We Need to Talk About Glee, Part 3

Welcome back to Part 3 of our Glee recap series! Season 3 is better than Season 1 but nowhere near as good as Season 2 while still having iconic musical numbers that make up for lackluster new characters (Sugar, Joe) and meh storylines (Dino-Prom, teenage engagements).

Season 3 of Glee premiered on Fox on September 20th, 2011 with the finale airing on May 22nd, 2012. This season marks a definitive crossroads in the series as around half of the main cast prepares to graduate from McKinley High and go forth into the real world. As we've come to expect, this season includes new pressures and issues for the students and faculty to endure, including but not limited to disabilities, domestic violence, outing, pregnancy, sex (as always), sexual & gender identity, stress, teenage suicide, and texting while driving.

As with the previous seasons, I have chosen what, in my opinion, is the best song from each episode of the season. I'll be comparing the Glee cover with the original song, talking about which one I personally prefer, and a little bit about the context of why the song was used in the show as well as shoutouts to the cast members who sang the songs. Let's dive in!

S3E1: The Purple Piano Project (September 20th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: Anything Goes/Anything You Can Do (written by C. Porter, I. Berlin)

Original Artist(s): Anything Goes Cast/Annie Get Your Gun Cast

Anything Goes was originally featured in Act 1 of the 1934 musical Anything Goes and is performed by the characters of Reno Sweeney, the Foursome, and the show's Company. Anything You Can Do was originally featured in Act 2 of the 1946 musical Annie Get Your Gun and is performed by the characters of Annie and Frank.These two absolutely iconic classic Broadway songs help to create one of Season 3's first mashups right off the bat in a super high energy performance.

Glee Artist: Harmony (Lindsay Pearce) & NYADA Hopefuls

This mashup does an excellent job showcasing the incredible talent of Lindsay Pearce and the character of Harmony, who Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) see as their primary rival in getting admitted into the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, or NYADA. Pearce, who has since gone on to star in Wicked and Mean Girls on Broadway, has truly awesome vocal moments throughout this song, and there's a fun dance number in the middle as well that encapsulates the feel of the stage era these songs came from. This mashup is definitely on the Do Not Miss List.

S3E2: I Am Unicorn (September 27th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: Somewhere (written by L. Bernstein, S. Sondheim)

Original Artist: West Side Story Cast

A large part of why Season 3 is not my fave is due to my intense dislike of this particular musical and how heavily it is featured in the first several episodes of this year. Somewhere was originally featured in Act 2 of the 1957 musical West Side Story and is performed by the character of Consuelo. West Side Story is so unbelievably boring to me, and I just feel like both Bernstein and Sondheim have such better works that should be praised more highly than this. It probably has to do with my impatience with its inspiration, Romeo & Juliet, but oy vey do I get annoyed when I hear or see most anything about this show.

Glee Artist: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) & Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel)

I'm pretty sure I'll say this for every season, but if Idina sings on Glee that version is more than likely getting the win from me. This duet between Rachel and her birth mother/mentor/rival Glee club coach Shelby is, as we've come to expect from both of them, outstanding and super full of emotion as Rachel prepares to audition for one of her many dream roles of Maria in McKinley's production of West Side Story. These two create stunning harmonies together that just dance throughout their respective sound waves, and while I don't like the song much on its own I agree that this is a beautiful cover of it.

S3E3: Asian F (October 4th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: Cool (written by L. Bernstein, S. Sondheim)

Original Artist: West Side Story Cast

Yay, more of this. Cool was originally featured in Act 1 of 1957's West Side Story and is performed by the character of Riff accompanied by The Jets. This is a very dance heavy number in an already dance heavy show, and while I as a former dancer usually love that, those songs aren't always the most interesting to listen to.

Glee Artist: Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.)

This is the audience's first chance to hear Mike (played by the talented Harry Shum, Jr.) sing solo, and he absolutely nails it. We already knew he was a gifted dancer, but this number is satisfying to watch as Mike auditions for (and ultimately gets) the role of Riff and shows how much he's worked on his singing voice, which had been overlooked and in one case somewhat mocked in previous seasons. I'm giving the Glee version the win here as well because of that, as well as it being shorter than the original so it's over faster (sorry not sorry).

S3E4: Pot o' Gold (November 1st, 2011)

Spotlight Song: Bein' Green (written by J. Raposo)

Original Artist: Kermit the Frog

I'll always have a soft spot for the Muppets, as we all probably should. Originally featured during the 1970's on both The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, this is the song most associated with Kermit after Rainbow Connection. It's sweet and nostalgic, and I loved seeing it show up on this show.

