11. ELLEN DEGENERES
Ellen Degeneres is one of the funniest and most entertaining personalities out right now but...why was she a judge on Idol? Much like Kara Dioguardi before her, her presence was welcomed but very unnecessary. You could tell how uncomfortable she was with critiquing the contestants and...why was she a judge on Idol aside from this moment?
10. MARIAH CAREY
I know what you're thinking: "Mariah? Under Nicki? You shut your whore mouth!" Look look look, Mariah Carey is one of the best vocalists of all times and a pure class act...she just wasn't one on this show. From the constant shade and picking at fights with Nicki, it just felt like we were watching a cage match focused on the judges instead and the actual talent took a back seat. Mariah Carey as a judge seemed like a no brainer, but as the season progressed the critiques she gave sounded more like essays than putting her two cents in. She would have worked much better as the in house mentor to the contestants rather than a judge, especially if she was going to act that way with Nicki.
09. NICKI MINAJ
Say what you want about Nicki Minaj, but I thought she was a damn good judge. There was a moment after Amber Holcomb sung "Without You" that Nicki Minaj come through for me as a judge and pointed out that the performance was good but it wasn't Amber at her full potential, whereas the other judges were just kissing her butt. Nicki stood her ground and wasn't a punk when it come to how she felt about a contestant and I respected that about her. That being said, she was one half of the most ridiculous and unnecessary feud in singing show history, she sounded like her mic was pushed up in her mouth the way she spoke (volume wise) and she showed up late to the first live show...
08. KARA DIOGUARDI
Wonderful judge, wrong show. On paper, Kara was a wonderful choice as a judge for Idol. But what exactly was the point of hiring her? I remember one week the judges had to swap off speaking in pairs because there were too many judges comments, it was just really extra. She gave some good advice but at certain times it felt as if she was challenging Simon just to challenge him and it felt a little petty. But she did show Bikini girl who the Vision of Love really was, and I'll always respect her boss ass for that.
07. RANDY JACKSON
Randy Jackson, to me, was just a chameleon. The first nine seasons he was on the show he was fine and I enjoyed him. But the minute Simon left, he didn't know his place as a judge anymore it was really weird. He gave critiques that made no sense (I'm looking at the Haley Reinhart "Earth Song" incident), he became a one-liner machine ("In it to win it!" ...That lost it's spark after six episodes) and joined the season twelve judges in some of the most undeserving standing ovations ever. I liked Randy but him leaving was long overdue.
06. JENNIFER LOPEZ
Jennifer is a good judge. She's a sweetheart, a very loving person but something just rubs me the wrong way about her being on the show. The one thing that absolutely pisses me off is how the contestant is in the middle of a performance and we get a long, long closeup of her just watching the performance. ...Okay, I'd like to watch it too? Also in her first season she broke down in tear because she didn't want to send a contestant home. Well, girl, you're the judge. Stop crying and fight for him to stay?? Also this woman's thirst is out of control. When she watches Dalton performing this season it's like she's literally sitting on a vibrator. She's sweet but I just wished they toned her down a lot. Hands down her best moment was dropping the f- bomb as Jena Irene performed "I Can't Help Falling In Love with You".
06. KEITH URBAN
Keith was introduced at the perfect time. Season 12. He was the shining like in a panel of darkness. Mariah Carey & Nicki Minaj were fighting, Randy's "In it to win it" and Keith's just sitting there with a smile on his face offering good advice in a friendly way. I think in recent seasons he's become a bit of a Harry Connick Jr. mirror, often repeating what he says along with "blah blah blah, song choice" but he's still welcome and a great judge to have around.
04. STEVEN TYLER
From his relaxed persona to his unpredictability, Steven Tyler was such a fun judge to have around. Whether he was strangely hitting on 16 years old, screaming, cursing or disagreeing with the other two when they were being annoying he was like a rae of sunshine on the judging panel that I was sad to see go.
03. PAULA ABDUL
Even though she was drunk from seasons 6-8, Paula Abdul will always remain the heart of the show. She was the perfect contrast/foil to Simon Cowell. Simon told the truth, but he often did it in rude ways that were uncalled for and Paula would call him out, standing up to him and essentially being the voice of America when he went too far. She also had honest, good criticism and a smile on her face.
02. HARRY CONNICK JR.
There's a certain charm about Harry that pushes him up here on the list. Not only is he hilarious, not only does he know how to have a good time but Harry is a music expert. Maybe it's just the fact that I took music theory in high school and I genuinely understand what he's talking about, but it was about high time they got someone who knew exactly what they were talking about. I thought he was a fantastic mentor in season twelve so he fit him seamlessly to the new and improved judging panel in season thirteen.
01. SIMON COWELL
Yes, Simon Cowell was a jerk. Yes, Simon Cowell said what was on his mind even it was painfully offensive. But Simon Cowell was, without a doubt, the best judge on this show. He told it like it was, he didn't sugar coat, he was essentially what Hollywood truly thought and even though he was a jerk you had to agree with him. He was also very, very entertaining and his relationship with Paula was one of the things that made Idol work in the beginning. |
| Seasons 1-7 |
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| Season 8 |
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| Season 9 |
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| Seasons 10-11 |
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| Season 12 |
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| Season 13-15 |
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