# American Idol season 10

The tenth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox television network on January 19, 2011, and concluded on May 25, 2011. The show underwent a number of changes from the ninth season, including the return of Nigel Lythgoe as executive producer. Randy Jackson returned as judge for his tenth season, while Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judges' panel following the departures of Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres, and Kara DioGuardi.
Interscope Records, which was part of Universal Music Group, replaced Sony Music Entertainment as Idol's official partner record label. Interscope's chairman Jimmy Iovine, a songwriter and producer, was named as the in-house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis. He was supported by associated producers Rodney Jerkins, Alex da Kid, Tricky Stewart, Don Was, will.i.am, and Timbaland, who all helped the contestants tailor their song choices to their chosen genre of performance, while also producing arrangements for the contestants and offering original material to be performed. Ray Chew replaced Rickey Minor as the show's musical director and leader of Idol's live band.
Programming changes included a move from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Thursdays. The show also opened up an option for viewers to cast their votes online through Facebook. Specific changes in the competition itself included extending extra rounds (such as the one in Las Vegas) and a final solo round, while also returning the judges' Wild Card choices. The show also lowered the age of eligibility to fifteen.
On May 25, 2011, after 122.4 million votes were cast for the finale (and nearly 750 million votes all season), Scotty McCreery was crowned the winner of the tenth season of American Idol, with Lauren Alaina as the runner-up. Nine contestants from this season were signed to record labels, including Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone, Pia Toscano, Naima Adedapo, and Jimmie Allen.

## Changes from previous seasons

Simon Cowell, who had been a judge since the very first season, announced on January 11, 2010, that he would not return as a judge for this season in order to focus on launching the American version of his British singing competition The X Factor. Ellen DeGeneres officially announced her departure on July 29 after judging for only one season, and Kara DioGuardi announced on September 3 that she would also not return. On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would join the show as the new permanent judges.
Extra rounds were added in the Hollywood phase of the competition which would narrow the contestants down to 60 finalists. Those who advanced were then taken to Las Vegas, where they were asked to perform a song from the Beatles, and then a further solo round in Los Angeles. It was initially planned to reduce the contestants down to 20 by the end of the Hollywood rounds, however, 24 contestants were chosen instead for the semifinals, and they would perform in two groups of 12, where the public vote determined the top five males and females. The judges were granted three Wild Card picks, bringing the total number of finalists to 13.
At the end of the ninth season, American Idol 's affiliation with Sony Music Entertainment ended and was replaced with Universal Music Group. Therefor, the winner would now be signed to Interscope Records. Interscope's sister labels, A&M Records and Geffen Records, were also involved in promoting and distributing the albums of the show's finalists. Chairman of the Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group, Jimmy Iovine, worked directly with contestants this season as an in-house mentor. Additionally, a team of Universal Music-associated producers and songwriters, such as Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Timbaland, and Alex da Kid, also worked alongside the contestants to help them take on original arrangement and material.

## Regional auditions

Auditions were held in the following cities:
American Idol (season 10) – regional auditions :
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Golden tickets |
| Nashville, Tennessee | July 17, 2010 | Bridgestone Arena | October 25–26, 2010 | Ryman Auditorium | Unknown |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | July 21, 2010 | Bradley Center | October 2–3, 2010 | Milwaukee Art Museum | 53 |
| New Orleans, Louisiana | July 26, 2010 | New Orleans Arena | October 17–18, 2010 | Hilton Riverside Hotel | 37 |
| East Rutherford, New Jersey | August 3, 2010 | Izod Center | September 28–30, 2010 | Liberty House Restaurant | 51 |
| Austin, Texas | August 11, 2010 | Frank Erwin Center | October 8–9, 2010 | Barton Creek Resort & Spa | 50 |
| San Francisco, California | August 19, 2010 | AT&T Park | November 9–10, 2010 | Westin St. Francis | Unknown |
| Los Angeles, California | September 22, 2010 | The Forum | November 3–4, 2010 | AT&T Center | 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 | 327 |
* 1 2 3 The actual number of golden tickets handed out at this audition city was not announced.
The age minimum this season was reduced to 15; the maximum age, however, still remained at 28.
In addition to the above cities, contestants were allowed for the first time to audition online via Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter. To audition, they were required to upload a forty-second audition clip of them singing a pre-approved song. The on-line auditions who were selected to proceed, which included Karen Rodriguez, were brought to Los Angeles to audition in front of the judges.

