Entertainment
80 Of The Best 'Glee' Covers That Took Our Breath Away
You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream
25 September 2019
1490
FOX
And that's what you missed on "Glee!"
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I have been an avid Gleek since 2012. Picture the geekiest, most awkward pre-teenaged girl you can think of, and that's what I was like seven years ago. At twelve, I was desperate to fit in and "be cool." I was a sight for sore eyes, to say the least.
My sisters, dog, and me circa 2012. Yikes.
I had heard about "Glee" through commercials and had heard a few of the songs, but I was not an avid fan yet. I started watching it in the middle of season 3 and filled myself in about the plot through the Internet. My mom (bless her heart) saw how excited I would get to watch the show every week, but noticed that I didn't start from the beginning. She went to our local video rental store and rented the first two seasons for me. As I reflect on this, I find it a little embarrassing (did I not have anything else to do?), but I finished the first two seasons and was able to catch up to the current episodes in less than a week. I quickly became obsessed with the show and continued to watch it every week until it finished.
"Glee" wasn't only good for the music. Though the ratings don't lie when it comes to the top charts, what made the show special was its cast of misfit characters and relatable storylines. The characters were written so that the audience would want to see them win, and it was so sweet when the New Directions show choir finally won a national championship because (realistically) it took them three years! The plethora of guest stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow, John Stamos, and Miss Britney Spears always kept the audience wanting more! From Rachel Berry, a short, Jewish, loud-mouthed girl with a dream of being on Broadway, to Mike Chang, an intelligent Asian boy who desperately wanted to become a dancer while his father wanted him to become a doctor, the characters showed the audience how amazing it is to be yourself and to follow your dreams.
Without "Glee," I never would have done musical theatre in high school. I wanted to be just like Rachel Berry, and seeing her achieve her dream of starring as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" motivated me even more. If Rachel Berry could do it, so could I.
The diversity in the show was not forced. It was prominent and made the show feel all the more real. It included characters from all ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious backgrounds, and even had storylines regarding transgender people. The narratives were interesting and true to life. Showcased were issues of teen pregnancy, coming out of the closet, a car accident, losing competitions, not getting into college, and even attempted suicide. Though some episodes were touchy, they did their job of raising awareness for these issues and helped prevent them from furthering.
However, "Glee" was not always the positive ray of sunshine that its name implies. There were a multitude of feuds between castmates, the most notorious being the feud between Naya Rivera (who portrayed Santana Lopez) and Lea Michele (Rachel Berry). Creator Ryan Murphy once revealed that a lot of the cast did not get along.
The show also dealt with dark losses. In 2017, Mark Salling (who portrayed Noah "Puck" Puckerman) pled guilty for possession of child pornography and faced several years in prison. On January 30, 2018, Salling was found dead from suicide by hanging. Tragedy had also struck in 2013 when male lead Cory Monteith died due to a drug overdose. Fans across the world (including myself) were devastated and our hearts were with Lea Michele, his real-life girlfriend. To this day, his legacy still lives on and he will forever be in our hearts as Finn Hudson, the quarterback.
"Glee, by its very definition, is about opening yourself up to joy," characters on the show stated on multiple occasions. This became the mantra of the series. "Loser Like Me," an original song written for the show, was its anthem, an inspiring song about embracing yourself and overcoming adversities.
While it had its ups and its downs, "Glee" will forever be my favorite show, and I would not be who I am today without it. Its influence has not changed, even ten years later. To the creators, crew, and cast, thank you for an amazing show. Being a part of something special does make you special, as long as you "Don't Stop Believing."
ABC
what 16 year old has this body.media0.giphy.com
Glee was the FOUNDATION for the Riverdale cringe that we all see today. If y'all thought the sophomores fighting crime, catching murderers andhaving sexual relations aggressively in Riverdale was bad, you NEVER took a visit to McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. When I revisited this series a little over a year ago, I would pause the show to recover from the ridiculousness that took place.
Please join me, as we go through the problematic, unrealistic, preposterous, and ABSURD moments from Glee. In no particular order, let's just take a deep breath as we realize how many strange things we missed.
