When I was in sixth grade I fell madly in love with the show "Glee." I was an ultimate Gleek, if you will. I was an avid fan who made sure to watch every episode for the first few years it was one. I dreamed of being like Rachel Berry someday and dating the quarterback in high school who just happened to also sing and dance as much as me. I've since then graduated high school a have was not the Rachel Berry of my high school, nor did I date a musical loving quarterback who thought he got me pregnant in a hot tub. I did though fall in love with each performance. I truly believe that if it wasn't for "Glee" I wouldn't of wanted to become the performer that I am today. In honor of my fellow Gleeks, Sue Sylvester's tracksuits, and all the slushies the cast members took to the face, I present to you the top __ best covers that were on "Glee."
1. "Don't Stop Believin'"
This is a "Glee" classic. They only sang this song like a bajillion times throughout the course of the show, and for good reason. It was the first song that went well for the New Directions. During the very first episode, it was the performance that got 12-year-old me, as well as the rest of the country, hyped for these musical misfits. It became a fan favorite. The New Directions performed it numerous times throughout the course of the show. This song led the New Directions on a whole new JOURNEY. Ha! See what I did there?
2. "Teenage Dream"
This was the song that Ryan Murphy chose to use to introduce the world to our beloved Warblers. I remember falling in love with Darren Criss' character Blaine when he sang this version of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream." I also remember how sad I was when I found out his character was gay. I eventually had to get over it. Seriously though, nothing beats the way Blaine looks at Kurt during this number for the very first time.
3. "Slave 4 U"
The Britney Spears episode of "Glee" was hands down one of the very best. We finally got to see another side of our ditzy friend Brittany. After a visit to the dentist, Brittany finds out she has a cavity on every tooth and must get them filled right away. While under anesthesia, Brittany has the most amazing Britney Spears fantasy. It's got Britney's old costumes, best dance moves, and John Stamos. Uncle Jessie, Brittany's jealous worthy abs, and a tribute to Britney's famous VMA performance with an anaconda. Best visit to the dentist ever.
4. "Make You Feel My Love"
I think any actual fan of "Glee" can back me up when I say that this is one of the best performances that was on "Glee" of all time. Lea Michelle's rendition of Adele's, "Make You Feel My Love" was a tribute to both the death of Finn Hudson as well as the actor that wonderfully portrayed him, Cory Monteith. The entire performance was filled with real tears and raw emotion. While it made it incredibly hard to watch knowing the Lea was mourning the death of her real life boyfriend it was both beautiful and sung incredibly.
5. "Poker Face"
The Broadway queen herself made an appearance for this one. Idina Menzel, who played Rachel Berry's mom was on the show as the coach of the New Directions' biggest rival, Vocal Adrenaline. After Rachel discovers that Menzel is her mother they have a heartfelt chat and of course sing an incredible duet together, a slowed down version of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face." Why wouldn't you sing "Poker Face" with the woman who you just found out was your biological mom? After this performance, it was really hard for me to believe that Idina Menzel didn't give birth to Lea Michelle. It was that good.
6. "Rumour Has It/Someone Like You"
Over the course of the shows run, "Glee" did a countless number of mashups. This has to hands down be my favorite one. It was sassy, it was fierce, and it had adorable choreography. It also featured the incredible voices of Mercedes and Santana, two characters who didn't get much solo time prior to this mashup. During this episode the two girls leave the New Directions in order to achieve some spotlight time. I'd say they most definitely achieved it with this number.
7. "Forget You"
"Glee" was known for booking amazing guest stars. Gwyneth Paltrow did an amazing cover of CeeLo Green's "Forget You." She got up and showed all of the New Directions that just because she was older than them doesn't mean that she couldn't still have an amazing jam sesh in the middle of the choir room and sing about a douchy dude who just wants money. Her character, Holly Holiday, became an instant fan favorite after this fun performance of one of the most popular songs on the radio at the time.
8. "Like A Virgin"
During this performance Rachel, Finn, and Emma all prepare to lose their virginities. What better way to prepare than singing a song about feeling like a virgin? Only one couple ends up having sex. However, that doesn't stop this amazing performance. All of the sexual tension during this number makes me wish that Emma and Rachel would've gone through with it.
9. "Smooth Criminal"
After Blaine is nearly blinded after having a slushie thrown in his face with rock salt in it, Santana is determined to out-sing the culprit. Maybe I'm a little biased when it comes to this one. I happen to have a huge crush on the actor who portrays bad boy Sebastian, Grant Gustin. With my crush on him or not, it was a pretty close call as to who won this sing-off.
10. "Don't Rain on My Parade"
After Vocal Adrenaline steals the New Directions lineup, they have to think fast. Of course, Rachel saves the day. Doesn't everyone have a solo in their back pocket they keep just in case their show choir faces an emergency? It was great getting to see Rachel Berry perform a song that showed off her musical roots and reminded us why Rachel Berry is THE Rachel Berry. A true golden star.
