# American Idol season 7

The seventh season of American Idol began on January 15, 2008, and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show, while Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges. David Cook was announced as the winner on May 21, 2008, defeating runner-up David Archuleta by a margin of roughly 12 million votes out of over 97 million, which was at that time the highest recorded vote total in the show's history.

## Changes from previous seasons

Prior to the start of the seventh season, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe admitted that the sixth season had placed more focus on the guest mentors than the contestants. Changes were planned for the seventh season designed to return attention to the contestants by providing more information on their backgrounds and families.
In a major change for the seventh season, contestants were allowed to play musical instruments, an element that originated on Australian Idol. A brand new set was built, and a new introduction credit sequence was created. The season finale also moved from the Kodak Theatre to the larger Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, which would be the venue for the live series finale for the next six years.

## Regional auditions

For the seventh season, auditions began in San Diego, California, on July 30, 2007, and continued in these cities:
American Idol (season 7) – regional auditions :
| City | Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Golden tickets |
| San Diego, California | July 30, 2007 | Qualcomm Stadium | September 12–13, 2007 | Rancho Bernardo Inn | 31 |
| Dallas, Texas | August 6, 2007 | Texas Stadium | September 20–23, 2007 | W Hotel Dallas Victory | 24 |
| Omaha, Nebraska | August 10, 2007 | Qwest Center Omaha | October 5–6, 2007 | Qwest Convention Center | 19 |
| Atlanta, Georgia | August 14, 2007 | Georgia Dome | October 8–10, 2007 | Georgia International Convention Center | 21 |
| Charleston, South Carolina | August 18, 2007 | North Charleston Coliseum | September 6–7, 2007 | Charleston Area Convention Center | 23 |
| Miami, Florida | August 22, 2007 | American Airlines Arena | September 29–30, 2007 | JW Marriott Hotel | 17 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | August 27, 2007 | Wachovia Center | September 1–2, 2007 | Hyatt Regency | 29 |
| 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 | 164 |
Contestants were required to be between the ages of 16 and 28 on July 28, 2007, and eligible to work in the United States. Those ineligible included former contestants who had previously reached the semifinals of the first through third seasons, or the last phase of the Hollywood round of the fourth through sixth seasons, those holding recording or management contracts, or those who were not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

## Hollywood week

The Hollywood week took place at the Pasadena Civic Center in Pasadena, California, over a period of five days. A total of 164 contestants were invited from the seven audition cities. This year, the process was altered slightly to ensure that no talent would be prematurely dismissed, and there are no group performances. The contestants performed at least two songs during this round.
The first round of individual performances lasted two days. For the first time ever, contestants had the option of either being accompanied by the band or playing an instrument themselves, such as a keyboard, guitar, or drums. If the judges approved of the contestants' performances, they received a "free pass," exempting them from having to perform in the second round. Unlike previous seasons, contestants whose performances were not considered good enough were afforded a second chance rather than immediate elimination. They lined up on stage in groups of ten and each sang a short segment of a song a cappella. After each group had performed, the judges eliminated about 100 contestants.
In the final round, the remaining contestants individually performed a song chosen from a provided list of songs, accompanied by the band and three backup singers. After each performance, the judges decided the contestant's fate; 50 contestants emerged after this round ended. The judges then deliberated further on who should be in the top 24, and their decision was revealed the next day.
One of the more prominent contestants during the Hollywood week was Josiah Leming, whose unhappiness with the backing band resulted in him dismissing the band. He was ultimately eliminated. Another piece of drama involved contestant Kyle Ensley, when Simon Cowell voiced strong objection over him not being selected for the semifinals. His non-selection was later revealed to have resulted in serious rift between Cowell and the show producer Nigel Lythgoe.

