Flash back about 10 months (or so) ago ... With the announcement that Simon Cowell has left the show, the future of 'American Idol' hung in the balance.  The big question was: will 'American Idol' Survive without the habitually unforgiving judge, Simon Cowell?  And now with the 10th season in full swing, the answer is an astounding YES!

Simon Cowell himself even admits that the show is better without him. He said,

"I personally think it is a better show than last year. It feels to me they've got their energy back, they're confident, they're competitive. And I said to everybody on ['The X Factor'], if you think 'Idol's' gonna be the same as last year, think again.

It's not the show I would make myself, because that's why I moved from the show in the first place. I always think of Idol really as me, Paula and Randy ... But based on last year, it's definitely better."

I'll admit, I was a little skeptical about the fate of 'American Idol' without Simon Cowell.  Not because I am a really big fan of his, because i'm not,  but because previous judges have been far from acceptable. First their was Paula Abdul who couldn't form a coherent sentence if her life depended on it. Then  they added Kara DioGuardi. Kara Who? -  Yeah that's what I said.  Sure, she may be a pretty good songwriter, but can anybody truly say they knew who she was before she was a judge on 'American Idol'? During her short stint as a judge, she was amateur at best with condescending, stiff comments. And who can forget Ellen DeGeneres?  I wish I could.  The decision to bring Ellen on as a judge was a feeble attempt at bringing some sort of humor to the show.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Ellen, she does a great job as the host of a silly afternoon talk show, but not so good as a judge for the biggest musical talent show in the world. Stick with what you know Ellen.
So needless to say, with the announcement that  Simon Cowell  was leaving the show, I was not optimistic about who, and what, was to come.
Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez
loading...
It seems, however; that the producers of 'American Idol' finally got it right with the judges.  The two new judges, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez, are two people that are actually relevant in the music industry.  Steven Tyler is undoubtedly one of the most legendary rock stars of all time.  Steven's band, Aerosmith, was formed in 1971 and has not stopped being 'Amazing', with hit after hit withstanding the test of time.  A wild card pick for an 'Idol' judge,  Steven has not let us down with his quirky, off the wall comments only a rock star of his caliber could deliver.  And Jennifer Lopez, aside from her stunning good looks, has had a very successful music career so far. And with the recent release of her latest single 'On The Floor', impacting the charts worldwide, Jennifer is still going strong. She has tapped into her own experiences to bring us the most fair and consistent judging 'Idol' has seen. With that said, I don't think it is any coincidence that that talent we are seeing on season 10 of 'American Idol' is nothing short of superb.

Now if we could only get rid of that pesky 'Dog', Randy Jackson, 'American Idol' may have a chance at another 10 seasons.
Watch a clip from Simon Cowell's Interview on the 'Piers Morgan Tonight' show below:

More From 92.9 NiN