There is no debate that James Durbin is the hardest-rocking vocalist on 'American Idol' (Wed., 8PM ET on FOX) this season. Week after week, he's proven he can wrap his big voice around anything. So how did he up the ante for Elton John week?

Tackling 'Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting),' Durbin took a huge risk. In 'Idol' seasons past, stylized songs with repetitive lyrics like that haven't led to the best performances, but Durbin managed to make it work. He also jumped around the stage and added some unexpected elements to spark the performance.

We certainly didn't see the piano fire coming, but by then we were fully immersed in this rock experience. Like Jennifer Lopez said, "When you're up there, I forget that it's a competition show. I think I'm at a show."

'American Idol' airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8PM ET on FOX.