“American Idol”–it’s more than just another TV show or a singing competition. Its logo has been emblazoned on countless items of merchandise, its contestants revered and emulated and its opening theme song stuck in the heads of its millions of viewers. In short, “Idol” has become a monumental media icon that has been ingrained in the nation’s primetime TV schedule for nearly a decade.

This year marked the ninth season of the show, and it was one of the most memorable seasons to date. Although this season was not the strongest in terms of talent, it was remarkable for a myriad of reasons. Possibly the most evident change was the loss of Paula Abdul as a judge on the show, and her replacement with talk-show guru Ellen Degeneres. To further shake up the “Idol” scheme of things, this season was also Simon’s last time sitting on the panel of judges.  These were only the most obvious changes to the framework of “American Idol,” though Ryan Seacrest’s oddly quirky behavior, Kara DioGuardi’s crush on “Idol” contender Casey James, the prolonged presence of the ever-smiling contestant “Teflon Tim” and the remarkably low ratings of the show also deserve honorable mentions.

Following one of the strongest “Top Four” groups in the history of the show from Season Eight, the finalists of Season Nine had a tough act to follow. After the elimination of some great talent early on, the final two came down to rocker Lee DeWyze and folk-singer Crystal Bowersox. The two faced off during a somewhat bland finale on Tuesday, May 25, and fought to win the title of the next “American Idol.” The two 24-year-olds had both auditioned in Chicago in the summer of 2009, and made the long journey to the finale together. It seemed fitting that these two were the last ones standing–both had remained humble and true to their respective styles throughout the competition, for which they consistently garnered the praise of the judges.

The finale, however, was quite anticlimactic, with the two contestants performing well but without much flair or pizzazz. Each contestant was given the chance to sing three songs: the first to be selected from their past song choices, the second chosen by the executive producer of the show and the final to be the single the contestant would release if they won. Opening the show, Lee DeWyze chose to sing “The Boxer,” his song from the “inspirational songs” week. He was met with lukewarm comments from the judges, with Simon summarizing his performance as a “kiss on the cheek when [he] wanted a kiss on the lips,” and Kara urging Lee to “punch harder” and add more energy to his following two performances. Crystal got the judges on her side with her first song, “Me and Bobby McGee,” which Randy predictably deemed “dope” and Ellen called “stunning.”

For his second song, “Everybody Hurts” by REM, Lee received somewhat better feedback from the judges, with Kara commending him for being “emotionally accessible” and Simon proclaiming the song to be a “brilliant choice [for him].” Crystal returned with a rendition of “Black Velvet” that wowed the judges, causing Randy to proclaim, “Mama Sox is in it to win it!” Finally, Lee rounded off his performances with his version of the U2 track “Beautiful Day,” after which Simon skimmed over Lee’s actual singing and instead expressed how much he liked Lee as a person. Crystal Bowersox wrapped up the show with a very heartfelt performance of a song entitled “Up On The Mountain,” which nearly left the judges in tears. After Kara gave an emotional spiel about Crystal being “completely emotionally invested in the song,” Simon gave his last ever “Idol” critique, simply calling Crystal’s performance “outstanding.”

Unfortunately, the results night of the two-part finale was no more exciting than the performances had been. The entire night was a smorgasbord of short appearances by a very random collection of celebrities and past “Idol” contestants, many of whom paid homage to Simon Cowell in some shape or form. Highlights of the night included a performance by the Top 12, who emerged in scanty school uniforms and performed with Alice Cooper, a Christina Aguilera medley by the girls of the Top 12, after which Christina herself sang, and an appearance by Kris Allen, who performed his new single, “The Truth.” These acts were followed by an extended mish-mash medley performed by a mix of the Top 12 contestants and other famous singers like Michael MacDonald and Barry Gibbs. Before finding out who won, viewers had to sit through an eternity of tributes and goodbyes to the man everyone loves to hate, Simon Cowell. Among the most notable of these goodbyes was a teary message from ex-judge Paula Abdul, a humorous farewell from Ricky Gervais and a performance by past “Idol” winners dedicated to the British powerhouse. After all possible methods of extending the length of the show were exhausted, Ryan Seacrest finally announced the unsurprising verdict: Lee DeWyze is the new American Idol.

Never fear, Crystal will no doubt have a successful career of her own, following the trend of past “Idol” winners and runners-up. With Simon and Paula gone, and the show receiving the lowest ratings since 2002, rumor has it that the success of “Idol” may have finally run its course. (Then again, critics said the same of Madonna decades ago, and she’s still around!) Whatever the future may hold for the franchise, there is no doubt that “American Idol” has been one of the most celebrated and well-known shows of all time. For now, until next year, so long, “Idol,” and thank you for the music.