Skip to Content

She went from the hospital bed to the American Idol stage to the leader of the season nine pack in just 24 hours.

Indeed, we aren’t the first website to shower Crystal Bowersox with praise – and we definitely won’t be the last – but it’s well-deserved.

On a night of live performances that overshadowed the guys’ lackluster efforts the evening before, Bowersox recovered from a dangerous illness and led the way. We run down the top 10 below…

Maddie Poppe Wins American Idol
(ABC)
  1. Crystal Bowersox: She gets points for showing up and for not playing the sympathy card. But especially for her unique rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See the Light.”
  2. Lilly Scott: A close second. Challenged herself with the Sam Cooke classic “A Change is Gonna Come” and was even better than last week. Love her confidence in just who she is.
  3. Michelle Delamor: Note to Todrick Hall: this is how you re-arrange a song! Michelle comes across as a professional singer and turned a Creed rock single into a ballad.
  4. Siobhan Magnus: The anti-Aretha Franklin sung Franklin’s “Think” and showcased her versatility. The place went nuts when she hit her high notes.
  5. Katelyn Epperly: Ellen was off base with this critique. The song was supposed to be slow, and the use of the piano proved that Katelyn has multiple sides to her.
  6. Katie Stevens: She has a great voice and a great personality. The judges have to get over the fact that she’s 17 and just let her sing.
  7. Paige Miles: It’s always daring to take a song by an American Idol winner, but Miles did Kelly Clarkson’s “Walk Away” sort of proud. Definitely needed more of an edge to it.
  8. Didi Benami: We felt terrible for when the tears welled up during the judges’ criticism. But “Lean On Me?” Really? It’s impossible to make that song your own at this point.
  9. Lacey Brown: Simply not up to par, vocals-wise, with the other contestants.
  10. Haeley Vaughn: We’re all for being happy, but her constant smiling freaks us out. She’s like a doll of some kind.mi

It’s a clear choice, in our view: Lacey and Haeley should go home tonight. What do you think?