Glee wasn’t known for its country music covers. Throughout the show’s six-season run on Fox, the ensemble cast of Lea Michele, the late Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, and more tended to lean their New Directions glee club more into the classic rock or musical theater categories.
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That doesn’t mean the group didn’t masterfully perform a country song from time to time, though. Keep reading to see how the show took on The Band Perry, Dolly Parton, Lady A, and Toby Keith.
The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young”
One of Glee‘s most emotional performances ever was Santana’s (Naya Rivera) take on The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young”. The performance took place during the show’s fifth season, following Monteith’s real-life death, as well as that of his character, Finn. There wasn’t a dry eye on the screen throughout the devastating performance.
Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”
Dot-Marie Jones’ Sheldon Beiste took on “Jolene”, Dolly Parton’s iconic 1973 country song, during season 3 of Glee. While Michele is typically the one to land big female solos on the show, it was a nice change of pace to see an unexpected character perform such a big song. The moment marked Jones’ first and only solo throughout the entirety of the series.
Lady A’s “Need You Now”
Lady A’s “Need You Now,” which the trio released in 2009, appeared on Glee‘s second season. At the time, Rachel (Lea Michele) decided to sing the track about longing with fellow glee clubber Puck (Mark Salling) in an effort to make her on-and-off beau, Finn (Cory Monteith), jealous. Throughout the Glee performance, Michele maintained her pop and musical theater-style voice, which added an interesting layer to the country melody of the song.
Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup”
Perhaps the most unexpected country song ever featured on Glee is Toby Keith’s 2011 hit, “Red Solo Cup”. It may be a challenge to figure out how a song about drinking beer out of a plastic cup would make its way into a teen show about a glee club, but that unlikely pairing is part of what made the performance so fun. The moment happened during the show’s third season and was largely led by Chord Overstreet’s Sam.
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