## Semifinals

The live show portion of the semifinals began on February 19, 2008. Similar to the previous three seasons, the women and men performed on separate shows, and then on the result shows, the bottom two contestants from each group were eliminated from the competition. The semifinals took place over three weeks, resulting in six males and six females being eliminated, leaving the other six to form the top 12. The men performed on the first night, and the ladies the next night.
Color key:

### Top 24 – Music from the 1960s

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 24 - male contestants (February 19) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| David Hernandez | "In the Midnight Hour" | Safe |
| Chikezie | "More Today Than Yesterday" | Safe |
| David Cook | "Happy Together" | Safe |
| Jason Yeager | "Moon River" | Safe |
| Robbie Carrico | "One" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | "Shop Around" | Safe |
| Dani Noriega (AKA Adore Delano) | "Jailhouse Rock" | Safe |
| Luke Menard | "Everybody's Talkin'" | Safe |
| Colton Berry | "Suspicious Minds" | Eliminated |
| Garrett Haley | "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" | Eliminated |
| Jason Castro | "Daydream" | Safe |
| Michael Johns | "Light My Fire" | Safe |
Top 24 - female contestants (February 20) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "Rescue Me" | Safe |
| Joanne Borgella | "I Say a Little Prayer" | Eliminated |
| Alaina Whitaker | "More Today Than Yesterday" | Safe |
| Amanda Overmyer | "Baby, Please Don't Go" | Safe |
| Amy Davis | "Where the Boys Are" | Eliminated |
| Brooke White | "Happy Together" | Safe |
| Alexandréa Lushington | "Spinning Wheel" | Safe |
| Kady Malloy | "A Groovy Kind of Love" | Safe |
| Asia'h Epperson | "Piece of My Heart" | Safe |
| Ramiele Malubay | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | "Tobacco Road" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "The Shadow of Your Smile" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 24 | 1960s medley: "Needles and Pins" "When You Walk in the Room" "Spanish Harlem" "Bend Me, Shape Me" |
| Paula Abdul & Randy Jackson | "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" |

### Top 20 – Music from the 1970s

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 20 - male contestants (February 26) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Michael Johns | "Go Your Own Way" | Safe |
| Jason Castro | "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" | Safe |
| Luke Menard | "Killer Queen" | Safe |
| Robbie Carrico | "Hot Blooded" | Eliminated |
| Danny Noriega | "Superstar" | Safe |
| David Hernandez | "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" | Safe |
| Jason Yeager | "Long Train Runnin'" | Eliminated |
| Chikezie | "I Believe to My Soul" | Safe |
| David Cook | "All Right Now" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | "Imagine" | Safe |
Top 20 - female contestants (February 27) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Carly Smithson | "Crazy on You" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | "Me and Mrs. Jones" | Safe |
| Brooke White | "You're So Vain" | Safe |
| Ramiele Malubay | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | Safe |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "You're No Good" | Safe |
| Amanda Overmyer | "Carry On Wayward Son" | Safe |
| Alaina Whitaker | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | Eliminated |
| Alexandréa Lushington | "If You Leave Me Now" | Eliminated |
| Kady Malloy | "Magic Man" | Safe |
| Asia'h Epperson | "All by Myself" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 20 | 1970s medley: "I Saw the Light" "It's a Heartache" "The Things We Do for Love" "I Feel the Earth Move" |

### Top 16 – Music from the 1980s

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 16 - male contestants (March 4) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Luke Menard | "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" | Eliminated |
| David Archuleta | "Another Day in Paradise" | Safe |
| Danny Noriega | "Tainted Love" | Eliminated |
| David Hernandez | "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" | Safe |
| Michael Johns | "Don't You (Forget About Me)" | Safe |
| David Cook | "Hello" | Safe |
| Jason Castro | "Hallelujah" | Safe |
| Chikezie | "All the Man That I Need" | Safe |
Top 16 - female contestants (March 5) :
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Asia'h Epperson | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Eliminated |
| Kady Malloy | "Who Wants to Live Forever" | Eliminated |
| Amanda Overmyer | "I Hate Myself for Loving You" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "I Drove All Night" | Safe |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "Faithfully" | Safe |
| Ramiele Malubay | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Safe |
| Brooke White | "Love Is a Battlefield" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | "Saving All My Love for You" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Blake Lewis | "How Many Words" |

