All 61 remaining American Idol contestants were taken from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to sing a second round of group performances on Wednesday's episode. The show gave them 24 hours to learn how to perform Beatles songs... which, frankly, they ought to know how to do anyway on general principle.

More than half of them would be sent home with broken hearts before the epside was over. At last, some of the Top 24 list has been revealed -- but did the judges make all the right decisions?

Contestants divided up into groups of 2 and 3 to pick songs after learning they were still in the competition. The next morning, they piled onto buses to go to Sin City. Vocal coaches and other professionals were on hand to help people put their performances together.

Melinda Ademi and Thia Magia worked with a particularly tough vocal coach who demanded only the best. “I’m going to be laying in my bed, watching you just croak,” she predicted of their upcoming duet.
 
Denise Jackson, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina were told to change their song after practicing for hours. “It’s just embarrassing, mostly,” Lauren told cameras.

But, it wasn't all hard work. All of the contestants were taken to the Beatles “Love” Cirque du Soleil show to blow off steam, in the same theater where they would be singing the following night. “It should be a spectacle,” Ryan Seacrest predicted. Judge Steven Tyler, a huge Beatles fan, was especially excited about the group performances.

James Durbin and Stefano Langone were the first to take the stage. Together, they sang “Get Back” with energetic vocals. Theirs was a decent enough tribute, but their harmonies weren’t terribly pleasant. “You went up into the way-out-asphere,” Tyler said of Durbin’s dramatic singing.

Pia Toscano and Karen Rodriguez, who know each other well from High School days, performed “Can’t Buy Me Love” as a pair. “I feel like you guys get it,” Jennifer Lopez said of their singing. Both women harmonized well and sounded great. “You jumped the fence and took off,” Steven Tyler told them.

Jacob Lusk, Naima Adepo and Haley Reinhart sang “The Long and Winding Road,” a rather depressing George Harrison joint. Reinhart was sultry, Adepo was strong and Lusk put his unique, lovely tone on display well. Together, the three of them sounded fantastic. “Very, very nice!” J-Lo cried enthusiastically. “That was stupendous,” Steven Tyler told them, adding, “Oh my God, Jacob.” “Don’t hold back, Jacob, ever,” Randy Jackson cautioned. “Always do you,” Jackson advised him.

Rachel Zevita sang “Eleanor Rigby” with two other contestants Idol isn’t interested in showing us. “Let It Be” was well-performed by Lauren Turner and Jovany Baretto. Tim Halperin and Julie Zorrilla both sat at the piano to gorgeously sing “Something.” Their duo was epic.

Tatynisa Wilson, Jerome Bell and Laquisha Lewis performed “I Saw Her standing There” very energetically. Lewis shined with her big vocals. Randy Jackson thought Jerome was “okay,” and praised Lewis for her Aretha-like vocals. J-Lo advised Lewis to stop holding back, and found the performance wasn’t Wilson’s best. “I thought you nailed it,” Tyler said of the group’s singing.

“Blackbird” was sweetly performed by Paul McDonald and Kendra Chantelle next. Chantelle’s gorgeous tone started the song off before McDonald kicked in with his very surprising, soft singing voice. “I love his voice,” Steven Tyler grinned at Jennifer Lopez. McDonald has a bit of a weird stage presence. . .okay, maybe more than a bit. “You guys sounded really beautiful together,” Jennifer Lopez told them. She loves Paul’s “soft, beautiful tone.” “Your voice was so different,” Steven Tyler told him. Even Randy Jackson praised the performance, deeming it “excellent.”

Ashley Sullivan, who is highly emotional, decided to get married to her boyfriend while in Las Vegas. It was inevitable that someone would choose to get hitched during their stay in the city. She picked the same wedding chapel that Britney Spears used for her Vegas wedding, on purpose. Dave, the Idol camera guy, served as their witness. Her new name? Ashley Suraiva. Even if Ashley doesn’t score a spot in the Top 24, she’ll definitely be on the season finale show with her new husband.

Thia Megia and Melinda Ademi, who had the toughest vocal choice, performed “Here Comes the Sun” with big smiles on their faces. “Very, very interesting,” Randy Jackson found. “It was cute,” Jennifer Lopez said, though she didn’t find the combination as “strong” as she “thought it was going to be.” Steven Tyler wasn’t in love with it either. “She’s something special,” J-Lo said of Thia Megia in an undertone.

Ashley Sullivan (Suraiva) and Sophia Shorai were next, Ashley still in her wedding outfit to perform “We Can Work It Out.” Ashley kicked it off on a strong note, and completely drowned out Sohpia through the harmonies. “Wasn’t your strongest performance,” Steven Tyler found. “It just was not hot today,” Randy Jackson told them. Jennifer Lopez simply said “I’m sorry” to send them off the stage.

As the episode wore on, it began to feel more like a practice round for Idol’s new judges than a needed early round in the competition. The new panel seems to work well together so far, though Steven Tyler is still the easy standout in the trio.

The group of Scott McCreery, Lauren Alaina and Denise Jackson delivered “Hello, Goodbye” with a ton of power. They truly performed the number, and all three voices were put on display well. Jackson has a ton of diva potential, Alaina’s smooth, smoky tone is lovely and we’re still rooting for McCreery to win the whole thing. Their choreography was so good, Jennifer Lopez found herself smiling and laughing throughout. “You sounded good,” she told the group. Neither J-Lo nor Steven Tyler enjoyed the song choice, though he did give them a “nice try.” Randy Jackson found it “funny and entertaining,” but also wasn’t thrilled with the song choice.

Carson Higgins and Caleb Hawley made the bold choice to sing “Please, Please Me,” doing it so well in the brief clip Idol showed that no more was needed. They looked like rock stars on stage. Casey Abrams and Chris Medina also put on a rollicking performance, jumping up and down on a bed through their number. Their theatrics pleased the judges greatly.

