# American Idol season 9

The ninth season of American Idol premiered on Fox on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, and concluded on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson returned as judges and were joined by Ellen DeGeneres, who was brought on as a replacement for Paula Abdul after a series of guest judges filled in during the auditions. Idol Gives Back also returned on April 21, 2010. The top 24 semifinal format used in the fourth through seventh seasons also returned this season. Cowell, DioGuardi, and DeGeneres all left the show after this season, although only Cowell's departure was announced in advance.
Lee DeWyze, a folk rocker from Mount Prospect, Illinois, won the competition, beating out fellow folk rocker Crystal Bowersox, who was the runner-up. Multiple contestants from this season were signed to record deals, including DeWyze, Bowersox, Casey James, Michael Lynche, and Siobhan Magnus. Several contestants who did not even make it to the semifinals would eventually break through in the music industry, including Tori Kelly, Lauren Daigle and Tasha Layton.

## Changes from previous seasons

Paula Abdul did not return to the judges panel, having announced in the beginning of August 2009 that she was leaving the show due to unresolved contract negotiations. Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, and Kristin Chenoweth were brought on as guest judges during the auditions.
After making the decision to utilize guest judges in Abdul's absence, Fox chairman Peter Rice stated that they would find a permanent fourth judge before the season premiere in January 2010. Ellen DeGeneres confirmed on September 9, 2009, that she would be joining the show as the new permanent fourth judge for the rounds held at CBS Television City for Hollywood Week and thereafter.
Additionally, Simon Cowell announced shortly before the ninth season began that it would be his last season on American Idol. Cowell left the show to begin preparations for an American version of his singing competition The X Factor. Ellen DeGeneres also announced on July 29, 2010, that she would not return to the judges panel because it was not the "right fit" for her. Kara DioGuardi also announced on September 3, 2010, that she would not return as a judge for the tenth season.

## Regional auditions

Auditions began on June 14, 2009, less than a month after the previous season's finale. During this stage, a series of guest judges filled in on the judging panel. Auditions were held in the following cities.
American Idol (season 9) – regional auditions :
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Guest judge | Golden tickets |
| Boston, Massachusetts | June 14, 2009 | Gillette Stadium | August 13–14, 2009 | 60 State Street | Victoria Beckham | 32 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | June 18, 2009 | Georgia Dome | August 16–17, 2009 | W Hotel Atlanta Midtown | Mary J. Blige | 25 |
| Chicago, Illinois | June 22, 2009 | United Center | August 31 – September 1, 2009 | Hyatt Regency Chicago | Shania Twain | 13 |
| Dallas, Texas | June 26, 2009 | Cowboys Stadium | August 24, 2009 | W Hotel Dallas Victory | Joe Jonas | 31 |
| Dallas, Texas | June 26, 2009 | Cowboys Stadium | August 25, 2009 | W Hotel Dallas Victory | Neil Patrick Harris | 31 |
| Los Angeles, California | June 30, 2009 | Rose Bowl Stadium | September 3, 2009 | Marina del Rey Marriott | Katy Perry | 23 |
| Los Angeles, California | June 30, 2009 | Rose Bowl Stadium | September 4, 2009 | Marina del Rey Marriott | Avril Lavigne | 23 |
| Orlando, Florida | July 9, 2009 | Amway Arena | August 28–29, 2009 | Rosen Shingle Creek Resort | Kristin Chenoweth | 31 |
| Denver, Colorado | July 14, 2009 | Invesco Field | August 7–8, 2009 | Grand Hyatt | Victoria Beckham | 26 |
| 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 | Total number of tickets to Hollywood | 181 |

## Hollywood week

Held at the Kodak Theatre for the second straight year, the first day of Hollywood Week featured the 181 contestants from the auditions round singing solo with the option of playing an instrument. Ellen DeGeneres made her first appearance as a judge at this time. 96 contestants advanced. The next round required the contestants to split into groups and perform. 71 advanced to the final round of Hollywood requiring a solo performance. 46 made it to the final round, where the judges spoke to the contestants one-by-one to tell them whether they had made the final 24.

