The 8 remaining finalists performed songs from the years they were born. And tonight, Adam Lambert continued his streak of success on “American Idol.”

Born in 1982, the 26-year-old theater actor gave a stunning (haunting) performance of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears that resulted in Simon giving him a standing ovation.

Was it the best performance in “Idol” history? Probably not… but Simon says “words are unnecessary, but I want to give you a standing ovation.”

Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band’s third single release and first chart hit, reaching #3 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982.

Twenty years later, the song made a popular resurgence when it was covered by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the soundtrack to the movie Donnie Darko.

VIDEO: Adam Lambert (Mad World)