Could Many Music Legends Have Won On AMERICAN IDOL?

Simon Cowell raised an interesting question the other day when he flat out stated that if any young singer sounded like Bob Dylan, that he'd reject them. Few true music critics would not hestitate to argue the very valid point that Bob Dylan is perhaps one of the greatest music legends of all time. Perhaps not the greatest singer, although very unique, but certainly a great songwriter and performer. All of this begs the question whether AMERICAN IDOL is so biased towards top 40 sounding performers that many musical greats would have stood no chance on this TV show musical competition.

Could a young Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, John Kay, Alan Wilson, Bob "Bear" Hite, Mick Jagger, Johnny Rotten, Marc Bolan, Hugh Cornwell, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Ringo Starr or many others stood any chance at all on AMERICAN IDOL?

No one can question the enduring talent and CD sales of Kelly Clarkson. But other AMERICAN IDOL winners and performers have made less of a mark. And many acts such as The Rolling Stones continue to prove their ability to sell their CDs in huge numbers, decade after decade. But could so many music legends have actually won on AMERICAN IDOL? I doubt so.

AMERICAN IDOL has it's place to pick another pop figure to give a recording contract to. But far better artists will emerge from performers in the public as they always have before. The limited artistic range of AMERICAN IDOL will never allow someone as big as an Elvis or a Jim Morrison to emerge. The public will find these vocal legends on their own, no thanks to AMERICAN IDOL. AMERICAN IDOL has it's place. It's great TV. But it will never be the proving grounds for the very best legends in American music ever.