American Idol Viewer's Guide - Birth Year Songs!

As you might have heard Seacrest say on Wednesday night, this week's theme is Songs from the Year You Were Born! Here at American Idol HQ, we have two thoughts about this theme:

1. One of the finalists was born in the year 1992?!

2. As the show gets older and the contestants don't, you realize that the years these contestants were born were years that produced some incredible or horrible music depending on your cheese factor.

I mean, when this theme was done a couple years ago, it seemed like everyone was born between 1977 & 1980. That's no longer the case -

Did you enjoy your years in college going out to bars where "Come On Eileen" was played non-stop? Then you're going to love this week's show!!! It's the early to mid-80s all over the place!!!

Using the top 100 songs from each year, and assuming the producers have cleared every single one of those songs for the show on Wednesday, here are my thoughts about who's doing what:

1. Old Man Danny Gokey - Born 1980

Ah, 1980. The year of the Miracle on Ice, the release of Empire Strikes Back, the murder of John Lennon, and the election of Ronald Reagan.

Classic 80s songs from 1980 include Escape (Pina Colada Song), All Out of Love, Fame, and Funkytown.

1. I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Danny if he sings: Coward Of The County. Nothing beats this Kenny Rogers classic about Tommy, the boy who was taught by his father to turn the other cheek throughout his whole life until the one day that the Gatlin Boys have their way with his girl. Tommy locks the door of the barroom and beats the living daylights out of those boys. The moral of the story? Sometimes you have to fight to prove you're a man. It's a perfect song for a church's music director.

Dark Horse Candidate: Rock With You. Danny has repeatedly said Michael Jackson is his favorite male artist.

I'm betting he does: Against the Wind. Last week I told you the guy would be perfect for Huey Lewis week. Bob Seger falls right into that category, too. Plus, the first two verses are about a man who loved a woman who left him. The singer wishes he didn't know now what he didn't know then. They were running against the wind. Come on!

Strip the song down to just the piano, slow the tempo down, and I bet you Paula will be weeping.


2. Front Runner Adam Lambert - 1982

Ricky Minor & the band is on the field! 1982 also gave us the Falkands War, the release of the Thriller album, and, in an instance of history repeating, the US recession.

Classic 80s songs from 1982 include Physical, Eye of the Tiger, Rosanna, 867-5309, I Ran, I Love Rock N'Roll, Ebony & Ivory, Centerfold and more. 1982 rocked!

I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Adam if he sings: The Theme Song from Chariots of Fire. Firstly, it's the best sports movie ever, and I would vote for Adam solely because he would obviously be recognizing that by singing it. Secondly, it would take guts to sing a song with no words in it. If he ran in place in slow motion the whole time, I would vote for Adam a bazillion times.

Dark Horse Candidate: Gloria. The song rocks, and Adam would destroy "if everybody wants you, why isn't anybody calling".

I'm betting he does: Either Open Arms or Don't Stop Believin'. I'd lean towards Open Arms since the group lip synched Don't Stop Believin' last week. Adam has a Steve Perry voice. He could nail this song.


3. What is going on with Lil Rounds - 1984

Lil Rounds needs a Ronald Reagan moment right about now.

1984 - The birth of the Mac, the LA Summer Olympics, Reagan beats Mondale, and the crack epidemic is born in LA.

Classic 80s songs from 1984 include Footloose, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, 99 Luftballoons, Sunglasses at Night, Sister Christian, and Cruel Summer.

I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Lil if she sings: Ghostbusters. At this point, I think we're all hoping Lil is being possesed by Zul and is just waiting for the keymaster to turn her into the monster singer she should be.

Dark Horse Candidate: Against All Odds. This song has been sung by a few people from past American Idol seasons like disappointing Ramiele, hideously ugly Scott Savol, producer marrying Katharine McPhee, Wild Card George Huff, Paula Abdul lover Corey Clark, and law breaker Jessica Sierra. So, I guess you could say it's a staple. I know the judges told her to youthen it up, but she loves the big cheesy songs.

I'm betting she does: What's Love Got To Do With It. Thankfully for Lil, there were some powerful women singers who topped the charts in 1984. And we all know Lil likes to cover signature songs. Tina Turner + big signature song with a big chorus = perfect choice for her (in her mind).


