One has been called a “dreamer,” a “superstar” and a “rock god.”

The other a “dark horse,” a “big-time player” and a “radio-ready heartthrob.”

The matchup was being billed as “guy next door” vs. “guy-liner.”

For much of Tuesday’s singing finale of American Idol season eight, the competition between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen lived up to the hype generated by TV’s most overhyped series.

It really was worth sitting through a season filled with Normund Gentle, Bikini Girl and that Tatiana psycho to get to the moment when the two most consistent, innovative and commercially promising contestants duked it out.

Up first was vocal prestidigitator Lambert, who reprised his version of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” from the “Donnie Darko” soundtrack. Though Lambert sang it beautifully — and subtly — something about his long black trench coat and the invasive use of a fog machine made the performance seem hokey. It was more Andrew Lloyd Webber-style masked ball than Roland Orzabal.

Allen countered with his version of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” At once intimate (Allen alone at the piano) and orchestral (strings enter on the third verse), the song represented the high point of the season for the Arkansas native.

Round two found the contestants having to serve a song selected for them by American Idol producer Simon Fuller, who proved if nothing else he had good taste in music.

For Lambert, Fuller chose the 1964 hit “A Change is Gonna Come.” It was undoubtedly Lambert’s all-time highlight, allowing him to show off his outrageous range and control, but in the service of an R&B tune featuring lyrics with social and political gravitas. The only drawback to the performance was that it should have closed the evening.

Fuller picked a similar cut for Allen, opting for Marvin Gaye’s quintessential “What’s Going On” from 1971. Allen again offered a stripped-down entry to the evening’s roster, accompanied primarily by just his own acoustic guitar, bass and hand percussion. He sang it well, but the song lacked the type of knock-out aura that Lambert executed.

Up until this point, it was safe to say this was the best finale in the show’s history.

But then came the moment when the Idols were forced to select the same song — one written for this specific moment by a team that included judge Kara DioGuardi.

The debuting “No Boundaries,” with its lyrics about climbing mountains and surviving hurricanes, sounded like something from the “Top Gun” soundtrack.

It’s not exactly fair to compare this pop throwaway to classics penned by Bill Withers, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. But come on! Even John Parr would have been embarrassed to sing “No Boundaries.” Even that “Real Men of Genius” guy would have trouble dispensing such words without laughing.

It was hard to judge who crooned “No Boundaries” better. Lambert oversang the endeavor, while Allen strained mightily to reach the high notes. It wasn’t an embarrassment for either, just a massive letdown after the promise of the first two rounds.

So to cut to the chase: Who will win?

If you subscribe to my math theory that correctly predicted Danny Gokey’s exit last week (and much of the other jettisoned contestants throughout the season), you’d have to think Allen has the advantage. He held his own against the firepower of Lambert, and he likely will receive the votes of people who had previously supported the very safe, family friendly Gokey.

If you are to believe the media machine, then Lambert will be victorious.

Although I have found him to be an uneven player throughout the competition — sometimes too screechy or too musical theatre — I firmly believe the season will be defined by him. This will be referred to as the “Adam Lambert season,” just as previous ones have been called the “David Cook season,” the “Carrie Underwood season,” the “Chris Daughtry season” and the “Clay Aiken season.” Notice, not all of those seasons were necessarily defined by their respective winners.

Will the Adam Lambert Season be won by Adam Lambert?

Just barely …

But here’s a bold prediction: Runner-up Kris Allen will sell more records.