Elise Testone: Gone.

The torment is over for Elise Testone, the talented but inconsistent American Idol finalist who knocked us out one week, but then disappointed us the next. That inconsistency finally caught up with her Thursday night when America voted her off the island.

I was glad to see her close out her Idol career with “Whole Lotta Love,” the Led Zeppelin classic that was her finest three minutes earlier this season. Unfortunately, that “up” was surrounded by a few too many “downs.”

A whopping 58 million voted Wednesday night, 10 million more than at this time a year ago, according to host Ryan Seacrest.

So here are the final five, with my updated odds on their chances of winning:

Jessica Sanchez: Even. A Jessica vs. Joshua finale would be the finest finish in Idol history. The only comparable final two would have been Ruben vs. Clay in 2002.

Joshua Ledet: Even. Either finalist would be a worthy champion.

Skylar Laine: 15-1. Voting-wise, I think she is the only one who might challenge either Jessica or Joshua, but talent-wise she’s not even in the same ballpark.

Hollie Cavanagh: 35-1. She continues to improve, but at this stage her best hope is for a third-place finish.

Phillip Phillips: 40-1. My feelings about Phillip have been well-documented. I just can’t see a title run coming.

WHERE WILL JESSICA WIND UP IN THE ALL-TIME FEMALE RANKINGS?

For the past few weeks I have been on the bandwagon of Jessica Sanchez, feeling she could be regarded as the finest female vocalist in the 11-year run of American Idol. And I’m standing by that, more than ever, judging from her Tuesday night performances of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Dance With My Father.” That said, who exactly would make up such a list?

We will withhold Jessica’s name from the following rankings until the end of the season, but look this over and decide for yourself where you think she should be. I formulated these rankings on what they showed me while on Idol, not necessarily what they have — or have not — done afterward.

Allison Iraheta

1. Carrie Underwood (Season 4 champion): In my humble opinion, the show has produced five great female talents, including Jessica Sanchez. The others are Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Allison Iraheta and Jennifer Hudson. I’ve been disappointed we haven’t heard more from Allison, but she’s still young. And the reason I have Jennifer relatively low on this list is because she was not the same Jennifer Hudson during her time on Idol. The raw talent was there, obviously, but not the refined version we hear today.

2. Kelly Clarkson (Season 1 champion): From the start, she had the “it” factor. I often wonder if Idol would have taken off like it did if she had not been a part of the first season.

3. Allison Iraheta (Season 8): I’m still waiting for a breakout CD from the girl with the fire engine hair. Her bluesy Joplin-esque style was a treat each and every week.

Kimberly Caldwell

4. Crystal Bowersox (Season 9): Crystal was one of those singers who rarely disappointed with her indie roots. That she lost to Lee Dwyze in the finals still ticks me off.

5. Fantasia Barrino (Season 3 champion): One of the purest, and most technically correct singers ever on Idol, which was always surprising because of her actual lack of professional training. She was never cut from the “pop” mold, but more of a Broadway style of talent.

6. Amanda Overmyer (Season 7): The early elimination of this motorcycle-riding, down and dirty rocker girl remains one of the great travesties in Idol history.

7. Kimberly Caldwell (Season 2): Another earlier-than-should-have-been ouster. Kimberly was also my first Idol crush, but that has nothing to do with her making the top 10. Honest.

8. Jennifer Hudson (Season 3): If I were ranking these Idol divas by post-Idol success, Jennifer would probably be No. 2.

9. Kellie Pickler (Season 6): Seriously, was there anyone who doubted The Pick would be a star after her Idol elimination?

10. Kat McPhee(Season 5): Six years later, I’m still trying to figure out why America voted Taylor Hicks as the American Idol over Kat McPhee.

Asia'h Epperson

11. Asia’h Epperson (Season 7): She gave us a raspy Whitney Houston, but never made it out of the semifinals. Another Idol travesty.

12. Pia Toscano (Season 10): I had her ranked No. 1 in 2011 when she was eliminated just a few weeks into the finals.

13. Brooke White (Season 7): Remember how she sang most of her songs in her bare feet?

14. Mandisa (Seaosn 6): She’s still a pleasure to listen to on contemporary Christian radio.

15. Lauren Alaina (Season 10): She definitely had some skills, but peaked way too early last season. She was never able to recreate the buzz she stirred in the early weeks. Scotty McCreery blew by her in the final month and a half of the competition.

Honorable mention: Jordin Sparks (Season 6 champion).

