American Idol: Born under a bad song

Of all the silly themes on “American Idol” each week, one really gets my goat: Sing A Song From The Year You Were Born. Why? Because it makes me feel old. That was the theme this week on “Idol,” and guess what? No one on this show was born in the ’70s! Harumph. (That’s what grumpy old men say, right? Harumph?) Anyway, most of the contestants were OK and a few were good, but the main thing we learned is that the ’80s were a terrible time for pop music. Speaking of terrible, Scott MacIntyre was that, and now he’s off the show. Adios, Scott!

The best of who’s left

1. Allison Iraheta • If anyone is equipped to do a Bonnie Raitt song justice, it’s Iraheta, whose powerful, raspy voice carried her through. Points deducted, though, for being born in 1992. Harumph.

2. Adam Lambert • Theatrical Adam is gaining on Iraheta. He did Tears For Fears’ “Mad World,” aka that song from “Donnie Darko.” Great song. Great icy, soulless robot vibe. Great performance.

3. Matt Giraud • He was bashed last week for going outside his comfort zone, so this week, he did the soulful pop crooner thing, complete with silly Timberlake hat. The judges gushed over his version of “Part-Time Lover.” I liked it, but not that much.

4. Danny Gokey • I still think this guy is one of the better singers left in this competition, but he’s boring, and the judges’ praise for him even when he’s mediocre is getting old. He did “Stand By Me,” starting off weakly and finishing less weakly. The judges loved it. Of course.

5. Kris Allen • After last week’s killer performance, Allen made a mistake by funking up “All She Wants To Do Is Dance.” It was like watching John Mayer without all the funny faces and talent.

6. Anoop Desai • Again, he did a ballad (Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”) and nailed it. Advice for Anoop Dogg: Stick to ballads. Don’t insist on showcasing your versatility. Just stick to ballads. It’s your best hope.

7. Lil Rounds • The judges blasted Lil for aping Tina Turner, right down to the dance moves. But I thought she didn’t get enough credit for her vocal. She sounded the best she has in a while. Still, their point is valid. She seems like she can’t decide who she wants to be.

Best performance

Lambert, again. Dude even got a standing ovation from Simon Cowell.

Worst performance

MacIntyre was painful to watch. He ditched the piano for an electric guitar. Big mistake. His playing was totally weird, and his vocal fell apart at the end.

Booking a plane ticket

I’m torn between Anoop Dogg and Giraud. Both seem to be in danger, and whoever is worse on Tuesday night will probably go home Wednesday.

Fashion faux pas

No one really blew it this week, though I did get a craving for lime Jell-O when Desai was on screen. Mmm … Jell-O.

Judicious wisdom

Paula Abdul to Gokey: “You have opened the show setting the bar so high that everyone else who follows you is going to have to run as fast as they can to catch up.” In the race to mix a track and field metaphor, Paula definitely jumped the highest.

— Ben Salmon