## Hollywood week

The Hollywood phase of the competition was held at the Pasadena Civic Center. There were 327 contestants in the first round, which lasted over two days. The contestants emerged in groups of ten and each performed individually a cappella. After the whole group had finished their performances, those who failed were cut immediately. 168 advanced to the next round, where the contestants performed in groups; out of the 168, only 100 advanced to the next round. In the next round, the contestants performed solo, accompanied by a band or an instrument. The contestants were then separated into four rooms, with two of the four rooms containing eliminated contestants and the other two containing contestants who made it into the next round. Only 61 of the 100 remaining contestants advanced.
This year, due to the large number of contestants, two more rounds were added. The 61 remaining contestants proceeded to Las Vegas, where they performed songs from the Beatles as duos and trios in the Love theater at The Mirage. After that, 41 contestants advanced to a final round back in Los Angeles. In that round, each contestant performed a song of their own choice at Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose aircraft hangar. The top 24 were then selected from the remaining 41 for the semifinals.

## Semifinals

The semifinal round began on Tuesday, March 1, 2011. 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 24

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 24 - Male contestants (March 1) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Clint Jun Gamboa | "Superstition" | Eliminated |
| Jovany Barreto | "I'll Be" | Wild Card |
| Jordan Dorsey | "OMG" | Eliminated |
| Tim Halperin | "Streetcorner Symphony" | Eliminated |
| Brett Loewenstern | "Light My Fire" | Eliminated |
| James Durbin | "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" | Advanced |
| Robbie Rosen | "Angel" | Wild Card |
| Scotty McCreery | "Letters from Home" | Advanced |
| Stefano Langone | "Just the Way You Are" | Wild Card |
| Paul McDonald | "Maggie May" | Advanced |
| Jacob Lusk | "A House Is Not a Home" | Advanced |
| Casey Abrams | "I Put a Spell on You" | Advanced |
Top 24 - Female contestants (March 2) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Ta-Tynisa Wilson | "Only Girl (In the World)" | Eliminated |
| Naima Adedapo | "Summertime" | Wild Card |
| Kendra Chantelle | "Impossible" | Wild Card |
| Rachel Zevita | "Criminal" | Eliminated |
| Karen Rodriguez | "Hero" | Advanced |
| Lauren Turner | "Seven Day Fool" | Eliminated |
| Ashthon Jones | "Love All Over Me" | Wild Card |
| Julie Zorrilla | "Breakaway" | Eliminated |
| Haley Reinhart | "Fallin'" | Advanced |
| Thia Megia | "Out Here on My Own" | Advanced |
| Lauren Alaina | "Turn On the Radio" | Advanced |
| Pia Toscano | "I'll Stand by You" | Advanced |

### Wild Card round

Following the ten singers who advanced on Thursday, March 3, 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 |
| Ashthon Jones | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Advanced |
| Stefano Langone | "I Need You Now" | Advanced |
| Kendra Chantelle | "Georgia on My Mind" | Eliminated |
| Jovany Barreto | "Angel" | Eliminated |
| Naima Adedapo | "For All We Know" | Advanced |
| Robbie Rosen | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Eliminated |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Jennifer Lopez, featuring Pitbull | "On the Floor" |