Jennifer Lopez often talks of certain performances giving her the “goosies.” Listening to original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor bring the legendary group’s anthems to life on Wednesday night’s American Idol gave me my own rash of the goosies.

With that historic footage playing in the background and the silver-haired May and Taylor out front with the Idols, that was a great moment. That was  TV to remember. Idol needs more interaction like that, tying together the past and present. Too often the guests or mentors become too secondary of a fixture, especially those the stature of May and Taylor. They can be worth so much more to a show such as this than merely sitting in a chair with Jimmy Iovine offering suggestions.

“Wow,” said Ryan Seacrest at the conclusion of that opening set.

“Wow,” was right.

GREAT FORMAT

Idol is like the weather and NASCAR. If you don’t like the way they do things, just hang around another week and the rules will change. This week the Idols sang a Queen anthem and then a choice of their own. It all had a good feel to it.

This was one of the better shows of the season, which it should be at this stage of the competition. This is the point of Idol we have waited for since January, and most of the performances we saw on Wednesday are what make the past three months worth the struggle.

“At this point of the competition, it is so much fun,” Seacrest said.

I love this show.

IDOL NATION SEASON RANKINGS FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY PERFORMANCES (Last week’s rankings in parentheses)

Joshua Ledet

1. (1.) Jessica Sanchez

Song: “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Comment: By the end of the season, Jessica will be regarded as the finest female vocalist in Idol history. Steven Tyler and J-Lo offered some sort of lame criticism about how rock may not be her forte, but Randy came to the rescue. Who would have ever thought the Dawg would have been a voice of reason?

Song: “Dance With My Father,” by Luther Vandross.
Comment: I have no more words for this girl. If you saw this particular performance, you know. If you didn’t, trust me … it was amazing.

2. (2.) Joshua Ledet

Song: “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
Comment: Little Richard meets Wilson Pickett meets Al Green. This was the first fast-paced effort from Joshua I truly appreciated. Great job. He’s pushing Jessica to regain No. 1. Man, I hope those two are in the finals. The only real race at this point in the season is who will finish No. 3.

Elise Testone

Song: “Ready For Love,” by India Arie.
Comment: Has there ever been an Idol season when we had two performers as gifted as Joshua and Jessica?

3. (3.) Elise Testone

Song: “I Want It All.”
Comment: For the first time in several weeks, Elise struck me as being comfortable behind the microphone. This girl is our rocker chick this season, and when she is able to let loose she is at her best. She was just that with this song.

Song: “Bold as Love,” by Jimi Hendrix.
Comment: The first album I ever bought was by Jimi Hendrix. This brought back a lot of memories — all good. Judges were split on this one, but I loved it.

4. (5.) Hollie Cavanagh

Song: “Save Me.”
Comment: One of Queen’s more subtle, yet poignant memories. Hollie did a very credible job. This is the kind of song she should be doing more of, and less less of those monster-type ballads. I think she’s safe Thursday night.

Song: “The Climb,” by Miley Cyrus.
Comment: Back-to-back solid efforts from Hollie, who had the best hair of the night. All things considered, this was Hollie’s best night of the season.

5. (4.) Skylar Laine

Song: “The Show Must Go On.”
Comment: Poor song choice for Skylar. She seemed lost in this particular and was often off key and out of touch with the arrangement. Obviously, I’m stupid, because Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod all loved the performance. Sorry, it was horrible for me. Somewhere, I know Simon Cowell is agreeing with me.

Song: “Tattoos On This Town,” by Jason Aldean.
Comment: She was back in her comfort area — country music. A much better performance. This will balance out her attempt at the previous Queen song. Will it be enough?

6. (6.) Phillip Phillips

Song: “Fat Bottomed Girls.”
Comment: One of my all-time Queen faves, and no it was not a tribute to J-Lo. Randy had the most accurate assessment, “Was it good? yeah. Was it great? No.”

Song: “The Stone,” by Dave Matthews Band.
Comment: I boils down to this. If you like Phillip sounding the same each week that’s fine. I’m just tired of it. I think he should go, but I’ve been saying that for weeks and his fan base has been strong enough to keep him around. I really have no clue who might be going home this time. In my mind, it should be Phillip, but it will likely be Hollie or Elise, using past voting as a reference point.

