Few folks who were at ground zero for the British punk explosion of the mid-1970s made the transition from the underground to the mainstream as effortlessly as Billy Idol . While his days as a chart-topping act and poster boy for MTV are long past, the peroxide blond singer with the trademark snarl created enough enduring hits to keep him a top concert draw well into the 21st century.

American Idol wannabes were in it to win it at the show's New Jersey tryouts. I'm going all the way to Hollywood this time, one repeat auditioner told MTV News.

It may seem like the ninth season of American Idol just wrapped (probably because it did ), but production has already started on the 10th season, with auditions getting under way in Nashville last week. So when MTV News caught up with Idol judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi Monday night on the red carpet of VH1's Do Something Awards in Los Angeles, we asked them how season 10 was ...

American Idol judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi tell MTV News the show's decision to lower its age minimum to 15 will allow them to take advantage of the many rising stars who are getting better earlier, as Jackson put it.

'Idol' tourmates also told MTV News who's the messiest of the bunch.