## Top 13 finalists

* Scotty McCreery (born October 9, 1993) was from Garner, North Carolina, and was 17 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Milwaukee with Josh Turner's "Your Man" and Travis Tritt's "Put Some Drive in Your Country." He performed "Your Man" in Hollywood, but forgot the words to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance." For his final solo, he performed Josh Turner's "Long Black Train."
* Lauren Alaina (born November 8, 1994) was from Rossville, Georgia, and was 16 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Nashville with Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved at All" and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," which she also sang in Hollywood. She also performed "Unchained Melody" twice, once for the first solo in Hollywood and again for the final solo. She performed "Hello, Goodbye" for the Las Vegas round with Scotty McCreery and Denise Jackson.
* Haley Reinhart (born September 9, 1990) was from Wheeling, Illinois, and was 20 years old at the time of the show. She originally auditioned in Chicago in the ninth season, but did not advance to the Hollywood round. She auditioned in Milwaukee with The Beatles' "Oh! Darling." She performed Corinne Bailey Rae's "Breathless" in the first solo round. In Hollywood, she performed Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child." In the Las Vegas round, she performed the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" with Naima Adedapo and Jacob Lusk. For her final solo, she performed the Shirelles' "Baby It's You."
* James Durbin (born January 6, 1989) was from Santa Cruz, California, and was 22 years old at the time of the show. He originally auditioned in the eighth season, but was not selected. He auditioned in San Francisco with Muddy Waters's "You Shook Me" and Aerosmith's "Dream On." He performed the Beatles' "Oh! Darling" for his solo in Hollywood, Queen's "Somebody to Love" in the group round, and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" for his final solo.
* Jacob Lusk (born June 23, 1987) was from Compton, California, and was 23 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Los Angeles. Randy Jackson considered his performance of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" in Hollywood the best ever seen on Idol. He also performed the Temptations' "Get Ready" with Naima Adedapo, and Leon Russell's "A Song for You" for his final solo. In the top 24 round, he earned a standing ovation for his performance of "A House Is Not a Home" by Luther Vandross.
* Casey Abrams (born February 12, 1991) was from Idyllwild, California, and was 20 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Austin with Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor." He impressed the judges with his performance of "Georgia on My Mind" in Hollywood. He also performed Ella Fitzgerald's "Lullaby of Birdland," the Temptations' "Get Ready" in Hollywood, "A Hard Day's Night" in the Las Vegas round, and Kansas Joe McCoy's "Why Don't You Do Right?" for his final solo. He played the double bass and melodica on the show.
* Stefano Langone (born February 27, 1989) was from Kent, Washington, and was 22 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in San Francisco with Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." He performed Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" in Hollywood, "Get Back" in Las Vegas, and his own composition, "Come Home," for his final solo.
* Paul McDonald (born August 29, 1984) was from Huntsville, Alabama, and was 26 years old at the time of the show. He auditioned in Nashville with Rod Stewart's "Maggie May." He performed Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" and his own composition, "American Dreams," for his final solo.
* Pia Toscano (born October 14, 1988) was from Howard Beach, New York, and was 22 years old at the time of the show. She had auditioned for Idol four times before and made it through to Hollywood in the sixth season, but did not continue further. She auditioned in East Rutherford. She and Karen Rodriguez sang together the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" in Las Vegas. She also performed Bruno Mars's "Grenade" in Hollywood and Alicia Keys's "Doesn't Mean Anything" for her final solo.
* Naima Adedapo (born October 5, 1984) was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was 26 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee with Donny Hathaway's "For All We Know." She performed the Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road" with Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart in Las Vegas, and Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On" for her final solo.
* Thia Megia (born January 30, 1995) was from Mountain House, California, and was 16 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Milwaukee with Adele's "Chasing Pavements." She performed "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" in Hollywood, "Here Comes the Sun" in Las Vegas, and Secret Garden's "You Raise Me Up" for her final solo.
* Karen Rodriguez (born March 22, 1989) was from New York City, New York, and was 21 years old at the time of the show. She was one of the Myspace auditions, who then auditioned in front of the judges in Los Angeles with Whitney Houston's "You Give Good Love." She performed Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love," Bruno Mars's "Just the Way You Are" in Hollywood, and Selena's "No Me Queda Más" in the final round.
* Ashthon Jones (born February 27, 1986) was from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and was 24 years old at the time of the show. She auditioned in Nashville. She sang "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls, Blu Cantrell's Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) in Hollywood, and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" for her final solo.