TOP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR

1. “When A Man Loves A Woman,” Joshua Ledet. *MOMENT*
2. “I Will Always Love You,” Jessica Sanchez. *MOMENT*
3. “Stuttering,” by Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
4. “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me,” Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
5. “Whole Lotta Love,” Elise Testone *MOMENT*
6. “If You Don’t Know Me By Know,” Joshua Ledet *MOMENT*
7. “The Power of Love,” Hollie Cavanagh. *MOMENT*
8. Dance With My Father,” Jessica Sanchez. *MOMENT*
9. “How Will I Know,” Jessica Sanchez
10. “Edge of Glory,” Erika Van Pelt.

NIELSEN SEASON RATINGS

1. American Idol (Wednesday show), 20.1 million viewers
2. NCIS, 19.6 million
3. American Idol (Thursday show), 18.8 million
4. Dancing With The Stars, 18.5 million
5. The Voice, 17.1 million
6. Dancing With The Stars (Results show), 16.3 million
7. NCIS: Los Angeles, 16.3 million
8. Big Bang Theory, 16,2 million
9. Two and a Half Men, 15.4 million
10. Criminal Minds, 13.6 million

Colton Dixon

We were told early in Thursday night’s show a season-high 53 million votes were cast following Wednesday’s performances. I’m not sure if more voters meant more smarter voters or not, but this week’s results show at least came back to reality. Or at least a lot closer than last week.

Jessica and Joshua were not in the bottom three (again), which was they way it should be. The next five, right now, are a complete crapshoot.

The elimination of Colton was, however, a mild surprise. Going into Wednesday’s performance show I felt he was on an incredible roll, but he wound up laying a couple of eggs, and at this stage of the competition a singer just can’t do that. Hollie, the other member of the bottom two, probably saved herself with Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep,” even though she bombed with “Son Of A Preacher Man.”

Colton handled the elimination with the utmost of dignity. He said he realized he made mistakes in song choices the preceding night and would learn from that. He did not blame anyone but himself.

Hollie Cavanagh may have saved herself with "RollIng the Deep."

“Colton, you’re a class act,” host Ryan Seacrest said.

This was one of those elimination nights when I left feeling good.

IDOL NATION ALL-TIME No. 6 FINALISTS

OK, so Idol threw us — or at least me — a curve when only one contestant was eliminated. In past years when the judges’ save was used, the following week two singers had to exit. In true Idol form of changing the “rules” and not making it public, only one got a pass home Thursday night. I had planned on two leaving, which would have reduced the field to five, meaning Thursday night’s exit(s) would have represented the “sixth place” finisher(s).

Oh well, I’ll just insert next week’s losing singer in an appropriate place in the ensuing list. Here’s how I see the sixth-place finishers stacking up over the years in Idol history:

1. Kellie Pickler, 2005: The Pick has gone on to carve out a genuine career in country music. She’s been far more successful than most of the Idol champs. She played the “dumb blonde” role to the max, and Simon simply loved her. Well, so did I.

Kellie Pickler

2. Constantine Maroulis, 2004: one of my all-time favorite also-rans in Idol history. Constantine really couldn’t sing that well, but he was a great performer. The night he was eliminated I was watching the show in the apartment of co-worker Rodney Hart. Rodney could have cared less, but I was upset for a week. It was one of my first major moments of anger with the greatest show in the history of television.

3. Carly Smithson, 2007: Carly was one of the first tattooed girls to reach the finals. She possessed tremendous talent, but never really connected with the audience. She always seemed to look angry.

4. Siobhan Magnus, 2009: This was a horrible Idol season, but Siobhan was one of the bright spots. She had a big voice, but never made that intangible part of the connection with voters. She was an Irish version of this year’s Hollie Cavanagh.

5. Casey Abrams, 2011: He was last year’s Phillip Phillips. Overrated.

6. Carmen Rasmussen, 2002: She lasted about a month longer than she should have.

7. John Stevens, 2003: He was the red-haired “crooner.”

8. Christina Christian, 2001: Who?

(Note: There was no sixth-place elimination in 2006 or 2008. Two were eliminated the following week in 2006 and two were ousted the preceding week in 2008.)

Dick Clark

For all of us who have enjoyed American Idol for the past 11 years, say a little prayer of thanks for Dick Clark. Clark, an American icon, died Wednesday at age 82 following years of health-related problems.

It was Clark who introduced rock and roll as an art form to millions of Americans via television and his American Bandstand series. He told us music was the soundtrack of our lives.

“Without Dick Clark, we would not have shows like American Idol,” Idol host Ryan Seacrest told millions of viewers Wednesday night. “I idolized him from the start, and I was graced early on in my career with his generous advice and counsel. He was a remarkable host and businessman and left a rich legacy to television audiences around the world. We will all miss him.”

