FOX rocked the TV world with the premiere of the hit TV show “Glee,” in 2009.
The show, centered around a high school glee club and all of the drama that comes along with any high school activity, ushered American pop culture into a new age of musicals and cover songs.
It paved the way for singing groups across the country and movies like “Pitch Perfect.”
While “Glee” focuses mainly on covering more recent hits, the show often branches out and covers songs by artists like The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, and many other bands that are now considered classics.
For some, “Glee” offers a pleasant new take on classic hits. Students like Karli Boyet, a junior rad-tech major, and Cody Jackson, a senior nursing major, enjoy the reimagined hits the singers on “Glee” perform.
“I think the fact that ‘Glee’ does covers of classic songs makes the show more enjoyable. If you already know the words to the songs then you can sing along and enjoy the changes Glee adds to them,” Boyet said.
Boyet also said she did not think that “Glee’s” covers of classic songs takes away from their musical quality.
Along with Boyet, Jackson said he enjoys the “Glee” renditions and thinks that the covers add to the overall musical quality and enjoyment of the songs. He also added that he thinks that “Glee” covering classic songs helps to build new fans for older groups.
“‘Glee’ is creating a diverse group of fans. Some fans begin watching the show because of the classic songs and some became fans because they just enjoy the plot line and the music. I know I personally started watching it when they brought back the classic rock and ‘oldie music’,” Jackson said.
Along with the positive reactions with the fans, “Glee” has had a positive effect on the record sales of the classic hits. According to the “LA Times,” classic songs, such as “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, have seen an increase in sales after receiving the cover treatment on shows like “Glee” and “American Idol.”
While most fans are happy with the “Glee” covers and the record sales for the original songs have seen boosts, there are some music lovers who are not very happy with the way their favorite songs are being covered.
Danielle Adams, a freshman kinesiology major, is one of the fans that is not too happy with the way that songs are treated on “Glee.”
“It does take away from the quality of [the songs]. These songs are legendary ballads not meant to be show tunes you dance and sing to,” Adams said.
“Glee” airs on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on FOX. Tune in and see for yourself if the show is creating appropriate homages to fan favorites, or butchering classic songs.