## Semifinals

The semifinal format used during the fourth through seventh seasons was revived for this season. Starting with twelve women and twelve men, the women and men performed weekly on separate shows, each performing a Billboard Hot 100 song, and on the results show, the bottom two contestants from each group were eliminated from the competition. The semifinals took place over three weeks, meaning that six men and six women were eliminated, leaving the other six men and six women to form the top 12. The women performed on the first night, and the males the next night. However, the men and women switched on March 2 and March 3, because Crystal Bowersox had been hospitalized due to complications from diabetes.
Color key:

### Top 24

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 24 - Female contestants (February 24) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Paige Miles | "All Right Now" | Safe |
| Ashley Rodriguez | "Happy" | Eliminated |
| Janell Wheeler | "What About Love" | Eliminated |
| Lilly Scott | "Fixing a Hole" | Safe |
| Katelyn Epperly | "Oh! Darling" | Safe |
| Haeley Vaughn | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | Safe |
| Lacey Brown | "Landslide" | Safe |
| Michelle Delamor | "Fallin'" | Safe |
| Didi Benami | "The Way I Am" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Wicked Game" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Hand in My Pocket" | Safe |
| Katie Stevens | "Feeling Good" | Safe |
Top 24 - Male contestants (February 25) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Todrick Hall | "Since U Been Gone" | Safe |
| Aaron Kelly | "Here Comes Goodbye" | Safe |
| Jermaine Sellers | "Get Here" | Safe |
| Tim Urban | "Apologize" | Safe |
| Joe Muñoz | "You and I Both" | Eliminated |
| Tyler Grady | "American Woman" | Eliminated |
| Lee DeWyze | "Chasing Cars" | Safe |
| John Park | "God Bless the Child" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "This Love" | Safe |
| Alex Lambert | "Wonderful World" | Safe |
| Casey James | "Heaven" | Safe |
| Andrew Garcia | "Sugar, We're Goin Down" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 24 | "American Boy" |
| Allison Iraheta | "Scars" |
| Kris Allen | "Let It Be" |

### Top 20

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 20 - Male contestants (March 2) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Michael Lynche | "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" | Safe |
| John Park | "Gravity" | Eliminated |
| Casey James | "I Don't Want to Be" | Safe |
| Alex Lambert | "Everybody Knows" | Safe |
| Todrick Hall | "What's Love Got to Do with It" | Safe |
| Jermaine Sellers | "What's Going On" | Eliminated |
| Andrew Garcia | "You Give Me Something" | Safe |
| Aaron Kelly | "My Girl" | Safe |
| Tim Urban | "Come On Get Higher" | Safe |
| Lee DeWyze | "Lips of an Angel" | Safe |
Top 20 - Female contestants (March 3) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Long As I Can See the Light" | Safe |
| Haeley Vaughn | "The Climb" | Eliminated |
| Lacey Brown | "Kiss Me" | Safe |
| Katie Stevens | "Put Your Records On" | Safe |
| Didi Benami | "Lean on Me" | Safe |
| Michelle Delamor | "With Arms Wide Open" | Eliminated |
| Lilly Scott | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Safe |
| Katelyn Epperly | "The Scientist" | Safe |
| Paige Miles | "Walk Away" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Think" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 20 | "I Gotta Feeling" |
| Danny Gokey | "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" |

### Top 16

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 16 - Female contestants (March 9) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Katie Stevens | "Breakaway" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "The House of the Rising Sun" | Safe |
| Lacey Brown | "The Story" | Safe |
| Katelyn Epperly | "I Feel the Earth Move" | Eliminated |
| Didi Benami | "Rhiannon" | Safe |
| Paige Miles | "Smile" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Give Me One Reason" | Safe |
| Lilly Scott | "I Fall to Pieces" | Eliminated |
Top 16 - Male contestants (March 10) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Lee DeWyze | "Fireflies" | Safe |
| Alex Lambert | "Trouble" | Eliminated |
| Tim Urban | "Hallelujah" | Safe |
| Andrew Garcia | "Genie in a Bottle" | Safe |
| Casey James | "You'll Think of Me" | Safe |
| Aaron Kelly | "I'm Already There" | Safe |
| Todrick Hall | "Somebody to Love" | Eliminated |
| Michael Lynche | "This Woman's Work" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 16 | "Haven't Met You Yet" |
| Matt Giraud & Scott MacIntyre | "Tell Her About It" |