## 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."
Color key:

### Top 13 – Personal Idols

Contestants performed one song each from their own personal idols, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Personal idol | Result |
| Lauren Alaina | "Any Man of Mine" | Shania Twain | Safe |
| Casey Abrams | "With a Little Help from My Friends" | Joe Cocker | Safe |
| Ashthon Jones | "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" | Diana Ross | Eliminated |
| Paul McDonald | "Come Pick Me Up" | Ryan Adams | Safe |
| Pia Toscano | "All by Myself" | Celine Dion | Safe |
| James Durbin | "Maybe I'm Amazed" | Paul McCartney | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | "Blue" | LeAnn Rimes | Bottom three |
| Jacob Lusk | "I Believe I Can Fly" | R. Kelly | Safe |
| Thia Megia | "Smile" | Michael Jackson | Safe |
| Stefano Langone | "Lately" | Stevie Wonder | Safe |
| Karen Rodriguez | "I Could Fall in Love" | Selena | Bottom three |
| Scotty McCreery | "The River" | Garth Brooks | Safe |
| Naima Adedapo | "Umbrella" | Rihanna | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 13 | Michael Jackson medley: "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" "Rock with You" "Black or White" "Man in the Mirror" |
| Adam Lambert | "Aftermath" |
| Diddy – Dirty Money, featuring Skylar Grey | "Coming Home" |

### Top 12 – Contestants' birth year

Contestants each performed one song from the year they were born, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Birth year | Result |
| Naima Adedapo | "What's Love Got to Do with It" | 1984 | Bottom three |
| Paul McDonald | "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" | 1984 | Safe |
| Thia Megia | "Colors of the Wind" | 1995 | Safe |
| James Durbin | "I'll Be There for You" | 1989 | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | 1990 | Bottom three |
| Stefano Langone | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | 1989 | Safe |
| Pia Toscano | "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" | 1988 | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | "Can I Trust You with My Heart" | 1993 | Safe |
| Karen Rodriguez | "Love Will Lead You Back" | 1989 | Eliminated |
| Casey Abrams | "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 1991 | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | "I'm the Only One" | 1994 | Safe |
| Jacob Lusk | "Alone" | 1987 | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 12 | "Born to Be Wild" "Born This Way" |
| Lee DeWyze | "Beautiful Like You" |
| The Black Eyed Peas | "Just Can't Get Enough" |

### Top 11 (March 24) – Motown

Marc Anthony served as a guest mentor this week, although this was not explicitly mentioned on the show. Contestants are listed in the order they performed. The judges chose to use their "judges' save" when Casey Abrams was announced as the performer to be eliminated. As a result, no one was eliminated this week.
| Contestant | Motown song | Result |
| Casey Abrams | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Saved by the judges |
| Thia Megia | "Heat Wave" | Bottom three |
| Jacob Lusk | "You're All I Need to Get By" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" | Safe |
| Stefano Langone | "Hello" | Bottom three |
| Haley Reinhart | "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | "For Once in My Life" | Safe |
| Pia Toscano | "All in Love Is Fair" | Safe |
| Paul McDonald | "The Tracks of My Tears" | Safe |
| Naima Adedapo | "Dancing in the Street" | Safe |
| James Durbin | "Living for the City" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 11 with Stevie Wonder | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" "Happy Birthday" |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Where You At" |
| Sugarland | "Stuck Like Glue" |

### Top 11 (March 31) – Elton John

Contestants performed one song each from Elton John's discography, and are listed in the order they performed. Two contestants were eliminated.
| Contestant | Elton John song | Result |
| Scotty McCreery | "Country Comfort" | Safe |
| Naima Adedapo | "I'm Still Standing" | Eliminated |
| Paul McDonald | "Rocket Man" | Bottom three |
| Pia Toscano | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Safe |
| Stefano Langone | "Tiny Dancer" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | "Candle in the Wind" | Safe |
| James Durbin | "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" | Safe |
| Thia Megia | "Daniel" | Eliminated |
| Casey Abrams | "Your Song" | Safe |
| Jacob Lusk | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | "Bennie and the Jets" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery | "I Told You So" |
| Naima Adedapo & Jacob Lusk | "Solid" |
| Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart & Pia Toscano | "Teenage Dream" |
| Casey Abrams, James Durbin, Stefano Langone & Paul McDonald | "Band on the Run" |
| Fantasia | "Collard Greens & Cornbread" |
| will.i.am & Jamie Foxx | "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)" |