4, 5 & 6. 1985 - the year almost all of the remaining contestants (Scott, Matt & Kris) were born

If I had my druthers, these three would pool their time and agree to do this song in it's entirety as a trio. You have a MJ imitator, a Kenny Loggins clone, and Ray Charles/Stevie Wonder stand-in. It'd be perfect!

1985 also gave us the birth of WrestleMania, New Coke, Nintendo, and the Windows Operating System.

Classic 80s songs from 1985 include Take On Me, We Built This City, Shout, Material Girl, and Private Dancer.

I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Scott if he sings: Like A Virgin. No brainer folks.

Dark Horse Candidate: Nightshift. It's just the perfect mid-tempo, semi-challenging song that Scott loves. The only problem is that it's not really a piano-based song.

I'm betting he does: Careless Whisper. Same as above, but the melody is so much better, and that hook can be played on the piano. I know because I've seen Ben Folds play it on the piano in a duet with Rufus Wainwright.



I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Matt if he sings: One Night in Bangkok. It's poppy, mildly racist, and there's a horrible spoken word that references Yul Brenner, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, 1 2 3 and.

Dark Horse Candidate: Don't You Forget About Me. The guy likes to sing pop even though he sucks at it. This is about as poppy as you get. He'd be gone in a heartbeat if he decides on this one.

I'm betting he does: Part-Time Lover. Matt can do some Stevie. Just put some runs in there, and cross your fingers that it comes across OK. Plus, it would be an homage to his imaginary gf, Megan.



I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Kris if he sings: Everybody Wants to Rule the World. This one's actually not a joke. The song is incredible, and Kris has the right kind of voice for it.

Dark Horse Candidate: We Belong. It's a great song that someone like Kris could make original. Randy loves it when guys sing girls songs and vice versa. And, it has a refrain that would be right in Kris' sweet spot vocally.

I'm betting he does: Heaven. It's cheesy, we all know it, and he could spin it in his smooth operator style to make it original.



7. 1986 - Anoop Dogg

Anoop....*sniff*....you stink.
In addition to shirtless volleyball, 1986 gave us memorable events like the Reagan/Gorbachev summit and the Fridge rapping, but no single event was bigger than a certain ground ball rolling through a certain 1B's legs on a certain October night.

1986 also gave us such 80s classics as Greatest Love of All, Dancing on the Ceiling, Manic Monday, and Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time.

I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Anoop if he sings: Your Love. Seriously. I just don't know if he has the voice for it. Plus, it's not R&B, and for some reason he wants to be a R&B artist.

Dark Horse Candidate: These Dreams. He likes the slow tempo stuff, and this is another example of a cross-over gender song that could go over well. I just don't know if he has the voice for it. Plus, it's not R&B, and for some reason he wants to be a R&B artist.

I'm betting he does: Life In A Northern Town. He does have the voice for it. It's just slow enough for him. The final refrain could be done a capella, and he would eat that up. And, we all love Nick Drake tributes. I'm just not sure if the chorus works since there really aren't words in it. Plus, it's not R&B, and for some reason he wants to be a R&B artist.



8. 1992 - Allison "Who Am I" Iraheta

I know why Allison is here, but I still don't quite know who she is.

I just had to throw that one in there, too.

1992 brought us Bush puking on the Japanese PM, Amy Fisher shooting Mary Jo Buttafuoco, Dan Quayle misspelling words, Pope John Paul apologizing to Galileo, and Bill Clinton becoming the 42nd President.

I Would Seriously Pick Up the Phone and Vote for Allison if she sings: November Rain. She loves the rock music, and this one's an epic....I'd vote for her a bazillion times if she took the stage wearing this.

I'd vote for her 2 bazillion times if Stephanie Seymour takes the stage wearing it instead.

Dark Horse Candidate: One - the Mary J. Blige version. She's got the voice for it, and it's been done on Idol before.

I'm betting she does: I Can't Make You Love Me. The song has been covered by American Idol artists like Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert. It would be a great change of pace for her while still showing off her pipes.

What do you all think?