Confessions of an "Idol" addict

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April 3, 2009 2:05 PM

Song predictions for next week's "American Idol" Top 8

Posted by Bob Payne

Next week's theme, "Songs From the Year You Were Born," is without a doubt my favorite "American Idol" theme because of the fun you can have speculating on song choice.

And in the process of looking through the charts, it's fun to either mock or celebrate the top hits of a given year. And let me tell ya: The mid-'80s were a gold mine!

Here are the birthdays of the Top 8, linked to the Top 100 Billboard hits for that year:
Adam Lambert - January 29, 1982
Allison Iraheta - April 27, 1992
Anoop Desai (pictured) - December 20, 1986
Danny Gokey - April 24, 1980
Kris Allen - June 21, 1985
Lil Rounds - November 14, 1984
Matt Giraud - May 11, 1985
Scott MacIntyre - June 22, 1985
(It's a good thing 1985 was a great year for pop music!)

So let's start the speculation!

Adam Lambert
- Good choice: "Open Arms" by Journey. Adam might be the only male in the history of "Idol" capable of hitting the high notes Steve Perry was famous for.
- Bad choice: "Tainted Love" by Softcell. It's been done already on "Idol" -- as recently as last year -- and it's almost too easy for "Glambert."

Allison Iraheta
- Good choice: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. If she did the Tori Amos version, I would be her fan forever.
- Bad choice: "Save the Best For Last" by Vanessa Williams. Overdone and boring.

Anoop Desai
- Good choice: Man, this is a tough one, but I'll go with "I'm Your Man" by Wham! He could really have fun with this.
- Bad choice: "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer. I could totally see Anoop thinking that this song fits him. Or even worse: "Kiss," by Prince.

Danny Gokey
- Good choice: Not the greatest year for music .... how about "Shining Star" by The Manhattans.
- Bad choice: "Lost In Love" by Air Supply.

For the next four, continue reading.

Kris Allen
- Good choice: This is a no-brainer: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears. He could even play a slowed-down version on the piano. It would rule.
- Bad choice: "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. Way overdone.

Lil Rounds
- Good choice: "Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)" by Phil Collins. It would be nice to see her NOT over-sing a ballad.
- Bad choice: "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner. HUGE song that year, but Lil would probably just mimic the original and that would be the kiss of death.

Matt Giraud
- Good choice: "Sea of Love" by the Honeydrippers. He might benefit from slowing things down a bit.
- Bad choice: "Take On Me" by A-Ha. This would be a repeat of the Coldplay disaster.

Scott MacIntryre
- Good choice: "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" by John Parr. I can almost guarantee this will be the song he does.
- Bad choice: "We Built This City" by Starship. *shudders to imagine this*

What songs would you suggest?

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