3 | "You Raise Me Up" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet | 10 | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 4 | "Steal Away" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 11 | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Safe |
| Joshua Ledet & Phillip Phillips | 5 | "This Love" | |
| Hollie Cavanagh & Jessica Sanchez | 6 | "Eternal Flame" | |
| Hollie Cavanagh, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips & Jessica Sanchez | 7 | "Waiting for a Girl Like You" | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 4 | "California Dreamin'" |
| David Cook | "The Last Song I'll Write for You" |
| Jennifer Lopez | "Dance Again" |

### Top 3

Each contestant performed three songs: one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the contestant, and one chosen by mentor Jimmy Iovine. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Joshua Ledet | 1 | "I'd Rather Go Blind" | Eliminated |
| Joshua Ledet | 4 | "Imagine" | Eliminated |
| Joshua Ledet | 7 | "No More Drama" | Eliminated |
| Jessica Sanchez | 2 | "My All" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 5 | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | Safe |
| Jessica Sanchez | 8 | "I'll Be There" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 3 | "Beggin'" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 6 | "Disease" | Safe |
| Phillip Phillips | 9 | "We've Got Tonite" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 3 | "Got to Get You into My Life" |
| Lisa Marie Presley | "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet |
| Adam Lambert | "Never Close Our Eyes" |
* ↑ Song chosen by Randy Jackson.
* 1 2 3 Song chosen by Jimmy Iovine.
* ↑ Song chosen by Jennifer Lopez.
* ↑ Song chosen by Steven Tyler.

### Top 2 – Finale

Each contestant performed three songs, one of which was chosen by producer Simon Fuller, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Jessica Sanchez | 1 | "I Have Nothing" | Runner-up |
| Jessica Sanchez | 3 | "The Prayer" | Runner-up |
| Jessica Sanchez | 5 | "Change Nothing" | Runner-up |
| Phillip Phillips | 2 | "Stand by Me" | Winner |
| Phillip Phillips | 4 | "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)" | Winner |
| Phillip Phillips | 6 | "Home" | Winner |
* 1 2 Song chosen by Simon Fuller.
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Jason Derulo | "Undefeated" |
| Scotty McCreery | "Please Remember Me" |
| Top 12 | "Runaway Baby" |
| Phillip Phillips with John Fogerty | "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" "Bad Moon Rising" |
| Joshua Ledet with Fantasia Barrino | "Take Me to the Pilot" |
| Shannon Magrane, Erika Van Pelt, Elise Testone, Skylar Laine, Hollie Cavanagh & Jessica Sanchez with Chaka Khan | Chaka Khan medley: "Ain't Nobody" "Through the Fire" "I'm Every Woman" |
| Rihanna | "Where Have You Been" |
| Skylar Laine with Reba McEntire | "Turn On the Radio" |
| Jessica Sanchez | "I Will Always Love You" |
| Jeremy Rosado, Heejun Han, DeAndre Brackensick, Colton Dixon, & Joshua Ledet with Neil Diamond | Neil Diamond medley: "America" "Cracklin' Rosie" "I'm a Believer" "Sweet Caroline" |
| Jennifer Lopez, Lil Jon & Flo Rida | "Goin' In" |
| Jennifer Lopez & Wisin & Yandel | "Follow the Leader" |
| Hollie Cavanagh with Jordin Sparks | "You'll Never Walk Alone" |
| Jeremy Rosado, Heejun Han, DeAndre Brackensick, Colton Dixon, & Joshua Ledet | Bee Gees medley: "Words" "How Deep Is Your Love" "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" "To Love Somebody" |
| Jessica Sanchez with Jennifer Holliday | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" |
| Aerosmith | "Legendary Child" "Walk This Way" |
| Phillip Phillips & Jessica Sanchez | "Up Where We Belong" |
| Phillip Phillips | "Home" |
* 1 2 Performed on the May 22 episode.
* ↑ Jermaine Jones, Phillip Phillips, and Jessica Sanchez were not a part of this group performance.

