The Voice
2011
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Season chronology. ← Previous. Season 6. Next →. Season 8. List of episodes. The seventh season of American Idol began on January 15, 2008, and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show, while Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges.
season 7. There are singers, then there are idols. 01:24:53. S7 E17 - 717 (Disney Night)Singing beloved favorites from the Disney songbook.TV-PG | 05.13.2024. 01:24:50. S7 E16 - 716 (Adele Night)The top seven finalists take on iconic hits from Adele.TV-PG | 05.06.2024. 01:24:21.
- Overview
- Changes From Season 7
- Auditions
- Hollywood
- Semi-finals
- Top 12 Finalists
- Finals
- Controversies
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges.
Rock singer David Cook was announced the winner of the competition on May 21, 2008, defeating runner-up David Archuleta by a margin of roughly 12 million votes out of over 97 million, the highest recorded total in the show's history. The split was 56 percent to 44 percent.
The show made some changes for the seventh season, including: allowing contestants to play musical instruments, an element that originated on Australian Idol and can also be seen on Norway's Idol and Canadian Idol; building a brand new set; and creating a new introduction credit sequence. There would also be fewer celebrity mentors so that the prod...
For Season 7, auditions were held in the following cities:
•San Diego, California: Qualcomm Stadium - July 30 & July 31
•Dallas, Texas: Texas Stadium - August 6 & August 7
•Omaha, Nebraska: Qwest Center Omaha - August 10 & August 11
•Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia Dome - August 14 & August 15
•Charleston, South Carolina: North Charleston Coliseum - August 18 & August 19
As in years past, the Hollywood round took place at the Pasadena Civic Center in Pasadena, over a period of four days. A total of 164 contestants were invited from the seven audition cities. This year the process was altered slightly to ensure that no talent would be prematurely dismissed. There was also no group round.
On the first day, all of the contestants took the stage individually and sang for the judges. For the first time ever, contestants had the option of either being accompanied by the band or playing an instrument themselves. Some were shown playing the keyboard, guitar, or even the drums. If the judges approved of the contestant's performance, they received a "free pass" to the third day of auditions. Unlike previous seasons, contestants whose performances were not considered good enough were given a second chance on day two. They were required to line up on stage in small groups and sing a short segment of a song "a cappella." After each group had finished, the judges cut those they felt were not talented enough. Those who were not cut joined the recipients of the free passes on day three of the Hollywood round. Each of these remaining contestants sang with the band, as well as three backup singers, a setup similar to the one used in the semifinals and finals. This replaced the group performances required in past seasons. After each performance, the judges decided whether or not to cut the contestant. By the end of the day, only 50 contestants were remaining. The judges then deliberated on who would be in the Top 24, and their decision was revealed at the end of the process.
The following contestants were Season 7's Top 24 contestants. The Top 24 had to sing a song from the 1960s to earn a spot in the Top 20. The second week, they had to sing a song from the 1970s for the Top 16 and the last week, they will sing a song from the 1980s for the finals.
Males:
The following contestants were Season 7's Top 12
Top 12 perform
During the first round of the finals, the Top 12 performed a song from the Lennon-McCartney Songbook for a spot in the Top 11.
Top 11 perform
During this round of the finals, the Top 11 performed a song from the The Beatles for a spot in the Top 10.
Top 10 perform
During this round of the finals, the Top 10 performed a song from their birth year for a spot in the Top 9.
Contestants' past music industry experience
This controversay started due to reports that revealed that contestant Carly Smithson had previously been signed to MCA Records long before she had ever tried out for the show. The report further revealed that MCA had reportedly spent $2 million promoting Smithson's first album, Ultimate High, which she had recorded as a teenager under her maiden name, Hennessy. The album ended up selling 378 copies, resulting in Smithson getting dropped, but is now available on iTunes. To complicate matters, Randy Jackson had been working for MCA during that time. The media also noted that fellow contestants such as Kristy Lee Cook, Michael Johns, and Brooke White also had had previous record deals (Winner David Cook had released a solo independent album, Analog Heart, in 2007 and was working on another but was never signed to a record label nor had a managemnt deal). The reports began a discussion on whether contestants with previous music industry experience should try out for shows like American Idol.
David Hernandez's past
Before the live shows for the top 12 started, the anti-Idol website Vote For The Worst revealed that contestant David Hernandez had previously worked as a male stripper in Phoenix, Arizona. According to the owner of the club, he claimed that part of Hernandez's job included a routine involving full nudity and lap dances. There are some who suspect that this information may have resulted in Hernandez, considered an early frontrunner at the time, finishing in 12th place.
David Archuleta's father
As the season progressed, stories began emerging about contestant David Archuleta's father Jeff being a stage father. The accusations ranged from him being way too pushy to having too much imput on his son's song selections. This came to a head during top 4 week (Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame week) when David sang the Ben E. King classic "Stand By Me" and sang a line that wasn't in the song. It was later revealed that the lyric was from the 2007 Sean Kingston hit "Beautiful Girls", which sampled "Stand By Me". The show's producers, due to complaints from fans, finally banned Jeff Archuleta from the backstage area and banned him from having any say in his son's song choices.
People also ask
When did American Idol Season 7 end?
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S7 E12 - 712 (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) The top 14 perform for the judges; the top 12 are revealed. TV-PG | 04.22.2024. S7 E11 - 711 (Top 14 Reveal) Ryan Seacrest reveals the 10 hopefuls voted to advance. TV-PG | 04.16.2024. S7 E10 - 710 (Top 20) The top 20 Idol hopefuls perform a song of their choice.
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The series moved to ABC with its sixteenth season which debuted on March 11, 2018. It started off as an addition to the Idols format based on the British series Pop Idol, and became one of the most successful shows in the history of American television.
Feb 26, 2024 · Texas-born David Cook famously beat David Archuleta in season 7 of American Idol. Cook found success after his win with his self-titled album and its lead single, “Light On.”