That we will.

Jessica Sanchez

TWICE IS NICE

The remaining seven Idols sang two songs apiece Wednesday night, and sources say the 14 total numbers represent a record for the show. It was nice to hear two different sounds and performances on the same night. We need to hear more at this point, because this competition is going to be extraordinarily close right to the end.

For me, the highlight of the night was The Requiem of Jessica, who last week was the lowest vote-getter (which was a joke, of course, and a major black eye for the show), but she came out firing this time around. If she is in danger again, the format of our favorite will simply have to be changed. And If Jessica does not reach the finals I’m going to start watching The Voice. (Well, not really … )

Joshua was also magnificent in a comeback effort of his own. Jessica and Joshua were so good that none of the remaining five were even in the same area code. The most improved performer was arguably the much-maligned Skylar, who probably saved herself from elimination.

IDOL NATION SEASON RANKINGS (last week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. (1.) Jessica Sanchez

Song No. 1: “Fallin’,” by Alicia Keys
Comment: The best female Idol vocalist in the show’s history? She is spectacular each and every week.

Song No. 2: “Try A Little Tenderness,” by Otis Redding
Comment: Whew! One of her best performances to date. What we got was a raw Jessica, she was exposing a nerve to us, especially with a gritty ending that was befitting a song stylist well beyond this one’s 16 years.

2. (2.) Joshua Ledet

Song No. 1: “I Believe,” by Fantasia.
Comment: Joshua needed to bounce back from last week’s horrible performance and place in the bottom three — and he did. The choir was back, and so was Joshua pouring out his soul. He should be just fine now.

Song No. 2: “A Change Is Gonna Come,” by Sam Cooke.
Comment: Joshua is back. He is so-o-o-o back. He wants that No. 1 ranking back. I was exhausted at the end of this one. Tremendous. Just tremendous.

3. (3.) Elise Testone

Song No. 1: “No One,” by Alicia Keys
Comment:I love this song, and I love what Elise did with it. Probably her best effort in two weeks. That smoky voice of hers made this a great choice. She’s had trouble holding on to the momentum she creates. We’ll see if she can put together back-to-back quality performances. If not, this effort will not matter.

Colton Dixon

Song No. 2: “Let’s Get It On,” by Marvin Gaye
Comment: J-Lo said Elise needs to show more emotion and become more vulnerable. What? I was connecting with her just fine. A great night for Elise.

4. (4.) Colton Dixon

Song No. 1: “Bad Romance,” by Lady Gaga
Comment: Each week I appreciate Colton’s interpretations, but this offering left me a little flat. I still think he’s at his strongest when he goes the ballad route, sitting at a piano. But from what he says he envisions himself as more of a rocker. That might be a problem. (On a positive note, I loved the girl backup band.)

Song No. 2: “September,” by Earth Wind and Fire.
Comment: As much praise as I have given this guy, I also have to be honest when what he attempts does not work — and this number was a disaster. It was uneven and pitchy, probably his worst performance of the finals. But don’t worry, Colton fans. He’s not going anywhere, except to next  week’s show.

5. (7.) Skylar Laine

Song No. 1: “Born This Way,” by Lady Gaga.
Comment: Fellow Idol-aholic Kelly Wilson informed me before Wednesday’s show I have been too hard on Skylar. Well, Kelly will be glad to know I have moved Skylar out of the basement of the Idol Nation rankings. I’m not sure if it is because Skylar is starting to grow on me … or if Phillip Phillips is simply annoying the you know what out of me.

Song No. 2: “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” by Marvin Gaye.
Comment: OK, I actually liked this performance. And I loved the boots.

6. (5.) Phillip Phillips

Song No. 1: “You Got It Bad,” by Usher.
Comment: Sounded like what he sang last week, and the week before that, and the week before that.

Song No. 2: In The Midnight Hour,” by the wicked Wilson Pickett
Comment: My gut feeling tells me Phillip’s fan base is too large for him to be in trouble this week, but he should be. He has set an unofficial record for singing the most consecutive songs that sound exactly alike.

7. (6.) Hollie Cavanagh

Song No. 1: “Rolling In The Deep,” by Adele
Comment: One of her best efforts to date. My only complaint, and it’s relatively minor, is that she still tends to scream the  lyrics too much at times.

Song No. 2: “Son of a Preacher Man,” by Dusty Springfield
Comment: This was a song that needed a softer treatment, but instead we got a Broadway production. I think Hollie is in trouble.

