My Top 10 Glee Songs Ever
Hello everyone, my name is Tymoteusz, and I am a Gleek.
As one of the copying mechanisms to the prolonged unemployment and crippling anxiety, I’ve decided to do something I never thought I’d ever do: I am rewatching Glee.
You see, between 2012 and 2015, I watched it passionately. It was one of the first shows I could relate to so much, mostly due to its intense focus on inclusivity and self-acceptance. I am very grateful for what that show brought to my life and I’m glad that it exists.
That being said—the show’s weird as fuck. After it finished with six seasons, I was certain I would never go back to watching it again. But now, after 10 years since its finale originally aired, I’m back. I have a lot of thoughts, and I’m working on a longer article about it, so first: let’s talk about the songs! I would like to share with you the list of ten best (in my opinion) Glee performances ever.
But before we get into that—let’s defy what a good Glee performance has to entail. Obviously the song itself, which is usually a cover of a modern hit, has to slap. But to be listed here, it has to do more: it has to be a spectacle, reveal a new side of a character, or, at the very least, bring something to the show’s storyline.
At some point I wanted to rank those performances, but I don’t think I would be able. Each of them holds a very special place in my heart. Writing this article is actually just an excuse for me to rewatch them for the millionth time. So let’s go!
“Born This Way” by Kurt, Tina, Mercedes, and the New Directions
(Season 2, Episode 18: “Born This Way”, written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)
Let’s start with an obvious one.
“Born This Way” was performed at the end of the second season’s eighteenth episode (also called “Born This Way”) in which the characters had the task to embrace the unique traits that differentiate them from others. They all have to, symbolically, wear white t-shirts with dedicated signs printed out on them. Each of the signs had to describe their own thing. And that’s how we get Kurt’s “likes boys”, Rachel’s “nose”, Emma’s “OCD”, Finn’s “can’t dance”, or Mike’s “can’t sing”.
The Glee cover of Lady Gaga’s queer anthem was the first performance—and the very first clip—of Glee I’ve ever watched on YouTube. Immediately I was entranced by what would turn out to be a quintessential Glee performance: it was gay, it was fun, it was quirky, it was simple, and yet monumental.
“Smooth Criminal” by Santana and Sebastian
(Season 3, Episode 11: “Michael”, written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)
Speaking of gay. The Glee cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” is one of the hottest and most intense scenes you can find. Santana and Sebastian, both of whom are villainous, gay and completely not interested in each other, perform the song with anger and devoted passion.
The manic intensity of the performance is highlighted by rapid camera movements and the addition of two cellists, who seem to compete in their own duel, unbothered by the duo singing above them.
Goosebumps.
“Rumour Has It / Someone Like You” by Santana, Mercedes, and the Trouble Tones
(Season 3, Episode 6: “Mash-Off”, written by Michael Hitchcock, directed by Eric Stoltz)
Santana is one of the best and most complex characters of the entire series. Similarly, the late Naya Riviera, who portrayed her, is one of the show’s best actors and singers. Her character grows tremendously throughout seasons, while the writers gradually give her more captivating storylines.
The performance of “Rumour Has It / Someone Like You” is the perfect example of Riviera’s artistry. It comes at the lowest point of her season 3 storyline, in which she is forced to come out as a lesbian. Understandably she is mad at everyone around her, but most importantly she is mad at herself for being so terrified.
While both of the Adele’s songs have incredibly powerful lyrics, their Glee cover is more about the silence that comes between verses than it is about the singing. While perfectly executing the choreography routine, Santana seems lost on the stage, often panically looks around and has trouble breathing.
After finishing the song, she confronts Finn in the audience, whom she blames for the situation she found herself in. After a short argument she slaps him, which in my mind is also part of the performance.
I must admit, I remember not being super stoked about Glee mixing two of my favourite Adele songs together, continuing their tradition of doing a “mash-up”. I was concerned that it will take away the depth of the original songs, whose Glee cover I was anticipating for a while. However, after seeing the performance for the first time, I happily realised that I didn’t have to be worried. The cover not only sustained the intensity of the original, but added its own character which I sometimes prefer.
“Rose’s Turn” by Kurt
(Season 1, Episode: 18: “Laryngitis”, written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)
I don’t usually enjoy when characters of a musical try to express their anger through singing and dancing. It just never seems natural! I always have to hide under a blanket or a coat, because I get second-hand embarrassment.
That being said, the Glee cover of “Rose’s Turn” is a delightful exception. It’s performed by Kurt Hummel, who struggles to adjust his identity to please his dad. For part of the episode, he acts “straight”: kisses girls, wears flannel, and pretends to burp. Naturally, it doesn’t help with developing a connection with his dad. Kurt feels powerless and therefore proceeds to sing one of the most iconic songs from the Broadway musical Gypsy, previously performed by such actresses as Barbra Streisand, Patti LuPone, and Bette Midler.
The Glee performance is quite unexpected as it’s the first time we get to see how much anger and distress Kurt struggles with, previously remaining reserved and quiet. His voice breaks deliciously, while his entire body seems to be focused solely on the goal of performing the song.
