- Naima Adedapo (1984) - It's the year of Purple Rain, but I have no idea if any of it's in her arsenal. "Baby I'm A Star"? I'm sure "The Glamorous Life" is, but for an oddball choice why not Alphaville's "Forever Young," repopularized for the youngsters thanks to the Jay-Z sampling?
- Paul McDonald (1984) - Totally in his box would be one of the twitchy-mumbly hits from R.E.M.'s Reckoning -- "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" or "So. Central Rain. (I'm Sorry)." It's also the year of "The Unforgettable Fire," which I think he could nail. Can he do a ballad? Because there's this Cars song called "Drive," and he could be awfully good at it.
- Jacob Lusk (1987) - Yes, I have a soft spot for Prince. "Sign “☮” the Times" is this year ... "If I Was Your Girlfriend"? Okay, let's get creative here: New Order's "True Faith" ... but effort into finding something off-beat doesn't matter here. It's the year of Terence Trent D'Arby's debut album and Michael Jackson's Bad, and they're just too obviously right for him.
- Pia Toscano (1988) - Can she, in fact, rock? "Like The Way I Do" by Melissa Etheridge would prove it. If not, Anita Baker, "Giving You The Best That I Got" or, oh dear lord, Bette Midler, "Wind Beneath My Wings" is what I'd expect.
- James Durbin (1989) - "18 and Life," Skid Row. Done. Isaac wondered about Nirvana's "About A Girl," and noted that it was also the year of Aerosmith's Pump, but is he ready to sing "Janie's Got A Gun" or "What It Takes" back to Steven Tyler?
- Karen Rodriguez (1989) - "If I Could Turn Back Time," Cher. Don't f--- it up.
- Stefano Langone (1989) - Anything from Fine Young Cannibals' The Raw and the Cooked.
- Casey Abrams (1991) - One of the greatest years in rock history. "Hunger Strike," Temple of the Dog or anything off Pearl Jam's Ten will do. Or "Don't Cry" or "Civil War" off the Use Your Illusion discs?
- Haley Reinhart (1991) - One of the greatest years in rock history, and I have no idea if she knows what to do with it so I assume we'll get something like Lisa Stansfield, "Real Love" or Mariah Carey's "Can't Let Go."
- Scotty McCreery (1993) - I don't pretend to know country, but you know what he could pull off? A countrified cover of Aerosmith's "Cryin." I do not expect a gender-swapped "Divorce Song" by Liz Phair, but Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough"? Sure.
- Lauren Alaina (1994) - Bonnie Raitt, "Love Sneakin' Up On You" or Mary Chapin Carpenter, "Shut Up and Kiss Me." Stay in the box.
- Thia Megia (1995) - It's the year of Jagged Little Pill. "Hand In My Pocket" won't tax her. Natalie Merchant's "Wonder" or "Jealousy" could test her. Or, yawn. Mariah Carey, "One Sweet Day," a mountain she likely cannot climb.
Research source: Wiki's [Insert Year] in Music pages.
