Clint Jun Gamboa

This week on American Idol, the top 24 sang for their lives in attempt to secure a top ten spot. And in this first official results show of the season, an additional two contestants were picked from the loser bunch to round off the top 12. Ryan quickly revealed that this week's shows picked up more votes than ever this early in the American Idol process- so clearly the new online voting is working out.

After having to endure hours of exhausting, prolonged, and almost completely performance-lacking episodes last week, American Idol fans have plenty of reasons to rejoice, as the official competition kicked off tonight. Now that the best of the best have been filtered from the rest, expect episodes to include a lot less deliberating and a lot more singing!

Three-Night AMERICAN IDOL Event Begins This Week When Top 12 Guys Compete Tuesday, March 1; Top 12 Girls Compete Wednesday, March 2; First LIVE Results Show Airs Thursday, March 3, on FOX

Auditions concluded tonight for the 10th season of AMERICAN IDOL, and the judges' remaining picks for the Top 24 semifinalists were revealed. The Top 24 semifinalists are: Males - Casey Abrams, Jovany Barreto, Jordan Dorsey, James Durbin, Clint Jun Gamboa, Tim Halperin, Stefano Langone, Brett Loewenstern, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald and Robbie Rosen; Females - Naima Adedapo, Lauren Alaina, Kendra Chantelle, Ashthon Jones, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Karen Rodriguez, Pia Toscano, Lauren Turner, Tatynisa Wilson, Julie Zorrilla and Rachel Zevita.

Auditions concluded tonight for the 10th season of AMERICAN IDOL, and the judges' remaining picks for the Top 24 semifinalists were revealed. The Top 24 semifinalists are: Males - Casey Abrams, Jovany Barreto, Jordan Dorsey, James Durbin, Clint Jun Gamboa, Tim Halperin, Stefano Langone, Brett Loewenstern, Jacob Lusk, Scotty McCreery, Paul McDonald and Robbie Rosen; Females - Naima Adedapo, Lauren Alaina, Kendra Chantelle, Ashthon Jones, Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Karen Rodriguez, Pia Toscano, Lauren Turner, Tatynisa Wilson, Julie Zorrilla and Rachel Zevita.

In tonight's episode of American Idol, the top 61 contestants tackled one of the vastest song catalogs in the history of music- The Beatles. And where better to tribute the Fab Four than on the set of Cirque Du Soleil's LOVE in Las Vegas.

There's good news for Idol this week: for the first time in the show's history, American Idol went up against CBS's megahit Survivor. In fact, while contestants were shakin' it in group numbers last night, the rival reality show's most recent adaptation, Redemption Island had its season premiere; and rating results were mortifying. Fox crushed CBS with more than double the viewers, marking Redemption Island as the lowest rated premiere in Survivor history. That's embarrassing.

Tonight's episode of American Idol marks a turning point in the competition, as judges Randy, JLo and Mr. Tyler made the trek to San Francisco for the final stop in their nation-wide search for America's most promising singers. That's right, starting tomorrow night, Idol will reach it's final destination, where the best auditionees from around the country will duke it out to survive the brutal first cut of the Hollywood round.