Jordin Sparks crowned as 'American Idol'

Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks - "I Saw Her Standing There": A Beatles standard, and a little creepy. Gwen Stefani - "4 in the Morning": Live via satellite from one of her concerts. Kelly Clarkson - "Never Again": I just read Entertainment Weekly's cover story on Kelly Clarkson and her new album. It's supposed to be edgier and more personal. In the end, it's Kelly Clarkson surrounded by a bunch of rockers with electric guitars. Despite singing edgier lyrics, she never sells her new rock persona and the song leaves me feeling blah. Clive Davis was right to sit on the album. He should still be sitting on it. American Idol Top 6 Men/Smokey Robinson - "Ooo Baby Baby"/"Being With You"/"Tears of a Clown" medley: The Top 6 Men give a passable performance of "Ooo Baby Baby" before Smokey joins them on stage to sing songs he's done thousands of times before, so you have to wonder why he needs the lyrics splashed on a giant teleprompter, or why he's reading them so closely. Barry B., Blake Lewis and Doug E. Fresh - Beatbox Face-off: Producer Barry B. handles the turntables as Blake Lewis and Doug E. Fresh give us a beatbox face-off. Curious, to say the least. American Idol Top 6 Women/Gladys Knight - "I Heard it Through the Grapevine"/"I Feel a Song (In My Heart)"/"Midnight Train to Georgia": When the girls start singing "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", you have to wonder if the producers of American Idol have resurrected Marvin Gaye (hey, they resurrected Elvis a few weeks back!) But then Gladys Knight comes out and gives us a couple of her soul standards. The highlight is when Gladys sings with LaKisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle. Tony Bennett - "For Once in My Life": Too sick to perform on the night he mentored the contestants, Tony comes back to blow us all away. Melinda Doolittle and BeBe and CeCe Winans - "Hold up the Light": Melinda used to sing back-up for them, now she gets to share the stage with them. Carrie Underwood - "I'll Stand By You": Excellent vocal control. Carrie proves why she's the biggest star to come out of the American Idol machine (although her fashion choices are questionable.) Clive Davis emerges from back stage afterwards to present Carrie with a 6-times platinum album. The African Children's Choir: Beautiful and energetic. Nothing more to say about this. Sanjaya Malakar/Joe Perry - "You Really Got Me": With an intro that compares him to Martin Luther King and Gandhi, Sanjaya returns to the song that elevated him from joke to phenomenon. He even revisits the same girl who became a sensation by breaking down as Sanjaya sang. She's still crying. Sanjaya's still singing poorly. No vocal control. Heavy breathing throughout. What's Aerosmith's Joe Perry doing here? Green Day - "Working Class Hero": I heard Green Day would be here tonight but I didn't believe it. Then again, I just saw Joe Perry play guitar for Sanjaya, so anything's possible. This is from a Darfur relief album. I love Green Day but I've never warmed to John Lennon's post-Beatles stuff and this song just doesn't work for me. Taylor Hicks - "Heaven Knows": Still awkward yet undeniably fun to watch, Taylor delivers a catchy tune from his album. Jordin Sparks/Ruben Studdard - "You're All I Need to Get By": Our fourth past champion hits the stage, but he's not alone. Doing a song made popular by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, past and future Idols join forces to deliver some soul. Bette Midler - "Wind Beneath My Wing": The sappiest of all sappy songs. Kelly Clarkson and Joe Perry - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" / Taylor Hicks - "A Day in the Life" / Carrie Underwood and the American Idol Top 6 Women - "She's Leaving Home" / Ruben Studdard and the American Idol Top 12 - "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" / American Idol TOp 12 - "With A Little Help From My Friends": American Idol pays tribute to the 40th anniversary (oh my GOD that's a long time ago!) of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.