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Don't Stop Believing
This was the number that put Glee on the map. Aired at the end of its pilot episode in May 2009, this version of the Journey song quickly went to #1 on iTunes, and #4 on Billboard. More importantly, it showed the chart-topping potential for this fledgling musical series - securing a full first season of episodes. Coupled with The Sopranos' use of the song in its finale, "Don't Stop Believin''' has become the go-to tune at Karaoke bars everywhere.
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Umbrella/Singin' In The Rain
Glee loves the musical mash-up and this one combined a classic, old timey musical number with Rihanna. Fans are still divided about substitute teacher Holly Holliday (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her singing chops (Her version of "Forget You" refuses to be forgotten. Oh, I've tried.) but the character did have an annoying gift of loosening up terminally uptight Gleemaster Will (Matthew Morrison).
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Don't Rain On My Parade
Actress Lea Michele (Rachel) remains the undeniable breakout star of Glee and its main Diva-In-Training. So why not give her a chance to knock a Barbra Streisand classic out of the Sectionals park? Or was it the Regionals? The Funny Girl song, done right, can't help but be a show-stopper. And Michele later reprised the song in a live performance on the Tony Awards.
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Proud Mary
The wheelchair-bound Artie (actor Kevin McHale, who isn't actually disabled) is often overlooked or dismissed because of his disability. In this first season episode, his fellow Gleeks tried to make it up to him by performing a Tina Turner-inspired version of "Proud Mary" entirely in wheelchairs. Not the easiest choreography, to say the least, but done pretty well.
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Grease
Call it Gleese? Sorry. I had to. This 2012 all-Grease episode was highly-publicized and also criticized. Really? For my money, the Glee gang seem a lot more comfortable doing these tunes than, say, Lady Gaga. I think your appreciation of this episode depends on your love of the original musical/movie. The songs range from predictable ("Greased Lightning"/"You're The One That I Want"), to surprising ("Beauty School Dropout"?). I think there was a plot in their somewhere, but darn it if I can remember it. This one was all about the tunes.
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Teenage Dream
Those darn Glee people were getting a little too cocky. Enter the Dalton Academy Warblers and their boy school jackets, and preppy attitudes. Kurt fell for main Warbler Blaine (Darren Criss) the minute he heard him singing this Katy Perry song, setting in motion a long-sought-after romance. The Warblers version of "Teenage Dream" immediately became Glee's biggest-selling single.
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Vogue
Evil sweat suit-wearing Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) ain't got no patience for no Glee Club. Yet, she does have a fondness for all things Madonna. Actually, it's less a fondness than an obsession. In this elaborate music video, Sue is almost unrecognizable as she strikes a Material Girl pose or two. Or ten.
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We Are Young
This was an all-cast version of that now-annoying Fun. song that would dominate the airwaves in 2012. The song is used as a celebration of New Directions' big win at Sectionals (or was it Regionals?). But its performance also saw the return of several estranged members before everyone went off to their life beyond high school and Glee Club. Some might be a little tired of this song now that it's being used to sell all manner of products, but I don't think you can blame Glee for that. Or maybe you can.
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The Time Warp
In a special episode, the Gleeks got all creepy and perverse as they attempted to mount their own Glee version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Eventually, Sue and the school's administrative busybodies stepped in to stop the show, but not before the kids did seven Rocky songs, including their own private version of "The Time Warp". Critics weren't kind to this sanitized version of the musical, though original Rocky stars Barry Bostwick and Meat Loaf didn't seem to mind showing up for cameos.
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Safety Dance
Glee can sometimes bring new life to a much-maligned song. Witness "Safety Dance", which had become something of a punchline to a joke about how lame the eighties were. In Glee, the song provided actor Kevin McHale the chance to get out of his Artie wheelchair and strut his stuff. It's something of a Glee in-joke that McHale is often mentioned as the best dancer in the cast. It took this flash mob fantasy sequence before we got to see for ourselves.
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I Wanna Hold Your Hand
In a second season episode featuring religious-themed songs, Kurt's tear-filled version of this Beatles tune managed to stand out. Kurt was worried about his father - who had suffered a heart attack - and the tragedy caused a crisis in faith (or lack thereof). Though touted as the most controversial episode up to that point, the topic of religion was dealt with fairly even-handedly, even comically (Finn finds the image of Jesus in his grilled cheese sandwich).
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