### Top 9 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

will.i.am served as a guest mentor this week, alongside in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine during dress rehearsals. Russell Brand did not mentor them individually, but did entertain them as a group, while coaching them on stage presence and confidence. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Rock and roll song | Result |
| Jacob Lusk | "Man in the Mirror" | Bottom three |
| Haley Reinhart | "Piece of My Heart" | Safe |
| Casey Abrams | "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | Safe |
| James Durbin | "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | "That's All Right" | Safe |
| Pia Toscano | "River Deep – Mountain High" | Eliminated |
| Stefano Langone | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Bottom three |
| Paul McDonald | "Folsom Prison Blues" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 9 | "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" "The Letter" "Sweet Home Alabama" |
| Constantine Maroulis | "Unchained Melody" |
| Iggy Pop | "Wild One" |

### Top 8 – Movie soundtracks

will.i.am served as a guest mentor this week, alongside in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine during dress rehearsals. Rob Reiner did not mentor individually, but did give the top eight a group pep talk. Contestants chose songs featured in movies, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Film | Result |
| Paul McDonald | "Old Time Rock and Roll" | Risky Business | Eliminated |
| Lauren Alaina | "The Climb" | Hannah Montana: The Movie | Safe |
| Stefano Langone | "End of the Road" | Boomerang | Bottom three |
| Scotty McCreery | "I Cross My Heart" | Pure Country | Safe |
| Casey Abrams | "Nature Boy" | The Boy with Green Hair | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | "Call Me" | American Gigolo | Bottom three |
| Jacob Lusk | "Bridge over Troubled Water" | The Pursuit of Happyness | Safe |
| James Durbin | "Heavy Metal" | Heavy Metal | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery | "American Honey" |
| Casey Abrams & Haley Reinhart | "Moanin'" |
| James Durbin, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk & Paul McDonald | "The Sound of Silence" "Mrs. Robinson" |
| Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson | "Don't You Wanna Stay" |
| Rihanna | "California King Bed" |

### Top 7 – Music from the 21st century

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Scotty McCreery | "Swingin'" | Safe |
| James Durbin | "Uprising" | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | "Rolling in the Deep" | Bottom three |
| Jacob Lusk | "Dance with My Father" | Bottom three |
| Casey Abrams | "Harder to Breathe" | Safe |
| Stefano Langone | "Closer" | Eliminated |
| Lauren Alaina | "Born to Fly" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Naima Adedapo, Ashthon Jones, Paul McDonald, Thia Megia, Karen Rodriguez & Pia Toscano | "So What" |
| Lauren Alaina, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk & Haley Reinhart | "Hey, Soul Sister" |
| Casey Abrams, James Durbin & Scotty McCreery | "Viva la Vida" |
| David Cook | "The Last Goodbye" |
| Katy Perry, featuring Kanye West | "E.T." |

### Top 6 – Carole King

Babyface served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs from the Carole King discography: one solo and one duet with a fellow contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Carole King song | Result |
| Jacob Lusk | 1 | "Oh No Not My Baby" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | 2 | "Where You Lead" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | 4 | "You've Got a Friend" | Safe |
| James Durbin | 5 | "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" | Safe |
| Casey Abrams | 7 | "That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-De-Ho)" | Eliminated |
| Haley Reinhart | 8 | "Beautiful" | Safe |
| Casey Abrams & Haley Reinhart | 3 | "I Feel the Earth Move" | |
| Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery | 6 | "Up on the Roof" | |
| James Durbin & Jacob Lusk | 9 | "I'm into Something Good" | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 6 | Carole King medley: "It Might as Well Rain Until September" "Take Good Care of My Baby" "One Fine Day" "Go Away Little Girl" "It's Too Late" |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Ridin with the Radio" |
| Bruno Mars | "The Lazy Song" |

### Top 5 – Music from the new millennium & the 1960s

Sheryl Crow served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs: one from the new millennium and one from the 1960s. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| James Durbin | 1 | "Closer to the Edge" | Safe |
| James Durbin | 6 | "Without You" | Safe |
| Jacob Lusk | 2 | "No Air" | Eliminated |
| Jacob Lusk | 7 | "Love Hurts" | Eliminated |
| Lauren Alaina | 3 | "Flat on the Floor" | Bottom two |
| Lauren Alaina | 8 | "Unchained Melody" | Bottom two |
| Scotty McCreery | 4 | "Gone" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | 9 | "Always on My Mind" | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | 5 | "You and I" | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | 10 | "The House of the Rising Sun" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 5 | "Happy Together" |
| Lady Antebellum | "Just a Kiss" |
| Jennifer Lopez, featuring Pitbull | "On the Floor" |
| Jennifer Lopez, featuring Lil Wayne | "I'm Into You" |

