Glee became a quick hit for Fox when it premiered on the network in 2009. Starring Lea Michele, the late Corey Monteith, and Matthew Morrison, the musical dramedy about a high school glee club introduced a new generation to classic rock songs.
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Original fans of the artists featured on the show may be less than pleased that a teen TV series was messing with tracks they so love. From the other perspective, though, if a hot young cast and an unorthodox setup is what it took for viewers to hear music by AC/DC, Aerosmith, Journey, The Rolling Stones, and more for the first time, so be it.
Keep reading for four of the greatest classic rock covers from Glee.
AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell”
Fourteen episodes into Glee‘s first season, the show took on AC/DC’s 1979 hit, “Highway To Hell”. Broadway star Jonathan Groff did the band proud when he performed the track on the show. Groff played Jesse St. James, a standout singer from Vocal Adrenaline, the group that often competed with the main a cappella group on the show, New Directions.
Aerosmith’s “Dream On”
In season 1, episode 19 of Glee, the show turned to two of its adults to take on an iconic classic rock song. Matthew Morrison’s Will Schuester and Neil Patrick Harris’ Bryan Ryan faced off to win the lead in a community theater’s show by singing Aerosmith’s “Dream On”. The duet showed off both guys’ vocal range, as well as the gritty tones in their voices.
Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”
Journey’s 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” is the classic rock song most associated with Glee. In fact, it was performed a total of six times on the series. It first appeared on the pilot episode and was last performed on the series finale, underscoring the importance of the song to the show. The best-known version is the first-ever performance. This version featured prominent solos from Lea Michele’s Rachel Berry and Cory Monteith’s Finn Hudson. “Don’t Stop Believin’” is the series’ most successful song, and even hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Another season 1 standout, The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, helped the New Directions win sectionals. The whole group performed the song, which The Rolling Stones put out in 1969, but solos from Artie (Kevin McHale), Finn (Monteith), Mercedes (Amber Riley), and Rachel (Michele) provided epic moments to remember.
Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images
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