## Top 12 finalists

* Lee DeWyze (born April 2, 1986, in Mount Prospect, Illinois; 23 years old at the start of the show) was from Mount Prospect, and auditioned in Chicago with Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine." He performed The Fray's "You Found Me" in Hollywood.
* Crystal Bowersox (born August 4, 1985, in Elliston, Ohio; 24 years old at the start of the show) was from Elliston, and auditioned in Chicago with Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart." Her Hollywood performance of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" impressed the judges and fellow contestants alike. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was six, and while on the show, she suffered diabetic complications and was hospitalized, which resulted in the top 20 performance nights for the male and female contestants to switched.
* Casey James (born May 31, 1982, in Princeton, Texas; 27 years old at the start of the show) was from Fort Worth, Texas, and auditioned in Denver with John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room."
* Michael Lynche (born May 31, 1983; 26 years old at the start of the show) was from St. Petersburg, Florida, and auditioned in Orlando with Todd Duncan's "Unchained Melody." His daughter was born during the Hollywood round, and the unfolding drama of his wife's labor was heavily featured while he performed John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change."
* Aaron Kelly (born April 2, 1993, in Davenport, Florida; 16 years old at the start of the show) was from Sonestown, Pennsylvania, and auditioned in Orlando with Miley Cyrus's "The Climb." He performed Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" in Hollywood, where he forgot his words.
* Siobhan Magnus (born March 15, 1990, in Barnstable, Massachusetts; 19 years old at the start of the show) was from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and auditioned in Boston with Queen's "Love of My Life." She performed Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" in Hollywood.
* Tim Urban (born May 1, 1989, in Tacoma, Washington; 20 years old at the start of the show) was from Duncanville, Texas, and auditioned in Dallas with Matt Nathanson's "Bulletproof Week." He performed David Cook's "Come Back To Me" in Hollywood. He did not initially qualify for the semifinals, but was chosen as a replacement when Chris Golightly was disqualified from the competition.
* Katie Stevens (born December 8, 1992, in Southbury, Connecticut; 17 years old at the start of the show) was from Middlebury, Connecticut, and auditioned in Boston with Glenn Miller's "At Last." She performed Jean DuShon's "For Once in My Life" in Hollywood, where Kara DioGuardi considered her a potential winner.
* Andrew Garcia (born October 8, 1985, in Moreno Valley, California; 24 years old at the start of the show) auditioned in Los Angeles with Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning." He impressed the judges with his performance of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" in Hollywood.
* Didi Benami (born October 25, 1986, in New York City, New York; 23 years old at the start of the show) was from Knoxville, Tennessee, and auditioned in Los Angeles with The Beatles' "Hey Jude." She performed Katharine McPhee's "Terrified" – penned by Kara DioGuardi – in Hollywood.
* Paige Miles (born September 26, 1985; 24 years old at the start of the show) was from Naples, Florida, and auditioned in Dallas. She performed Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" in Hollywood.
* Lacey Brown (born August 13, 1985; 24 years old at the start of the show) was from Amarillo, Texas, and auditioned in Orlando with Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow." She had previously made it to the Hollywood round in the eighth season of American Idol. Ryan Seacrest noted that her performance of "What a Wonderful World" by Louie Armstrong had a major part in her advancing into the top 24.

## Finals

There were eleven weeks of finals with twelve 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 12 – The Rolling Stones

Contestants performed one song each from the Rolling Stones discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Rolling Stones song | Result |
| Michael Lynche | "Miss You" | Safe |
| Didi Benami | "Play with Fire" | Safe |
| Casey James | "It's All Over Now" | Safe |
| Lacey Brown | "Ruby Tuesday" | Eliminated |
| Andrew Garcia | "Gimme Shelter" | Safe |
| Katie Stevens | "Wild Horses" | Safe |
| Tim Urban | "Under My Thumb" | Bottom three |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Paint It Black" | Safe |
| Lee DeWyze | "Beast of Burden" | Safe |
| Paige Miles | "Honky Tonk Women" | Bottom three |
| Aaron Kelly | "Angie" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "You Can't Always Get What You Want" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| David Cook | "Jumpin' Jack Flash" |
| Orianthi | "According to You" |
| Kesha, featuring 3OH!3 | "Blah Blah Blah" |

