As this season draws to a close, it's time for the annual season ranking thread. Rank the seasons you have seen! Any particular performer make the season for you?

1. Season 5 Taylor ... but there were many who entertained that season

-tie-
2. a) Season 4 Bo ...In A Dream, Whipping Post!
2. b) Season 8 Kris, Adam Falling Slowly; Mad World

4. Season 7 Michael Johns, David C IAWBIAR, Music of the Night

-tie-
5. a) Season 1 Kelly* ... goosebumps
5. b) Season 2 Clay ... the transformation

7. Season 6 Blake ... entertaining in a boring season
8. Season 3 Jennifer H ... unfairly depimped so Fanny would win

*Kelly gave me goosebumps like no one else until Bo...and Taylor. But the rest of her season pulls it down in the rankings.

• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,CTgirl, 10:38 PM, 05-06-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,sylvester, 07:33 AM, 05-07-09
  • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,nailbone, 03:25 PM, 05-20-09
    • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,SilverStar, 04:03 PM, 05-20-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,Snidget, 07:45 AM, 05-07-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,Glow, 08:28 AM, 05-07-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,Tahj, 11:28 AM, 05-07-09
  • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,zazzy, 08:31 AM, 05-08-09
    • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,Tahj, 10:33 AM, 05-08-09
  • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,TxMom2011, 08:47 AM, 05-13-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,DoodleBug, 12:08 PM, 05-07-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,sica077, 06:51 PM, 05-07-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,ulalame, 00:06 AM, 05-13-09
  • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,zazzy, 12:08 PM, 05-13-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,susang, 12:10 PM, 05-20-09
  • RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,Glow, 12:14 PM, 05-20-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,SilverStar, 12:25 PM, 05-20-09
• RE: Rank the AI seasons--as many as you have seen!,nailbone, 03:32 PM, 05-20-09

I can't rank them but I can say that Season 5 was the highlight for me and season 3 was the worst. The rest just all blend together.

I lvoed Daughtry. My husband loved Kat. It was so much fun to watch Eliot progress throughout the seaon and Taylor was uniquely Taylor. Kellie, Bucky - there were just a lot of singers that were fun to watch and fun to cheer for.

Season 5 was the apex of AI for me. The judges agenda has become more and more obvious and has killed some of the fun for me. Strangely though, I think Blake is my favorite Idol.

Agreeance that season 5 was the best. I loved most of the top 10 that year, so much fun.

This season is second for me. Flove Adam, he's the reason I'm tuning in, but I like Kris and loved Allison too. Also liked Anoop and didn't hate Matt.

Season 2 is a close 3rd. Loved Clay, loved Kim Locke, hated that Rueben won.

Season 4 is 4th, on the strength of Bo Bice alone. Floved him too. Hated that Carrie won, but dang that girl has proven herself out in the real world.

Hated seasons 3 & 6 with a fiery passion. The only person I liked in season 3 was George Huff, but that was half hearted. Didn't like anybody in season 6, although Blake was kind of entertaining.

Didn't watch season 1, but I buy just about everything that Kelly puts out, love her voice. Boy did America get that one right or what? Justin who?

Flove?

F'ing love.

I've seen all but season one.

My rankings.

1. Season 5. Good variety of cast with most of them being entertaining and full of personality even if they were cast as fodder.

2. Season 2. Maybe because it is my first season but I really enjoyed it. Clay seeing the results on the card and then watching Ruben to see his reaction was priceless.

3. Season 4. Really when rockers and country got to be OK on Idol and opened things up I think for season 5 to be as good as it was.

4. Season 3. I know the final 3 was kinda weak, but watching the Diva's battle it out was kind of fun even if it divided up that part of the fan base too much and some went home way too soon.

5. Season 1. Even though I didn't see it, from what I saw of the talent afterward I'll rank it here.

6. Season 6. For me it was a big let down after season 5 even though I enjoyed a few of the people on there.

7. Season 7. The year of the plants. Yes, I want people on the show that have been working at being a singer and a performer so I expect a lot of them to have some experience, but the year of the plants was just annoying to me and I really didn't have anyone I really liked as something new and fresh even if there were a few performances I enjoyed.

Not sure where Season 8 is going to end up. I've enjoyed the season fairly well, but it was so predictable to me as to who was pimped and who was fodder. The only small surprise is Kris making it this far as he seemed cast for fodder, but he's really the only cute and safe one so once the cast was set it didn't seem that weird he made it pretty far. It is just he could have been replaced with several other kinda cute guys and the season would seem just about the same.

