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'American Idol' recap: Contestants take on Billy Joel

"If you can't sing Billy Joel, you can't sing at all."

So proclaimed Steven Tyler Wednesday night before the Top 10 contestants took on the vaunted song book of the Piano Man during "American Idol."

And how did those crazy kids, with their Tommy Hilfiger makeovers, do? Well, personally, I'm in favor of abolishing theme nights altogether. They're sooo tired. But I'll step aside and let our six-person Readers Judges Panel weigh in. Here are their reviews:

VAISHNAVI KASHYAP, Sunnyvale -- Billy Joel? Who's that?! I've heard of him once or twice but my iPod wouldn't recognize the name. Now Diddy, on the other hand, I know.

DeAndre Brackensick: I like what the stylists did with him. But the singing wasn't that great, dawg. He's never been a favorite, but I probably should have a soft spot for him because he's my San Jose homie.

Erika Van Pelt: She's improved a lot. Not mind-blowing, but she's staying another week. Definitely didn't expect such a drastic makeover. I gotta admit, her hair was pretty sick, though.

Skylar Laine: I surprised myself when I started clapping for her. And it wasn't my usual sarcastic, unenthusiastic clapping either. For such a twangy, nasally voice, she rocked the song. And I loved her new look, too.

Elise Testone: Not a usual favorite, but I have to admit I'll be totally "confuzzled" if she joins the Bottom 3 for the 3rd time in a row.

Phillip Phillips: So Phil upgraded his style quotient slightly. But overall he still ignored Tommy Hilfiger's advice. I mean, who does that?! It's Tommy Hilfiger! On the other hand, who cares? It was an awesome, growly, hot performance.

Hollie Cavanagh: It wasn't her best, but she's among the top contenders, no matter how "pitchy" she was.

So DeAndre and Heejun occupy two out of the Bottom 3 spots. Not so sure about the last one.

CHRISTINA WISE, Boulder Creek -- I was so looking forward to Billy Joel night ... and then the contestants started singing. Lawdy. Those two hours seemed to last for the looongest time.

You May Be Right:

Joshua Ledet: The first performer of the night to really BRING IT. The soulfulness and passion that he puts into every song is deliciously intoxicating. I've never been arrested for stalking, but there's a first time for everything.

Elise: Finally found a song that revealed her vocal sweet spot. "Vienna" did what no other song has done for her -- it brought out her personality. How refreshing.

Phillip Phillips: Positively loved the reimagining of "Movin' Out." The grittiness in his voice was so well-suited to the song; the growl was spine-tingling, and I would have fought over that satin scarf too. Yowza!

Don't Ask Me Why:

DeAndre: Sorry to hear "Only the Good Die Young" wasted on his half-hearted vocals. This song deserves to be sung with big, strong pipes, and this guy just doesn't have 'em.

Erika Van Pelt: The best part of her performance was her hair. If "New York State of Mind" is an anthem, she didn't do my home state any favors. Too safe, too sedate. I'll bet she got her share of Bronx cheers from the East Coast.

Heejun: His version of "My Life" was bad karaoke, and proof positive that this dude can ruin any song. The look on Steven Tyler's face at the song's conclusion was the same expression that the captain of the Titanic had as the ship went down--total, mute horror at having contributed to a disaster of epic proportions.

Big Shot:

Jessica Sanchez: "Everybody Has a Dream," and if hers is to be our next American Idol, this girl is well on her way. She is top three, baby!

BEN WENTLING, Concord -- This week there were only two outstanding performances. Jessica is starting to show that she's the one to beat this year. But reigning supreme was Elise. What a vocal range! So glad to see her improving.

I'm not sure everyone gets Phillip, but I think he's a great talent and hope he sticks around. Skyler and Hollie continue to impress me, along with Erika. Substantial week-toweek improvement for her.

Still in the not bad, but not really good category are DeAndre and Colton. They both sang songs that I used to listen to all the time and they just didn't cut it with their renditions.

Joshua took a huge step backward and could have been the weakest performance of the night with the exception of ... Heejun. He really didn't get voted off after last week? Really? How much longer do we have to put up with him? He not only can't sing, he's annoying beyond belief. Let's focus on people with real talent, please.

DIANE WILSON, Saratoga -- Billy Joel? Really? Dreary! Is this the best we can do for our young Idols? Most of them are lucky if their grandparents remember his music. Please give us Aerosmith songs if we have to go back in time.

Thankfully there were some great performances. The best was Jessica, singing like a dream. She was poised and elegant. Flawless. A well deserved Standing O.

Colton singing "Piano Man." This song is tailor-made for his talents. Smoky and husky. Yet the high notes go where they need to go. Finishes with a bang and drifts gently away.

Still, one of my favorites was Elise. This is the most confident she has looked all season. Though a bit too much rasp at times, she was in control of the song.

So those who might be taking their dirty clothes home and saving their laundry quarters:

DeAndre singing "Only the Good Die Young." Could the title be a portent of his future on this show? This is so bad I wanted to do a fast-forward.

Our resident quirky guy Heejun. OMG, he's taking his clothes off. If that isn't scary enough, he is butchering the song, or as Jennifer says "Not hitting the vocals." If Steven says to take things more seriously you know you are in trouble.

Most disappointing tonight but not going home was Hollie. She didn't hit her notes.

Still safe are the following:

Erika, Yes! I will cut and dye my hair to win. She looks hip and hot.

Joshua was saved by the choir.

Should Skylar be" booted" or not? Her dress looks like she got tangled in a parachute. Other than that, she sang with her usual country enthusiasm and spunk.

Phillip "Movin' Out." Sorry, Tommy and Diddy. No gimmicks for this singer. He wore double gray! The music speaks through and for him. An authentic and solid performance.

Much better show tonight than I expected. Good job, Idols!

TONY LEONG, Oakland -- The top performers included:

Jessica: "Everybody Has a Dream." Standing "O." The night's best. A very strong, mature and a crystal clear voice. You could feel the emotion she expressed in this song.

Colton: "Piano Man." Excellent performance. Colton's been one of my favorites and he proved himself again. He was in his zone.

Elise: "Vienna." She's been pretty consistent in her performances -- neither very great nor very bad. The song choice tonight was perfect for her. And her interpretation excellent.

Erika: "New York State of Mind." Her best performance yet. I haven't been a fan of hers, but she knocked it out of the park. Her song choice was perfect for her deep and husky voice as well as for her style of singing.

I'm compelled to say this about Heejun: Good, energetic performance. He's improving every week. People should get over their problem with Heejun's so-called "accent". Why is a French accent in this society considered more sonorous than an Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese accent? Pretty racist as far as I'm concerned.

Those in trouble: DeAndre, Skylar and Joshua.

EILEEN SIMON, Walnut Creek -- We have a new big winner tonight and it's Colton. Everything was right for him and he was right for it all.

Joshua may be down but he's sure not out. And Phillip sparkles even in gray.

Jessica didn't disappoint. She doesn't just stay good, she gets unbelievable.

The biggest surprise was Erika. I'm from New York and so was she.

DeAndre with sunglasses hanging from his collar and Heejun making me smile. Thanks guys.

My bottom two are Hollie who is still looking like the 1940s (Believe me, I was there) and Skylar who looked deformed in that weird outfit (look at the profile angle). Were their performances up to par with the rest? No.