### Top 11 – Billboard number ones

Miley Cyrus served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from the list of Billboard number one hits, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Lee DeWyze | "The Letter" | Safe |
| Paige Miles | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Eliminated |
| Tim Urban | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | Bottom three |
| Aaron Kelly | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Me and Bobby McGee" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Safe |
| Andrew Garcia | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Safe |
| Katie Stevens | "Big Girls Don't Cry" | Bottom three |
| Casey James | "The Power of Love" | Safe |
| Didi Benami | "You're No Good" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Superstition" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 11 | "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" |
| Miley Cyrus | "When I Look at You" |
| Joe Jonas & Demi Lovato | "Make a Wave" |

### Top 10 – R&B/Soul

Usher served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | R&B/Soul song | Result |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Through the Fire" | Safe |
| Casey James | "Hold On, I'm Comin'" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "Ready for Love" | Safe |
| Didi Benami | "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" | Eliminated |
| Tim Urban | "Sweet Love" | Bottom three |
| Andrew Garcia | "Forever" | Safe |
| Katie Stevens | "Chain of Fools" | Bottom three |
| Lee DeWyze | "Treat Her Like a Lady" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Midnight Train to Georgia" | Safe |
| Aaron Kelly | "Ain't No Sunshine" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Ruben Studdard | "Don't Make 'Em Like U No More" |
| Usher & will.i.am | "OMG" |
| Diddy-Dirty Money | "Hello Good Morning" |

### Top 9 (April 6th) – Lennon–McCartney

Contestants chose songs from the Lennon–McCartney discography, and are listed in the order they performed. The judges chose to use their "judges' save" when Michael Lynche was announced as the performer to be eliminated. As a result, no one was eliminated this week.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Aaron Kelly | "The Long and Winding Road" | Bottom three |
| Katie Stevens | "Let It Be" | Safe |
| Andrew Garcia | "Can't Buy Me Love" | Bottom three |
| Michael Lynche | "Eleanor Rigby" | Saved by the judges |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Come Together" | Safe |
| Tim Urban | "All My Loving" | Safe |
| Casey James | "Jealous Guy" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Across the Universe" | Safe |
| Lee DeWyze | "Hey Jude" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 9 | Lennon–McCartney medley: "Here, There and Everywhere" "Got to Get You into My Life" "The Fool on the Hill" "All You Need Is Love" "She Loves You" "The End" |
| Jason Derulo | "In My Head" |
| David Archuleta | "Imagine" |
| Rihanna with Nuno Bettencourt | "Rockstar 101" |

### Top 9 (April 13th) – Elvis Presley

Adam Lambert served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from the Elvis Presley discography, and are listed in the order they performed. Two contestants were eliminated.
| Contestant | Elvis Presley song | Result |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Saved" | Safe |
| Andrew Garcia | "Hound Dog" | Eliminated |
| Tim Urban | "Can't Help Falling in Love" | Safe |
| Lee DeWyze | "A Little Less Conversation" | Safe |
| Aaron Kelly | "Blue Suede Shoes" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Suspicious Minds" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "In the Ghetto" | Safe |
| Katie Stevens | "Baby What You Want Me to Do" | Eliminated |
| Casey James | "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 9 | Elvis Presley medley: "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" "Burning Love" "Return to Sender" "Viva Las Vegas" |
| Brooke White & Justin Gaston | "If I Can Dream" |
| Adam Lambert | "Whataya Want from Me" |

### Top 7 – Inspirational music

Alicia Keys served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Casey James | "Don't Stop" | Bottom three |
| Lee DeWyze | "The Boxer" | Safe |
| Tim Urban | "Better Days" | Eliminated |
| Aaron Kelly | "I Believe I Can Fly" | Bottom three |
| Siobhan Magnus | "When You Believe" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "Hero" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "People Get Ready" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 7 | "Keeping the Dream Alive" |
| Alicia Keys | "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" |
| The Black Eyed Peas | "Rock That Body" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Change" |
| Elton John | "Your Song" |
| Mary J. Blige | "Stairway to Heaven" |

### Top 6 – Shania Twain

Shania Twain served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from her discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Shania Twain song | Result |
| Lee DeWyze | "You're Still the One" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing" | Bottom three |
| Casey James | "Don't!" | Bottom three |
| Crystal Bowersox | "No One Needs to Know" | Safe |
| Aaron Kelly | "You've Got a Way" | Safe |
| Siobhan Magnus | "Any Man of Mine" | Eliminated |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Rascal Flatts | "Unstoppable" |
| Sons of Sylvia | "Love Left to Lose" |
| Lady Antebellum | "Need You Now" |
| Shakira & Rascal Flatts | "Gypsy" |