Glee Artist: Rory Flanagan (Damian McGinty)

Rory (played by the charming and adorable Damian McGinty) was a delightful addition to the cast this season, from his demeanor to his genuine Irish accent to his beautiful crooner-style singing voice. I thought it was really cute that this was his introductory song as a foreign exchange student feeling out of place, a feeling probably not helped by Brittany (Heather Morris), his host sister (is that the right term?) believing him to actually be a leprechaun. He dreams about making her wishes come true and getting together with her, which is quite the dream sequence even for Glee, but it's charming in its absurdity. I loved every number Rory got to sing, so Glee gets the win here again.

S3E5: The First Time (November 8th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: America (written by L. Bernstein, S. Sondheim)

Original Artist: West Side Story Cast

Thank goodness for me this is the last bit of WSS we get for a while because these first few episodes were torturous for me. America was originally featured in Act 1 of 1957's West Side Story and is performed by the characters of Anita, Rosalia, and the girls of the Shark gang. This is a pretty good number considering where it came from, and it's easily one of the most iconic numbers in the whole show.

Glee Artist: McKinley High School Cast of West Side Story

It's finally showtime, so of course there's a huge amount of WSS music in this episode. The best number by a mile is this one, lead primarily by Santana (Naya Rivera) as Anita, Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) as Rosalia, Mike as Riff, and joined by Puck (Mark Salling) and Rory. Rivera is the shining star of this number without question, and all of their voices blend together super well and do the number justice, so I'll say I enjoy this version more than the original.

S3E6: Mash Off (November 15th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: You and I/You and I (written by S. Germanotta, F. Myers)

Original Artist(s): Lady Gaga/Eddie Rabbit & Crystal Gayle

Yoü and I was featured on Lady Gaga's 2011 album Born This Way, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #6, and is certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA. You and I was featured on Eddie Rabbit's 1982 album Radio Romance and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #7. Yoü and I is one of my favorite Gaga songs, and while I would have loved to hear it on its own, the same title different song mashup here ended up being really, really good.

Glee Artist: Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel) and Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison)

Told you, Idina sings, Idina wins. She and Morrison blend so well together on this power ballad mashup. This performance is an ideal example of when Glee does a mashup well, taking the best parts of each song and creating something new and beautiful. It's also a great illustration of what Will and Shelby are trying to do in this episode by challenging New Directions and The Troubletones to a Mash-Off and getting them to set aside their differences to engage in friendly competition and remember why they're all friends.

S3E7: I Kissed a Girl (November 29th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (written by R. Hazard)

Original Artist: Greg Laswell

Girls Just Want to Have Fun was originally featured on Cyndi Lauper's 1983 album She's So Unusual; however, Glee chose to cover Greg Laswell's version that was released as a demo in 2009 and featured on the soundtrack for the film Confessions of a Shopaholic. The original Lauper version has been a favorite of mine for almost my entire life, starting when my mom put it on my treasured Oldies Mixtape she made me in the late '90s. I do also really like Laswell's slowed down ballad version and the completely different emotional experience it creates.

Glee Artist: Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) and New Directions Boys

Oh boy, this episode was rough to watch. With Finn and Santana both dealing with the repercussions of him outing her and her suspension for retaliating and slapping him, this episode was already tense and emotional from the start. Finn gathering the rest of the guys to sing this as an act of support for her as well as an apology for his actions is a very, very sweet scene, and you can tell Naya Rivera was genuinely emotional while filming it. The guys do a lovely job and have some nice, tight harmonies, but I'm giving the original the win here by just a little because I personally love the intimate, stripped down feeling of just his voice and the instrument.

S3E8: Hold on to Sixteen (December 6th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: ABC (written by F. Peered, A. Mizell, D. Richards, B. Gordy)

Original Artist: The Jackson 5

What an absolute classic - seriously, who doesn't know at least the chorus to this song? ABC was featured on The Jackson 5's 1970 album of the same name, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Even for those who are genuinely surprised to learn that the vocals are provided by a twelve-year-old Michael Jackson (yes, some people don't know, let them be), this song was and remains to this day an undeniable bop.

Glee Artist: New Directions

New Directions did a phenomenal job on not just this song, but their entire Michael Jackson inspired set at Sectionals. They have to do the entire set without Rachel, who's suspended for rigging the Student Council Election, and for those of us who can't stand Rachel it was satisfying to see them do 100% fine without her. Tina, Mike, Kurt, and Quinn (Dianna Agron), each get a solo in this number and they all do a great job, with this being a long time favorite of mine. They genuinely look like they're having a ball shooting this number, and for that I have to say it's a tie for me on which version I like best; I just can't choose here, and think they're both really great.