TOP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR

1. “When A Man Loves A Woman,” Joshua Ledet. *MOMENT*
2. “I Will Always Love You,” Jessica Sanchez. *MOMENT*
3. “Stuttering,” by Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
4. “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me,” Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
5. “Whole Lotta Love,” Elise Testone *MOMENT*
6. “If You Don’t Know Me By Know,” Joshua Ledet *MOMENT*
7. “The Power of Love,” Hollie Cavanagh. *MOMENT*
8. “How Will I Know,” Jessica Sanchez
9. “Edge of Glory,” Erika Van Pelt.
10. “Vienna,” Elise Testone

NIELSEN SEASON RATINGS

1. American Idol (Wednesday show), 20.1 million viewers
2. NCIS, 19.6 million
3. American Idol (Thursday show), 18.8 million
4. Dancing With The Stars, 18.5 million
5. The Voice, 17.1 million
6. Dancing With The Stars (Results show), 16.3 million
7. NCIS: Los Angeles, 16.3 million
8. Two and a Half Men, 15.4 million
9. Criminal Minds, 13.6 million
10. 60 Minutes, 13.5 million

Jessica Sanchez was saved by the judges, to no one's surprise.

It seems once a year on American Idol there is a travesty in the voting, and this week is it.

The top three in the Idol Nation rankings were in the bottom three vote-getters, including No. 1 Jessica Sanchez, who received the lowest number of votes. (No. 2 Joshua Ledet and No. 3 Elise Testone were the others.)

Judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler immediately used their one and only save to keep Sanchez on the show.

“This is a ridiculous bottom three, (America) got it wrong,” Randy said.

Was Jessica being at the bottom a horrible choice? Of course.

Was it the wrong choice? Of course.

Was it right to save her? Of course.

The irony here was that Jessica had never been in danger all season, so what happened? It’s simple. Not enough of her fans voted. Duh.

I have learned through almost 11 years of watching this show there is no sense in considering hari-kari, because something like this is inevitably going to happen at some point every year. And if the judges do the right thing and use their save when the should, we can rest a little easier. Normally, this kind of incident is a wake-up call for the fans of the contestant in question. I’m sure Jessica Nation will rally around her next week.

Jennifer Hudson, during her American Idol days.

The fun this will bring is it will be cause for two eliminations next week.

Voting will likely return to “normal” next week, which means Hollie, Phillip and Skylar will probably be in the most trouble.

IDOL NATION ALL-TIME No. 7 FINALISTS

Whoever would have been ousted in a normal week would have filled the No. 3 slot in the following rankings. Here’s how I see those who went out at No. 7 in the voting through the years. Next week we’ll do the all-time No. 6 exits.

1. Jennifer Hudson, 2004: This ranking was pretty much a given. Probably the most controversial early elimination from Idol’s first few years. Hudson’s exit sparked protests from some prominent black activists and groups, but the bottom line was American simply screwed up in its voting. Jennifer has gone on to superstardom, which, in a way, was  actually helped by all the publicity her early elimination generated.

2. Kimberly Caldwell, 2003: One of  my all-time fave also-rans. I absolutely loved Kimberly’s gravely voice and thought she would last much longer.  Kimberly’s talent got lost in this particular season because of all the hype surrounding Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken. She wound up having a decent post-Idol career working for Fox Sports and every once on awhile issues a new recording.

3. (Vacant) 2012: I would have slotted whoever would have been eliminated Thursday night in this position.

4. Sanjaya Malakar, 2007: For entertainment value alone, Sanjaya will me forever be remembered by Idol fans. Simon belittled him, and in turn enough fans kept voting for him to keep him in the competition far longer than he deserved.

5. Kristy Lee Cook, 2008: Remember the night she put a country twist on the Beatles’ “Eight Days A Week?” That, my friends, was one of the all-time worst Idol performances by a finalist.

6. Stefano Langone, 2011: Remember the controversy when he was not voted off the island Pia Toscano was? That was one of the all-time best Idol controversies. That was one of the nights I wanted to throw something through my television set. I had Pia ranked No. 1 at the time and felt she was a virtual lock for the finals. Oh well, that’s why we watch — and love — this show. Sometimes, however, we love to hate it.

7. Tim Urban, 2010: He was one of Simon Cowell’s season-long whipping boys.

8. Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai (double elimination), 2009: Lil started fast and then faded, while Anoop peaked more toward the end of his run.