### Top 5 – Frank Sinatra

Harry Connick, Jr. served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from the Frank Sinatra discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Frank Sinatra song | Result |
| Aaron Kelly | "Fly Me to the Moon" | Eliminated |
| Casey James | "Blue Skies" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | "Summer Wind" | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | "The Way You Look Tonight" | Bottom two |
| Lee DeWyze | "That's Life" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 5 | Frank Sinatra medley: "The Lady Is a Tramp" "It Was a Very Good Year" "I've Got the World on a String" "Night and Day" |
| Top 5 | Harry Connick, Jr. medley: "We Are in Love" "Come by Me" "Hear Me in the Harmony" |
| Lady Gaga | "Bad Romance" "Alejandro" |
| Harry Connick, Jr. | "And I Love Her" |

### Top 4 – Movie soundtracks

Jamie Foxx served as a guest mentor 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 | Song | Film | Result |
| Lee DeWyze | 1 | "Kiss from a Rose" | Batman Forever | Safe |
| Michael Lynche | 2 | "Will You Be There" | Free Willy | Eliminated |
| Casey James | 4 | "Mrs. Robinson" | The Graduate | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | 5 | "I'm Alright" | Caddyshack | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox & Lee DeWyze | 3 | "Falling Slowly" | Once | |
| Casey James & Michael Lynche | 6 | "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" | Don Juan DeMarco | |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Fantasia | "Bittersweet" |
| Daughtry | "September" |
| Bon Jovi | "Superman Tonight" |

### Top 3 — Contestant's Choice/Judges' Choice

Each contestant performed two songs: one chosen by the judges and one chosen by the contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| Casey James | 1 | "OK, It's Alright with Me" | Eliminated |
| Casey James | 4 | "Daughters" | Eliminated |
| Crystal Bowersox | 2 | "Come to My Window" | Safe |
| Crystal Bowersox | 5 | "Maybe I'm Amazed" | Safe |
| Lee DeWyze | 3 | "Simple Man" | Safe |
| Lee DeWyze | 6 | "Hallelujah" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Travis Garland | "Believe" |
| Justin Bieber | "U Smile" "Baby" |
* ↑ Song chosen by Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.
* ↑ Song chosen by Ellen DeGeneres.
* ↑ Song chosen by Simon Cowell.

### 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 |
| Lee DeWyze | 1 | "The Boxer" | Winner |
| Lee DeWyze | 3 | "Everybody Hurts" | Winner |
| Lee DeWyze | 5 | "Beautiful Day" | Winner |
| Crystal Bowersox | 2 | "Me and Bobby McGee" | Runner-up |
| Crystal Bowersox | 4 | "Black Velvet" | Runner-up |
| Crystal Bowersox | 6 | "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" | Runner-up |
* 1 2 Song chosen by Simon Fuller.
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Will Young | "Leave Right Now" |
| Siobhan Magnus & Aaron Kelly with Barry Gibb & Robin Gibb | "How Deep Is Your Love" |
| Michael Lynche with Michael McDonald | "Takin' It to the Streets" |
| Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens Didi Benami, Paige Miles & Lacey Brown with Christina Aguilera | "Beautiful" "Fighter" |
| Lee DeWyze, Casey James, Michael Lynche Aaron Kelly, Tim Urban & Andrew Garcia with Daryl Hall & John Oates | "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" "Maneater" "You Make My Dreams" |
| Crystal Bowersox with Alanis Morissette | "Ironic" "You Oughta Know" |
| Casey James with Bret Michaels | "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" |
| Lee DeWyze with Chicago | "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" "If You Leave Me Now" "25 or 6 to 4" |
| Lee DeWyze & Crystal Bowersox with Joe Cocker | "With a Little Help from My Friends" |
| Alice Cooper | "School's Out" |
| Kris Allen | "The Truth" |
| Dane Cook | "Simon Said" |
| Christina Aguilera | "You Lost Me" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Undo It" |
| Larry Platt & William Hung | "Pants on the Ground" |
| Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks & Kris Allen | "Together We Are One" |
| Top 12 with Janet Jackson | "Again" "Nothing" "Nasty" |