## Top 12 finalists

* David Cook (born December 20, 1982, in Houston, Texas; 24 years old at the time of the show) was a native of Blue Springs, Missouri, who auditioned in Omaha with Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer." His Hollywood performance of Bryan Adams's "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" did not impress Simon Cowell, but his second performance, Edwin McCain's "I'll Be," did.
* David Archuleta (born December 28, 1990, in Miami, Florida; 16 years old at the time of the show) was from Murray, Utah, and auditioned in San Diego with John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change." He impressed the judges with his performance of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and Bryan Adams's "Heaven" in Hollywood.
* Syesha Mercado (born January 2, 1987, in Bridgeport, Connecticut; 21 years old at the time of the show) was from Sarasota, Florida, and auditioned in Miami with Aretha Franklin's "Think." In Hollywood, she became ill and almost lost her voice. In preparation for her final Hollywood performance with Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," she went on voice rest and wrote down everything she had to say on a pad of paper.
* Jason Castro (born March 25, 1987; 20 years old at the time of the show) was from Rockwall, Texas, and auditioned in Dallas with Keith Urban's "Once in a Lifetime" and Ray LaMontagne's "Crazy."
* Brooke White (born June 2, 1983, in Mesa, Arizona; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Van Nuys, California, and auditioned in Philadelphia with Corinne Bailey Rae's "Like a Star." She performed Carole King's "Beautiful" in Hollywood.
* Carly Smithson (born as Carly Hennessy on September 12, 1983, in Dublin, Ireland; 24 years old at the time of the show) was a professional singer from San Diego, California. She had originally auditioned in Las Vegas during the show's fifth season, but was dropped from the show due to a problem with her visa. She auditioned in San Diego with Whitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman," and performed Leo Sayer's "When I Need You" and Heart's "Alone" in Hollywood.
* Kristy Lee Cook (born January 18, 1984; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Selma, Oregon, and auditioned in Philadelphia, where she sang "Amazing Grace," a song she also performed in Hollywood.
* Michael Johns (born as Michael Lee on October 20, 1978, in Perth, Australia; 29 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in San Diego with Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long." In Hollywood, he performed The Doors' "Light My Fire," but it was his performance of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that was one of the highlights.
* Ramiele Malubay (born September 6, 1987, in Saudi Arabia; 20 years old at the time of the show) was from Miramar, Florida, and auditioned in Miami with Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman." She performed Aretha Franklin's "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" and The Kiki Dee Band's "I've Got the Music in Me" in Hollywood.
* Chikezie (born as Chikezie Eze on September 11, 1985, in Inglewood, California; 22 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in San Diego with Luther Vandross' "All the Woman I Need." He had previously auditioned during the show's sixth season, and made it to Hollywood, but was cut before the top 44.
* Amanda Overmyer (born October 26, 1984; 23 years old at the time of the show) was from Mulberry, Indiana, and auditioned in Atlanta with Janis Joplin's "Turtle Blues" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Travelin' Band." She performed The Doors' "Light My Fire" in Hollywood.
* David Hernandez (born May 31, 1983, in Glendale, Arizona; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Glendale, Arizona, and auditioned with The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." He performed Stephen Stills's "Love the One You're With" in Hollywood.