Even though, Kurt is one of the main characters throughout the entirety of the series, “Rose’s Turn” is the only performance where we get to see deep inside of his psyche. Shortly after coming off the stage, he comes back to his old, delicate self and does not leave that form for the rest of the show.
“Physical” by Sue and Olivia Newton-John
(Season 1, Episode 17: “Bad Reputation”, written by Ian Brennan, directed by Elodie Keene)
I love many performances from the first season—even though less polished, they were definitely braver. It seems that back then the creators weren’t afraid to take risks yet. They were still experimenting, trying out new things, wondering what Glee is actually all about.
Obviously some of the things were terrible, some were amazing, and some were both of those things. The twisted cover of Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical”, featuring Olivia Newton-John herself, is definitely one of those sweet mixtures.
It’s colourful. It’s confusing. It’s sexy. It’s awkward. It’s fun. It’s Glee.
“Somebody to Love” by Sam, Puck, Artie, and Mike
(Season 2, Episode 13: “Comeback”, written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Bradley Buecker)
It’s interesting to watch the show after 10+ years and look back on what was considered sexy at that particular moment. Glee’s second season touched on one of the biggest teenage heartthrobs of the 21st Century: the one and only Justin Bieber.
It was a bizarre time in pop music’s history. While Glee was able to point it out, by slightly making fun of That Hairstyle, it also forces us to admit that the songs were actually good! While “Baby” was never my favourite, and even the charm of Chord Overstreet (who played Sam on the show) couldn’t change it, the cover of “Somebody to Love” stuck in my head for a long time.
The dancing! The lights! The purple hoodies! The chalk!
“Teenage Dream (Acoustic Version)” by Blaine
(Season 4, Episode 4: “The Break Up”, written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon)
Of course dancing is not always necessary, even if the song’s original version required it. A great example is what the Glee’s fourth season did with their acoustic, melodramatic rendition of Katy Perry’s pop hit “Teenage Dream”.
It’s one of the few songs that got to be performed on Glee more than once—it was previously introduced in season 2, as the very first song that Blaine sang to his soon-to-be partner, Kurt. Back then it was much more enthusiastic: it seemed as if everything would be alright from that point on.
Two seasons later, when Kurt graduated from high school and moved to New York, his relationship with Blaine became long-distance. They both struggled with the new situation they found themselves in, yet both pretended to remain unbothered at first.
Eventually, Blaine breaks and for multiple reasons cheats on Kurt. When he sees him for the first time after the incident, overwhelmed by guilt, he gets onto the stage in front of him and performs an acoustic version of Perry’s hit. It becomes his way of admitting to what he did, apologising, and eventually breaking up with him.
I’m a sucker for utilising silly pop songs in serious situations, so this scene will always make me cry.
I would also like to make a honourable mention to other performances from the same episode, one of my favourite episodes of the entire series, that I also considered including on this list: Demi Lovato’s “Give Your Heart a Break” by Rachel and Brody, No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” by Rachel, Finn, Kurt, and Blaine, Duncan Sheik’s “Barely Breathing” by Blaine and Finn, Taylor Swift’s “Mine” by Santana, and finally—Coldplay’s “The Scientist” by Rachel, Finn, Blaine, Kurt, Santana, Brittany, Will, and Emma. Love all of them!
“Lucky” by Sam and Quinn
(Season 2, Episode 4: “Duets”, written by Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz)
Glee is a musical comedy/drama about teenagers in high school, so obviously we get a lot of expressions of love and affection throughout the entire series. Similarly to the case of expressing anger, many of the love songs were performed in a cheesy and kinda awkward way. There were not a lot of songs that truly make me believe in emotions between them, but those that did—oh God.
The Glee cover of Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat’s “Lucky” is the definition of cuteness. Quinn and Sam were a relatively new couple, as Sam himself was at the time a new character and member of the glee club. It was probably one of the simplest performances in the entire show, given the couple singing while standing in front of the audience and playing on a guitar together.
The looks and the smiles they were throwing at each other were enough to keep me entertained. And to smile together with them.
“Rolling in the Deep” by Rachel and Jessie
(Season 2, Episode 20: “Prom Queen”, written by Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz)
It would be a shame to talk about unforgettable, yet simple duets, and not to mention the cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”. Performed by two of most obnoxious characters of the show, Rachel and Jessie, the song becomes a chance to reunite and compete.
While originally the song comes with its distinctive beat, the Glee version appears to have none of it—in fact it has no music at all. Apart from the main duo’s voices, we can only hear the members of the audiovisual club singing in the background.
I love this performance. Maybe it’s just because of my love for Jonathan Groff (who portrays Jessie), but I do not wish to elaborate on that.
“Thriller / Head Will Roll” by the New Directions
(Season 2, Episode 11: “The Sue Sylvester Shuffle”, written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk)
Let’s end with a big one. The mash-up of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll” is one of the biggest performances of the show ever. It was also part of the most-watched episode, which premiered right after Super Bowl in 2011.
It’s performed by the entire glee club together with the football team members in form of the game’s halftime show. All performers are equipped in heavy make-up and costuming, resembling zombies and mummies, while the entire football field is covered with smoke.
It’s simply an event, just like a Glee performance should be.