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 9) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Top 12 | Top 11 | Top 10 | Top 9 | Top 9 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 2/25 | 3/4 | 3/11 | 3/18 | 3/25 | 4/1 | 4/8 | 4/15 | 4/22 | 4/29 | 5/5 | 5/12 | 5/19 | 5/26 |
| Lee DeWyze | 1 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| Crystal Bowersox | 2 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Casey James | 3 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
| Michael Lynche | 4 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Saved | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom two | Eliminated | | |
| Aaron Kelly | 5 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | |
| Siobhan Magnus | 6 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | |
| Tim Urban | 7 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Andrew Garcia | 8 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Katie Stevens | 8 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Didi Benami | 10 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Paige Miles | 11 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| Lacey Brown | 12 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | |
| Katelyn Epperly | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Todrick Hall | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alex Lambert | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lilly Scott | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Michelle Delamor | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| John Park | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jermaine Sellers | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Haeley Vaughn | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tyler Grady | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ashley Rodriguez | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Joe Muñoz | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Janell Wheeler | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ Because the judges used their one "judges' save" to save Michael Lynche, the top 9 remained intact for another week.

## Controversies

Chris Golightly was originally selected as semi-finalist. According to reports, Golightly was disqualified on February 17, 2010, after already being told he was in the top 24, over an old contract. The contract had expired by the time the top 24 began to tape, but they disqualified him because he was under contract at the time of the tryouts, in violation of Idol rules. He was later replaced by Tim Urban at the last minute of the last part of Hollywood Week.
Ryan Seacrest was criticized by TheWrap and MSNBC Entertainment for "critiquing the judges’ comments" and becoming more aggressive. Ratings for this season dropped significantly compared to the previous two seasons, leading to speculation that it might be coming to a close. It was speculated that reasons for the decline might have included the pending departure of Simon Cowell and the more unpredictable behavior of Ryan Seacrest.

## Season nine semifinals shock eliminations

Michael Slezak of EW stated, "So you’d think by season 9 — during the inconsequential semifinals, no less — it would be easy to brush off the bad judgment of speed-texting tweens, to process the way-too-early exits of Lilly Scott, Katelyn Epperly, and Alex Lambert (plus the sort-of-maybe-too-early ouster of Todrick Hall), and move on. So why do the ritual killings of the dreams of four indisputably flawed semifinalists feel like they’re part of something bigger, a shifting of the tectonic plates at the core of the Idol universe?"