## Finals

There were eleven weeks of finals with twelve contestants competing. One contestant was eliminated every week based on the public's votes.
Color key:

### Top 12 – Lennon–McCartney

Contestants performed one song each from the Lennon–McCartney discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Lennon–McCartney song | Result |
| Syesha Mercado | "Got to Get You into My Life" | Bottom three |
| Chikezie | "She's a Woman" | Safe |
| Ramiele Malubay | "In My Life" | Safe |
| Jason Castro | "If I Fell" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "Come Together" | Safe |
| David Cook | "Eleanor Rigby" | Safe |
| Brooke White | "Let It Be" | Safe |
| David Hernandez | "I Saw Her Standing There" | Eliminated |
| Amanda Overmyer | "You Can't Do That" | Safe |
| Michael Johns | "Across the Universe" | Safe |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "Eight Days a Week" | Bottom two |
| David Archuleta | "We Can Work It Out" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 12 | Beatles medley: "All My Loving" "I Feel Fine" "Can't Buy Me Love" "Help!" |
| Katharine McPhee & David Foster | "Something" |

### Top 11 – The Beatles

Contestants performed one song each from the Beatles discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Beatles song | Result |
| Amanda Overmyer | "Back in the U.S.S.R." | Eliminated |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" | Bottom two |
| David Archuleta | "The Long and Winding Road" | Safe |
| Michael Johns | "A Day in the Life" | Safe |
| Brooke White | "Here Comes the Sun" | Safe |
| David Cook | "Day Tripper" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "Blackbird" | Bottom three |
| Jason Castro | "Michelle" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | "Yesterday" | Safe |
| Chikezie | "I've Just Seen a Face" | Safe |
| Ramiele Malubay | "I Should Have Known Better" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 11 | Beatles medley: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" "Here, There and Everywhere" "Because" "The End" |
| Kellie Pickler | "Red High Heels" |

### Top 10 – 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 |
| Ramiele Malubay | "Alone" | 1987 | Safe |
| Jason Castro | "Fragile" | 1987 | Bottom three |
| Syesha Mercado | "If I Were Your Woman" | 1987 | Bottom two |
| Chikezie | "If Only for One Night" | 1985 | Eliminated |
| Brooke White | "Every Breath You Take" | 1983 | Safe |
| Michael Johns | "We Will Rock You" & "We Are the Champions" | 1978 | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "Total Eclipse of the Heart" | 1983 | Safe |
| David Archuleta | "You're the Voice" | 1990 | Safe |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "God Bless the U.S.A." | 1984 | Safe |
| David Cook | "Billie Jean" | 1982 | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 10 | "Right Back Where We Started From" |
| Kimberley Locke | "Fall" |

### Top 9 – Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from her discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Dolly Parton song | Result |
| Brooke White | "Jolene" | Bottom three |
| David Cook | "Little Sparrow" | Safe |
| Ramiele Malubay | "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" | Eliminated |
| Jason Castro | "Travelin' Thru" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "Here You Come Again" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | "Smoky Mountain Memories" | Safe |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "Coat of Many Colors" | Bottom two |
| Syesha Mercado | "I Will Always Love You" | Safe |
| Michael Johns | "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 9 | "9 to 5" |
| The Clark Brothers | "This Little Light of Mine" |
| Dolly Parton | "Jesus and Gravity" |

### Top 8 – Inspirational music

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result |
| Michael Johns | "Dream On" | Eliminated |
| Syesha Mercado | "I Believe" | Bottom three |
| Jason Castro | "Over the Rainbow" | Safe |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "Anyway" | Safe |
| David Cook | "Innocent" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "The Show Must Go On" | Bottom three |
| David Archuleta | "Angels" | Safe |
| Brooke White | "You've Got a Friend" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 8 | "Shout to the Lord" |
| Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown | "No Air" |

### Top 7 – Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from her discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Mariah Carey song | Result |
| David Archuleta | "When You Believe" | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "Without You" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | "Vanishing" | Bottom three |
| Brooke White | "Hero" | Bottom two |
| Kristy Lee Cook | "Forever" | Eliminated |
| David Cook | "Always Be My Baby" | Safe |
| Jason Castro | "I Don't Wanna Cry" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 7 | "One Sweet Day" |
| Elliott Yamin | "Free" |
| Mariah Carey | "Bye Bye" |

