Top 5 Musical Performances from GLEE: Season 3

Just when you thought I was done with my unhealthy obsession with Glee, here comes another post. Over the past two years, I've celebrated the season premieres by putting together a top five list of my favorite musical performances from the preceding batch of episodes. Since tonight is the Season 4 opener, I needed to keep the tradition going even though this list was thrown together a little haphazardly.

5. "Stereo Hearts" from "Heart"
Honestly, I had never heard this song before Glee, and I don't know if I would've liked the original version, but there's something charming about this rendition. It's probably because it was one of the few standout musical moments for Sam (who became one of my favorites during Season 3), and him rapping is charmingly dorky. I also thought it was a decent enough introduction for Joe, and I just enjoy listening to this song.

4. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" from "I Kissed a Girl"
I know that most people hated this one because of their misguided disdain for Finn, and because the scene could be considered awkward, but I got a kick out of the stripped down version of this Cyndi Lauper classic (which apparently was a cover of a cover, so thanks Wikipedia). Admittedly, the entire moment may have been a tad tone def, but I still dug it and applauded Cory Monteith's performance.

3. "ABC" from "Hold on to Sixteen"
You really cannot go wrong with the Jackson 5, and New Directions' opening number during Sectionals was a good use of a classic song. While I don't know if Glee's version of "ABC" was all that original or fresh, it was solid, upbeat and a heck of a lot of fun, which is how this song should be performed. I also loved the fact that it was able to showcase so many of the characters who have been pushed to the background by Rachel and Finn. Good stuff all around.

2. "Cool" from "Asian F"
Even though I still feel that Glee's need to give everyone a storyline was one of the reasons it lost some ground, I've been a Mike Chang fan since he was given actually lines. Heck, "Sing!" was even one of my favorite numbers from Season 2, and this time around he was bumped up a few spots thanks to one of his rare solos. Now, my admiration for the Changster was not the only reason I ranked "Cool" so high, I also really love the song and it's by far my favorite from West Side Story. Oh, and let's not forget all of the sweet dancing.

1. "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" from "Nationals"
This one's another example of a song that I didn't know existed before the show covered it. While I do not have any emotional attachment to "Dashboard" or to Meat Loaf, it's my top song of Season 3 because it was such a great performance from start to finish. Usually, competition numbers can be hit or miss but are still the highlights of the episodes, but "Dashboard" was so far ahead of all of the previous ones that it could be one of my favorite Glee moments ever. I just loved the energy, the song, the story, the choreography, pretty much everything.

One quick honorable mention, I should have included "Smooth Criminal" from the Michael Jackson episode mostly due to the dueling cellists, but that performance didn't make me smile like "Stereo Hearts," so I stick by my top five. Overall, I'd say that Season 3 trumped Season 2 in terms of the music because it did a better job at integrating the songs into the bigger picture whereas the year before felt too iTunes driven. Let's hope we get more of the same during Season 4.

TV Showdown: Battle of the Emmy Opening Numbers

I've only been watching the Emmys regularly for a few years now, but the on-going trend seems to be kicking-off the show with a musical number. Here are the last four memorable performances:

2007: Stewie & Brian Griffin (FOX)

The Family Guy number kicked off the 2007 Emmys, and it's still somewhat decent although I could've done without some of the lower-brow jokes. Then again, it's Family Guy. What do you expect?

2009: Neil Patrick Harris (CBS)

In my opinion, NPH truly kicked off the trend (although I know I'm wrong about this assertion), and it's hard to top his Broadway-style opening number. Plus, I like how it's well executed without being overly produced. Still one of the best awards show moments to date.

2010: Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

It's only been a year, but it's hard to remember a time when it was actually OK to like Glee. The musical dramedy took the world by storm, so it was only natural that the Emmys would riff on one of TV's biggest shows. For my money, Fallon's "Born to Run" sketch brilliantly combined music, comedy, and pop culture which made it a phenom in its own right.

2011: Janey Lynch (FOX)

I've already shared my thoughts on Lynch's opening number, and while it does have its moments, it cannot stand up to NPH or Fallon's. Sorry Sue, but that's how Cos sees it.

Honorable Mention - 2008: Josh Groban (ABC)

I don't know when Groban's medley of TV theme songs took place during the 2008 telecast, but it's impressive none the less. Too bad for him it took place during one of the worst Emmy shows ever.

WINNER: While it's hard to say no to NPH (who should host every awards show from now til the end of time), I'm going to have to give Jimmy Fallon the win, and it has nothing to do with my Glee bias. "Put Down the Remote" may be a better performance, but "Born to Run" has it all.

Top 5 Musical Performances from GLEE: Season 2

Last year, I put together a Top Five list of my favorite musical performances from Season 1 of Glee, and with the Season 3 premiere coming up next Tuesday, I thought I'd do the same for Season 2:

5. "I'm A Slave 4 U" from "Britney/Brittany"
"Britney/Brittany" has been labeled as the weakest episode of the series, and it's hard to debate that argument since it did feel like a string of homage music videos connected with the flimsiest of story. That being said, I'm not going to hate on an episode that allowed Heather Morris to dance around in a belly dancer costume. I mean seriously, look at the picture. There ain't nothing wrong with that. Say what you will about the entire thing, Brittany's "Slave 4 U" moment was definitely memorable.

