Few shows have been as ambitious as Glee was throughout its topsy-turvy six-season run. At once a phenomenon and a glorious mess, Glee took teenage campiness to a whole new level by unleashing the concepts of a capella, mashups, and William Schuester into the mainstream.
Over the years, Ryan Murphy's Glee pulled out the stops when it came to musical performances. Whether these songs took place at Sectionals or just in the music room, they were always treated with ion, if not grace. As such, there are some all-time bangers produced by Glee, as well as some more questionable choices.
Best: "Don't Stop Believing"
Many would probably consider their "Don't Stop Believing" cover, which became a perpetual classic on the show, to be the best. However, it was a bit overplayed and cliche by the time the show came to an end.
They definitely helped catapult it into the territory of all-time musical classics, but after a while, it became a bit grating. Still, though, it's impossible to deny the impact of hearing the New Directions belt out the Journey song the first time around.
Worst: "Gangnam Style"
There are many things that have been happening in the world where their only silver lining is that Glee isn't around to do an eye-rolling cover regarding it. Tragically, Glee was still around when "Gangnam Style" was the most popular song in the world.
"Gangnam Style" came in the season four episode, "Thanksgiving" and it is just wrong in every way. Even Ryan Murphy labeled it the worst cover Glee ever performed.
Best: "Rumour Has It/Someone Like You"
A list about the best Glee covers would be incomplete if it left off one of the absolute jams sung by Mercedes over the years. However, Mercedes' mashup (with some Santana, too) of Adele's "Rumour Has It" and "Someone Like You" definitely nabs one of the top spots.
Psy and Adele were both big deals in 2012, but Adele was definitely a much better path for Glee to follow. Amber Riley absolutely crushed this rendition.
Worst: "The Chipmunk Song"
In the season five episode, "Previously Unaired Christmas," the Glee cast decided to perform "The Chipmunk Song" from holiday music at their disposal.
They had some great, festive tunes over the years (Rachel Berry's "O Holy Night" stands out), but "The Chipmunk Song" was just a disaster. Sometimes, it's really hard to imagine how such a bad idea could make it all the way through the creative process.
Best: "Dream On"
Mr. Schue was arguably the worst and most cringe-worthy character on Glee, but he did manage to produce a great song from time to time. In the season one episode, "Dream On," he aptly sings Aerosmith's "Dream On" with Neil Patrick Harris, who was guest starring as Bryan Ryan.
It could have been a recipe for disaster, but the song is actually really well done. The duet is definitely carried by NPH, but it actually made fans want to hear a full version of the rock anthem.
Worst: "Creep"
Not every popular and acclaimed song in history needed an alternative cover take on it. Yet, this was a lesson that Glee never seemed to learn.
One of the most egregious instances came in "Guilty Pleasures" when Brody and Rachel performed Radiohead's "Creep" as a meditation on their lost relationship. It's the kind of performance that is like a car wreck in that it was impossible to look away. There had to have been better song choices for the moment.
Best: "Teenage Dream"
Over the years, Glee did pretty well with guest stars. The aforementioned NPH was great, but the best characters were those who became recurring stars on the show (like Jonathan Groff or, in this case, Darren Criss).
On Glee, Criss portrayed Blaine, the endgame romance for Kurt, who eventually got a story arc of his own. When Kurt and Blaine first meet, the Warblers are performing "Teenage Dream." Heartbreak ensues two seasons later and "Teenage Dream" returns in acoustic form. It was one of Glee's most championed refrains.
Worst: "Blurred Lines"
Talk about short-sighted. Glee always tried to capitalize on the most popular songs (as evidenced by the aforementioned "Gangnam Style"), but it rarely got worse than when "Blurred Lines" was covered in "The End of Twerk."
The whole episode is filled with discomfort as the story centers around the banning of "twerking." But to use this tone-deaf song to encourage the continued use of "twerking"? And to have it sung primarily by Artie and Mr. Schue? Could it have gotten any worse?
Best: "Don't Dream It's Over"
"Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House was performed in the season four episode, "Swan Song" and it remains one of the most underrated Glee performances. It's also the best.
With Finn in charge of the Glee Club, it seems like the whole endeavor has been lost when Sectionals goes awry. Thanks to some encouraging words from Rachel and some resourcefulness from Marley (Melissa Benoist), however, the club was saved! This rousing rendition occurs in the snow with the club reuniting and it showed that, even in the show's fourth season, it could still produce moving, incredible moments.
Worst: "Thong Song"
It turns out that, as bad as "Blurred Lines" was, things had already been worse before on Glee. Way back in season one, Mr. Schue sung "Thong Song" to Emma and it was just uncomfortable in every way.
Over the years, Mr. Schue songs routinely became the most derided and it's because of performances like these. Every facial tic, every curl of his lips, every horrible articulation of this song's lyrics. It's enough to make one's skin crawl.