| Show |
Episode |
Air date |
Week
rank |
Rating/Share |
18–49
rating/Share |
Viewers
(millions) |
| 1 |
"Chicago Auditions" |
January 17, 2006 |
3 |
19.3 / 28 |
15.3 / 34 |
35.53 |
| 2 |
"Denver Auditions" |
January 18, 2006 |
4 |
17.8 / 27 |
13.0 / 33 |
31.65 |
| 3 |
"Greensboro Auditions" |
January 24, 2006 |
1 |
19.6 / 29 |
15.1 / 35 |
34.96 |
| 4 |
"San Francisco Auditions" |
January 25, 2006 |
2 |
18.2 / 28 |
13.0 / 33 |
32.44 |
| 5 |
"Las Vegas Auditions" |
January 31, 2006 |
5 |
17.4 / 27 |
12.4 / 31 |
30.18 |
| 6 |
"Austin Auditions" |
February 1, 2006 |
6 |
16.9 / 25 |
12.5 / 32 |
30.40 |
| 7 |
"Boston Auditions" |
February 7, 2006 |
1 |
17.6 / 26 |
12.9 / 32 |
31.15 |
| 8 |
"Hollywood Round 1" |
February 8, 2006 |
2 |
16.3 / 24 |
11.4 / 29 |
28.74 |
| 9 |
"Hollywood Round 2" |
February 14, 2006 |
2 |
16.5 / 25 |
11.4 / 29 |
26.96 |
| 10 |
"Hollywood: Top 24 Revealed" |
February 15, 2006 |
1 |
15.5 / 24 |
11.9 / 30 |
28.78 |
| 11 |
"Top 12 Women Perform" |
February 21, 2006 |
2 |
16.9 / 24 |
13.0 / 30 |
30.16 |
| 12 |
"Top 12 Men Perform" |
February 22, 2006 |
1 |
18.2 / 27 |
13.5 / 33 |
31.69 |
| 13 |
"Top 24 Results" |
February 23, 2006 |
7 |
13.3 / 20 |
9.9 / 24 |
23.38 |
| 14 |
"Top 10 Women Perform" |
February 28, 2006 |
2 |
17.0 / 25 |
12.4 / 31 |
30.09 |
| 15 |
"Top 10 Men Perform |
March 1, 2006 |
4 |
16.6 / 26 |
12.2 / 31 |
29.64 |
| 16 |
"Top 20 Results |
March 2, 2006 |
5 |
15.2 / 23 |
10.9 / 27 |
26.32 |
| 17 |
"Top 8 Women Men Perform" |
March 7, 2006 |
2 |
16.7 / 25 |
11.8 / 31 |
28.56 |
| 18 |
"Top 8 Men Perform" |
March 8, 2006 |
1 |
17.2 / 27 |
12.4 / 32 |
30.38 |
| 19 |
"Top 12 Revealed" |
March 9, 2006 |
4 |
15.4 / 24 |
10.8 / 28 |
26.63 |
| 20 |
"Top 12 Perform" |
March 14, 2006 |
1 |
18.5 / 27 |
13.7 / 33 |
32.77 |
| 21 |
"Top 12 Results" |
March 15, 2006 |
1 |
16.3 / 25 |
11.5 / 27 |
28.09 |
| 22 |
"Top 11 Perform" |
March 21, 2006 |
1 |
19.2 / 28 |
13.6 / 33 |
33.36 |
| 23 |
"Top 11 Results" |
March 22, 2006 |
2 |
15.9 / 24 |
11.4 / 27 |
27.68 |
| 24 |
"Top 10 Perform" |
March 28, 2006 |
1 |
18.0 / 27 |
13.0 / 33 |
31.71 |
| 25 |
"Top 10 Results" |
March 29, 2006 |
2 |
15.9 / 24 |
11.3 / 27 |
27.66 |
| 26 |
"Top 9 Perform" |
April 4, 2006 |
1 |
16.6 / 23 |
11.6 / 32 |
28.83 |
| 27 |
"Top 9 Results" |
April 5, 2006 |
2 |
15.7 / 23 |
10.8 / 26 |
26.23 |
| 28 |
"Top 8 Perform" |
April 11, 2006 |
1 |
14.2 / 22 |
12.0 / 33 |
29.65 |
| 29 |
"Top 8 Results" |
April 12, 2006 |
3 |
12.0 / 19 |
9.2 / 24 |
22.64 |
| 30 |
"Top 7 Perform" |
April 18, 2006 |
1 |
16.6 / 26 |
11.4 / 32 |
28.44 |
| 31 |
"Top 7 Results" |
April 19, 2006 |
2 |
16.5 / 25 |
11.3 / 30 |
27.63 |
| 32 |
Top 6 Perform" |
April 25, 2006 |
1 |
16.7 / 26 |
11.5 / 30 |
28.67 |
| 33 |
"Top 6 Results" |
April 26, 2006 |
2 |
16.6 / 25 |
11.6 / 28 |
28.27 |
| 34 |
"Top 5 Perform" |
May 2, 2006 |
2 |
16.6 / 26 |
11.4 / 31 |
28.58 |
| 35 |
"Top 5 Results" |
May 3, 2006 |
1 |
16.9 / 25 |
11.7 / 28 |
29.26 |
| 36 |
"Top 4 Perform" |
May 9, 2006 |
1 |
16.8 / 26 |
11.6 / 31 |
28.85 |
| 37 |
"Top 4 Results" |
May 10, 2006 |
2 |
16.1 / 24 |
11.2 / 27 |
27.88 |
| 38 |
"Top 3 Perform" |
May 16, 2006 |
1 |
16.6 / 26 |
11.0 / 30 |
28.33 |
| 39 |
"Top 3 Results" |
May 17, 2006 |
2 |
16.6 / 26 |
10.7 / 25 |
27.67 |
| 40 |
"Top 2 Perform" |
May 23, 2006 |
2 |
18.2/ 29 |
12.3 / 34 |
31.78 |
| 41 |
Season 5 Finale" |
May 24, 2006 |
1 |
20.5 / 32 |
14.2 / 35 |
36.38 |
|