Don't Stop Believin'
We were irrevocably hooked on Glee when the fantastic pilot episode was capped off with a heartfelt and evocative performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'"—still one of the show's best and most evocative performances. Shortly after the pilot aired in May 2009, a recording of the Glee version of the song made its debut at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Rehab
In the pilot, the Glee kids met their rivals, Vocal Adrenaline, who set the bar high with their precisely choreographed cover of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab."
Bad Romance
Lady Gaga covers are super hot right now, so it was no surprise when Glee got in on the action. What was surprising was how much they rocked it out—and how much glitter they used.
Don't Stop Believin' (Reprise)
In the season finale, New Directions got back in touch with their roots, performing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" at regionals. This version had more performers, better costumes, a better musical arrangement...and the same wonderful heart as the original.
Keep Holding On
Kleenex alert! Glee showed it could mix high emotion with theatricality in this touching performance of Avril Lavigne's "Keep Holding On," after the revelation that queen bee cheerleader Quinn (Dianna Agron) was pregnant.
Proud Mary
New Directions took "rolling on the river" literally in this wheelchair-enhanced cover of the Tina Turner-version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary," in honor of wheelchair-bound character Artie (Kevin McHale).
Bust Your Windows
Mercedes (Amber Riley) killed in her first solo outing, a blistering cover of Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows" that was guaranteed to make you think twice before messing with her.
Young Girl / Don't Stand So Close to Me
Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) mashed up "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap and "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police in an effort to sway Rachel (Lea Michele) away from crushing on him. It, um, didn't help. Singing all sexylike? Not good for turning the ladies off.
Physical
The Madonna episode's frame-by-frame remake of the "Vogue" music video got a lot of media attention, but it was nothing compared to the hilarious remake of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical," starring the England-born, Australia-raised songstress as herself and Jane Lynch as tracksuit enthusiast Sue Sylvester.
Jump
Van Halen's "Jump" finally got what it was always missing—a metric ton of mattresses—when the New Directions kids filmed a local commercial.
Dream On
We're just gonna come right out and say it—Neil Patrick Harris can do no wrong. The delightful triple threat elevates any TV show, movie, or musical he's in, and Glee was no exception, as he rocked out on an ultra-competitive duet of Aerosmith's "Dream On" with Matthew Morrison.
Imagine
Kleenex alert, Part 2: New Directions teamed up with a deaf glee club for a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" that was wonderfully supplemented with an American Sign Language translation of the lyrics.
It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World
Quinn (Dianna Agron) rounded up a bevy of other single mothers-to-be for a soulful indictment of the way women are treated in this man's man's man's world by turning the James Brown song on its head.
Like a Virgin
The much anticipated (by us, anyway) Madonna-themed episode did not disappoint, and our hands-down favorite number was the very hands- on "Like a Virgin," which saw three of the characters contemplating cashing in their v-cards. Madge would be so proud!
I Dreamed a Dream
Kleenex alert, Part 3: Rachel (Lea Michele) imagines the birth mother she never knew… who turned out to be none other than the coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline (Broadway vet Idina Menzel).
The Lady Is a Tramp
Puck (Mark Salling) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) kicked it old school with a swinging rendition of the 1937 Rodgers and Hart show-tune classic "The Lady Is a Tramp." Fingers crossed this kicks off a resurgence of fedoras.