My order hasn't changed a bit from last year’s thread. I just need to insert this season.

1. Season 4 - Bo Bice Baby and Carrie Underwood. It deserves top spot forever because of all the doors that were opened that season.
2. Season 5 - Chris and Bucky
3. Season 1 - Kelly Clarkson ~ it was the first season. I think it deserves bonus points for that.
4. Season 7 - Michael Johns... it's really tough for me to not put S7 first because of my adoration of all things Michael Johns
5. Season 8 - Adam and Kris. They still have the potential to bump this season up. We'll see.
6. Season 2 - Josh Gracin. I loved Ruben during the season
7. Season 6 - Chris Richardson armporn
8. Season 3 - *I'm going to leave my comment from last year in* I enjoyed Fantasia during the season but I've been over her since the finale. I enjoyed the show overall more than S6 (and probably S7) but it left me with nothing so it goes last.

LAST EDITED ON 05-08-09 AT 10:35 AM (EST)

For anyone interested, wiki has the best reference for each season on AI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol#Season_1

Season 1--just for being the first. I still remember how bizarre and funny and fun everything was. It was so new and nothing can compare to Simon's comments, hearing them for the first time. Now, it's old hat. The interactions between Simon and Paula were classic. You can't write this stuff.

Season 5--loved me my Ace. Lots of talent. Very entertaining.

Season 8--Adam. Adam. Adam. Did I mention Adam?

Season 4--loved me my Anthony Federov and Consty. Bo was amazing. Too bad he didn't hit it big like Daughtry.

Season 2--I will always like Clay Aiken. The boy can sang.

Season 7--loved me my Michael Johns. Loved David Cook's steady rise. Little Archie was so adorable. Like a Teddy bear.

Season 3--I can't believe I even watched it.

Season 6--blew chunks. Except for Melinda Doolittle.

It's a Tribe!

Tahj, did you hear that Constantine was nominated for a Tony award for his role in "Rock Of Ages"?

No I didn't. How cool!

It's a Tribe!

Tahj - noticed you have a theme going for your favorites...

Ace Adam Constantine and Clay - All Broadway-ish guys

1. Season 7 - they finally let them play instruments, had great talent all the way through, very memorable performances from many of them, and David Cook is my favorite idol. There you go.

2. Season 5 - was the most entertaining but was TICKED when Daughtry was voted off. Did not like Kat or Taylor. Worst winner ever! Daughtry is my favorite idol that didn't win.

3. Season 8 - the best talent of all the shows, Adam, Matt, Allison, Kris.... and some Gokey.

4. Season 4 - I knew Carrie would win from her audition, love her. Bo was great too.

5. Season 1 - Kelly is still outstanding - and this is the season that started it all!

6. Season 3 - Was not a Fantasia fan, Jennifer was robbed but it all turned out ok for her

7. Season 2 - Reuben winning was a disappointment, but I never drooled over Clay either

8. Season 6 - never got excited about any of them

So... the very first episode of AI that I watched was the finale of season 3. So I will exclude that one. This was a little more difficult than I thought it would be!

1. Season 5: CHRIS!! Elliot! Mandisa, Bucky, Ace... I loved that crew!
2. Season 7: I really loved Cook. Michael Johns is pretty much a god. And Archie was so darn adorable.
3. Season 8: Kris and Adam (although I still have a soft spot for Anoop).
4. Season 4: Bo and Carrie were phenomenal, but not enough to carry the season higher on my little list.
5. Season 6: Blake was amusing (Jordin was not). Melinda was cute and sassy. This is voided, however, because Sanjaya would ruin any season.

LAST EDITED ON 05-13-09 AT 00:17 AM (EST)

I'll have to think about this. I've seen all of them, except Season 4, as I was travelling for three months in the spring of 2005, and my tivo wasn't big enough for all my reality shows and so only picked one to record (my alltime fave -- The Amazing Race) and let both AI and Survivor go that spring (it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, like picking among my children .)

