Now that 2026 has officially begun, that means one thing for me: it’s time to start my yearly rewatch of Glee. That also means that I will once again be revisiting my treasured playlist of every cover the show ever did, which I have affectionately named “Is Somebody Gonna Match My Gleek?”
As it does each time I revisit the show and this playlist, my long list of favorite Glee covers continues to grow as I rediscover songs I forgot about or just never cared for before. So to help you know what songs you can (annoyingly) inform your friends, “Hey, they sang this on Glee!”, here is part two of my favorite Glee covers of all time. (Spoilers for the show ahead)
“Keep Holding On” (S1 Ep7, S5 Ep12)
This song is up there in the ranks with songs I fully feel the show did better than the original artist (sorry, Avril Lavigne). There are a lot of season one covers that I’ll admit I skip over because they just aren’t my taste, but oh my god, middle school me used to dramatically stare out the car window to this one. The show did this cover twice, the first time in season one with a similar production to the original, and then again in season five as an acoustic. Both are fantastic, and I highly recommend them.
“Lucky” (S2 Ep4 )
The characters Quinn and Sam sing this song as a duet, and it instantly made me angry that we didn’t get more of them singing together. Their voices just blend so well together in my opinion, and it is criminal that they only got three songs together. Fun fact: I used to listen to this cover on my mom’s iPod way before I even knew what Glee was, and had a culture shock the first time I watched and found out it wasn’t the original version.Â
“Bills, Bills, Bills” (S2 E11)
Darren Criss. I think that about sums it up. Also, bonus points for being in one of the best episodes of Glee ever.
“I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” (S2 Ep20)
Once again, Darren Criss. Let’s be honest, Blaine had no business showing up to another school’s prom and outperforming them, but here we are, and we are grateful he did.
“Human Nature” (S3 Ep11)
Oh, Sam and Mercedes, how I wish the show writers actually did you justice. One of my all-time favorite (underappreciated) couples on the show. The entire Michael Jackson episode was a masterpiece in itself, but this song is by far one of my favorites from it.Â
“So Emotional” (S3 Ep17)
Santana and Rachel devoured this song, full stop. Just like Sam and Quinn, it is criminal that they only got a few songs together; their voices complement each other so well.
“Roots Before Branches” (S3 E22)
Oh, I sob. Finn is calling off his and Rachel’s engagement so that she can pursue her dreams without him holding her back. Rachel is singing this song as she says goodbye and leaves for New York City. This was the best possible way to end season three, and I’d argue that this would have been the perfect way to end the show altogether.
“Don’t Speak” (S4 E4)
The episode where everybody breaks up. Rachel and Finn paralleled Kurt and Blaine, both couples grappling with the fact that they were coming to an end. Ugh, chef’s kiss.
“Hey Jude” (S5 E2)
One of my all-time favorite songs, and the show did it justice. Glee did two episodes dedicated to The Beatles, as they should, and this is arguably the best song they did across both.Â
“Breakaway” (S5 E9)
Another song I used to dramatically stare out the car window at the ripe age of eleven. Now, let’s be clear, when it comes to Kelly Clarkson, no one can outdo the doer. But controversially, Glee did it better in my opinion (oh my god, who said that!).
“More Than A Feeling” (S5 E11)
Rounding out our list, much like the last time, we are ending with a Corey Monteith tribute. Much like every song they performed in his honor, I can’t make it through listening to this without crying.