Glee featured multiple major and secondary roles who have contributed vocals to the show: Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Dianna Agron, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Jayma Mays, Jane Lynch, Chord Overstreet, Darren Criss, Harry Shum, Jr., Damian McGinty, Vanessa Lengies, Samuel Larsen, Blake Jenner, Alex Newell, Melissa Benoist, Jacob Artist, and Dean Geyer. Numerous special guests have also featured on tracks, including Jonathan Groff, Kristin Chenoweth, Grant Gustin, Olivia Newton-John, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Charice, Gwyneth Paltrow, k.d. lang, Ricky Martin, Matt Bomer, Kate Hudson, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The pilot episode of the show was broadcast on May 19, 2009 and the first season began airing on September 9, 2009. The show was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy selects all music featured within the series himself, with the intent of maintaining a balance between show tunes and chart hits. Songs featured on the show are available for digital download through iTunes up to two weeks before new episodes air, and through other digital outlets and mobile carriers a week later.
Their debut single, "Don't Stop Believin'", a cover of the 1981 Journey song, was a top ten hit, and was certified platinum in Australia and gold in the US. The group's cover of The All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" reached number one in Ireland, giving them their first number one single.
There has been Nineteen soundtracks released through Columbia Records: Glee: The Music, Volume 1, Glee: The Music, Volume 2, Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Glee: The Music, Volume 4, Glee: The Music, Volume 5, Glee: The Music, Volume 6, Glee: The Music, Volume 7 and Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2,Glee: The Music, Volume 7,Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album,Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1,Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 3,Glee Sings the Beatles and Glee: The Music - Celebrating 100 Episodes.
Nineteen EPs have also been released: Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna, Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals,Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show.Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show,Glee: The Music, Love Songs,Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show,Glee: The Music, Love Songs,Glee: The Music, Dance Party,Britney 2.0,Glee: The Music Presents Glease,The Quarterback (Music from the TV Series),A Katy or a Gaga (Music from the Episode),Movin' Out,Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 4,City of Angels,New New York,Glee: The Music, Bash,Glee: The Music, Tested,Glee: The Music, Opening Night,Glee: The Music, the Back Up Plan,Glee: The Music, Old Dog, New Tricks,Glee: The Music – The Untitled Rachel Berry Project,Glee: The Music – Loser Like Me and Glee: The Music – Homecoming.
The cast is second behind The Beatles for most chart appearances by a group act in the Billboard Hot 100's history, and holds the record of sixth overall among all artists, with sixty-nine appearances. The cast has sold over thirty six million and over eleven million albums worldwide. The series' cover versions have also had a positive effect on the original recording artists, with sales of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" increasing by 189 percent after the song was covered in the Glee episode "Showmance".
The series features covers of numerous songs sung on-screen by the characters. Musical segments typically take the form of performances, as opposed to the characters singing spontaneously, as the intention is for the series to remain reality-based. Murphy is responsible for selecting all of the songs used, and strives to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits, as: "I want there to be something for everybody in every episode. That's a tricky mix, but that's very important — the balancing of that." Song choices are integral to script development, with Murphy explaining: "Each episode has a theme at its core. After I write the script, I will choose songs that help to move the story along."
Glee is choreographed by Zach Woodlee, and features five to eight production numbers per episode. Once music rights are cleared, songs are arranged and pre-recorded by the cast. Woodlee constructs the accompanying dance moves, which are then taught to the cast and filmed. Numbers can take several weeks to prepare, depending on complexity. Each episode costs at least $3 million to produce, and can take up to 10 days to film as a result of the elaborate choreography.
Billionaire
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad
Buy all of the things I never had
I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smilin' next to Oprah and the Queen
Oh, every time I close my eyes
I see my name in shinin' lights, yeah
I swear the world better prepare
For when I'm a billionaire
Artie
Yeah, I would have a show like Oprah, I would be the host of
Everyday Christmas, give Artie a wish list
I'd probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt
And adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had it
Give away a few Mercedes like, "Here lady, have this"
And last but not least grant somebody their last wish
It's been a couple months that I've been single so
You can call me Artie Claus minus the Ho Ho
Get it, I'd probably visit where Katrina hit
And darn sure do a lot more than FEMA did
Yeah, can't forget about me stupid
Everywhere I go I'ma have my own theme music
Sam
Oh every time I close my eyes (whatcha see, whatcha see?)
I see my name in shinin' lights (uh huh, uh huh)
A different city every night, oh I
I swear the world better prepare (for what?)
For when I'm a billionaire
Oh oooh oh oooh (oh!)
For when I'm a billionaire
Oh oooh oh oooh (let's go!)
Puck
I'll be playing basketball with the President
Dunkin' on his delegates
Then I compliment him on his political etiquette
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
But keep the fives, twentys, tens and Bens completely separate
Yeah I'll be in a whole new tax bracket
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
I'll probably take whatever's left and just split it up
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
Eatin' good, sleepin' soundly
I know we all have a similar dream
Go in your pocket pull out your wallet
Put it in the air and sing
Sam
I wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad (so bad)
Buy all of the things I never had (buy everything)
I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
Smiling next to Oprah and the Queen (whatup Oprah!)