S3E9: Extraordinary Merry Christmas (December 13th, 2011)

Spotlight Song: Christmas Wrapping (written by C. Butler)

Original Artist: The Waitresses

I didn't know this song before this Christmas special, but it's been on my Christmas playlist ever since. Christmas Wrapping was featured on The Waitresses' 1981 album A Christmas Record. This song is weird and fun and undeniably '80s, and while I'm not personally a fan of the vocals this song is still an absolute bop.

Glee Artist: Brittany Pearce (Heather Morris) & The Cheerios

I had a really hard time choosing a favorite song from this episode, but I had to land here with honorable mentions to Blue Christmas and Let It Snow. Brittany was the perfect choice to lead this number, and the inclusion of the Cheerios and the ribbon dance number is so much fun. The Glee version is getting the win here because I just like Morris's vocals better and I feel like there's more energy on the chorus than on the original, but this number is still a great homage to the source material.

S3E10: Yes/No (January 17th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (written by E. MacColl)

Original Artist: Roberta Flack

I've written about this song a lot on this blog because it was such a hit when its came out, but it truly deserves every accolade. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was featured on Roberta Flack's 1969 album First Take, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, is certified Platinum by the RIAA, and won both Record & Song of the Year at the 1973 Grammy Awards. This is such a stunningly beautiful, deceptively difficult song, and it's always a treat to listen to.

Glee Artist: Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), & Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz)

Having the four strongest female New Directions vocalists turn this iconic love song into a quartet was an absolute move, and I am here for it to this day. The girls perform this for Will to consider as a proposal number for Emma (Jayma Mays), and the emotion each of them pours into their respective verse is unmatched. They also do these gorgeous echo effects with each other on the chorus sections that fill the song out so beautifully. I'm calling a tie here, because both versions are amazing in their own ways and I neither can nor want to choose between them.

S3E11: Michael (January 31st, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Smooth Criminal (written by M. Jackson)

Original Artist: Michael Jackson

What a song performed by such an icon. Smooth Criminal was featured on Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #7, and is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. This may not be my favorite Michael Jackson song (see note below), but it's got a great beat and catchy lyrics that stick in your head for days on end.

Glee Artist: Sebastian Smythe (Grant Gustin) & Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) ft. 2CELLOS

I'll be mad that Glee didn't cover Billie Jean until the day I die, but this is my third favorite Glee cover of all time. Gustin and Rivera perform this vocally difficult song seemingly without effort, and the inclusion of 2CELLOS (who covered this song in 2011) is so freaking cool and different. We also get a top tier Santana line thanks to this scene ("I taped it to my underboob!"), and it's really nice to see Santana be a team player and care about someone (Blaine) besides herself or Brittany for once. Sorry Michael, but the Glee version wins hands down and will always be on my Never Skip List.

S3E12: The Spanish Teacher (February 7th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Sexy and I Know It (written by G. Robertson, K. Oliver, E. Beck, Listenbee, S. Gordy)

Original Artist: LMFAO

I remember that year long stretch where you couldn't escape either this song or Party Rock Anthem on the radio like it was yesterday. Sexy and I Know It was featured on LMFAO's 2011 album Sorry for Party Rocking, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, and is certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA. The LMFAO era feels like a fever dream now, but this song is fun in a nostalgic way nowadays, and without it we'd all say "I work out" with a lot less panache.

Glee Artist: David Martinez (Ricky Martin) & New Directions

I LOVE that Glee got Ricky Martin to guest star, and I honestly love that they split this song up with both English and Spanish lyrics. Martin was so much fun to watch as a Spanish teacher who actually knows what he's doing, and the energy he brought to this episode was through the roof. Whether you liked him in the 90s or not, homeboy can sing, so Glee wins this round too because the guys in LMFAO just can't. This was a weird episode with some really cringey moments (like Will, Artie, Finn, and Puck singing La Cucaracha), but this song was definitely a high point.

S3E13: Heart (February 14th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: I Will Always Love You (written by D. Parton)

Original Artist: Whitney Houston

This is another song I've written a lot about already due to this song's permanent place in music and pop culture history. I Will Always Love You was originally featured on Dolly Parton's 1974 album Jolene, but Glee (like most people) chose to cover the equally as iconic Whitney Houston cover from the 1992 film The Bodyguard. Houston's version peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, is certified Diamond by the RIAA, and won both Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1994 Grammy Awards. Now you can choose to be Team Dolly or Team Whitney, but why bother when both versions are phenomenal in their own unique ways and both are sung by undisputed queens of the music industry? Just like and respect them both, I say.

