Idol Chatter & Voice Views

A look back at the best of Idol in 2011 continues today with my picks for the top five Idol videos from the year that’s about to end.

If you missed them, other blogs in the series include the best of Idol and its imitators, the worst of Idol and its imitators, the top 10 songs of 2011 and the top five albums of 2011.

Tomorrow, time permitting, I’ll post the final blog in the series, doling out lots of special awards, like best Idol contestant, most annoying singing show contestant, best judge, worst judge, etc.

Now, my picks for the best videos of 2011.

If you disagree with any of the selections, don’t hesitate to comment.

Oh, and I’ve attached all the other official Idol videos I could find below the top 5. If you know of any I missed, let me know.

1. Haley Reinhart & Casey Abrams, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

Haley is gorgeous and flirty. Casey is the perfect foil. Together, they are absolutely adorable. Best of all, they sound fabulous. They’d have to in order for me to make a holiday song my pick for the year’s best video.

2. David Cook, “The Last Goodbye”

Great play off the song title, and a video with a sense of humor. David is so consumed with the song-writing process that he leaves his jacket and notebook on the beach. Confusion ensues. I won’t ruin the plot, but make sure to watch until the end.

3. Jack and White, “Double Trouble”

You don’t need a big budget to create a cute video. Brooke White and Jack Matranga prove that by playing spies straight out of a bad 1960s flick. Check out Brooke’s outfits. Very cute.

4. Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”

Just a few weeks back, Kelly sang on “Dancing With the Stars” and said the show would turn into a comedy if she were to compete. Now it looks for all the world like she’s trying to start a dance craze. She joins in — and does just fine — near the end. Of course, having a great song helps.

5. Josh Gracin, “Can’t Say Goodbye”

OK, how could I not include this one — a touching tribute to a fallen soldier? And Josh Gracin, the first real country singer to graduate from Idol, does it justice with a solid vocal. If you missed it, the song is off his third album, “Redemption,” released in November.

The Rest …

David Archuleta, “Wait”

Lacey Brown, “Let It Go”

Kimberly Caldwell, “Desperate Girls and Stupid Boys”

Kelly Clarkson, “Mr. Know It All”

David Cook, “Fade Into Me”

Daughtry, “Crawling Back to You”

Anoop Desai, “You Should Be Loved”

Melinda Doolittle, “God Bless Us Everyone”

James Durbin, “Love Me Bad”

Jennifer Hudson, “No One Gonna Love You”

Jennifer Hudson, “Where You At”

Casey James, “Let’s Not Call It a Night”

Lauren Alaina, “Like My Mother Does”

Kimberley Locke, “Silver Bells”

Siobhan Magnus, “Beatrice Dream”

Siobhan Magnus, “Black Doll”

Scotty McCreery, “I Love You This Big”

Scotty McCreery, “The Trouble with Girls”

Kellie Pickler, “Tough”

Jordin Sparks, “The World I Knew” (from “African Cats”)

Pia Toscano, “This Time”

Carrie Underwood, duet with Brad Paisley, “Remind Me”