Worst 'American Idol' Semifinalists Ever - #9: Rodesia Eaves

For the next two weeks, we're teaming with AOL Television to name the 10 worst 'American Idol' semifinalists ever. Here's our pick for #9. Check AOL Television tomorrow for the pick at #8. We'll be switching back and forth over the next 2 weeks to get the entire list of 10 up.

Name: Rodesia Eaves

Season: 1

Worst Performance: 'Daydream Believer'

Why We Loved Her (But Everyone Else Hated Her): Flash back to season one, before anyone knew that American Idol was going to become a worldwide phenomenon. And someone who was clearly unaware of what would become her legacy, Rodesia Eaves, exemplifies the naivete of the first crop of contestants.

Rodesia's video package made it look like Idol forced her to choose the song 'Daydream Believer', which it seems she'd never heard before in her life. All I can say is thank you to whoever made that decision, because it led to an unforgettable performance. Before singing, Rodesia promised that she was going to make the song her own, and boy did she.

With the overdone melisma from note one, you knew it wasn't going to be smooth sailing for Rodesia. The fact that Idol only allowed its semifinalists to perform with piano backing at this point also makes the performance extra awesome. 'Daydream Believer' is a VFTW victory from the awkward rocking back and forth to the growling of "Homecoming Queen" at the end. 

The cherry on the melismatic sundae is the fact that Paula and Randy genuinely like the performance. Randy seems to love it. Simon tears Rodesia a new one, and you can't help but feel a little sorry for her as she stands there in shame as he rips her apart. Rodesia's performance set the standard for the ridiculous style of singing that would become commonplace on Idol, and she earned a #9 spot on the countdown.