### Top 4 – Inspirational music & Leiber and Stoller

Lady Gaga served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed two songs, one of which was written by songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| James Durbin | 1 | "Don't Stop Believin'" | Eliminated |
| James Durbin | 8 | "Love Potion No. 9" | Eliminated |
| Haley Reinhart | 2 | "Earth Song" | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | 5 | "I (Who Have Nothing)" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | 3 | "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | 6 | "Young Blood" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | 4 | "Anyway" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | 7 | "Trouble" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| James Durbin & Scotty McCreery | "Start a Band" |
| Lauren Alaina & Haley Reinhart | "Gunpowder & Lead" |
| Lady Gaga | "You and I" |
| Enrique Iglesias | "Dirty Dancer" |
| Jordin Sparks | "I Am Woman" |
| Steven Tyler | "(It) Feels So Good" |

### Top 3

Beyoncé served as a guest mentor this week. Each contestant performed three songs: one chosen by the contestant, one chosen by mentor Jimmy Iovine, and one chosen by the judges. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Scotty McCreery | 1 | "Amazed" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | 4 | "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not" | Safe |
| Scotty McCreery | 7 | "She Believes in Me" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | 2 | "Wild One" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | 5 | "If I Die Young" | Safe |
| Lauren Alaina | 8 | "I Hope You Dance" | Safe |
| Haley Reinhart | 3 | "What Is and What Should Never Be" | Eliminated |
| Haley Reinhart | 6 | "Rhiannon" | Eliminated |
| Haley Reinhart | 9 | "You Oughta Know" | Eliminated |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Nicole Scherzinger, featuring 50 Cent | "Right There" |
| Il Volo | "'O sole mio" |
| Beyoncé | "Run the World (Girls)" |
* 1 2 3 Song chosen by Jimmy Iovine.

### Top 2 – Finale

Lauren Alaina damaged her vocal cords while rehearsing for the finale, but she was treated and cleared to continue in the competition. Breaking from tradition, the judges did not offer their critiques of the performances until after both contestants had sung both of their opening songs, and then the critiques were delivered to both contestants at the same time. Each contestant performed three songs, one of which was chosen by their personal musical idol. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Scotty McCreery | 1 | "Gone" | Winner |
| Scotty McCreery | 3 | "Check Yes or No" | Winner |
| Scotty McCreery | 5 | "I Love You This Big" | Winner |
| Lauren Alaina | 2 | "Flat on the Floor" | Runner-up |
| Lauren Alaina | 4 | "Maybe It Was Memphis" | Runner-up |
| Lauren Alaina | 6 | "Like My Mother Does" | Runner-up |
* ↑ Song chosen by George Strait.
* ↑ Song chosen by Carrie Underwood.
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| David Cook | "Don't You (Forget About Me)" |
| Taio Cruz | "Positive" |
| Top 13 | "Born This Way" |
| James Durbin with Judas Priest | "Living After Midnight" "Breaking the Law" |
| Jacob Lusk with Gladys Knight & Kirk Franklin | "I Smile" |
| Casey Abrams with Jack Black | "Fat Bottomed Girls" |
| Haley Reinhart, Pia Toscano, Naima Adedapo, Thia Megia, Karen Rodriguez & Ashthon Jones with Beyoncé | Beyoncé medley: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" "Irreplaceable" "Get Me Bodied" "If I Were a Boy" "Deja Vu" "Crazy in Love" |
| Haley Reinhart with Tony Bennett | "Steppin' Out with My Baby" |
| Lil Jon | "Come Get Some" |
| Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, Pia Toscano, Naima Adedapo, Thia Megia, Karen Rodriguez & Ashthon Jones with TLC | "Come Get Some" "No Scrubs" "Waterfalls" |
| Scotty McCreery with Tim McGraw | "Live Like You Were Dying" |
| Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez & Sheila E. | "Aguanile" from El Cantante |
| Scotty McCreery, James Durbin, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone & Paul McDonald with Tom Jones | "Kiss" "She's a Lady" "What's New, Pussycat?" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Love Me Tonight" "Delilah" "It's Not Unusual" |
| Lady Gaga | "The Edge of Glory" |
| Lauren Alaina with Carrie Underwood | "Before He Cheats" |
| Beyoncé | "1+1" |
| Reeve Carney with Bono & The Edge | "Rise Above 1" |
| Steven Tyler | "Dream On" |
| Scotty McCreery | "I Love You This Big" |

