TOP 10: The WACKIEST AUDITIONS of the "American Idol"

After nine seasons of "American Idol" and after having thrown the spotlight, singers like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert, we will show you the bad side of this program, or rather, bad for our ears, because we laughed a lot with some people that think they know sing ...

Here are the 10 wackiest Auditions of the "American Idol" to date, according to billaboard:

10º - Nick "Norman Gentle" Mitchell

"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"/"Amazing Grace" - Season 8

Nick Mitchell, known to "Idol" fans as Norman Gentle, also burst onto the scene during Season 8 with his sparkly shirt and sweatband, flamboyant personality and diva-esque performances.

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9º - Ryan "Screamo" Hart

"Smashed into Pieces" - Season 5

By the standards of hardcore, Ryan Hart's Season 5 audition wasn't half bad. The problem? He was trying out for "American Idol," a show that touts Mariah-like melismas over screamo screeches. Following his rejection, Randy did his own, chillingly accurate impression of Hart's screams. Hart probably isn't too hung up over his "Idol" audition infamy, though. He now sings in pop-punk band Damnear Divine, which has nearly 40,000 friends on MySpace.

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8º - Trista "The Lion" Giese

"If I Were the King of the Forest" - Season 6

Before her audition, season 6's Trista Giese claimed that she could impersonate "the Lion" that is, the Cowardly Lion from "The Wizard of Oz." But when Seacrest pressed the 22-year-old to show us her talent, her impression came off more as Chewbacca than the Cowardly Lion.

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7º - James "Go Deep" Lewis

"Go Down Moses" - Season 7

Before his audition, Philadelphia's James Lewis compared his voice to a mixture of Paul Robeson and Eddie Vedder. Turns out that if you mix those together, you get this hilariously bad audition from season 7.

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6º - Ian "Carrie Under-Where?" Benardo

"Gloria" - Season 6

Anyone watching "Idol" during Season 6 knew this audition was a trainwreck waiting to happen, but as always, we couldn't look away. New York's Ian Benardo, who had previously appeared on "So You Think You Can Dance," decided to try out for "Idol," demanding camera attention almost immediately. However, when his performance of "Gloria" left much to be desired, Benardo went on a rampage. The singer is currently embroiled in a $100 million lawsuit with "Idol," claiming workplace discrimination.

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5º - Renaldo "Simon-Lover" Lapuz

"We're Brothers Forever" - Season 7

In waltzed Renaldo Lapuz, extravagant in dress and with broken English, during season 7's Dallas auditions -- the rest, they say, is history. Lapuz, who four years prior had immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, was far over the "Idol" age cutoff of 28. And yet the man found his way to the audition and won over not only the judges' hearts, but those of viewers across the country. His original song, "We're Brothers Forever," while simplistic in its composition, was catchy enough to stay in one's head for days. And the best part? Not only was his song unifying, but Lapuz wasn't that bad a singer!
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4º - Steven "Red" Thoen

"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Season

Steven "Red" Thoen claimed "Idol" dominance due to his ability to hit high-pitched notes and his namesake red hair. Instead, he came off as a real-life, red-haired Alan Garner ("The Hangover") and broke into a shaky falsetto for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
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3. Katrina "Bikini Girl" Darrell

"Vision of Love" - Season 8

Katrina Darrell may not exactly be a household name in "Idol" lore, but her nickname -- "Bikini Girl" -- sure is. Darrell sauntered into her Arizona audition clad in nothing but a swimsuit, hoping to impress the judges at least on her looks alone -- and judging by Simon's initial bug-eyed reaction, it worked.

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2º - General Larry "Pants" Platt

"Pants on the Ground" - Season 9

Gen. Larry Platt may not have made it through to the Hollywood round of "Idol," but he came away with a song that charted on the Billboard Hot 100! The 62-year-old Platt's rendition of an original tune, "Pants on the Ground," spread like wildfire following its performance, rocketing the song to No. 46 on the Billboard charts. The tune's message -- berating hip-hop culture for its practice of sagging bottoms -- i.e., "wearing them pants on the ground." Platt was a hit with the judges -- particularly guest Mary J. Blige, who was in hysterics not ten seconds into the number. Preach it, General!
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1º - William "She Bangs" Hung

"She Bangs" - Season 3

Some say they remember where they were when Michael Jackson passed away, or when the Red Sox won the World Series. Others may remember the moment they first heard William Hung. The holy grail of bad "Idol" auditions, Hung's Season 3 rendition of "She Bangs" is perhaps the only (relative) "Idol" success story from a contestant who didn't even make it to Hollywood. What added to the hilarity was not only his off-key singing, but his dance moves that inspired thousands. "You know, I have no professional training of singing and dancing," said Hung at the end of his performance. Shocker! And yet the now-28-year-old released three albums on Koch Records. How many "Idol" fans can say the same? Hmmm?

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