After over 700 musical performances, the musical phenomenal Glee is entering into its last two episodes this Friday and the final bow.
Inevitably, this Gleek is feeling nostalgic and as impossible as it seems has chosen her favorite 25 Glee performances. (Disclaimer: This is by no means an exhaustive or objective list, just an opportunity to look back on some of the best moments of Glee.)
25) “Empire State of Mind”
Probably the height of Glee’s popularity, and everything that we love about this show. Who doesn’t love a good recruitment number?
24) “Homeward Bound/ Home”
Our first real look at reunion magic after the majority of the regulars graduated from McKinley the season before.
23) “You Can’t Stop the Beat”
This performance is Glee to me. Joy.
22) “Valerie”
Naya Rivera became a power-house for this show and this performance also became a platform to exhibit the insane dance skills of Heather Morris and Harry Shum Jr.
21) “We Are Young”
Classic Glee. An example how they could successfully use popular music to incorporate into a relevant storyline.
20) “Time Warp”
The perfect summation of the dominant ideology of Glee – we will be ourselves no matter what others think.
19) “Jump”
The New Directions first performance without the guidance of Will Schuester and the perfect combination of fun and ridiculous that ended up defining the early run of the show.
18) “Safety Dance”
One of the ironic disappointments of the casting of Glee was that they originally cast their best dancer as a character in a wheelchair. Kevin McHale’s skills are completely on display in this dream sequence, and achieve the perfect sense of ‘what-if’ for Artie.
17) “Rose’s Turn”
In my opinion, the episode Laryngitis was the making of the Kurt Hummel that we all know and love. Chris Colfer at his best.
16) “The Scientist”
As questionable and heartbreaking as “The Break-Up” storyline was, it was all almost worth it to hear the Glee Cast’s version of this Coldplay song, and the flash-backs to each couple meeting for the first time is the desired punch in the gut.
15) “Raise Your Glass”
It seems like Warbler blasphemy to not put the game-changing “Teenage Dream” in the Dalton Academy spot, and while “Raise Your Glass” wasn’t as enormous, it certainly cemented the Warblers’ place in our hearts.
14) “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going”
This list would not be complete without an Amber Riley solo — each of the options just as amazing as the next. However, this performance to me embodies the character of Mercedes Jones and was indecently Amber Riley’s audition song.
13) “True Colors”
The almost criminally underused Jenna Ushkowitz’s moment to shine and a song that perfectly conveys the message, and hopefully the legacy, of the show.
12) “Jessie’s Girl”
Cory was a gift to this show, an enormous part of its success and he never sounded better. (I always wondered if they named Jonathan Groff’s character Jesse, just so that Cory could sing this song.)
11) “Proud Mary”
Back when the ‘after-school special’ wasn’t a regular occurrence, the all-wheel chair number proved to be group-bonding Mr. Schuester wanted it to be. While an understandably logistical nightmare to shoot, it was an early ‘uniting’ number that eventually became the norm in the New Directions.
On page 2: The top 10 ‘Glee’ performances
10) “Halo/Walking on Sunshine”
In this humble Gleeks’ opinion this is the best mash-up that the show ever did and the first example of how the show wasn’t just going to do cut and paste versions of the songs they were covering.
9) “Defying Gravity”
I have always said that Glee was at its best when it was doing Classic Rock group numbers and Broadway – and that sentiment was never truer than the first annual diva-off between Rachel and Kurt. While this episode has the future besties pitted against each other, it was definitely an early indication that they were like-souls.
8) “Don’t Rain on My Parade”
Choosing the Lea’s solo choice was probably the most difficult. Lea Michele sung many solos on Glee – who can forget the classics like “My Man,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” “Get It Right” and “My Headband.” However, this is the song that really announced Rachel Berry to the world and she performed it for a full auditorium without any rehearsal.
7) “How Will I Know”
This is the song that should be played to all nay-sayers who don’t believe the immense talented held by this cast. The harmonies are immaculate.
6) “Faithfully”
Lea Michele recently named this her favorite song that she ever performed and it has long been a fan-favorite. Lea Michele and Cory Monteith never sounded better together.
5) “My Life Would Suck Without You”
The perfect song to finish the first thirteen episodes of season 1 and for Will and Emma’s first kiss. My favorite of this performance is the throwback choreography to all of their previous performances up until their first Sectionals.
4) “Somebody to Love” (Queen)
Vintage Glee. I always get chills every time Rachel’s vocal is introduced into this arrangement of the Queen classic – always a fan-favorite and was used as the encore during the Glee Cast’s World Tour.
3) “Keep Holding On”
Many people have described this number as the moment that Glee became Glee. No complaints here.
2) “Don’t Stop Believin’”
Whether you choose the original, the Haverbrook School for the Deaf cover, the revisited Regionals version, Rachel’s solo or the 100th episode celebration it is undeniable the impact of this song on the show, and will probably forever be associated with the start of this phenomenon.
1) “Paradise” by the Dashboard Light
It seems fitting that the top spot belongs to the song that won the New Directions their first Nationals trophy. The vocals, the choreography and the sense that the number was three years in the making make this the perfect New Directions performance.
