My favorite episode ever was a Beatles week back when Chakeezi, David Cook, and Amanda Overmeyer were among the performers. It made you forget it was a contest, like Lionel just said, and soak it in as entertainment.
And reggae still sucks.
Who the heck was chakeezi? Trying to remember. Maybe a black guy with a big smile? Who was the stoned white guy with the dreads? They re all getting mixed up in my memories.