Leadoff Performances

[back to top] Leadoff Performances

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# Episode / Theme Slot Performance Approval Rating σ Result
1
Open
1/10
And I Am Telling You Im Not Going0003And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going
86
 
13 2Safe
2
Open
1/10
I Will Survive0003I Will Survive
55
 
17 5Wild Card
3
Open
1/10
Ill Be There0003I'll Be There
42
 
19 5Wild Card
4
Open
1/5
How Am I Supposed To Live Without You0003How Am I Supposed To Live Without You
62
 
18 7Eliminated
5
Open
1/8
Come To My Window0003Come To My Window
66
 
19 5Wild Card
6
Open
1/8
Open Arms0003Open Arms
68
 
17 5Wild Card
7
Open
1/8
Its All Coming Back To Me Now0003It's All Coming Back To Me Now
56
 
21 7Eliminated
8
Open
1/8
Didnt We Almost Have It All0003Didn't We Almost Have It All
19
 
12 7Eliminated
9
Open
1/9
I Feel The Earth Move0003I Feel The Earth Move
45
 
22 3Judges' Choice
10
Open
1/8
Ive Got The Music In Me0003I've Got The Music In Me
84
 
21 2Safe
11
Open
1/8
What You Wont Do For Love0003What You Won't Do For Love
42
 
18 2Safe
Open
1/8
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)0003I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
42
 
19 5Wild Card
13
Open
1/8
Unbreak My Heart0003Un-Break My Heart
79
 
16 5Wild Card
14
Open
1/8
A Little Less Conversation0003A Little Less Conversation
38
 
27 2Safe
15
Open
1/12
Part Time Lover0003Part-Time Lover
50
 
24 2Safe
16
Open
1/12
Heat Wave0003Heat Wave
61
 
18 2Safe
17
Open
1/10
I Love Music0003I Love Music
55
 
20 2Safe
18
Open
1/10
You Don't Know My Name0003You Don't Know My Name
24
 
20 7Eliminated
19
Open
1/8
I Can't Help Myself Sugar Pie Honey Bunch0003I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
36
 
18 2Safe
Open
1/8
River Deep Mountain High0003River Deep - Mountain High
36
 
14 7Eliminated
21
Open
1/12
Never0003Never
75
 
14 2Safe
22
Open
1/12
Come To My Window0003Come To My Window
40
 
15 7Eliminated
23
Open
1/10
All In Love Is Fair0003All In Love Is Fair
38
 
17 2Safe
24
Open
1/10
Easy0003Easy
55
 
17 2Safe
25
Open
1/8
Conga0003Conga
43
 
17 2Safe

[back to top] Summary

Say you're a contestant on American Idol, and you're standing backstage a few hours before show time when the producers walk up to you and say, "Congratulations, Fred, you're singing first tonight!" Assuming your name is really Fred, your response should be to (choose one):

  1. Thank them profusely for the coveted honor of leading off the show.
  2. Throw up on their shoes.
  3. Hide in the wardrobe room and don't come out until the second commercial break.

Well, we can rule out A. As we and our friends at USA Today noted, the leadoff spot hasn't been terribly friendly to contestants over the years. Just 15 (of 282) first singers have have turned in a five-star performance, while 87 have been sent home (including 54 of 190 finalists, the highest ratio of any slot by far.) Through AI6, four of the six leadoff singers in a Final 3 episode have been voted off, and five of six in the Finales (where so far only Ruben Studdard has sung first and lived to tell about it.)

The challenges of performing first are obvious. Many late-arriving viewers miss the performance entirely, and those who do see it have upwards of an hour to forget about it before the voting begins. Plus, singing in front of a "cold" audience is rarely a treat; that's why opening acts were invented. Certainly the producers are aware of this too, so if they were ever intent on getting rid of a contestant – and we are not saying we suspect them of anything (cough-cough) – the leadoff spot is the obvious place to put him or her.

So if you ever find yourself opening the show on Idol, do whatever it takes to make it as memorable of a performance as you can. And don't forget to apologize to the producers afterwards for their shoes.

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