9. Ace Young. 2006: He lasted until midway through the finals on looks alone.

10. Anwar Robinson, 20o5: He had great hair, but not much else.

11. Ryan Starr, 2002: He’s simply the answer to a trivia question these days.

Jessica is our new No. 1

For several weeks, I have struggled about the top two positions in this ranking. Joshua and Jessica have been THAT close, at least in my Idol-aholic mind. I had patiently waited for a subpar performance from one or the other that would separate them — either cement Joshua as No. 1, or allow Jessica to overtake him.

I feel we had that Wednesday night when Jessica threw down another gauntlet, and this time Joshua could not match her.

IDOL NATION RANKINGS FOR THE SEASON
(Last week’s rankings in parentheses)

1. (2.) Jessica Sanchez
Song: “Stuttering,” by Jazmine Sullivan *MOMENT*
Comment: Does this girl lose herself in a song or what? This was another marvelous effort from the finest female performer we have seen in (at least) several years. Akon, who served as this week’s mentor, said he truly believed Jessica could one day be a legend. My gosh, this girl is just so wonderful of a talent. It’s a pleasure just to listen to her every Wednesday night. I will sincerely be sad when this season ends and there are no more Jessica or Joshua offerings to appreciate. One other thing … welcome to the No. 1 position, Jessica.

2. (1.) Joshua Ledet
Song: “Runaway Baby,” by Bruno Mars
Comment: This was not the Joshua I prefer. He is not nearly as effective in an uptempo arena. I want Joshua and the church choir back. The judges fawned all over him, but sorry, it didn’t work for me. And for the first time this season, I have removed Joshua from the catbird’s seat. (In fairness to Joshua, he made a nice comeback in the trio with Jessica and Hollie.)

(3.) Elise Testone
Song: “You and I,” by Lady Gaga
Comment: Overall, she gets a passing grade, but there were — once again — some major hiccups during her performance. Jessica passed Joshua this week, and now Colton is zeroing in on Elise for that No. 3 spot. I’m beginning to think she peaked with Led Zeppelin a few weeks ago.

Colton Dixon is not the next David Cook, he's the first Colton Dixon.

(4.) Colton Dixon
Song: “Love The Way You Lie,” by Skylar Grey
Comment: Colton’s been riding a great wave of momentum, and this week figured to be one of those make-or-break moments. And he nailed it. He absolutely nailed it. Colton is at his best when he allows us to appreciate his voice. He’s more of a balladeer than a rocker, although I’m not sure he realizes that yet. This was a quality performance. J-Lo referred to him as an artist, one of the few times she has made sense in recent weeks, but that is a perfect description of this kid. I once thought he might be the second David Cook. Instead, he’s the first Colton Dixon, and that, I think, is even better.

5. (5.) Phillip Phillips
Song: “Give A Little More,” by Maroon 5
Comment: Once again, this was the same performance we have seen for more than a month. Even J-Lo and Randy are coming around to my thinking. At this point, Phillip is light years behind Joshua and Colton, who have continued to grow in this competition. There’s probably an outside chance he could get ousted.

6. (6.) Hollie Cavanagh
Song: “Perfect,” by Pink
Comment: For weeks I have been trying to figure out who Hollie looks like and Wednesday night it hit me — Jodie Foster! And what about this song? Well, it was less than, less than perfect. Hollie might want to start packing.

7. (7.) Skylar Laine
Song: “Don’t Know How Much I Loved You,” by Kellie Pickler
Comment: I think this was a colossal mistake by Skylar. A big part of her appeal is her energy, and standing in front of a microphone strumming a guitar seemed to suck all the wind from her effort. In addition, she seemed bent on screaming the lyrics than singing them. Like Hollie, Skylar’s in danger of going home. The judges, of course, loved her, but they are completely out of touch with reality these days. Remember when Steven Tyler used to be Steven Tyler?

