LOS ANGELES —  Snarky Simon Cowell made his picks for the three top finalists of this season's "American Idol" Thursday.

Chris Daughtry, 26, Taylor Hicks, 29, and Kellie Pickler, 19, will be the final three singers vying for the top prize in May, Cowell said during a call-in to Howard Stern's Sirius satellite radio show.

"Let me tell you who's gonna be in the finals," Cowell said. "The bald-headed kid [Daughtry] and the guy with gray hair [Hicks]."

A few minutes later, he added: "I think the top three will be the two I mentioned and Kellie Pickler."

The blunt-spoken record executive-turned-TV star -- who over the years has proven that his opinions and criticism of the talent show's contestants are generally dead-on -- holds tremendous sway with the viewers, who vote each week and eventually choose the winner.

Simon has rarely been too far off when he goes out on a limb to make predictions.

Last year around this time, he correctly told last year's winner, Carrie Underwood, that she would be the champ, although Cowell might have overstated her ability to sell records.

"Carrie, you're not just the girl to beat, you're the person to beat," he said at the time. "I will make a prediction, not only will you win this competition, but you will sell more records than any other previous 'Idol' winner."

So far Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson -- who Cowell also said would win -- has been far and away the most successful singer to emerge from the competition.