4. "Sing!" from "Duets"
From one of the worst episodes of Season 2 to one of the best. "Duets" was one of the rare outings that truly focused on the students of New Directions and their relationships. One of the newest ships to sail during last season was Tina and Mike (I still refer to them as Asian Fusion), and seeing them as a couple was a nice change of pace. Their duet,"Sing!", from A Chorus Line was not only cute, but a great way to give Mike more to do, and it fit with their overall storyline. In a lot of ways "Sing!" was the perfect example of how music can be used on Glee. Let's hope we're in for more of these performances in Season 3.

3. "Valerie" from "Special Education"

Season 2 was a breakout year for Brittany and Santana. They were able to get out of Quinn's shadow and became fully realized characters themselves, and they even got their own stand-out musical moments. One of Santana's highlights took place during the sectionals episode, "Special Education", where she got a solo singing "Valerie". I had never heard of the song before the episode, and I was really impressed with Santana's performance, and the fact that Brittany and Mike had a dance routine didn't hurt either.

2. "Get It Right" from "Original Song"
If you're like Jeff Winger, you've been waiting for New Directions to try singing their own music and Season 2 answered your prayers. I was happy to see the show move out of its comfort zone and actually try something different. Out of the four original songs that New Directions sang during the season, "Get It Right" was the strongest mostly because it was a natural selection for Rachel. Also, it was a solid effort from Lea Michele who seemed to be given less time to shine. I can understand why Rachel was held back a little during Season 2, and "Get It Right" was a welcomed comeback for the character.

1. "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" from "Born This Way"
While "Sing!" was a great song that combined theme, character, and story, it was no where near as great as the mash-up of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story and TLC's "Unpretty". Season 2 was a little mash-up crazy, and most were OK, but "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" was perfectly melancholy, and both songs combined to be one of the best musical moments on the show. It also was a great way to underline the self-accpetance theme of "Born This Way" and finally gave Rachel and Quinn the chance to sing together. Faberry shippers must have been going nuts. Silly shipper non-sense aside, "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" was extraordinary from start to finish and definitely the highlight of Season 2.

Much like the overall season, the song choices and musical performances during Season 2 could not match up to Season 1. We did get some fun moments throughout the year, but most felt out-of-place, over the top, or just didn't work as well. From what I've been reading about Season 3, it should be a return to form, and let's keep our fingers cross that it will be.

Watch: Anne Hathaway vs. the Paparazzi

Anne Hathaway is an interesting celebrity. I think that she's extremely cute and charming, but for some reason I'm rarely ever interested in watching her movies. Obviously, The Dark Knight Rises (and her phantom guest spot on Glee) will change all of that, but the kick-ass rap that she debuted on Conan is also pretty convincing.

Watch: Yvonne Strahovski's Musical Debut

Usually, I'm a big fan of Yvonne Strahovski, but this video just didn't do it for me. It's not because I'm a fan of any of the pop stars that she made fun of (the only reason I know any of their songs is because of Glee). It just wasn't funny. She's better than this.

Top 5 Musical Performances from GLEE: Season 1

Next Tuesday, September 21, FOX's breakout hit Glee returns for its second season, and in order to prepare for the event, I've decided to share my top five favorite musical performances from the show:

5. "You Keep Me Holdin' On" from "Throwdown"
Poor Quinn, she got a lot of really awkward numbers this season, but her version of "You Keep Me Holdin' On" was one her bright spots during the first thirteen episodes (although some critics didn't buy the sequence). Sure it's not perfect, but the inter-cutting between the Cheerios practice and the on-stage performance was neat. Plus, there's nothing wrong with liking to watch hot girls dressed up in football uniforms...is there?

4. "To Sir, With Love" from "Journey"
This number may have been a little overly sentimental and it was kind of moot point after Sue saved the club at the end, but if you watch New Directions sing this song to Mr. Shue and you don't get emotional then you are officially dead inside. The main reason why I liked this performance so much was because anyone who is passionate about teaching or mentoring young people can't help but be moved because the kids were telling Mr. Shue how much he meant to them, and how he changed their lives for the better. That's the goal of all educators.

3. "My Life Would Suck Without You" from "Sectionals"
I'm not a Kelly Clarkson fan, and I had never heard this song before it aired on Glee, and it's alright. The reason why this was one of my favorite musical numbers was because I enjoyed how the Gleeks incorporated some of their iconic numbers into the dance montage. Plus, the song convinced Will to finally man up and go after Emma. The sequence was a nice little bow on top of the first 13 episodes.

2. "It's My Life/Confessions" from "Vitamin D"
The first time I saw the boys' mash-up of "It's My Life" and "Confessions", I realized the potential that this show had and I was hooked. It's just a fun scene with great energy and dance moves. In all honesty, Mike Chang's (Harry Shum Jr.) break dancing single handedly won me over. The combination of this performance, the boys vs. girls storyline, and watching Finn and Rachel compete with one another was why "Vitamin D" was one of my favorite episodes

1. "Jump" from "Mattress"
"Jump" was easily my favorite musical number of the first season because it was a great representation of everything that makes this show special. The performance really wasn't fancy, it was just New Directions in PJs jumping up and down on mattresses, but it tapped into an innocence a lot of us have experienced while growing up. The McKinley kids are just having fun singing and dancing, which for me is the heart of the show.

The first season of Glee had some great musical moments, but these five will always be the best in my book. No doubt, season 2 will have its share of memorable performances, and I can't wait to see them.