TOP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR

1. “When A Man Loves A Woman,” Joshua Ledet. *MOMENT*
2. “I Will Always Love You,” Jessica Sanchez. *MOMENT*
3. “Stuttering,” by Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
4. “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me,” Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
5. “Whole Lotta Love,” Elise Testone *MOMENT*
6. “If You Don’t Know Me By Know,” Joshua Ledet *MOMENT*
7. “The Power of Love,” Hollie Cavanagh. *MOMENT*
8. “How Will I Know,” Jessica Sanchez
9. “Edge of Glory,” Erika Van Pelt.
10“Vienna,” Elise Testone

SEASON NIELSEN RATINGS

1. American Idol (Wednesday shows), 20.2 million viewers
2. NCIS, 19.5 million
3. American Idol (Thursday shows), 18.9 million
4. Dancing With The Stars, 18.5 million
5. The Voice, 17.5 million
6. Dancing With The Stars (results), 16.5 million
7. Big Bang Theory, 16.3 million
8. The Mentalist, 14.6 million
9. Person of Interest, 14.3 million
10. Criminal Minds, 13.6 million

The elimination of Deandre Brackensick  from American Idol on Thursday night means we’re getting that much closer to what should be a great stretch run. Assuming that America doesn’t screw things up with one of  those crazy weeks o voting between now and the end of May, the final two, at this point, would-could-should be Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez.

If the Joshua vs. Jessica dream matchup materializes, how would it rank in Idol history? Here’s how I would rank the first 10 years’ worth of finals (based on the matchup itself, plus the overall season).

1. Ruben Studdard vs. Clay Aiken, 2003: This was the season Idol became “The Death Star” to rival network programming, beginning a run of dominance never seen before in television history. Ruben was the Velvet Teddy Bear and Clay was followed by all the Claymates in ClayNation. This will always be the signature season in Idol history and the most interesting matchup ever, as far as audience participation was concerned.

2. Carrie Underwood vs. Bo Bice, 2005: An extremely intriguing finals, pitting Idol’s first bad boy against the All-American girl. Carrie will eventually go down in Idol annals as the most successful Idol champ, in terms of albums sold.

3. David Cook vs. David Archuleta, 2008: Cook provided us with the first true artist to win the title. Every week was an adventure with him — what would he try next? And Archuleta have us that memorable “Imagine,” which remains one of the finest individual performances in show history.

4. Kris Allen vs. Adam Lambert, 2009: Allen pulled of what many still consider a major upset when he won the eighth season, but the most memorable part of the entire season was Lambert’s take on “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin. Too bad he did not sing it again during the finals. If he had, this matchup might have been at least No. 3.

5. Taylor Hicks vs. Kat McPhee, 2006: Taylor was a lot of fun throughout the season, and the finale was an entertaining show. This was one of the most evenly contested finals in the 11-year history of the program. But I think we all knew when Taylor won the title he would not exactly be a memorable champion.

6. Scotty McCreery vs. Lauren Alaina, 2011:The season itself was one of the best, but the finals were rather blah. Idol hierarchy tends to reel back the contestants on that final show, rather than turning them loose. This was a classic example.

The ponyhawk

7. Kelly Clarkson vs. Justin Guarini, 2002: Kelly will never receive her true due as a champion, because the show was still a year away from its breakthrough Ruben vs. Clay season. The first year it was just a summer replacement that drew decent numbers and got a second chance.

8. Jordan Sparks vs. Blake Lewis, 2007: The best part of this season was Sanjaya Malakar. (Remember the ponyhawk?)

9. Fantasia Barrino vs. Diana DeGarmo, 2004: Diana remains the least talented Idol wannabe to reach the finals. This was a horrific ending to a rather forgettable season. Jasmine Trias finished this season and Jennifer Hudson seventh. Yeah, it was that kind of year.

10. Lee DeWyze vs. Crystal Bowersox, 2010: Worst season ever, worst finals ever.

PARTING NOTE: In case you were interested, Elise and Hollie were also in the bottom three Thursda night. If Elise picks her game back up next week, she’ll be fine. I think Hollie’s living on borrowed time.

Joshua Ledet: Still No. 1

A week ago, we were treated to one of the finest American Idol shows in recent years. Remember, the “Idols sang their Idols.” We heard Elise belt out Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and Jessica gave us “Sweet Dreams.” And that was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

What a difference a week makes.

Tuesday night we had to suffer through some real clunkers, but there were two saving graces: Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez. This week’s theme was “The 1980s,” which I thought would be a tremendous category. Just shows — again — what I know, or don’t know. Overall, the performances were so weak, one of the highlights of the two-hour package were the “Three Stooges” commercials.

The competition continues to separate into two distinct levels: Joshua, Jessica and Elise in the premier tier, and everyone else in the other.

WHEN WILL THE JUDGES’ SAVE BE USED?

There are only eight contestants left, and I think the judges’ save must be used before the field narrows to four. So here’s who I see Randy, J-Lo and Steven using the save for in the coming month — and who I don’t see them using it for:

No chance: Skylar, DeAndre, Hollie.
Maybe: Colton.
Definitely: Joshua, Jessica, Elise, Phillip.

