Top 25 Glee Songs

Glee has been a once in a lifetime kind of show, a show that creates a genre. While many have forgotten how good it was, there can be no denying the impact it first had when it aired. I remember watching the pilot and being awestruck. I've watched every episode, and while the show has been sometimes inconsistent, it has always been fascinating. And I always hurry to watch a new episode.

One of the highlights of the show, besides the wonderfully awesome cast, are the songs. While some of the songs I could leave (Gangham Style anyone), there have been some tracks that I play as much as other music. So with Glee finishing this week after 6 incredible years, I thought it was time to look back at the best 25 songs from the show. Naturally it's a completely subjective list. I've read a few lists and they have tried to be fair to all the singers and give them all highlights, I've just listed my favourites - so the list is a pretty heavy Lea Michele list, cause she is all kinds of awesome!

Thanks Glee for the great show, the great music and the great memories. I'm sure I'll shed a few tears this weekend when watching the last 2 episodes. I'll still be playing these songs for years!

25 - Mean

Some of the best Glee songs aren't about vocal strength, they are about emotion. Dot-Marie Jones certainly isn't a singer, she's a great actress though and emotes so well on this duet with Mark Salling. It's Taylor Swift, so lyrically it's great. This track about the effect of bullying seemed a perfect fit for Glee - and it definitely was.

24 - Marry the Night

Oh Adam Lambert, how your voice fills my heart. He was a very solid addition to Season 5, though I would have liked to see his and Demi Lovato's stories wound up. This was a great showcase for his talents, a great Lady Gaga pop song that really highlights Lambert's sensational voice.

23 - Shake It Out

This was such a beautiful, stripped back cover of the Florence + The Machine track by Naya Rivera, Amber Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz. This track came from a highly emotional episode, Coach Bieste revealed she was in an abusive relationship, and this song was the perfect conclusion to the wonderful drama.

22 - Jar of Hearts

Sometimes Glee versions are better than the original, and this may be the best example. This song wasn't a hit but became a worldwide smash after Lea Michele slayed it on Glee. Not taking anything away from Christina Perri, but this song got owned by Michele. Beautiful stuff.

21 - Don't Speak

I was loving Glee during this period, the New York storyline was so strong. I could have easily picked the acoustic "Teenage Dream" or "Give Your Heart a Break", but I went for this one because it was such a beautiful moment in the show. Also combining the vocals of Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer and Darren Criss is a special thing. Great emotional performance from all four.

20 - Pompeii

This was a perfect way to end Season 5, a song I love with the cast joining together to do an amazing number. Ryan Murphy and team have always found a way to pick great songs that summed up the characters emotions, and this track was filled with so much hope for their future. Shame season 6 opened with Rachel flopping out in Hollywood.

19 - Borderline / Open Your Heart

The Madonna tribute episode was so great, I loved each and every track. This was favourite however, Glee does a good mashup and this is one of their best. Taking two early iconic Madonna tracks and making them a great little pop / love song beautifully done by Michele and Monteith.

18 - Faithfully

Speaking of great duets between Michele and Monteith, this is a beautiful one, and very tragic in hindsight. The two sound incredible here in this big moment for the show, the season one finale. This was so iconically Glee, that when I hear this song I only think of Glee.

17 - Loser Like Me

Glee went all out for a while and played with original songs, it was a mixed bag - but this was certainly the best. This is a great, fun song that seems so fitting. Together the Glee crew sound great in this number, and you've got to love Amber Riley throwing in her "to church" moment.

16 - Maybe This Time

Glee loves a showtune. I myself prefer the pop numbers, but sometimes the showtunes really hit it out of the park - this is one of those times. The duelling divas, Lea Michele and Kristin Chenoweth, sound impeccable here. The song is super emotive and was a pleasure to watch and listen to.

15 - Constant Craving

Here's one of those times Glee took a brilliant song and put their own stamp on it. Woman of the moment, Idina Menzel lead this song, with solo spots for Naya Rivera and Chris Colfer. The vocal mix was incredible and it's a track I love to listen to on its own. Strong stuff.