Glee Artist: Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley)

No one else, and I mean no one else, could've performed this song on Glee even 10% as well as Amber Riley. It's an emotional enough scene watching Mercedes break up with Sam with this song while breaking her own heart in the process, but factor in the fact that this episode aired literally three days after Whitney Houston died and just know that all of us who watched it live were inconsolable. Not many people can do this song true justice (although countless karaoke performers have tried and will continue to do so), but Riley's cover deserves equal recognition with the true greats. Therefore, I declare another tie.

S3E14: On My Way (February 21st, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Cough Syrup (written by S. Gandhi, J. Tilley, E. Cannata, F. Comtois, E. Hashemian)

Original Artist: Young the Giant

I knew nothing about this song before this episode, but will be forever grateful that this was my introduction to it. Cough Syrup was featured on Young the Giant's 2010 self-titled album, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #95, and is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. This is an incredible song with beautiful lyrics that can mean so many different things to so many different people, and it's been a favorite of mine since this episode originally aired.

Glee Artist: Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss)

This is my second favorite Glee performance ever, as well as being my all-time favorite cover version of any song to date. Young the Giant themselves were incredibly complimentary of Criss's performance, and rightfully so because he knocks it out of the park and into the far reaches of outer space. Blaine auditioning this song for the Regionals set while simultaneously having us watch David Karofsky (Max Adler) have a mental break after being outed is one of the most gut wrenching things I've seen on television to this day. I think it goes without saying that Glee wins this one for me.

S3E15: Big Brother (April 10th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Hungry Like the Wolf/Rio (written by N. Rhodes, S. Le Bon, J. Taylor, R. Taylor, A. Taylor)

Original Artist: Duran Duran

Hungry Like the Wolf was featured on Duran Duran's 1982 album Rio, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #3, is certified Gold by the RIAA, and won Best Short Form Music Video at the 1984 Grammy Awards. Rio was also featured on the same album and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #14. Duran Duran has such a specific sound, even for the '80s, and hearing two of their biggest songs mashed together was definitely an experience.

Glee Artist: Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) & Cooper Anderson (Matt Bomer)

Gosh, did twenty-year-old me have enormous crushes on both Darren Criss and Matt Bomer, so when Bomer guest starred as Blaine's big brother Cooper it was the absolute best day. It was hard to pick between either this duet or their performance of Somebody That I Used to Know, but I went with Hungry & Rio because I love the energy in this number and I just like the original of Somebody too much. It's also interesting to see the normally "up for anything" Blaine be so unenthused to perform with his older brother, and watching their sibling relationship be briefly explored was pretty cool.

S3E16: Saturday Night Glee-ver (April 17th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: You Should Be Dancing (written by B. Gibb, R. Gibb, M. Gibb)

Original Artist: The Bee Gees

What a perfect song to introduce another Glee fever dream sequence. You Should Be Dancing was featured on both The Bee Gees' 1976 album Children of the World and the soundtrack to 1977's Saturday Night Fever, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, and is certified Gold by the RIAA. Barry Gibb has such a unique vocal style that it's hard to imagine anyone but him taking over lead vocals, but surely Glee would give it a shot.

Glee Artist: Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), Brittany Pearce (Heather Morris), & Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.)

And give it a shot they did. Criss has a fantastic range, and between he and Morris splitting the melody, three of Glee's top dancers did great on this number as Blaine shows his "vintage" Regionals inspiration off to Will. This number was a lot of fun, and nothing against the cast or their performance, but The Bee Gees are just difficult to properly imitate, so the original takes the W here.

S3E17: Dance with Somebody (April 24th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: How Will I Know (written by G. Merrill, N. Walden, S. Rubicam)

Original Artist: Whitney Houston

I hate that it took so long for this show to do a Whitney Episode (and a Michael Episode too, really), but at least we got one. How Will I Know was featured on Whitney Houston's 1985 self-titled album, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, and is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. I think this song can easily be overshadowed by other songs in Houston's repertoire like I Will Always Love You or I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which is really a shame because it's just as good and just as much fun to listen to.

Glee Artist: Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), & Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera)

While this is my fifth personal favorite Glee number, I have to concede that this may be one of the best covers this show ever did period. The a cappella quartet on a bare stage to an empty auditorium left me in absolute awe, and they made the total right call on whose vocals were perfect to give this number justice. It's perfect back to front, and while Whitney's original is a fantastic bop, Glee wins this round because I never, ever skip past in when it comes on.