“IDOL NATION ” SEASON RANKINGS
(Last week’s rankings in parenthees)

1.  (1.) Joshua Ledet
Song: “If You Don’t Know Me Know,” by Simply Red. *MOMENT*
Comment: I must admit, before Tuesday’s show I wondered if this would be the week I knocked Joshua off the No. 1 perch. If nothing else, that shows how stupid I am. Joshua remains head and shoulders above everyone in this competition, with the possible exceptions of Jessica and Elise. This was one of those stirring Joshua efforts. Randy summed up exactly how I felt. I didn’t want to wait until the end to stand up and applaud — I wanted to applaud from the very beginning. Spectacular.

2. (2.) Jessica Sanchez
Song: “How Will I Know,” by Whitney Houston.
Comment: If not for Joshua, this 16-year-old would be No. 1, hands down. I love watching and listening to her. There are three performers in this competition I can’t wait for each week: Joshua, Jessica and Elise. Right now, I can’t see how they won’t be the final three. One other thing about Jessica … this is two Whitney Houston classics she has nailed. I can’t remember any other contestant from the past who even mesmerized us with one.

Jessica Sanchez

SPECIAL NOTE: The “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me” duet between Joshua and Jessica was arguably the best overall performance of the night and one of he best overall of the season (see updated rankings below). The other duets Tuesday night were amateurish at best. J-Lo called this a “dream pairing.” J-Lo was absolutely right. Tremendous. Just tremendous. This was a *MOMENT*

3. (3.) Elise Testone
Song: “I Want To Know What Love Is,” by Foreigner
Comment: Mentor Gwen Stefani felt this could be a *MOMENT* (note this is not in red) for Elise. Unfortunately, it never came close to that level. When I heard this would be her song, I felt this was a perfect choice, but she never really seemed to connect with it at any point. I was legitimately bummed because I felt Elise, with all of her recent momentum,  might challenge Joshua for Idol Nation’s No. 1 ranking. Not this week, Elise. In fact, she lost some ground. She’s in no danger, however, of returning to the bottom three.

4. (6.) Colton Dixon
Song: “Time After Time,” by Cyndi Lauper.
Comment: A great take on a great song. Colton has earned this jump in the rankings. He’s innovative, interesting and entertaining.

5. (4.) Phillip Phillips
Song: “That’s All,” by Genesis.
Comment: I’m at the point with Phillip that I’m pretty sure if we were at one of his concerts every single song would sound exactly the same. Sorry, his novelty has worn off.

6. (5.) Hollie Cavanagh
Song: “What A Feeling,” by Irene Cara.
Comment: This is one of my favorite songs from the Hair Nation era — yeah, go ahead and hate me — so I was anxious to see what Hollie gave us with her interpretation. About 30 seconds into this I was cringing. It was a shame, too, because Hollie looked great, but her performance was just horrible. The entire performance was stilted, at best. At worst? It was … well, horrible. Hollie is bottom three material this week, maybe even the one who leaves us.

7. (8.) Skylar Laine
Song: “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Comment: Without question, her best performance, but she’s still in danger.

8. (9.) Deandre Brackensick
Song: “I Like It,” by DeBarge.
Comment: A lock for the bottom three, but he still has great hair.

TOP PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR

1. “When A Man Loves A Woman,” Joshua Ledet. *MOMENT*
2. “I Will Always Love You,” Jessica Sanchez. *MOMENT*
3. “I Knew You Were Waiting For Me,” Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez *MOMENT*
4. “Whole Lotta Love,” Elise Testone *MOMENT*
5. “If You Don’t Know Me By Know,” Joshua Ledet “MOMENT*
6. “The Power of Love,” Hollie Cavanagh. *MOMENT*
7. “How Will I Know,” Jessica Sanchez
8. “Edge of Glory,” Erika Van Pelt.
9. “Vienna,” Elise Testone
10. “Without You,” Joshua Ledet.

SEASON NIELSEN RATINGS

1. American Idol (Wednesday), 20.3 million viewers (season average)
2. NCIS, 19.7
3. American Idol (Thursday), 19.2
4. Dancing with the Stars, 18.6
5. The Voice, 18.1
6. NCIS: Los Angeles, 16.5
7. Big Bang Theory, 16.4
8. Two and a Half Men, 15.8
9. The Mentalist, 14.6.
10. Person of Interest, 14.3