### Top 6 – Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Lloyd Webber served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song each from one of his musicals, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Musical | Result |
| Syesha Mercado | "One Rock & Roll Too Many" | Starlight Express | Bottom two |
| Jason Castro | "Memory" | Cats | Safe |
| Brooke White | "You Must Love Me" | Evita | Safe |
| David Archuleta | "Think of Me" | The Phantom of the Opera | Safe |
| Carly Smithson | "Superstar" | Jesus Christ Superstar | Eliminated |
| David Cook | "The Music of the Night" | The Phantom of the Opera | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 6 | "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera |
| Leona Lewis | "Bleeding Love" |

### Top 5 – Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed two songs each from his discography, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Neil Diamond song | Result |
| Jason Castro | 1 | "Forever in Blue Jeans" | Safe |
| Jason Castro | 6 | "September Morn" | Safe |
| David Cook | 2 | "I'm Alive" | Safe |
| David Cook | 7 | "All I Really Need Is You" | Safe |
| Brooke White | 3 | "I'm a Believer" | Eliminated |
| Brooke White | 8 | "I Am...I Said" | Eliminated |
| David Archuleta | 4 | "Sweet Caroline" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | 9 | "America" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | 5 | "Hello Again" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | 10 | "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 5 | Neil Diamond medley: "Cracklin' Rosie" "Song Sung Blue" "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show" |
| Natasha Bedingfield | "Pocketful of Sunshine" |
| Neil Diamond | "Pretty Amazing Grace" |

### Top 4 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Contestants performed two songs, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Rock and roll song | Result |
| David Cook | 1 | "Hungry Like the Wolf" | Safe |
| David Cook | 5 | "Baba O'Riley" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | 2 | "Proud Mary" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | 6 | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Safe |
| Jason Castro | 3 | "I Shot the Sheriff" | Eliminated |
| Jason Castro | 7 | "Mr. Tambourine Man" | Eliminated |
| David Archuleta | 4 | "Stand by Me" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | 8 | "Love Me Tender" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 4 | "Reelin' In the Years" |
| Maroon 5 | "If I Never See Your Face Again" |
| Bo Bice | "Witness" |

### Top 3

Each contestant performed three songs: one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the producers, and one chosen by the contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| David Archuleta | 1 | "And So It Goes" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | 4 | "With You" | Safe |
| David Archuleta | 7 | "Longer" | Safe |
| Syesha Mercado | 2 | "If I Ain't Got You" | Eliminated |
| Syesha Mercado | 5 | "Fever" | Eliminated |
| Syesha Mercado | 8 | "Hit Me Up" | Eliminated |
| David Cook | 3 | "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" | Safe |
| David Cook | 6 | "Dare You to Move" | Safe |
| David Cook | 9 | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | Safe |
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Top 3 | "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" |
| Fantasia | "Bore Me (Yawn)" |
* ↑ Song chosen by Paula Abdul.
* ↑ Song chosen by Randy Jackson.
* ↑ Song chosen by Simon Cowell.