S3E18: Choke (May 1st, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Cry (written by J. Halbert, K. Clarkson, M. Townsend)

Original Artist: Kelly Clarkson

Ya'll know I adore Kelly Clarkson, and I love this somewhat overlooked song seeing the love that it deserves. Cry was featured on Clarkson's 2009 album All I Ever Wanted, alongside other singles like My Life Would Suck Without You and Already Gone. This is an amazing belter ballad that Kelly sings as though it's the easiest thing in the world (as a singer myself, let me assure you that it is NOT), and it's a must listen for any fan of hers.

Glee Artist: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele)

Ya'll, I'm not sorry, I had no sympathy for Rachel blowing her NYADA audition after her consistently crappy attitude and also knowing she'd end up getting what she wanted anyway because that's just the way this show worked. This was the perfect song for that moment, though, and I myself have felt the despair of a rejection I felt completely blindsided by so maybe I did have the smallest amount of empathy for Rachel for the briefest moment. The original wins here because the song fit's Kelly's voice much better than Lea's (like I've said before, she's a musical theater singer, not a pop star) and because I love Kelly and don't like Rachel.

S3E19: Prom-asaurus (May 8th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Dinosaur (written by M. Martin, J. Schuster, K. Sebert)

Original Artist: Kesha

Like with LMFAO, early-era Kesha (or Ke$ha back then) feels like an insane dream, but it was all very, very real. Dinosaur was featured on Kesha's 2010 album Animal and is certified Gold by the RIAA. There's exactly one Kesha song that I can say I didn't hate the first fifty times I heard it, and that song is not Dinosaur but Take It Off. Dinosaur and the others had to slow burn their ways into my heart, where I'm still a little confused by them but they're here to stay.

Glee Artist: Brittany Pearce (Heather Morris)

This is another bonkers bananas crazy episode of this show, purely because Brittany chooses a damn dinosaur theme for prom as Class President. I wish I could say it worked for me and was charming, but it didn't and it wasn't so I watched the whole episode with a very bemused look on my face. Brittany's performance of Dinosaur is fun, but it's really no better or worse than the original so we're going to just call this one a tie.

S3E20: Props (May 15th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: I Won't Give Up (written by J. Mraz, M. Natter)

Original Artist: Jason Mraz

I have a soft spot for Jason Mraz largely due to I'm Yours being my husband and I's "song." I Won't Give Up was featured on Mraz's 2012 album Love Is a Four Letter Word, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8, and is certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA. This is a gorgeous song both instrumentally and vocally, and it's as lovely to listen to as it is fun to sing.

Glee Artist: Rachel Berry (Lea Michele)

Okay, okay, Lea Michele did a great job with this number, I'll admit it. I liked the angle of her singing this song about not giving up on her dream instead of not giving up on Finn or something, and she packs a lot of genuine emotion into this performance that makes you actually want to root for her. I'm giving this round a tie as well because I like hearing the song lead by a female vocalist equally as well as the original being sung by a male, and they both do a fantastic job.

S3E21: Nationals (May 15th, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Edge of Glory (written by S. Germanotta, F. Garibay, P. Blair)

Original Artist: Lady Gaga

I love how much Gaga they did on this show. The Edge of Glory was featured on Lady Gaga's 2011 album Born This Way, peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #3, and is certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA. This song, along with most of the rest of this album, is when I think people started to realize just how crazy talented Gaga is, and thank goodness because she is an absolute treasure and musical icon.

Glee Artist: Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron), Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz), & The Troubletones

Watching Quinn and Tina get to join in with The Troubletones was a great highlight of watching New Directions finally win Nationals after three long years. I love a good girl power number, and these talented ladies doing the absolute most onstage was awesome indeed. While it was truly great, the original will be taking the win here because Gaga's performance is just that awesome, and without her this song wouldn't be where it is today.

S3E22: Goodbye (May 22nd, 2012)

Spotlight Song: Forever Young (written by B. Dylan, J. Cregan, K. Savigar, R. Stewart)

Original Artist: Rod Stewart

The end of an era calls for a classic song to show us out. Forever Young was featured on Rod Stewart's 1988 album Out of Order and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #12. This song hits so many emotional notes, and Stewart himself credits his children as the main inspiration for writing it, and I love that it's not necessarily a goodbye, more just a "see you later."

Glee Artist: Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison)

Now being a teacher myself, I feel Will's emotion in this number even more intensely then I did eleven years ago. This was an incredibly sweet goodbye from a teacher who just wanted the best for his students, and his pride and love for them is so evident throughout the whole song. I love the acoustic performance by Morrison, but the original wins here by just a hair purely because that drum beat and electric guitar line just add a layer to this song and it feels empty without it.

As always, I hope you found some great classics and covers to check out from this post. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!