# Auditioning for American Idol **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675 "2005-05-26T23:00:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![remisser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@remisser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remisser)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/1 "2005-05-26T23:00:44Z")
So, someone dared me to audition for the next season of American Idol since they’re coming to town. I figured it’d be fun as a lark… so I need some help selecting a song… something along the lines of “On the willows” from godspell or “gethsemene” from jesus christ superstar… any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/2 "2005-05-27T02:17:31Z")
“Paula” ---
**Author:** ![remisser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@remisser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remisser)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/3 "2005-05-27T03:24:27Z")
What or who performed “Paula”? Unless you’re referring to Abdul. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/4 "2005-05-27T04:08:46Z")
Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” Please. ---
**Author:** ![remisser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@remisser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/remisser)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/5 "2005-05-27T05:46:34Z")
Ha. I’m a guy, I don’t think I’d be able to perform “Straight Up” – hell, Paula couldn’t pull it off. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/6 "2005-05-27T10:43:06Z")
Simon’s favorite is _Unchained Melody_. Nail it, and you’re guaranteed to get in. ---
**Author:** ![hawkeyejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/7 "2005-05-27T12:18:12Z")
_Somebody To Love_ by Queen Anybody who can pull off a Freddie Mercury song can’t be booted off. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/8 "2005-05-27T12:45:57Z")
I thought Constantine pulled off Bohemian Rhapsody… ---
**Author:** ![hawkeyejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/9 "2005-05-27T12:48:14Z")
Like hell he did…maybe he pulled it off in comparison with _himself_, but did he really pull it off? I don’t think so Tim. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/10 "2005-05-27T13:05:34Z")
_sniff_ I still love you, Connie! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/11 "2005-05-27T13:39:22Z")
🙂 To answer the OP, do whatever song you sound best doing. ---
**Author:** ![hawkeyejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/12 "2005-05-27T14:28:18Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > 🙂 > > To answer the OP, do whatever song you sound best doing. Well that’s just good advice and we’re not going to stand for that. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/13 "2005-05-27T14:50:25Z")
However, from what I’ve seen the judges don’t care for show tunes. An often heard comment: “perhaps you shuld go into musical theater… SORRY, NO.” You’re auditioning to be a pop star, sing a pop song. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/14 "2005-05-27T14:51:53Z")
I’m waiting for a guy (or girl) to go in one day and do “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. That’s a somewhat challenging song vocally, and has great lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/15 "2005-05-27T15:05:22Z")
I was actually thinking about auditioning, more for their feedback. I sang in the choir growing up, but I don’t have a fantastic voice. I’ll probably go with Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” if I do do it. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/16 "2005-05-27T15:06:26Z")
> [@ronincyberpunk](#): > > I was actually thinking about auditioning, more for their feedback. I sang in the choir growing up, but I don’t have a fantastic voice. I’ll probably go with Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” if I do do it. You’ll get better feedback from a voice coach and you don’t need to stand in line for a day. You’ll probably just see a couple producers who send you home before you get anywhere near the Big Three anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/17 "2005-05-27T15:10:52Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > You’ll get better feedback from a voice coach and you don’t need to stand in line for a day. > > You’ll probably just see a couple producers who send you home before you get anywhere near the Big Three anyway. Hmmmm very true. _shrug_ But the voice coach costs money 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/18 "2005-05-27T15:51:21Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” Please. Yes! Agreed, a thousand times. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/19 "2005-05-27T17:07:42Z")
If all else fails, act like Leroy. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675/20 "2005-05-27T17:24:25Z")
Also agree showtunes are a bad idea…do you see Randy, Paula or Simon as Broadway show fans? Go for something upbeat and dance-able. A 50’s or 60’s hit might be something they don’t hear much and would appreciate as a change of pace. However, if you don’t serioulsy think you have what it takes, that is a very long wait for a quick audition in front of a few associate producers. I heard that the vast majority of singers are actually ok, but sent home without ever getting to the big randypaulasimon perfomance. Only those who are exceptional, or truly wretched, are sent on for those auditions you see on tv. The rest of the so-so, OK singers are simply sent home. Eight hours of sitting around, and then, “Thanks, but sorry.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auditioning-for-american-idol/305675.md?page=2)