Top 10 Glee Songs That Should've Been Sung By Other Cast Members
#10: “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”
"Frenemies"
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As graduation approaches for Tina and Artie, the two compete to be valedictorian and to be soloists at Nationals. When they sing this song in front of the Glee club, the New Directions harmonize in the background and we realize that this tune may be better done a capella - as we may have seen in a certain film sequel a few years later. With its repetitive taunting, the En Vogue track would seem more fitting to showcase a rivalry. Since the Dalton Academy Warblers are one of the New Directions’ biggest adversaries, we could definitely envision them killing this number as they sing about wanting to defeat William McKinley High School’s glee club.
#9: “Wide Awake”
“A Katy or A Gaga”
In this episode, the New Directions are tasked with choosing whether they identify more with Katy Perry or Lady Gaga. Kitty, Jake, Unique, and Tina choose Gaga. They sing this unembellished Katy Perry tune to show that they don’t always need to be theatrical performers. While the group sings a beautifully simple version of the song, they don’t do justice to the meaning behind it. Quinn’s soft voice would have been more fitting for “Wide Awake,” and she could have sung this when dealing with any of her many break-ups on the show, or after she gave up Beth for adoption. Both scenarios are impeccably fitting for this song about the struggles of ending a relationship and moving forward.
#8: “Jolene”
“I Kissed a Girl”
We don’t get to see Coach Beiste singing very much on the show, and this performance of “Jolene” is definitely appropriate for the situation, with Beiste jealously watching Cooter and Sue’s relationship unfold. But, we think the track could have also been fitting for a lot of other love triangles on the show - and there was no shortage of those. Quinn or Rachel may have been better picks for this number, as their vocals would have been great for the Dolly Parton classic. Rachel could have sung this to express her jealousy of Quinn and Finn, or conversely, when Quinn was jealous of Finchel - and we especially wish we could have seen Quinn belt out a few more envy-induced solos.
#7: “Mercy”
“Acafellas”
When Vocal Adrenaline performed this song early on in the show, we had no idea just how capable Santana was as a singer yet. Now that we know that she was one of the strongest female vocalists in the New Directions, we think “Mercy” would have been superb for her sultry, soprano pipes. Duffy’s vocals in this song are very similar to those of Adele and Amy Winehouse, and we have seen Santana crush their songs several times throughout the series. There’s the time she performed a mash-up of “Rumour Has It” and “Someone Like You” with the Troubletones - and who could forget her iconic performance of Winehouse’s “Valerie”? So there’s no doubt she would have annihilated this song, too.
#6: “Dance Again”
“The New Rachel”
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This steamy number seems to suit Cassandra July at first glance, but there’s another dancing blonde that this number would’ve been perfect for - Brittany S. Pierce. Brit started off in the New Directions mainly as a dancer, and finds her voice later on in the show. But since J.Lo was also a dancer turned singer, it stands to reason that the only Jennifer Lopez song to be featured on Glee should be covered by Brittany. After Brittany decides that going to MIT is not the right path for her, this song would have been a great way for her to express her desire to get back her old skill of dance.
#5: “A Thousand Years”
“Naked”
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While we can’t deny that Marley and Jake’s vocals are to die for in this love ballad, their romance was only starting to bloom when they sang this song about being infinitely in love. That’s why this tune would have been a better duet for a couple whose love was seemingly endless, like Rachel and Finn. Mr. Schue never failed to notice that Finn and Rachel’s voices mesh together perfectly, as was demonstrated in countless performances, and this song would have encompassed their feelings and commitment for one another. Even after Finn’s tragic death, we still would have liked to see Rachel sing a song like this in dedication to him.
#4: “Oops!... I Did It Again”
“Britney 2.0”
The second Britney Spears episode has many standout performances, but Rachel’s attempt at showing she has sex appeal while performing “Oops...I Did It Again” is not one of the best. While her vocals are on point as per usual, this song would have been better if sung by Quinn Fabray, who, as you may have noticed by this point in our list, did not get nearly enough solos throughout the series. Not only would it suit her soft voice, but we also can see her singing it to make one of her male suitors jealous, or just to get their attention - like possibly Finn, or even her snobby boyfriend, Biff.
#3: “Super Bass”
“Feud”
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Sue Sylvester’s confidence, attitude, and over-the-top theatrics are fitting for this bizarre performance, but this song would have been a better fit for New Directions’ biggest diva, Mercedes Jones. All of the rap songs that are featured in the show are always improved by Mercedes’ contributions - Sorry, Mr. Shue - and her original songs feature lots of elements that are mirrored in this Nicki Minaj hit. We especially loved getting to see her r&b skills in season 5 when she and Santana sang their first duet since season 2, and we wish we could have seen her tackle “Super Bass” to show off how much of a diva she really is.
#2: “Chandelier”
“We Built This Glee Club”
We adored seeing the trio of New Directions ladies singing this Sia anthem, and Myron’s performance dedicated to the music video was topped only by Spencer’s iconic chandelier stunt. However, we think that this song would have been better slated for their coaches instead - Kurt and Rachel. By this time in season 6, it had been awhile since we’d seen a duet between these two powerhouses, so we were long overdue when this performance came along towards the end of the series. So we just can’t help but think that their voices would have been completely fitting for this song.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Bitch,” “The Hurt Locker, Part One”
Sung by Sue Sylvester, But Should’ve Been Sung by Quinn Fabray
“Friday,” “Prom Queen”
Sung by Sam Evans , Artie Abrams & Noah Puckerman, But Should’ve Been Sung (& Danced) by Brittany S. Pierce
“Counting Stars,” “City of Angels”
Sung by Throat Explosion, But Should’ve Been Sung by the New Directions
“Hero,” "The Spanish Teacher"
Sung by Sam, But Should’ve Been Sung by Finn Hudson
“Sexy and I Know It,” “The Spanish Teacher”
Sung by David Martinez, But Should’ve Been Sung by Sam
#1: “Footloose”
“Girls (and Boys) on Film”
This fun performance, led by Sam, Artie, Joe and the season 4 New Directions, is full of adorable dance moves and vocals. But, we can’t help but think that this song would have been perfect for Mike Chang, who was undeniably the best dancer in the New Directions. Mike might’ve been the most underrated character in Glee. But his dance moves were always jaw-dropping, and we discovered in season 3 that his singing voice is just as impressive. Had this song been performed by Mike, it would have been the anthem for everything we love about him, and we know his rendition would have had everyone kicking off their Sunday shoes.