## U.S. Nielsen ratings

This season of American Idol was the top show for the 2009–10 season of broadcast primetime shows. Its Tuesday and Wednesday episodes occupied the top two spots of the season. Viewership for the Tuesday episodes averaged 22.974 million, while the Wednesday episodes averaged 21.951 million.
Episode list :
| Show | Episode | Air date | Rating | Share | rating/Share 18–49 | Viewers (in millions) |
| 1 | "Boston Auditions" | January 12, 2010 | 16.4 | 24 | 11.8/29 | 29.936 |
| 2 | "Atlanta Auditions" | January 13, 2010 | 14.9 | 23 | 10.1/27 | 26.393 |
| 3 | "Chicago Auditions" | January 19, 2010 | 14.3 | 22 | 10.1/27 | 26.384 |
| 4 | "Orlando Auditions" | January 20, 2010 | 14.6 | 23 | 9.9/27 | 26.854 |
| 5 | "Los Angeles Auditions" | January 26, 2010 | 13.5 | 21 | 9.0/24 | 24.452 |
| 6 | "Dallas Auditions" | January 27, 2010 | 13.4 | 22 | 9.5/24 | 25.710 |
| 7 | "Denver Auditions" | February 2, 2010 | 13.4 | 20 | 9.0/23 | 24.705 |
| 8 | "Best of the Rest" | February 3, 2010 | 11.9 | 19 | 7.8/21 | 20.999 |
| 9 | "Hollywood Round, Part 1" | February 9, 2010 | 15.1 | 22 | 10.1/26 | 27.892 |
| 10 | "Hollywood Round, Part 2" | February 10, 2010 | 13.6 | 21 | 9.5/23 | 25.172 |
| 11 | "Hollywood Round, Part 3" | February 16, 2010 | 13.1 | 20 | 9.2/22 | 23.922 |
| 12 | "Hollywood Round, Part 4" | February 17, 2010 | 10.6 | 16 | 7.0/17 | 18.629 |
| 13 | "Top 12 Female Semifinalists Perform" | February 23, 2010 | 13.4 | 20 | 9.0/22 | 24.213 |
| 14 | "Top 12 Male Semifinalists Perform" | February 24, 2010 | 12.9 | 20 | 8.7/22 | 22.959 |
| 15 | "First Results Show" | February 25, 2010 | 10.3 | 16 | 6.5/17 | 18.033 |
| 16 | "Top 10 Male Semifinalists Perform" | March 2, 2010 | 13.1 | 20 | 8.6/22 | 23.526 |
| 17 | "Top 10 Female Semifinalists Perform" | March 3, 2010 | 13.4 | 21 | 8.5 | 23.560 |
| 18 | "Second Results Show" | March 4, 2010 | 11.2 | 18 | 6.5 | 19.424 |
| 19 | "Top 8 Female Semifinalists Perform" | March 9, 2010 | 12.8 | 18 | 8.2 | 22.752 |
| 20 | "Top 8 Male Semifinalists Perform" | March 10, 2010 | 11.9 | 18 | 7.5/20 | 20.701 |
| 21 | "Third Results Show/Top 12 Revealed" | March 11, 2010 | 11.2 | 18 | 6.3 | 19.339 |
| 22 | "Top 12 Finalists Perform" | March 16, 2010 | 13.0 | 21 | 8.1/23 | 22.913 |
| 23 | "Top 12 Results Show" | March 17, 2010 | 11.8 | 20 | 6.8/20 | 20.510 |
| 24 | "Top 11 Finalists Perform" | March 23, 2010 | 13.5 | 21 | 8.4/23 | 24.211 |
| 25 | "Top 11 Results Show" | March 24, 2010 | 12.2 | 20 | 7.2/20 | 21.437 |
| 26 | "Top 10 Finalists Perform" | March 30, 2010 | 12.4 | 20 | 7.7/21 | 21.845 |
| 27 | "Top 10 Results Show" | March 31, 2010 | 11.7 | 19 | 6.7/19 | 20.492 |
| 28 | "Top 9 Finalists Perform" | April 6, 2010 | 11.9 | 19 | 7.3/20 | 20.836 |
| 29 | "Top 9 Results Show" | April 7, 2010 | 11.6 | 18 | 6.7/18 | 20.168 |
| 30 | "Top 9 Finalists Perform Again" | April 13, 2010 | 11.8 | 19 | 7.3/21 | 20.639 |
| 31 | "Double Elimination Top 9 Results Show" | April 14, 2010 | 12.1 | 20 | 6.8/19 | 21.018 |
| 32 | "Top 7 Finalists Perform" | April 20, 2010 | 11.0 | 18 | 6.9/20 | 19.669 |
| 33 | "Top 7 Results Show/Idol Gives Back" | April 21, 2010 | 10.6 | 18 | 5.9/17 | 18.824 |
| 34 | "Top 6 Finalists Perform" | April 27, 2010 | 11.0 | 17 | 6.9/20 | 19.417 |
| 35 | "Top 6 Results Show" | April 28, 2010 | 11.5 | 18 | 6.7/18 | 20.057 |
| 36 | "Top 5 Finalists Perform" | May 4, 2010 | 10.1 | 16 | 6.2/18 | 17.498 |
| 37 | "Top 5 Results Show" | May 5, 2010 | 11.3 | 18 | 6.5/18 | 19.580 |
| 38 | "Top 4 Finalists Perform" | May 11, 2010 | 10.7 | 17 | 6.8/18 | 19.167 |
| 39 | "Top 4 Results Show" | May 12, 2010 | 11.2 | 18 | 6.6/17 | 19.569 |
| 40 | "Top 3 Finalists Perform" | May 18, 2010 | 10.5 | 17 | 6.7/18 | 18.684 |
| 41 | "Top 3 Results Show" | May 19, 2010 | 11.1 | 18 | 6.1/16 | 19.003 |
| 42 | "Top 2 Finalists Perform" | May 25, 2010 | 11.2 | 18 | 6.7/19 | 20.072 |
| 43 | "Winner Revealed" | May 26, 2010 | 13.5 | 23 | 8.2/24 | 24.215 |