The Beatles performances ended with Robbie Rosen, Aaron Sanders and Jordan Dorsey performing “Got to Get You into My Life.” “Please be great,” J-Lo asked. Rosen started it off with his smooth sound, the harmonies picked up right away, and the trio absolutely blew up the stage. “Wow, I was really impressed right there,” Randy Jackson told them. “Robby, forget about it. You nailed it again,” Steven Tyler said.

But most of them would have to leave for the show to continue. Before the eliminations were made, Randy Jackson asked all competitors to applaud themselves. Then, his tone turned ominous. “When we call your name, step forward,” he intoned.

The first name he called was Thia Megia, one of Jennifer’s favorites and an early contestant to be featured on the show. Scotty McCreery, Jordan Dorsey, Ashton Jones, Robby Rosen and Lauren Alaina all followed her to the forefront. “You front seven. . .congratulations, you’re through!”

And the Top 40 began to form. Favorites like Ashley Sullivan, Carson Higgins and Denise Jackson were sent home. It’s practically a crime that Higgins won’t be continuing in the competition.

All remaining contestants were invited back to Los Angeles to sing for the panel yet again before walking the long Idol mile that leads to the Top 24 -- or, to the end of the road. We kind of like Idol’s new approach of terrorizing these kids, putting them through grueling round after round to see how many times they’ll crack. Being famous is tough, reality hopefuls.

Naima Adepo was the first to take the long walk up to the judges. She sang “Put Your Records On” the day before with extremely powerful vocals and good control, but had none when facing the judges. She was in tears almost as soon as she sat down, but Steven Tyler praised her for it. He was the one who broke the news to her: she’s still in the contest. “Don’t let us down,” J-Lo warned her. “She deserves a shot,” Lopez said as Adepo walked away.

Hollie Cavanagh was also extremely emotional. During her audition, she broke down and cried before the judges. Hollie has a very strong voice that immediately gained the panel’s attention. Jennifer Lopez found that Cavanagh was “a standout in Hollywood week,” but Steven Tyler broke the sad news to her: she's out. “I was out-voted here,” J-Lo told her. “In a year or two, Hollie, I feel like honestly you could come back and win the whole thing,” she advised. “I would have loved to have put you in,” Lopez added. Cavanagh hugged the judges, and Randy Jackson encouraged her to “come back.” “I don’t know if I can do this anymore,” Steven Tyler said as she walked away crying.

Clint Jun Gamboa followed after several more eliminations were made. He gained attention early at the initial auditions, then again in Hollywood when he outsted popular contestant Jacee Badeaux from his Group Night performance. He sang Lionel Richie’s “Hello” to end out his Hollywood stint. Gamboa was particularly upset about the elimination of chum Lakeisha Lewis, and came to the judges crying. Randy Jackson asked Gamboa about the Jacee incident, yet again. After much suspense, Jackson finally gave Clint a reason to cry tears of joy: he’s in the Top 24. We still want him to ditch the glasses. Badly.

Haley Reinhart was the next to take the long walk. She was rejected in season 9, and made it through Hollywood’s Group Night “by the skin of” her teeth. Reinhart is a highly emotional performer, a skill which has engaged the judges in the past. Despite past rejections, her luck has turned around in season 10, and Reinhart is in the Top 24.

Deandre Brackenstack, who won attention during Group Night, was the next to face the panel. “It’s about being consistent, it’s about being great,” Randy Jackson told him. He encouraged Brackenstack to “work hard, come back,” and try again, because he won’t make it to Idol’s Top 24 this time. Jennifer Lopez added her own encouragement, telling him that he’s got the potential to be a recording artist. She called his a “magic little voice.” He vowed that next year, he’ll “bring it.”

Paul McDonald, and his very unique voice, was the next to meet the panel. McDonald wore a wild white suit for his final performance, and accompanied himself on guitar with an original song that was actually all right. “There’s something so unique about you, so special about you,” Jennifer Lopez found. “People will say ‘is this guy American Idol material?’” Randy Jackson told him. “You’re in the Top 24!” Jennifer Lopez smiled at him. “Just keep doing exactly what you do,” she advised.

Ashton Jones took her long walk next. She stood out on Group Night and her first solo performance, killing “I’m Telling You” for the judges. Jennifer Lopez thinks Ashton is “one of the most consistent contestants.” Her strong singing won her a spot in the Top 24, and Ashton engineered a great fake out on her family members to deliver the news to them. “She can make a name for herself,” Randy Jackson said after Ashton left.

Chris Medina, who gained noticed in the Milwaukee auditions, faced the judges to hear his own verdict. There was a great deal of talk about Medina’s heart-wrenchingly ill fiancée, as expected. “At the end of the day, this is about singing,” Jennifer Lopez told him. “I don’t want to draw this out,” she added, before drawing out the tension for a few more moments. She was then forced to deliver a crushing blow, telling Medina he didn’t make it in. He scored hugs from all the judges, who encouraged him to pursue his music anyway. Lopez couldn’t handle the elimination, breaking into tears after Medina left the room.

So far in the Top 24: Ashton Jones, Paul McDonald, Haley Reinhart, Clint Jun Gamboa and Naima Adepo. Check our spoiler list to get the rest of the names of those (we think) make it into the Top 24 (for the record, we've been right so far).

The rest of the Top 24 will be revealed tomorrow night in another epic two-hour session. The preview taunted that J-Lo may walk away from this last round of eliminations, leaving the business end of things up to Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson. If she does, we hope she’s willing to take a pay cut (it’s been reported that she’ll earn $12 million for the tenth season).

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