Ranking the American Idol Top 10: David Cook Rocks the Competition

Move over, David Archuleta -- another David just gave the performance of the season.

David Cook stole the show tonight, delivering a stellar rendition of Chris Cornell' (the band Soundgarden) version "Billie Jean" that knocked my socks not just completely off, but actually flung them across the room. He sounded ridiculously amazing, and he looked the part of the rock star.

I've loved David Cook since the moment I first saw him, but tonight he cemented his 'favorite' status for me. Amazing.

Oh yeah -- and this is the first itunes track of the season I intend to purchase. I literally can't wait.

As for the rest of the Idols, while only other made a real impression (Michael Johns), it was nice to hear something other than Beatles music. Here's my rankings:

1. David Cook
What else is there to really say? Perfection.

2. Michael Johns
Finally! This is the moment I was starting to think would never come -- Michael Johns looked and sounded like a star. If he keeps this up, he will have made himself a contender.

3. Carly Smithson
I hate to agree with the judges, that there was something that felt "off" about Carly's performance, because I love this girl and am devastated at the prospect of her going home. She did sound amazing, but it wasn't a fun performance to watch. Hopefully her Bottom 3 scare last week will have put the scare into her fans -- and gotten them to vote!

4. David Archuleta
Was this David's audition song for the Broadway version of High School Musical? If not, I don't understand the logic of this song. Was it a Christian song? Though he sounded good, I hated it. Though on the positive side, we did get a sneak peak of what he'll look like singing the winner's song 8 weeks from now.

5. Brooke White
How about that false start? It was kinda awesome. While I loved Brooke's hair tonight, I didn't love this performance. Didn't hate it, either. It was just there. Ya know, if Brooke was playing her own songs, and they were good, I'd probably love her. But doing the cover thing in a charmingly imperfect is getting a little old.

6. Syesha Mercado
I'm not sure how this song qualifies as a song from 1987, considering Tamyra Gray sang it for the 70's theme back in Season 1, but it was a good choice for Syesha, and she sang it well. Too bad she's so annoying -- it makes it difficult to enjoy her performance. Considering how much the judges overpraised her, while Syesha was far from the worst tonight, I'd say she's there's a distinct possibility she could be in danger of going home.

7. Kristy Lee Cook
Well, who knew Kristy Lee Cook was going to go ahead and make one of the smartest decisions in American Idol history? Genius! She just locked up a few more weeks on this show thanks to her show of patriotism, and though she didn't sound perfect, she showed she's a good American, and for a good portion of the population, that actually means something. Credit where credit is due -- nice work.

8. Chekezie
This guy's all over the map -- he's either a funky soulster, or he's transporting us back to 1987 and the Luther Vandross baby-makin' era. The former is much more exciting than the latter, and though he sounded fine tonight, his performance felt dated and totally irrelevant. Definitely in the danger zone.

9. Jason Castro
His eyes are beautiful, that's for damn sure. And this performance was actually one of the more pleasant one to my eyes and ears. Still, I'm over the coffee house shtick. Get a new gig, or go home.

10. Ramiele Malubay
She shouldn't have mentioned karaoke in her intro package -- it just made me picture this whole performance taking place in a karaoke bar. Which is, unfortunately, the way I feel about Ramiele every week. And stupid song choice -- Carrie gave the definitive performance a few years back, and Carly ripped it up earlier this year. I hate to say it, but this girl's a dud.

Check back tomorrow for my picks of who will go home.

POLL: Which of the Top 10 Was Your Favorite? Who's Going Home?