Welcome to Camp Should-A-Been!
What would the American Idol season outcomes have been if we viewers had voted solely on performance? A lot different than they actually turned out, that's for sure. Here at WhatNotToSing.com's legendary Camp Should-A-Been, we turn this hypothetical fantasy into...uh, real fantasy, disguised as reality. Plus we throw in a few laughs along the way.
We replayed the first seven seasons of AI starting in June of 2008, one episode per night. From 2009 on, Camp has opened every year on the first day of summer to replay the just-concluded season. Fanbases, shmanbases — every elimination here at CSAB was based solely on the cold, objective, and fanbase-resistant Web Approval Ratings we compile at WNTS.com. Sing well and you advance, stumble even once and you run the risk of a long, lonely ride home on the dreaded Bus Of Shame.
A compete introduction to Camp Should-A-Been and the rules of the competition can be found in our editorial library. Read it before you check out the results, or else the goings-on might not make much sense.
Results
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Season One.
...A classic two-horse race...and this time, they run all the way to the wire. (June 10-June 23, 2008) -
Season Two.
...Familiar faces with an unfamiliar result. (June 24-July 11, 2008) -
Season Three.
...You might guess the Final Three, but can you predict the winner? (July 13-July 20, 2008) -
Season Four.
...Billboard says America got it right. Our camp counselors say pshaw. (August 3-20, 2008) -
Season Five.
...Who says nice guys finish last? (August 24-Sept. 11, 2008) -
Season Six.
...A suspenseful, tight competitionthough everyone knows who's going to win(Sept. 14-Oct. 2, 2008) -
Season Seven.
...Help! One of our Davids is missing! (Oct. 5-Oct. 23, 2008) -
Season Eight.
...Plants! Drama! Trainwrecks! Meatloaf! Season Eight had it all. (June 21-July 7, 2009) -
Season Nine.
...The AI9 Replay: Great seats still available! (June 20-July 8, 2010) -
Season Ten.
...Lake Trainwreck: where all the judges think all the singers are above average. (June 20-July 5, 2011) -
Season Eleven.
...Warning: Covering a certain British singer may be hazardous to the judges' health. (June 21-July 8, 2012) -
Season Twelve.
...Is it over yet? (June 21-July 10, 2013) -
Season Thirteen.
...Well, at least Jennifer Lopez enjoyed it. We have visual proof. (June 21-July 8, 2014) -
Season Fourteen.
...#SingingWell but #TrendingBadly (June 21-July 7, 2015) -
Season Fifteen.
...Selling the drama, and everything else that's not nailed down. (June 21-July 4, 2016) -
Season Sixteen.
...Ten days of fun and sun. Campsite not included. (June 21-July 2, 2018) -
Season Seventeen.
...Do you like scary movies? And scarier singing? (June 21-July 2, 2019) -
Season Eighteen.
...The sequel to Love in the Time of Cholera : Snark in the Time of COVID. (June 21-24, 2020)
-- The staff of WNTS.com