### Top 2 – Finale

Each contestant performed three songs, and are listed in the order they performed. David Archuletha won the coin toss after the results show the prior week, and chose to perform last.
| Contestant | Order | Song | Result |
| David Cook | 1 | "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" | Winner |
| David Cook | 3 | "Dream Big" | Winner |
| David Cook | 5 | "The World I Know" | Winner |
| David Archuleta | 2 | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Runner-up |
| David Archuleta | 4 | "In This Moment" | Runner-up |
| David Archuleta | 6 | "Imagine" | Runner-up |
* 1 2 Song chosen by Clive Davis.
Non-competition performance :
| Performers | Song |
| Ruben Studdard | "Celebrate Me Home" |
| Top 12 | "Get Ready" |
| David Cook & David Archuleta | "Hero" |
| Syesha Mercado with Seal | "Waiting for You" |
| Jason Castro | "Hallelujah" |
| Top 12 women with Donna Summer | "She Works Hard for the Money" "Hot Stuff" "Stamp Your Feet" "Last Dance" |
| Carly Smithson & Michael Johns | "The Letter" |
| Top 12 men with Bryan Adams | "Summer of '69" "Heaven" "I Thought I'd Seen Everything" "Somebody" |
| David Cook with ZZ Top | "Sharp Dressed Man" |
| Brooke White with Graham Nash | "Teach Your Children" |
| Jonas Brothers | "S.O.S" |
| Renaldo Lapuz | "We're Brothers Forever" |
| David Archuleta with OneRepublic | "Apologize" |
| Jordin Sparks | "One Step at a Time" |
| Gladys Knight | "Midnight Train to Georgia" |
| Carrie Underwood | "Last Name" |
| Top 12 with George Michael | "Faith" "Father Figure" "Freedom" "Praying for Time" |
| David Cook | "The Time of My Life" |

## Elimination chart

Color key:
American Idol (season 7) - Eliminations :
| Contestant | Pl. | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Top 12 | Top 11 | Top 10 | Top 9 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale |
| Contestant | Pl. | 2/21 | 2/28 | 3/6 | 3/13 | 3/20 | 3/27 | 4/2 | 4/10 | 4/16 | 4/23 | 4/30 | 5/7 | 5/14 | 5/21 |
| David Cook | 1 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner |
| David Archuleta | 2 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Syesha Mercado | 3 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |
| Jason Castro | 4 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | |
| Brooke White | 5 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | | | |
| Carly Smithson | 6 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | | | | |
| Kristy Lee Cook | 7 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | |
| Michael Johns | 8 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | |
| Ramiele Malubay | 9 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | |
| Chikezie | 10 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | |
| Amanda Overmyer | 11 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | |
| David Hernandez | 12 | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | |
| Asia'h Epperson | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kady Malloy | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Luke Menard | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Danny Noriega | | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Robbie Carrico | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alexandréa Lushington | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alaina Whitaker | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Jason Yeager | | Safe | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colton Berry | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Joanne Borgella | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Amy Davis | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Garrett Haley | | Eliminated | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ The top 8 results show was moved to Thursday, April 10, due to the Idol Gives Back special airing in the show's regular Wednesday timeslot.

## Idol Gives Back

The Idol Gives Back initiative returned on April 9, 2008. Again, proceeds went to children's charities in Africa and the United States. Unlike Idol Gives Back 2007, where no contestant was eliminated, Michael Johns was eliminated during Idol Gives Back 2008.

## Controversies

Carly Smithson stirred up controversy due to a prior major label record deal she had with MCA Records. To further complicate things, Randy Jackson worked for MCA during the same period of time that Smithson was signed. The media noted that several of the other season 7 semifinalists had previously also had record deals, including Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke White, and Michael Johns. According to a poll conducted by AOL Television, 63 percent of those polled believed that contestants who already had record deals should not be contestants on American Idol, however, Idol rules stated that contestants were eligible so long as they were no longer under contract when Idol began, regardless of any past contracts.
On the April 29 show, the five remaining contestants each sang two songs. Diverting from the usual format due to time constraints, the judges' critiques were to be bundled until after both songs were performed. However, after the first round had finished, host Ryan Seacrest asked for comments, and judge Paula Abdul, in discussing Jason Castro, delivered feedback on his second song before he had actually performed it. This led to speculation that the show was scripted or rigged. The next day, Abdul claimed on Seacrest's radio show that she listened to the performances in rehearsal and in the rushed atmosphere of the show was confused and thought she was supposed to critique both.