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 11) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Semifinals | Wild Card | Top 13 | Top 11 | Top 10 | Top 9 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 2/28 | 2/29 | 3/1 | 3/8 | 3/15 | 3/22 | 3/29 | 4/5 | 4/12 | 4/19 | 4/26 | 5/3 | 5/10 | 5/17 | 5/23 |
| Phillip Phillips | 1 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Jessica Sanchez | 2 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Joshua Ledet | 3 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
| Hollie Cavanagh | 4 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom two | Bottom two | Eliminated | | |
| Skylar Laine | 5 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | |
| Elise Testone | 6 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Saved | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | |
| Colton Dixon | 7 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| DeAndre Brackensick | 8 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Heejun Han | 9 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Erika Van Pelt | 10 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Bottom three | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Shannon Magrane | 11 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Bottom two | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jermaine Jones | 12 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Bottom two | Disqualified | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jeremy Rosado | 13 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Reed Grimm | | Wild Card | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jen Hirsh | | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Brielle Von Hugel | | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Baylie Brown | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hallie Day | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Haley Johnsen | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chelsea Sorrell | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Adam Brock | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Creighton Fraker | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Eben Franckewitz | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chase Likens | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Aaron Marcellus | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ The bottom men and the bottom women were announced this week. The one man and the one woman who received the fewest votes faced the judges, who had to decide which contestant would be saved and which would be eliminated.
* ↑ Because the judges used their one "judges' save" to save Jessica Sanchez, the top 7 remained intact for another week.

## Compilation album

American Idol Season 11 Duets and Trios Highlights, a compilation album by the top 6 finalists, was released on July 3, 2012. It consisted of the following songs:

## Controversies

On March 14, finalist Jermaine Jones was disqualified for concealing arrests and outstanding warrants. Jones, however, denied that he had concealed his previous arrests and had admitted his arrests when he signed up for Idol. A police official where he was the target of two arrest warrants said that "the case wasn't big enough to merit going after him in California," and a New Jersey legislator commented that for the show "to expose, embarrass and interrogate a young man without an attorney in front of 40 million viewers was an outrage." Critics suggested that the show may have staged the disqualification to boost ratings. When asked about speculations that producers had had prior knowledge of his criminal past and that the producers were simply out to exploit him on-air, Jones replied that "I haven't even taken my mind into that and why they did what they did, because then I'll drive myself crazy."