Oh every time I close my eyes (watcha see, watcha see?)
I see my name in shinin' lights (uh huh, uh huh)
Yeah, a different city every night, oh I
I swear the world better prepare (for what?)
For when I'm a billionaire (yeah, sing it)
Oh oooh oh oooh (sing it!)
When I'm a billionaire
Oh oooh oh oooh (oh!)
I wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad...
The Glee Cast's song "Billionaire" talks about the longing for immense wealth and success. Sam opens the song by expressing his desire to become a billionaire so much that he wants to buy everything he never had before. He dreams of being on the cover of Forbes magazine alongside Oprah and the Queen, with his name in shiny lights. He envisions traveling to different cities every night and the world being prepared for his success. Artie then describes what he would do if he were a billionaire, saying he would host a show like Oprah and grant wishes to people. He would also adopt babies and give away Mercedes cars. He then makes a joke about his name, Artie Claus, and says that he would probably visit places affected by disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and do more for the victims than the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did. He would also have his own theme music playing wherever he goes. Puck then adds to the song by saying he would play basketball with the President and compliment him on his political skills. He would then throw away money for the fun of it, but still make sure to split it among his loved ones so that no one around him would be hungry or starving.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad
I want to be incredibly wealthy and successful
Buy all of the things I never had
I want to indulge in material possessions that were previously unavailable to me
I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine
I want to be a notable figure in the business world and have substantial wealth and power
Smilin' next to Oprah and the Queen
I want to be recognized and respected by prominent figures, such as Oprah Winfrey and Queen Elizabeth II
Oh every time I close my eyes
In my dreams and aspirations
I see my name in shinin' lights, yeah
I see myself as a successful and recognized public figure
A different city every night, oh I
I see myself traveling extensively and experiencing new things
I swear the world better prepare
I am determined to achieve success and make an impact
For when I'm a billionaire
When I am successful and wealthy beyond measure
Yeah, I would have a show like Oprah, I would be the host of
I would have a talk show akin to Oprah's and be the host of it
Everyday Christmas, give Artie a wish list
I would be incredibly generous and make people's dreams come true
I'd probably pull an Angelina and Brad Pitt
I would adopt children and provide them with a better life
And adopt a bunch of babies that ain't never had it
I would provide a home and love for children who have been neglected
Give away a few Mercedes like, "Here lady, have this"
I would be very generous with my wealth and give expensive gifts to those I care about
And last but not least grant somebody their last wish
I would make someone's final dreams come true before they pass away
It's been a couple months that I've been single so
I have been single for a while now
You can call me Artie Claus minus the Ho Ho
I am willing to give gifts and be generous like Santa Claus
Get it, I'd probably visit where Katrina hit
I would visit places in need and provide assistance, like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
And darn sure do a lot more than FEMA did
I would do more to help than the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Yeah, can't forget about me stupid
Don't forget about me and my ambitions
Everywhere I go I'ma have my own theme music
I will feel so successful that it will seem like I have a theme song when I enter a room
I'll be playing basketball with the President
I will have an opportunity to play and interact with the leader of our country
Dunkin' on his delegates
I will outshine the president's advisors
Then I compliment him on his political etiquette
I will still show respect to the president despite besting him in basketball
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
I would be so wealthy that I could throw around money just for fun
But keep the fives, twentys, tens and Bens completely separate
I am aware of how to distribute money responsibly and keep track of it
Yeah I'll be in a whole new tax bracket
I will have so much money that my tax bracket will be incredibly high
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
Although the economy is struggling, I am willing to try my luck and become wealthy
I'll probably take whatever's left and just split it up
After indulging in my own desires, I will still be very generous with the remaining money
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
I want to provide financial security for my loved ones
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
I believe that with my wealth, I could eliminate hunger among those close to me
Eatin' good, sleepin' soundly
I will be able to live comfortably and provide for my loved ones
I know we all have a similar dream
I believe that many people share my aspiration to be wealthy and successful
Go in your pocket pull out your wallet
I am encouraging others to think about their own financial aspirations
Put it in the air and sing
I want others to join me in my quest for success
Contributed by Matthew R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
robin. jashinsky
Sam has such an amazing voice. The song "Billionaire" was the perfect song for him to sing.
Sebastián
@Natalia Ghosh Can't blame him, it's pretty high. My guess is that it was pitch corrected, you can notice it especially in the high 0art of the chorus starting 1:16
Frenchie
Yeah it’s uh auto tuned
Sam Charles
@Frenchie extremely auto tuned
Frenchie
@Sam Charles dang made that comment in the throes of youth holy
Eazy Mealers Official
In the story he wants to become a billionaire.
Vince Palar
Mike chang is probably the coolest and chillest character he needs more recognition
Jay
True and he is so talented
J C
And the better chinese in the world
Scottish- Hero666
Do you mean other Asian?