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 8) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Semifinals | Wild Card | Top 13 | Top 12 | Top 11 | Top 11 | Top 9 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 3/1 | 3/2 | 3/3 | 3/10 | 3/17 | 3/24 | 3/31 | 4/7 | 4/14 | 4/21 | 4/28 | 5/4 | 5/11 | 5/18 | 5/25 |
| Scotty McCreery | 1 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Lauren Alaina | 2 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Haley Reinhart | 3 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
| James Durbin | 4 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | |
| Jacob Lusk | 5 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | |
| Casey Abrams | 6 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | |
| Stefano Langone | 7 | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Paul McDonald | 8 | Safe | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Pia Toscano | 9 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Naima Adedapo | 10 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Thia Megia | 10 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Karen Rodriguez | 12 | N/A | Safe | N/A | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ashthon Jones | 13 | N/A | Wild Card | Saved | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jovany Barreto | | Wild Card | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kendra Chantelle | | N/A | Wild Card | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Robbie Rosen | | Wild Card | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lauren Turner | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ta-Tynisa Wilson | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Rachel Zevita | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Julie Zorrilla | | N/A | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jordan Dorsey | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Clint Jun Gamboa | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tim Halperin | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Brett Loewenstern | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ Because the judges used their one "judges' save" to save Casey Abrams, the top 11 remained intact for another week.