## U.S. Nielsen ratings

The premiere was watched by 21.93 million viewers. While at the time it drew the second largest audience of any entertainment program in the television season, it was down 16 percent from the previous year's premiere, which was watched by 26.23 million viewers. After seven consecutive years as the most watched program on primetime television (eight years in the 18/49 demo), the eleventh season of American Idol came in second place to NBC Sunday Night Football in total viewers, as well as in the 18/49 demo.
Episode list :
| Show | Episode | Air date | Rating | Share | Rating/share 18–49 | Viewers (millions) | Weekly rank |
| 1 | "Savannah Auditions" | January 18, 2012 | 12.3 | 19 | 7.4/19 | 21.93 | 3 |
| 2 | "Pittsburgh Auditions" | January 19, 2012 | 10.3 | 16 | 5.7/15 | 18.02 | 4 |
| 3 | "San Diego Auditions" | January 22, 2012 | N/A | N/A | 7.9/21 | 19.70 | N/A |
| 4 | "Aspen Auditions" | January 25, 2012 | 11.1 | 17 | 6.5/18 | 19.67 | 1 |
| 5 | "Houston/Galveston Auditions" | January 26, 2012 | 10.0 | 16 | 5.5/16 | 17.14 | 2 |
| 6 | "Portland Auditions" | February 1, 2012 | 10.6 | 17 | 6.0/17 | 18.48 | 4 |
| 7 | "St. Louis Auditions" | February 2, 2012 | 10.2 | 16 | 5.5/15 | 17.41 | 5 |
| 8 | "Hollywood Week, Part 1" | February 8, 2012 | 11.0 | 17 | 6.1/17 | 19.32 | 3 |
| 9 | "Hollywood Week, Part 2" | February 9, 2012 | 10.5 | 17 | 5.8/16 | 18.13 | 4 |
| 10 | "Hollywood Week, Part 3" | February 15, 2012 | 10.8 | 17 | 6.1/16 | 18.89 | 2 |
| 11 | "Las Vegas Round" | February 16, 2012 | 9.8 | 15 | 5.1/14 | 16.71 | 3 |
| 12 | "Final Judgement Part 1" | February 22, 2012 | 9.3 | 15 | 5.1/14 | 16.10 | 6 |
| 13 | "Final Judgement Part 2" | February 23, 2012 | 9.3 | 15 | 4.5/13 | 15.64 | 8 |
| 14 | "Semifinalists Boys Perform" | February 28, 2012 | 9.4 | 14 | 5.1/13 | 16.11 | 4 |
| 15 | "Semifinalists Girls Perform" | February 29, 2012 | 10.1 | 16 | 5.0/13 | 17.23 | 3 |
| 16 | "Wildcard Results/Finalists Chosen" | March 1, 2012 | 10.8 | 17 | 5.4/15 | 18.27 | 1 |
| 17 | "Top 13 Perform" | March 7, 2012 | 10.9 | 17 | 5.7/16 | 18.69 | 1 |
| 18 | "Top 13 Results" | March 8, 2012 | 10.2 | 16 | 4.9/14 | 17.27 | 2 |
| 19 | "Top 11 Perform" | March 14, 2012 | 10.7 | 17 | 5.4/16 | 18.38 | 1 |
| 20 | "Top 11 Results" | March 15, 2012 | 9.4 | 16 | 4.6/14 | 16.02 | 2 |
| 21 | "Top 10 Perform" | March 21, 2012 | 10.4 | 17 | 5.1/15 | 17.21 | 3 |
| 22 | "Top 10 Results" | March 22, 2012 | 9.3 | 15 | 4.2/13 | 15.58 | 5 |
| 23 | "Top 9 Perform" | March 28, 2012 | 10.5 | 17 | 5.3/15 | 17.87 | 3 |
| 24 | "Top 9 Results" | March 29, 2012 | 9.6 | 16 | 4.4/13 | 15.87 | 5 |
| 25 | "Top 8 Perform" | April 4, 2012 | 10.2 | 17 | 4.9/14 | 17.09 | 2 |
| 26 | "Top 8 Results" | April 5, 2012 | 8.8 | 15 | 3.9/13 | 14.34 | 5 |
| 27 | "Top 7 Perform" | April 11, 2012 | 10.0 | 18 | 5.0/14 | 16.81 | 2 |
| 28 | "Top 7 Results" | April 12, 2012 | 9.7 | 16 | 4.3/13 | 15.81 | 4 |
| 29 | "Top 7 Redux Perform" | April 18, 2012 | 10.7 | 16 | 4.8/14 | 16.89 | 2 |
| 30 | "Top 7 Redux Results" | April 19, 2012 | 9.2 | 16 | 4.0/13 | 14.99 | 4 |
| 31 | "Top 6 Perform" | April 25, 2012 | 10.2 | 16 | 4.8/14 | 16.87 | 2 |
| 32 | "Top 6 Results" | April 26, 2012 | 9.1 | 15 | 4.0/12 | 14.87 | 3 |
| 33 | "Top 5 Perform" | May 2, 2012 | 10.2 | 16 | 4.7/14 | 16.66 | 2 |
| 34 | "Top 5 Results" | May 3, 2012 | 9.4 | 16 | 4.0/13 | 15.56 | 4 |
| 35 | "Top 4 Perform" | May 9, 2012 | 10.0 | 16 | 4.5/13 | 16.46 | 2 |
| 36 | "Top 4 Results" | May 10, 2012 | 9.5 | 16 | 4.0/13 | 15.62 | 4 |
| 37 | "Top 3 Perform" | May 16, 2012 | 10.5 | 17 | 4.9/14 | 17.68 | 2 |
| 38 | "Top 3 Results" | May 17, 2012 | 9.8 | 17 | 4.4/15 | 16.40 | 3 |
| 39 | "Top 2 Perform" | May 22, 2012 | 8.7 | 14 | 4.4/14 | 14.85 | 4 |
| 40 | "Finale" | May 23, 2012 | 12.2 | 20 | 6.4/18 | 21.49 | 1 |
* ^Note a This episode was shown on Sunday, January 22, 2012, after the NFC Championship Game, but was repeated on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 with ratings of 5.7/9 overall and 3.4/9 for the 18/49 demographic. Overall, the episode averaged 9.64 million viewers.
* ^Note b Episode was bumped out of primetime due to the NFC Championship Game going into overtime, therefore it was not included in the weekly rankings.