'American Idol' narrows to Top Nine as Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honorees are revealed

LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" is down to its Top Nine contestants following a double elimination. But the competition results weren't the only major headline of the evening.

During the show, rock icon Billy Idol learned that he's among the eight performer inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Others on the list include Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Joy Division-New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and the Wu-Tang Clan.

The episode celebrated legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hits, with contestants taking on some of the genre's most iconic songs.

"You're singing a song that's locked into the DNA of history," judge Lionel Richie said. "You just can't fool around, and these kids were nailing it."

The night began with 11 hopefuls and ended with two contestants, Rae and Philmon Lee, being sent home.

That leaves nine singers still in the competition.

Judge Carrie Underwood said the pressure is bringing out new sides of the performers.

"It's fun to see some of them come out of their shells a little bit," she said. "We tried to encourage them, and we'll see where they end up."

Fellow judge Luke Bryan agreed, calling this stretch of the competition especially challenging.

"It's a gauntlet for them," he said. "Hopefully the strong survive and get through it. We're in the tricky part of the competition now."

To help the contestants step up their performances, the singers were mentored by rock legends Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.

"You're really invested in them," Benatar said.

"It's like they're your children," Giraldo added. "You want them to do so well, and you're listening to every note."

Contestant Chris Tungseth said the experience itself has already been life-changing.

"Winning isn't the biggest thing," Tungseth said. "It would be amazing and life-changing, but this in itself is already life-changing."

Hannah Harper described the emotional toll of performing live.

"We hold our breath all day until we step up there," she said, adding that even after their performance, they're holding it in until they hear the affirmation that they did a good job.

Jordan McCullough said the audience's support makes all the difference.

"You think you believe in yourself enough when you get on that stage," McCullough said. "But when America believes in you, that's a whole other feeling."

Next week, "American Idol" heads into Disney Week, with former contestant and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson returning to mentor the Top Nine and join the judges' panel.

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