After considerable consideration, here are my rankings (absent Season 4):

1. Season 7 may have been my favorite, in terms of singers -- even though it had the ringers. I loved Brook White (her versions of "Jolene," "You've Got a Friend," and "Here Comes the Sun," and "I Am, I Said," I still remember -- Brook was only the second Idol contestant that I thought I'd actually buy an album from, after Kat in season 5). I liked Ramiele Malubuy (although she was outleagued) but most of all, I adored Jason Castro, who is my all-time favorite Idol contestant, with my all-time favorite performance with Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah." I also loved his version of "Over the Rainbow" and "Michelle." Overall, I was not a big David Cook fan, and wanted Archie to win the show (actually, Archie's performance of "Imagine" is another memorable one for me), but both were talented and made for a good top 2.

2. While at first blush, I wasn't going to rank Season 5 this high, after looking at all the other seasons, it has to go here, primarily because Kat was my second-most favorite Idol contestant after Jason Castro. It wasn't one of my off-the-top favorites, because Taylor Hicks won. During the season, I was not a fan of Chris Daughtry either, as I thought he was too much of a copycat, but he's proved he's got talent since. I was a big Kat fan, and her versions of "Over the Rainbow" and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" were among my all time favorite performances on AI. It was also one of the first seasons where most of the people who made it to the end were talented, unlike the Sanjayas and John Stevenses of other years.

3. Season 1 was so much fun because it was new. I have to confess to having had a Justin crush (I was younger then ,)and thus was sad when Kelly Clarkson won. Tamyra Gray was a standout, but no performances were memorable enough for me to remember them to this day (except for Clarkson's singing of "A Moment Like This" at the finale, but I think it's because it's been played so many times since, I can't help but remember it). I liked Ryan Starr, but mainly for her spunk.

4. Season 3 was fun also. It brought us the first of the youthful boy singers who made it week after week, despite the fact that better singers were being eliminated, due to the girly fanbase in John Stevens. Jennifer Hudson and Latoya London both were excellent, and I liked Camile Velasco and Jasmine Trias as well. I might have to rate this season pretty high up.

Tied for 5th are seasons 2, 6 and 8. All had good points, all some bad ones too. I'd have ranked season 8 fifth, and the others tied for 6th, if not for the dearth of female contestants in the top 12 (or 13 as the case was). Otherwise, they are kind of on an equal level.

Season 2 brought us the Kimberlies, and Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. I had a fondess for Carmen Rasmussen, but after Kimberly Locke was eliminated in the top three, didn't care much who won (but still was surprised that Ruben beat out Clay.

Season 6 brought us Sanjaya, who was fun to watch for a while, but it got painful toward the end. I liked both Jordan Sparks and Blake Lewis, and thought Blake was one of the first performers on the show to EVER bring something new to a song (even though he, too, was a bit of a copy cat). I still remember his version of "When the Stars go Blue." Over all, it was an okay season.

Season 8. Hmm, not sure where this one is going to fit in. My initial favorites got eliminated early -- Alexis Grace and Megan Joy, so we never really got to see how they would evolve on the show. Allison grew on me as the competition went forward, and Adam was amazing from the start. I really didn't like how they let the top 12 be stacked with guy singers, I think it took something of the balance and variety away from the competition for me, as a lot of the guys were interchangeable at the beginning. If the final 3 had been Allison, Kris and Adam, I think I'd rank this season higher, but the combination of fewer female singers to start, and guys like Scott McIntyre and Danny Gokey sticking around far too long, made me rank this season lower.

Season 4 is on AI rewind or one of those type of AI rerun shows. . Love seeing some Bo, even after 5 years.

It is hard for me to rate the "just OK" seasons, so I will select my favorite/least favorite.

Favorite: Seasons 1&2 (Tie). Best contestants overall. The show was less commercial in the early days.

Least Favorite: Season 6. The "lowlights" were Sanjaya, Phil Stacey, the early elimination of Sundance Head, contestant bobbleheads, too many movie tie-ins, Idol Gives Back, Jordin Sparks not that memorable.

Sundance Head was eliminated because he tried to murder a Pearl Jam song on live television. There's no coming back from that. Good riddance.

It feels like I've been watching this show for about a billion years, but I've only seen 6, 7 and 8. I can't really rank them. They all seem about the same to me. Some great singers, some great performers, some people that you think stayed way past their time and some were kicked off too soon.

Blake is the only Idol's CD that I own and I like it very much. I loved him during the show.
I mostly like what I hear of David Cook on the radio and I really enjoyed him on his season.
Time will tell whether I buy a Kris or Adam CD. Right now I think I would, but I have a very short attention span for reality show contestants and I usually forget about them the day after the finale.

Sorry Kris! I love ya, but you'll be a distant memory tomorrow morning. LOL