What does Top 12 mean?

We here at Idol Chatter realize not every Michael Sarver fan is an American Idol fan. Some of you may know nothing of the show and what this coveted Top 12 spot really means. Based on past years, here's what you can more than likely expect this season:

The Top 12 is the Holy Grail for Idol hopefuls. Once the dozen are selected, they begin weekly live shows at the Nokia Theater. Only one contestant will be eliminated each week, until the finale where the last two compete against each other for the top spot.

The Top 12 will take part in themed shows, which could be anything from 80's hits to the best of Barry Manilow. These performances are often make-or-break, since it may be difficult for a particular singer to break down a Queen ballad. They also perform group numbers and create commercials for one of the show's biggest sponsors, Ford. (The other large sponsor being Coca Cola, if you couldn't tell by the gigantic red glasses the judges sip out of.) Following each live performance show, the songs sung by the contestants will be sold on iTunes.

After the show, the Top 10 will tour and perform live at venues across the country, which has always included Houston. A CD of their best songs will be released.

But being the next American Idol isn't the only ticket from this point on. Some of our favorite Idols didn't win, and some of the winners were never heard from after the show. Jennifer Hudson - Academy Award winner - never made it past the 7th spot. Chris Daughtry - multiple Grammy winner and platinum selling artist - was eliminated at the 4th spot. And Josh Gracin, who Michael has been compared to, was also eliminated in the 4th spot. Kelli Pickler, Bucky Covington, and Diana DeGarmo (among many) all went on to record albums without winning the contest.

At this point, Michael has a huge chance at a record deal, and that chance is going to get bigger with each week he remains. We predict the world will be hearing from Michael Sarver for a long, long time.