What do Neil Sedaka, Burt Bacharach, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller have in common? All of these songwriters were featured as part of American Idol final five competitions. We’ve also had Big Band, Top 40, and songs from the ‘60s, and there have been some real shockers during this round as well. Read on to find out who sang what, who went home, and what had us buzzin’ the morning after!

Looking back, there have been some great performances in this round of the competition. There have also been some stinkers. Seasons 2, 3, and 4 featured each finalist singing two songs each, and this will be repeated this year. Eliminations have been handled differently each season as well, so there’s no way to predict how they will do it this year. One thing for sure, this is going to be a nailbiter! Here’s how previous seasons’ top five shows have shaken out.

Season 4: This proved to be the most controversial week in Idol history. On the heels of Constantine’s shocking elimination, the Smoking Gun website broke the story of Bo’s arrest record. Fans speculated wildly as to whether or not this would disqualify him. Apparently, the producers were aware of his past and were satisfied that he had put all of this behind him.Idol fans were also dealing with the upcoming ABC exposé that promised to “reveal the truth” about the show.

On performance night, each Idol did two songs; one a Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller classic, and the other something from any of the Billboard Top 40 charts. Anthony sang “Poison Ivy” and “Incomplete,” while Scott did “On Broadway” and “Every Time You Go Away.” Vonzell sang “Treat Me Nice” and the Idol single, “When You Tell Me That You Love Me” (which reminds me… no single this year?). Carrie did “Trouble” and “Bless the Broken Road,” and Bo sang “Stand by Me” and Los Lobos’ “Heaven.” I loved Vonzell’s rendition of the Idol single and thought that Carrie’s “Broken Road” was superb. Of course, by then I was loving everything that Bo did!

On results night, the top five performed “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (it was awesome), and the girls gave flowers to the judges and kissed Paula, who was definitely not having a good week! This was a great show of support for Paula, and felt right somehow. At the same time all of this was going on, ABC’s silly Primetime Live was airing. It turned out to be an hour of Corey Clark’s self-promotional BS and nothing more.

As nicey nice as the evening was, however, someone had to go home. Ryan got real tricky and sent Anthony and Scott to the couch. Scott pumped his arm triumphantly as Bo, Carrie, and Vonzell stood nervously onstage. Then Ryan announced that they were, in fact, the top three, and asked Anthony (whose birthday it was) and Scott to perform. In the end, Anthony got a nice birthday present when Ryan cleverly said, “Anthony, it’s bad news, buddy. We forgot to get you a birthday card, but we do have a gift… you are safe!” Scott Savol, who had survived the Smoking Gun and Vote for the Worst, was sent home.

After the Idol tour ended in September, Scott recorded nine songs in his home studio. He wasn’t satisfied with the results, though, and put the project on hold to try and find someone he could work with who understood his vision. He kept himself in the public eye by performing at various local events and selling karaoke machines on QVC. Now he’s returning to the studio to finish his album. Scott is also planning a summer wedding to his “long-time friend” Rochelle. He made this announcement on his website, and says, “We are planning a summer wedding and hope to be able to share some small part of our happy day with all of you.”

Season 3: Idol fans had an extra night of the show this season, with the “final five special” airing on Monday. Ryan did a sit-down interview with each finalist, and then they had a chance to sing their favorite song from the season to date. It was great. The week’s theme was Big Band. This was ironic considering that John Stevens was booted the week before, and would certainly have shone with this genre.

Fantasia and LaToya both had spectacular performances this night (Fantasia’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” and LaToya’s “Too Close for Comfort” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade”). George sang “Cheek to Cheek” and “What a Wonderful World,” and was also fabulous. Jasmine did “The Way You Look Tonight” and “It’s Almost Like Being in Love,” and Diana took on “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “Come On, Get Happy.”

RNO recapper Sting7 wrote about Fantasia, “I sit here in front of you, a puddle of goo! ‘What Are You Doing’ was another star-making performance.” He was equally complimentary about LaToya, writing, “LaToya is just amazing! She was so classy, so comfortable, so sassy, so masterful. You could not take your eyes off her, and your ears were treated, too. LaToya has taken that bar and raised it again!”

Source: http://www.foxesonidol.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article1886.art&page=1