Expand Photo
When it was first announced that Gwyneth Paltrow would be singing Cee Lo's "Fuck You" — and the sanitized version, no less — it seemed like a hilariou... more
When it was first announced that Gwyneth Paltrow would be singing Cee Lo's "Fuck You" — and the sanitized version, no less — it seemed like a hilarious cosmic joke. The thing is, Glee was totally in on that joke, and Paltrow's performance was such a giddy rush of pure dorkiness that it probably transformed the gal's entire career. (It also gave Vulture this priceless picture of Paltrow throwing mad side-eye, and you'd better believe that we have milked it on every Paltrow post since.)
Expand Photo
No big fantasy production or elaborate costumes needed here: just pure soul.
Expand Photo
This instantly iconic performance has been rehashed countless times since — and may suffer in retrospect after a season of Warbler overload — but it's... more
This instantly iconic performance has been rehashed countless times since — and may suffer in retrospect after a season of Warbler overload — but it's still terrific. Just as "Don't Stop Believin'" was Glee 's signature first-year song, this Darren Criss jam may be season two's most memorable moment.
Expand Photo
Obviously, the best original song Glee has in its arsenal. They could have won nationals with this! (But in all seriousness, Naya Rivera is surely thi... more
Obviously, the best original song Glee has in its arsenal. They could have won nationals with this! (But in all seriousness, Naya Rivera is surely this season's MVP. And we really do love this song, no lie.)
Expand Photo
Just like "Forget You," this was a groaner of a concept: Would Glee really stoop to cover a YouTube novelty? And yet, instead of parodying that which ... more
Just like "Forget You," this was a groaner of a concept: Would Glee really stoop to cover a YouTube novelty? And yet, instead of parodying that which had already been parodied to death, the Glee rendition celebrated something that few "Friday" postmortems have ever really acknowledged — namely, that after you've listened to Rebecca Black's song countless times, it goes all the way past wrong and actually sounds kinda good somehow.
Expand Photo
Expand Photo
Group
numbers come and group numbers go, but this one somehow stuck around.
Maybe it was the contact high we got from their joy at winning
regional... more
Group
numbers come and group numbers go, but this one somehow stuck around.
Maybe it was the contact high we got from their joy at winning
regionals,
or maybe we were impressed at the vocal dexterity involved in
navigating Florence and the Machine's loopy tempo riffs and non-melody.
In any case, we dug it.
Expand Photo
We always knew Brittany could dance, but this is where we learned that Brittany could
dance . Like,
dance. If case you've forgotten since then, here'... more
We always knew Brittany could dance, but this is where we learned that Brittany could
dance . Like,
dance. If case you've forgotten since then, here's a fuzzy video mash-up of the Brittany/Britney versions. Which is which? Who cares?! Photo:
Expand Photo
Look,
we are obviously partial to Jesse St. James (to the extent that we
refuse to refer to him by anything other than his full, marvelous name),
b... more
Look,
we are obviously partial to Jesse St. James (to the extent that we
refuse to refer to him by anything other than his full, marvelous name),
but
wherever your loyalties lie, this was an awesome song, made only better
by the voyeuristic addition of the drama-club kids painting sets in the
background. Haters be damned!
Expand Photo
This
captured Kurt's moment perfectly: the diva, returned from exile, full to
bursting with hope and song. Kurt delivered an inspired
performance —... more
This
captured Kurt's moment perfectly: the diva, returned from exile, full to
bursting with hope and song. Kurt delivered an inspired
performance — restrained,
uplifting, and pitch-perfect — and honestly, would you have expected
Kurt to mark his return with anything but Andrew Lloyd Weber?
Expand Photo
This was the song that Mr. Schue sang to the cancer kids, which made Sue Sylvester nearly tear up. You totally suppressed that this ever happened, rig... more
This was the song that Mr. Schue sang to the cancer kids, which made Sue Sylvester nearly tear up. You totally suppressed that this ever happened, right? Sorry to reopen the wound!
Expand Photo
We've watched the entire second season of Glee , yet we're still not entirely sure what Sam's singing voice sounds like. (Our best guess is that it's t... more
We've watched the entire second season of Glee , yet we're still not entirely sure what Sam's singing voice sounds like. (Our best guess is that it's the guiding vocal for all of Cory Monteith's tracks.) Something else we're not sure of: how the hell New Directions advanced on their quest to nationals after performing this weak-sauce song.
Expand Photo
Ugh, what? What? No, we're not even going to dignify this with the proper screencap.
Expand Photo
If only they'd let Gwyneth's pitch-perfect first episode stand on its own. Instead, Holly Holliday returned a few weeks later and tried to have anothe... more
If only they'd let Gwyneth's pitch-perfect first episode stand on its own. Instead, Holly Holliday returned a few weeks later and tried to have another "Forget You" moment right off the bat, re-creating the location, the spontaneous group dancing, and the song-ending non sequitur, all to diminishing returns.
Expand Photo
What was even happening here? We still don't know.