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.
How to Be a Heartbreaker
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is that you gotta have fun
But baby when you′re done,
You gotta be the first to run
Rule number two...
Just don't get attached to
Somebody you could lose
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We′ll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing I lo-lo-love you
How to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like the look of danger
We'll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing I lo-lo-love you
At least I think I do...
Ooooooo,
Ooooooo,
Ooooooo
Cause I lo-lo-lo-love you
Rule number three...
Wear your heart on your cheek
But never on your sleeve,
Unless you wanna taste defeat
Rule number four...
Gotta be looking pure
Kiss him goodbye at the door,
And leave him wanting more,
More
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We'll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing lo-lo-love you
How to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like the look of danger
We′ll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing lo-lo-love you
At least I think I do...
Ooooooo,
Ooooooo,
Ooooooo
Cause I lo-lo-love you
Girls,
We do,
Whatever it will take
Cause girls don′t want,
We don't want our hearts to break
In two
So it′s better to be fake
Can't risk losing in love again
Ba-abe
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We′ll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing lo-lo-love you
How to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like the look of danger
We'll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing lo-lo-love you
Ooooooo,
Ooooooo,
Ooooooo
Cause I lo-lo-lo-love you
At least I think I do...
In the song "How to Be a Heartbreaker," the Glee Cast provides a guide for women on how to break the hearts of men without getting hurt in return. The song presents rules on how to attract men, stay distant to avoid attachment, and leave them wanting more. Rule number one suggests that having fun is key but running away is vital when the fun is over. Rule number two proposes that not getting attached to someone is the best way to avoid heartbreak. Rule number three suggests that wearing your heart on your cheek, but not your sleeve is how to avoid defeat. Rule number four advises women to leave men wanting more by kissing them goodbye at the door.
The chorus of the song is the "how-to" part of the 3 rules, where they suggest that playing with danger and getting the man to fall for a stranger is a good tactic. They emphasize that being a player is a crucial part of heartbreak success. The bridge of the song is where the Glee Cast warns women that they could lose in love again, and the best thing to do is to be fake and not risk their hearts breaking in two.
Line by Line Meaning
Rule number one...
Is that you gotta have fun
But baby when you're done,
You gotta be the first to run
Have fun, but don't get caught up in any emotional attachments. Make sure you're always ready to leave and never settle down.
Rule number two...
Just don't get attached to
Somebody you could lose
So le-let me tell you
Avoid attachment, so you won't be hurt if you lose the person you're with. It's best to just move on once it's over.
This is how to be a heartbreaker
Boys, they like a little danger
We'll get him falling for a stranger
A player,
Singing I lo-lo-love you
Be a heartbreaker by showing your dangerous side, make them fall in love with someone unfamiliar with a flirty demeanor. Be a player and make them think you love them.
Rule number three...
Wear your heart on your cheek
But never on your sleeve,
Unless you wanna taste defeat
Be expressive, yet not vulnerable, don't let anyone get close enough to hurt you.
Rule number four...
Gotta be looking pure
Kiss him goodbye at the door,
And leave him wanting more,
More
Appear pure and innocent, then leave them wanting more to make them think they need you, and to make yourself feel desired.
Girls,
We do,
Whatever it will take
Cause girls don't want,
We don't want our hearts to break
In two
So it's better to be fake
Can't risk losing in love again
Ba-abe
Do whatever it takes as girls to keep our hearts intact and not risk being hurt again. Even if it means pretending to be someone you're not.
Writer(s): Lukasz Gottwald, Ammar Malik, Marina Lambrini Diamandis, Benjamin Joseph Levin, Henry Russell Walter, Daniel Thomas Omelio
Contributed by Isaac V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.