## Releases
### iTunes

During season 7, American Idol partnered with iTunes to make available for sale exclusive performance videos, live performance singles of the semifinalists, and full-length studio recordings of the songs that contestants performed on the show. In order to keep the competition fair, these singles were not allowed to appear on iTunes sales charts until after the finale. The contestants' performances during the season were removed soon after the finale.
The winning song, "The Time of My Life", was recorded by David Cook and released on May 22, 2008. The song was certified platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 2008. It was the first winner's song to not be performed during the competition as the top 2 each selected a different song from a list of ten entries in song-writing competition to perform instead. Cook performed "The Time of My Life" after Ryan Seacrest had announced him as the winner.

### Post-Idol

David Cook's debut album was released on November 18, 2008, on 19 Recordings / RCA Records and was certified platinum by the RIAA on January 22, 2009. Cook teamed with Grammy winning producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock) on the album. A single from the album, "Light On," was released and peaked at 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. His sophomore album, This Loud Morning, was released on June 28, 2011.
David Archuleta signed with Jive Records and his self-titled debut album was released on November 11, 2008, and debuted at number two. Archuleta's album certified gold. Archuleta's first single, "Crush," debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Digital Songs chart, giving it the highest single debut of 2008 and the highest single debut in 18 months. The song has sold 1.9 million copies as of January 2009.

