'American Idol': The show must go on

'American Idol': The show must go on

For the past two weeks, questionable song choices have led to surprising voting results. Two weeks ago, judges had to save Jessica Sanchez after she sang Jasmine Sullivan's Stuttering. Colton Dixon believed his decision to sing Lady Gaga resulted in his elimination last week.

So maybe Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone were courting fate when they picked, respectively, the Dave Matthews Band's The Stone and Jimi Hendrix's Bold as Love, songs obscure enough that they had the judges questioning the wisdom of their choices.

On a night when host Ryan Seacrest looked positively wobbly -- TMZ reported shortly before airtime that a stomach bug had him so sick he might not be able to host -- the first half featured Queen songs, with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor backing the Top 6 for a Queen medley.

Skyla r Laine turned The Show Must Go On into a country ballad (though, oddly, she wouldn't be as successful in the second half when performing country singer Jason Aldean's Tattoos on This Town). Joshua Ledet got standing ovations -- his 11th and 12th of the season, if Skylar to be believed -- for his version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love and a restrained, tender take on India.Arie's Ready for Love.

Jessica Sanchez struggled to connect with Bohemian Rhapsody but came back strong with a rendition of Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father that she dedicated to her own father, soon to be deployed to Singapore. With the Hendrix tune and Queen's I Want It All, Elise seems to have settled into a classic-rock vibe that suits her well. Hollie Cavanagh got close with her performance of Queen's Save Me, then had one of her best moments at the end of the show, singing Miley Cyrus' The Climb, the song t hat earned her a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.

With the surprising results from the two past weeks, Phillip Phillips (who also sang Fat Bottomed Girls) has to be viewed as the favorite. But will his choice of material put him in the same position where Colton and Jessica found themselves? Or will Elise find herself there after her frequent trips to the Bottom Three? After what has happened the past two weeks, it's a tough call.

Here's how I rank them:

Round One

1. Skylar Laine, The Show Must Go On
2. Joshua Ledet, Crazy Little Thing Called Love
3. Elise Testone, I Want It All
4. Phillip Phillips, Fat Bottomed Girls
5. Jessica Sanchez, Bohemian Rhapsody
6. Hollie Cavanagh, Save Me

Round Two

1. Jessica Sanchez, Dance With My Father
2. Hollie Cavanagh, The Climb
3. Joshua Ledet, Ready for Love
4. Phillip Phillips, The Stone Lyrics
5. Elise Testone, Bold as Love
6. Skylar Laine, Tattoos on This Town