## U.S. Nielsen ratings

American Idol ended the 2010–2011 television season as the number one and number two show in Total Viewers, and the number one and number three show in Adults 18–49. The Wednesday performance shows earned an average of 25.864 million viewers and an 8.8/24 rating in the Adults 18–49 demographic, while the Thursday results show earned an average of 23.798 million viewers and a 7.7/22 rating in the Adults 18–49 demographic. The show's success helped Fox network achieve the longest winning streak in broadcast history of seven consecutive season in the Adult 18–49 demo.
Episode list :
| Show # | Episode | Airdate | U.S. viewers (millions) | Rating/share Households | Rating/Share (18–49) | Weekly rank |
| 1 | East Rutherford Auditions | January 19, 2011 | 26.23 | 14.2 / 22 | 9.7 / 26 | 3 |
| 2 | New Orleans Auditions | January 20, 2011 | 22.90 | 12.5 / 20 | 7.8 / 21 | 4 |
| 3 | Milwaukee Auditions | January 26, 2011 | 25.33 | 13.8 / 22 | 9.2 / 24 | 1 |
| 4 | Nashville Auditions | January 27, 2011 | 22.48 | 12.4 / 20 | 7.7 / 21 | 2 |
| 5 | Austin Auditions | February 2, 2011 | 25.14 | 13.4 / 21 | 9.0 / 24 | 4 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Auditions | February 3, 2011 | 21.89 | 11.9 / 19 | 7.5 / 20 | 6 |
| 7 | San Francisco Auditions | February 9, 2011 | 24.05 | 13.0 / 21 | 8.4 / 23 | 2 |
| 8 | Hollywood Round, Part 1 | February 10, 2011 | 21.94 | 12.0 / 19 | 7.3 / 20 | 3 |
| 9 | Hollywood Round, Part 2 | February 16, 2011 | 23.20 | 12.7 / 20 | 8.2 / 23 | 1 |
| 10 | Hollywood Round, Part 3 | February 17, 2011 | 22.18 | 12.0 / 20 | 7.6 / 22 | 2 |
| 11 | Las Vegas Round/Top 24 Chosen, Part 1 | February 23, 2011 | 22.72 | 12.5 / 20 | 7.9 / 21 | 3 |
| 12 | Top 24 Chosen, Part 2 | February 24, 2011 | 21.76 | 11.9 / 19 | 7.2 / 20 | 4 |
| 13 | Top 12 Males Perform | March 1, 2011 | 21.39 | 11.7 / 18 | 7.6 / 21 | 3 |
| 14 | Top 12 Females Perform | March 2, 2011 | 22.77 | 12.7 / 20 | 7.8 / 22 | 2 |
| 15 | Top 10 Finalists + 3 WCs Revealed | March 3, 2011 | 25.26 | 13.8 / 23 | 8.2 / 24 | 1 |
| 16 | Top 13 Finalists Perform | March 9, 2011 | 24.40 | 13.5 / 22 | 8.1 / 23 | 1 |
| 17 | Top 13 Results Show | March 10, 2011 | 22.05 | 12.6 / 20 | 6.7 / 19 | 2 |
| 18 | Top 12 Finalists Perform | March 16, 2011 | 22.58 | 12.9 / 21 | 7.6 / 22 | 1 |
| 19 | Top 12 Results Show | March 17, 2011 | 19.57 | 11.2 / 20 | 5.7 / 19 | 2 |
| 20 | Top 11 Finalists Perform | March 23, 2011 | 23.95 | 13.5 / 22 | 7.9 / 22 | 1 |
| 21 | Top 11 Results Show | March 24, 2011 | 21.30 | 12.1 / 20 | 6.4 / 20 | 3 |
| 22 | Top 11 Part 2 Finalists Perform | March 30, 2011 | 24.18 | 13.6 / 21 | 7.7 / 21 | 1 |
| 23 | Top 11 Part 2 Results Show | March 31, 2011 | 22.63 | 12.9 / 21 | 6.8 / 20 | 3 |
| 24 | Top 9 Finalists Perform | April 6, 2011 | 23.13 | 13.2 / 21 | 7.3 / 21 | 1 |
| 25 | Top 9 Results Show | April 7, 2011 | 21.54 | 12.3 / 20 | 6.4 / 20 | 3 |
| 26 | Top 8 Finalists Perform | April 13, 2011 | 23.03 | 12.7 / 20 | 7.3 / 21 | 1 |
| 27 | Top 8 Results Show | April 14, 2011 | 21.92 | 12.5 / 21 | 6.4 / 20 | 2 |
| 28 | Top 7 Finalists Perform | April 20, 2011 | 22.54 | 12.7 / 20 | 7.1 / 20 | 1 |
| 29 | Top 7 Results Show | April 21, 2011 | 20.32 | 11.5 / 20 | 5.8 / 19 | 2 |
| 30 | Top 6 Finalists Perform | April 27, 2011 | 22.32 | 12.6 / 20 | 7.1 / 20 | 2 |
| 31 | Top 6 Results Show | April 28, 2011 | 19.60 | 11.5 / 19 | 5.7 / 17 | 3 |
| 32 | Top 5 Finalists Perform | May 4, 2011 | 21.14 | 12.2 / 19 | 6.6 / 19 | 3 |
| 33 | Top 5 Results Show | May 5, 2011 | 21.29 | 12.2 / 21 | 6.3 / 20 | 2 |
| 34 | Top 4 Finalists Perform | May 11, 2011 | 23.05 | 13.0 / 21 | 7.1 / 20 | 1 |
| 35 | Top 4 Results Show | May 12, 2011 | 22.45 | 12.6 / 21 | 6.5 / 20 | 2 |
| 36 | Top 3 Finalists Perform | May 18, 2011 | 23.56 | 13.3 / 21 | 7.4 / 20 | 1 |
| 37 | Top 3 Results Show | May 19, 2011 | 21.76 | 12.5 / 21 | 6.3 / 20 | 3 |
| 38 | Top 2 Finalists Perform | May 24, 2011 | 20.57 | 11.4 / 18 | 6.4 / 19 | 4 |
| 39 | Winner Revealed | May 25, 2011 | 29.29 | 15.6 / 25 | 9.2 / 26 | 1 |