Review: The Rock Hall Episode on American Idol

It was a weird, wild, and occasionally eye-roll-inducing night: Rock Hall episode on American Idol, but it also delivered more than one genuinely electric moment plus a major music headline rolled into one. Let’s start with the part that actually rocked.

The show kicked off with a high-voltage duet between Billy Idol and Carrie Underwood on “Rebel Yell,” and it was exactly what you wanted it to be: loud, confident, and great chemistry between Idol and Carrie Underwood. Idol still has that signature snarl, and Carrie proved she can hang in a rock setting all day. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a reminder of what a real stage presence looks like. Even Carrie Underwood's intro for Billy Idol was awesome. Check it out:

I can't believe this is the 24th season of American Idol. Wow, has this show changed. There were some points I really liked. They don't have a separate results show anymore. Thank God, I hated how much they dragged things out on the results show. Now, "votes" come in through social media, texts, and online. How many votes? "The most so far this season." lol

What didn't I love? A lot of the contestants weren't very good... they had decent voices, for sure, but mostly their stage presence sucked, and several contestants didn't listen to their mentors. Two of the 11 contestants chose Foreigner songs ("Cold as Ice" and "Hot Blooded"). Neither of them did justice to the originals. I know I sound like old school Simon Cowell. I'm not trying to bag on these kids, but the contestants on America's Got Talent are a lot stronger and less cheesy.

This legendary pair was so cool to the contestants, yet often their advice was ignored. The most infuriating for me was Kyndal. She was trying to decide which song to sing: "Piece of My Heart" by Janice Joplin or "Message in the Bottle" from The Police. She asked for advice. Pat Benatar said, "If you really want to wow the judges, sing 'Message in the Bottle." Kyndal came out and sang "Piece of My Heart" with her back to the crowd through much of the performance. To boot, she got voted through to the top 9. WTH?

Daniel Stallworth is another one who I was surprised made it through. His remix of "Living on a Prayer" from Bon Jovi was horrendous. He took one of the most recognizable rock songs in the world and made me not like it. In the rehearsal, he forgot some of the lyrics. I felt like he didn't really know the song he chose. More importantly, I didn't feel he was connected to the song or his performance.

The last two singers were the best, in my opinion. Hannah Harper sang "Landslide" from Fleetwood Mac. She was a great performer, charismatic, and appreciative of the mentoring opportunity. The same can be said for Jordan McCullough: great voice, great performance. Jordan was my personal favorite. He sang "Somebody to Love" from Queen, and he nailed not only his vocals but also his stage presence.

This year’s inductees (or nominees, depending on the stage of announcement) included a stacked and diverse lineup: Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Oasis, Sade, Joy Division / New Order, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan. To read our full rundown of the inductees announced on the Rock Hall episode of American Idol, click HERE.

It depends. Probably not until next year's Rock Hall episode of American Idol, but never say never. I liked the episode enough to keep watching it even after the Rock Hall inductees were announced.

Mostly, it would depend on the celebrity guests. The performances of Billy Idol (with Carrie Underwood), Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo made the show worth watching. I'll wrap this up with Pat and Neil's performance mashup of "Heartbreaker" and "Ring of Fire."