Given the quality of
The Next Great American Band, I had a lot of performances to choose from for this list. It's sad, but true.
The Next Great American Band will go down as a failed experiment, and FOX and company have done all but admit this. A handful of the top 12 bands have no business making the finals of any band competition, let alone a national one. For this list, I allowed myself only one performance per band. Otherwise, it might have been all
Rocket performances.
#5 - Northmont – The Song they Auditioned With
I didn't want to include any of the initial tryout performances on this list, but I decided to make a special exception. Northmont got an incredible amount of screen time in the first two-hour episode and, to me, it was much ado about nothing. The judges gave these guys a second chance to put on a good performance, but I don't know what made them think the first one had any potential. The lead singer was supposedly super talented, but aside from good stage presence, I didn't see it.
#4 - The Likes of You - “Blowin' in the Wind”
I actually didn't mind this band and think that lead singer Geoff Byrd is a pretty talented dude. But, I have to put this performance on here for it's insane excess use of falsetto on a Bob Dylan song, a man to whom falsetto was completely foreign. Seriously, the amount of falsetto Byrd uses is downright laughable at times.
#3 - Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - “I'm Free”
The most wussified version of a Rolling Stones song I've ever heard. The Rolling Stones freaking rock, and Denver's cover was akin to elevator music. I absolutely hated it. I know there are tons of Denver apologists out there who hate me for my dislike of the band, but I guarantee if Mick and Keith had heard this cover, they'd puke in the their soup.
#2 - Rocket - “Rocket Man”
Really, I could've chosen any Rocket song. They were easily the least deserving band to make it into the final twelve. The only thing they had going for them was the all-girl gimmick. The lead singer is brutal, all out of tune and nothing attractive about her voice. This was an especially poor rendition of a beloved Elton John tune.
#1 - Light of Doom - “We Will Rock You”
Generally, I cut Light of Doom a lot of slack. They're kids, after all. But, this Queen cover was awful. Beginning with the opening all-band drum beating, and continuing with the worst singing performance of the season, this performance was an abomination, by far the band's worst of the season.
Which of these five performances was the worst?
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)