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Top 20 'Idol' Contestants of All Time - 9: Blake Lewis

January

Fine, I’ll admit it. Blake Lewis, runner-up in Season 6 of “American Idol,” didn’t sell as many first-week albums as the victor, Jordin Sparks. And his singing voice sometimes was choppier than a saw mill, especially when compared to the effortless polish of Melinda Doolittle.

But I’m ranking the beatboxing Lewis higher than both of them on this list for the way he changed the game on “American Idol.”

Allow me to reprint some related thoughts from a Remote Access post I wrote last month:

Think about it: Other than Sanjayagate, which nearly melted the show down to its core, Lewis was the most buzzworthy story from Season 6. Love him or hate him, his original, risky takes on Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name” and the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” had been the season’s two most water-cooler worthy points of discussion not involving Mr. Malakar. Then his finale collaboration with Doug E. Fresh on “The Show” blew everybody out of the water, becoming “Idol’s” most riveting performance. Not just for the season. Ever.

I added that Lewisâ€™ first single, the addictive â€œBreak Anotha,” could or should never be attempted by another “Idol” finalist.

When Season 7 starts Tuesday, don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of beatboxing, tattooed Blake Lewis wannabes. Regardless of your feelings about him, Lewis has made his mark as one of the most memorable contestants in “Idol” history.

Also see:

– Top 20 ‘Idol’ Contestants of All Time – Epilogue
-No. 1: Kelly Clarkson
-No. 2: Carrie Underwood
-No. 3: Chris Daughtry
-No. 4: Jennifer Hudson
-No. 5: Sanjaya Malakar
-No. 6: William Hung
-No. 7: Clay Aiken
-No. 8: Fantasia Barrino
-No. 10: Tamyra Gray
-No. 11: Jordin Sparks
-No. 12: Melinda Doolittle
-No. 13: Bo Bice
-No. 14: Elliott Yamin
-No. 15: Ruben Studdard
-No. 16: Katharine McPhee
-No. 17: Taylor Hicks
-No. 18: Diana DeGarmo
-No. 19: Frenchie Davis
-No. 20: Lisa Leuschner
-Top 20 intro and criteria/Honorable Mentions (Nos. 21-31)
(Photo courtesy of FOX.)

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 13th, 2008 at 3:30 pm by Chris Serico.
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3 Responses to “Top 20 'Idol' Contestants of All Time - 9: Blake Lewis”

4cap January 13th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Thanks for the positive review! Blake's CD is full of good catchy songs, all of which he wrote himself (save Surrender). I prefer How Many Words and What'cha Got 2 Lose to Break Anotha, but they're all very original.
Missy January 13th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Blake Lewis definitely was…and is…a polarizing musician. But the key word here is musician. Love him (I do!) or hate him, he cut a memorable swath through the staid stage of American Idol. I hope this charismatic singer/beatboxer/writer/producer/performer has a long career ahead of him in the American musical landscape. His debut CD is fresh, original, and entertaining. I love it.
digigirl02 January 14th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Love Blake, I agree with what Missy said about him being a polarizing musician, I find his talent to be refreshing, and think his album is great, and hope him success in everything he does.(I would also love to see him go into some producing)

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