the buzz log

Song choice has felled many a warbler on "American Idol." The Fox reality show's practice of making the losers sing the fateful ditty as their swan song, though, verged on a form of medieval torture.

No more... sort of. The producers-that-be decided this Top 12 week to back away from the cruel tradition and spread the musical pain amongst the lowest three competitors... and make the audience listen again to Kristy Lee Cook's Beatles hoe-down.

Cook survived however (renewing hopes of a cage-fighting match between her and Amanda Overmyer), as did Syesha Mercado. Instead, the Ruben Studdard farewell serenade went to aspiring broadcast journalist ("Idol" code for exotic dancer) David Hernandez.

Bad choices aside, while the heart of "Idol" lies in its starmaking concept, the show's soul lies in the music. When the right tune reverberates, people seek out the song, the original artist, and the lyrics online. Last season, for instance, second runner-up Blake Lewis prodded "Geek in the Pink" and "Virtual Insanity" up the Search charts.

Maybe then a new way to judge the contestants should be, who can really sell a tune? Since Top 24 week, "Across the Universe" has been the most searched song in the past 30 days, but its popularity is likely due more to the DVD release rather than Michael Johns' rendition. (The Aussie however can take credit for a Simple Minds' online resurgence.)

Overmyer's Kansas revival pushed up searches for "Carry On My Wayward Son" up 1,205%, making that the fastest spiking song in the past 30 days. However, tally up the queries for Jason Castro's repertoire, and—hallelujah—he's the music man.

Below, a Buzz Playlist of the top 30 searched "Idol" covers, courtesy of the Top 11.

1. "Across the Universe" (The Beatles, performed by Michael Johns)
2. "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen, performed by Jason Castro)
3. "Imagine" (John Lennon, performed by David Archuleta)
4. "Let It Be" (The Beatles, performed by Brooke White)
5. "Don't You Forget About Me" (Simple Minds, performed by Johns)
6. "Happy Together" (The Turtles, performed by David Cook and White)
7. "Love Is A Battlefield" (Pat Benatar, performed by Amanda Overmyer)
8. "You're So Vain" (Carly Simon, performed by White)
9. "Hello" (Lionel Richie, performed by D. Cook)
10. "I Drove All Night" (Cyndi Lauper, performed by Carly Smithson)
11. "Daydream" (The Lovin' Spoonful, performed by Castro)
12. "More Today Than Yesterday" (The Spiral Starecase, performed by Chikezie)
13. "Carry On My Wayward Son" (Kansas, performed by Overmyer)
14. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (Elvis Presley, performed by Ramiele Malubay)
15. "All Right Now" (Free, performed by D. Cook)
16. "Come Together" (The Beatles, performed by Smithson)
17. "Faithfully" (Journey, performed by Kristy Lee Cook)
18. "Tobacco Road" (The Nashville Teens, performed by Syesha Mercado)
19. "Another Day in Paradise" (Phil Collins, performed by Archuleta)
20. "Hate Myself for Loving You" (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, performed by White)
21. "In My Life" (The Beatles, performed by Malubay)
22. "Crazy On You" (Heart, performed by Smithson)
23. "Light My Fire" (The Doors, performed by Johns)
24. "Eleanor Rigby" (The Beatles, performed by D. Cook)
25. "Saving All My Love for You" (Whitney Houston, performed by Mercado)
26. "If I Fell" (The Beatles, performed by Castro)
27. "Go Your Own Way" (Fleetwood Mac, performed by Johns)
28. "Got to Get You Into My Life" (The Beatles, performed by Mercado)
29. "She's a Woman" (The Beatles, performed by Chikezie)
30. "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Tony Bennett, performed by Smithson)