When Finn saw Jesus in his grilled cheese
Giphy??????????? When I rewatched this episode, I actually was aghast. I am DEAD. He makes a grilled cheese, it gives him alleged good luck due to Jesus' face in the bread, and that's that! He is a raging Christian. I get it Finn -- whenever I don't absolutely bomb an exam, I, too, plan my next church visit. But it was just ridiculous. Finn goes FULL ON religious, but once he realizes it's really not a lucky piece of grilled cheese, he is OUT. And then that's that. Alright.
Jesse St. James looking like a fully grown adult
GiphyI am in love with Jesse St. James, or Jonathan Groff (Broadway actor wonder boy). I'm not sure if it's because of my deeply rooted issues with being in love with bad boy men that surely are going to backstab me and hurt me, or just that his voice sounds like smooth caramel, or because when Finn was being a softie lame boy, Jesse swept Rachel off her feet, BUT I LOVE HIM. Except, he looks so old lol. I know, I know, ALL of the characters look too old to be in high school, but c'mon. Jesse looks like he could be a teacher there. I honestly did him justice because I picked a gif that shows him looking quite young. Jesse "St Perfect", which is what Glee fans did call him, could be the 5th year in college that freshman year Me falls in love with, but he uses me and leaves me for LA. I love you.
Becky brings a gun to school
GiphyOkay, so this episode was relevant and an emotional one. There was a threat of a school shooting, it turned out to be Becky, and Sue covered for her. That's fine, no issues there I guess -- but it was NEVER discussed AGAIN. Ever. That episode came up during my binge-watching and I was so shook, because it was glossed over. Ryder or whatever his name was confessed to quite deep issues, we find out his cat fish, and life moved on. Ok? So both Sue and Becky are good? Alrighty then.
Kitty makes Marley bulimic, then they're friends
GiphyOkay, this is later in Glee when it "got bad" so I don't blame you if you're confused. Kitty was some replacement Quinn, but she was actually mean and not in a cool edgy classy way like Q. She didn't like Marley, the new Rachel (once again, poor replacement), so she teaches her how to throw up while shrinking her costumes in Grease. Then, they logically are friends. ????????? ???? ? ???? OKAY? Are we all good with this? Yes? Ok.
Rocky Horror episode
GiphyDon't get me wrong, I love Rocky Horror. I think it's a very niche and unique show! Yes! Love the music. However, how on God's green EARTH is a public high school letting sophomore to seniors perform this? I went to a Christian private school, and I know that isn't the same as a public Ohio high school, but regardless, we had to cut mostly ANY inappropriate or sexual content. Yet Will Schuester -- and OH we will GET TO HIM -- is in love with Emma and because her cool boyfriend (John Stamos <3333) takes her to the show a lot, he's like yep, let me use my students and sexualize them because I want her. ? OK? AND THE SCHOOL BOARD ALLOWS IT?
Will Schuester in general
GiphyHonestly, it was wrong of me to pick this gif. I'm trying to write this roast of Mr. Schue but actually, this scene really tore me apart when I rewatched it.
Get it together Alice you NEED to be heartless
Okay, so first of all, early on in the show Mr. Schue would just jump into rap -- I just feel like I, a former thespian, would be unwell if my teachers were like "HIT IT" and started rapping. Unwell. So also, let's unpack how he BLACKMAILS FINN TO JOIN GLEE WITHOUT FINN KNOWING TILL LIKE, GRADUATION? I rewatched that and realized how lowkey crazy he can be. Mr. Schue gets quite stuck in the past, reminiscing over his Glee glory days, and I get it. I'm not perfect. But I also know that blackmailing isn't a good idea. Also, when he was pining over Emma, he was borderline obsessive, messing with her relationship with <3 John Stamos <3 and idk just overall being way too pushy with her.
