#1 It’s The Singing Contest, Not The Song

If a music competition was about nothing more than range and technique, all of the contestants would bend their pipes around the same tune. As happens, judges -- and, more importantly, audiences -- like to get a bit of variety from their talent pool. In a way, it's simple mathematics. Fashion a battle 'tween devotees of rock, pop, country, and r'n'b, the odds argue that your potential viewer will be predisposed to back one horse in the race.