## U.S. Nielsen ratings

Season 7 of American Idol overall was the most watched primetime program in the United States for the fourth consecutive year, during the conclusion of the 2007–2008 television season. The Tuesday episode viewership averaged 27.665 million while the Wednesday episode averaged 26.843 million, taking the top 2 spots for the season. The show helped Fox become the most watched overall television network in the U.S. for the first time in its history (as well as a record first for a non-Big Three major network in American television history), and lead the 18–49 demographic ratings with still-standing largest ever margin since the introduction of the people meter technology in the Nielsen nationwide television tallies during the 1985–1986 television season.
Episode list :
| Show | Episode | Air date | Week rank | Rating/Share | 18–49 rating/Share | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | "Philadelphia Auditions" | January 15, 2008 | 3 | 17.7 / 26 | 13.8 / 32 | 33.415 |
| 2 | "Dallas Auditions" | January 16, 2008 | 4 | 16.7 / 25 | 12.6 / 30 | 30.437 |
| 3 | "San Diego Auditions" | January 22, 2008 | 1 | 16.2 / 24 | 11.8 / 29 | 29.274 |
| 4 | "Charleston Auditions" | January 23, 2008 | 2 | 15.1 / 23 | 10.9 / 28 | 27.091 |
| 5 | "Omaha Auditions" | January 29, 2008 | 4 | 15.7 / 24 | 11.1 / 28 | 28.223 |
| 6 | "Miami Auditions" | January 30, 2008 | 5 | 14.4 / 22 | 10.1 / 26 | 25.573 |
| 7 | "Atlanta Auditions" | February 5, 2008 | 1 | 15.7 / 23 | 11.2 / 28 | 27.914 |
| 8 | "Best of the Rest" | February 6, 2008 | 2 | 14.6 / 23 | 10.5 / 26 | 26.278 |
| 9 | "Hollywood Round, Part 1" | February 12, 2008 | 1 | 16.6 / 25 | 12.3 / 29 | 29.962 |
| 10 | "Hollywood Round, Part 2" | February 13, 2008 | 2 | 14.3 / 22 | 9.8 / 26 | 24.752 |
| 11 | "Top 12 Men Perform" | February 19, 2008 | 2 | 16.4 / 25 | 11.3 / 27 | 29.006 |
| 12 | "Top 12 Women Perform" | February 20, 2008 | 3 | 16.1 / 24 | 11.2 / 27 | 28.885 |
| 13 | "Top 24 Results" | February 21, 2008 | 4 | 13.4 / 21 | 8.5 / 22 | 23.374 |
| 14 | "Top 10 Men Perform" | February 26, 2008 | 1 | 16.0 / 24 | 11.1 / 27 | 28.592 |
| 15 | "Top 10 Women Perform" | February 27, 2008 | 2 | 15.7 / 24 | 10.5 / 27 | 27.553 |
| 16 | "Top 20 Results" | February 28, 2008 | 3 | 14.9 / 23 | 9.1 / 24 | 26.232 |
| 17 | "Top 8 Men Perform" | March 4, 2008 | 1 | 15.9 / 24 | 10.6 / 26 | 28.463 |
| 18 | "Top 8 Women Perform" | March 5, 2008 | 2 | 16.0 / 25 | 10.4 / 27 | 28.324 |
| 19 | "Top 12 Revealed" | March 6, 2008 | 3 | 15.0 / 23 | 9.4 / 24 | 26.502 |
| 20 | "Top 12 Perform" | March 11, 2008 | 1 | 16.9 / 26 | 11.0 / 28 | 29.884 |
| 21 | "Top 12 Results" | March 12, 2008 | 2 | 15.8 / 24 | 10.3 / 26 | 27.127 |
| 22 | "Top 11 Perform" | March 18, 2008 | 1 | 15.2 / 23 | 10.4 / 26 | 27.338 |
| 23 | "Top 11 Results" | March 19, 2008 | 2 | 15.3 / 24 | 9.8 / 25 | 26.078 |
| 24 | "Top 10 Perform" | March 25, 2008 | 2 | 14.0 / 21 | 9.7 / 25 | 24.758 |
| 25 | "Top 10 Results" | March 26, 2008 | 1 | 15.2 / 24 | 9.8 / 25 | 25.742 |
| 26 | "Top 9 Perform" | April 1, 2008 | 1 | 14.7 / 23 | 9.6 / 26 | 26.117 |
| 27 | "Top 9 Results" | April 2, 2008 | 2 | 14.8 / 22 | 9.4 / 23 | 24.839 |
| 28 | "Top 8 Perform" | April 8, 2008 | 1 | 14.2 / 22 | 9.2 / 24 | 24.668 |
| 29 | "Idol Gives Back" | April 9, 2008 | 6 | 10.4 / 16 | 6.8 / 18 | 17.751 |
| 30 | "Top 8 Results" | April 10, 2008 | 2 | 12.0 / 19 | 7.0 / 19 | 20.133 |
| 31 | "Top 7 Perform" | April 15, 2008 | 1 | 13.9 / 22 | 8.8 / 23 | 23.646 |
| 32 | "Top 7 Results" | April 16, 2008 | 2 | 13.4 / 21 | 8.8 / 22 | 23.339 |
| 33 | Top 6 Perform" | April 22, 2008 | 1 | 14.2 / 22 | 9.0 / 25 | 24.740 |
| 34 | "Top 6 Results" | April 23, 2008 | 2 | 13.7 / 21 | 8.6 / 21 | 23.196 |
| 35 | "Top 5 Perform" | April 29, 2008 | 1 | 14.5 / 23 | 9.0 / 24 | 25.094 |
| 36 | "Top 5 Results" | April 30, 2008 | 2 | 13.6 / 21 | 8.4 / 21 | 22.800 |
| 37 | "Top 4 Perform" | May 6, 2008 | 2 | 12.6 / 20 | 8.4 / 23 | 21.755 |
| 38 | "Top 4 Results" | May 7, 2008 | 1 | 13.9 / 21 | 8.2 / 21 | 22.867 |
| 39 | "Top 3 Perform" | May 13, 2008 | 2 | 14.4 / 23 | 9.0 / 25 | 24.772 |
| 40 | "Top 3 Results" | May 14, 2008 | 1 | 14.6 / 22 | 9.2 / 22 | 24.863 |
| 41 | "Top 2 Perform" | May 20, 2008 | 2 | 15.1 / 24 | 10.1 / 28 | 27.061 |
| 42 | Season 7 Finale" | May 21, 2008 | 1 | 17.7 / 28 | 11.4 / 30 | 31.661 |