14 - At the Ballet

I've got to be honest, when this first aired, I liked it but didn't love it. Then I started listening to the track weeks later and I was sold. This is truly beautiful and poetic, the track from A Chorus Line is handled so gracefully by Michele, Rivera, Colfer and Sarah Jessica Parker - this is her only good track on the show. Beautiful stuff!

13 - Smooth Criminal

Before Grant Gustin was The Flash, he was villainous Sebastian Smythe on Glee. In a truly unique cover of the Michael Jackson classic, Gustin battled it with Rivera over an amazing display of strings. So dramatic, and also visually stunning - this proves how incredible Glee could be.

12 - Hello

Speaking of guest stars who went on to bigger things, before he was Patrick on Looking, Jonathan Groff starred along his best friend, Michele, as Jesse St James. This was their first duet together, and although incredibly corny, it was also all kinds of awesome. The pair sound great on this Lionel Ritchie classic, these two have amazing chemistry.

11 - Dreams

Speaking of great chemistry, Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth were always fantastic together. Taken from the Fleetwood Mac tribute ep, this was the highlight of a strong episode. With a stripped back acoustic version and killer vocals, this sits high on the playcount list on my iTunes.

10 - Dream On

While Morrison might like to do his white boy rapper routine, he sounds best when belting out a tune. "Dream On" is a dream duet between Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris. Their characters were both auditioning for the local musical and competed against each other in this audition battle. The result, all kinds of awesome. Such a great cover of a classic.

9 - Don't Rain On My Parade

Lea Michele can sing, she can sing like very few people. This song was so bloody good. The New Directions had their song list sabotaged and they needed a new one, fast. Next moment, out pops Rachel to sing this classic. Was a great moment in a great first season.

8 - Alone

I know it's another Morrison and Chenoweth duet, but they sing so well together, and they do 80's classics well (love their version of "Fire" too). For quite a while this song was in my top 25 most played songs on my iTunes, I just adore how the pair sound on this power ballad.

7 - Thriller / Heads Will Roll

This is one of the classic Glee fun numbers, I watched it again last night and it still gave me a massive smile. And what a great mashup, Michael Jackson and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs fit perfectly together. Plus the visuals were also wonderful, some great costuming, make up and choreography. The gang all sound tremendous together.

6 - Don't Dream It's Over 

While Cory Monteith may have been criticised as not having the best voice, given the right song, he sounded awesome. This Crowded House classic was the right song. Joined by the new New Directions, this was emotive and powerful. Monteith knew how to command a scene, and surrounded by his students, he did just that.

5 - If I Were a Boy

I watched this again last night and cried all over again. This is the definite stand out performance from the second batch of New Directions kids. Alex Newell has such a big and all encompassing voice and it stood out on this emotional track as Unique is bullied for wearing women's clothes. This is a vocal performance to rival Amber Riley, and possibly surpasses her. I'll be honest, I like this version better than Beyonce's!!

4 - I Feel Pretty / Unpretty

Another mashup, but what a fascinating one this was, a very rare duet between Lea Michele and Dianna Agron. And unlike so other mashups, they really are very different source material, TLC and a West Side Story song, and the combination was such a treat. A beautiful song about self acceptance and not feeling pretty enough. And how can you go past Michele singing the line, "I'm trippin'". Another one that gets a lot of play on my iTunes.

3 - Seasons of Love

Devastated the first time I heard this, so very sad. The whole Cory Monteith memorial episode was so beautifully handled and must have been so difficult to make. The stand out track was definitely this number from Rent. You can hear the ache in many of the cast's voices. So very beautiful.

2 - Rumor Has It / Someone Like You

The best of all the mashups was this Adele double header done by the Trouble Tones, when a number of the girls split off from the New Directions. This is such a powerful number, with Riley and Rivera both sounding in fine form. Many non-Glee fans heard this track and loved it, shocked when they heard it was Glee. It was almost too hard to top this one.

1 - Don't Stop Believin'

There is no way that this could not be the number one Glee song. It saw the formation of the New Directions and got everyone talking after the pilot. It was like nothing anyone else was doing. The cover version of a Journey classis was ingenious and the team sounded incredible. They have done the song many times since, and it's always been good, but their original version was best. This still has impact, a classic piece of television history.

So what's your favourite Glee songs? There's so many songs that I loved that I just wasn't able to fit on the list. Love to hear yours!