Mercedes being in love with Kurt
GiphySo early on in this show, we see that Mercedes has some feelings for Kurt. Even though he just clearly is not straight. I just feel like it is very obvious. Anyway, Mercedes thinks Kurt likes Rachel and is MAD and thEN IT GETS BETTER WHEN she finds out he's gay! Instead of taking that to heart, moving on and sending good vibes, because as a high schooler with aggressive bullies, surely it's hard to be gay, she sings Bust The Windows Out Your Car and smashes his car? I guess? What was up with that.
Mercedes also making a tater tot revolution
GiphyOkay, so in the show, Mercedes makes a bop for regionals which Mr. Schue shoots down called Hell to the No. If you recall, a line from this was They tried to take away my tots, I said hell to the no. Remember when she legit had an uprising for a couple of scenes because Sue understandably wanted to make the cafeteria healthier to fight obesity? Look, I'm no health saint. I UberEatsMcDonald's every weekend, I obsess over food videos on FB -- I love a good greasy snack. But bruhhhhh who WROTE INTO THE SCRIPT Mercedes on the lunch table screaming about tater tots? I surely didn't. It was weird and she really deserved better.
And as an honorary mention, this is just my favorite one:
Glee, never change, but also, what on EARTH was this show?
At least Rachel marries Jesse in the end
So, it's time to sit back and listen to some Christmas music to uplift our spirits while we wait for the snow to come.
All I want for Christmas is You — Mariah Carey
GiphyThis song tops the charts every holiday season and is the ultimate Christmas bop.
White Christmas — Bing Crosby
A little slower compared to some of the newer pop Christmas songs, but still a classic.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas — Frank Sinatra
This is another slow one but the message of the lyrics are still ever so sweet.
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas — Michael Bublé
Honestly, I love Michael Bublé no matter what he sings but his soothing voice is perfect for Christmas carols.
Believe — Josh Groban
From one of the best Christmas movies, The Polar Express, which I personally watch every Christmas.
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree — Brenda Lee
I wasn't the only one that had to dance to this song during elementary school Christmas performances, right?
Besides, it's so catchy and is one of the most upbeat Christmas songs.
Mistletoe — Justin Bieber
Every one misses Justin Bieber when he looked like this and this pop song will help you relive those glory days.
I mean, how often can you say that you listen to a Christmas song with the word "shawty" as one of the main words in the chorus?
Jingle Bell Rock — Glee
You might be able to get over seeing this song in the iconic Mean Girls scene if you listen to this cover.
To be honest, I actually often like the Glee versions of songs more than the originals.
Baby It's Cold Outside — Idina Menzel & Michael Buble'
GiphyThe meaning behind this song has been controversial over the past couple of years but the music video is just so cute.
Plus, this version is a lot more friendly than the original version's lyrics — you can literally grab one of your friends and sing the duet through and through.
Last Christmas — Wham!
Honestly, this is kind of a sad one but you definitely need to listen to it to get over your Christmas blues!
Let it Snow! — Dean Martin
If it's freezing outside then we might as well sing in hopes that we will get snow.
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer — Burl Ives
GiphyEveryone knows these lyrics so it's a great song to listen to so everyone can sing along.
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) — Michael Buble'
Another great one if you're spending the holidays alone plus you can't go wrong with Michael's soothing voice.
Hallelujah — Pentatonix
GiphyEveryone loves a great a cappella song and you won't know if the chills are from the song or the chilly weather outside.
Blue Christmas — Elvis Presley
GiphyAnother sad Christmas song but Elvis has a sound like no other so you can't go wrong.
Santa Tell Me — Ariana Grande
GiphyHonestly, she's been the Queen of Pop lately and this original song tells you why.
You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch — Nashville Cast
GiphyThis is another TV show cover but we have to add this song to the list especially with the new Grinch out in theaters this year.
I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus — Jessica Simpson
Truly a weird Christmas carol but we like to keep things interesting during the holiday season.
Santa Baby — Ariana Grande
GiphyThis is another oddly sexual Christmas carol but it's been covered by a variety of artist and, again, Ariana is currently the Queen of Pop.
Sleigh Ride— Fun.
Another one that has been covered by a variety of artists but this cover is especially unique.
