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.
I Saw Her Standing There
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
1, 2, 3, 4!
Well, she was just seventeen,
You know what I mean,
And the way she looked was way beyond compare.
Blaine and Ryder:
When I saw her standin' there?
Jake:
Well she looked at me, and I, I could see
That before too long I'd fall in love with her.
Jake and Ryder:
She wouldn't dance with another, Whooh!
When I saw her standin' there.
Sam, Blaine, Jake, and Ryder:
Well, my heart went "boom,"
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine...
Sam:
Whoah, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Sam and Ryder:
Now I'll never dance with another, Whooh!
Since I saw her standing there, (Sam: Awwww!)
Blaine:
C'mon and dance, hey
Yeah
Oh yeah
Jake:
Whoah, we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long I fell in love with her.
Blaine, Jake, Ryder, and Sam:
Now I'll never dance with another, Whooh!
Since I saw her standing there
Well, since I saw her standing there
Yeah, well, since I saw her standing there
The Glee Cast's version of "I Saw Her Standing There" is a lively, fun-loving tune that tells the story of a boy who falls in love with a girl at first sight. Blaine kicks off the track with a count-off before the upbeat, rock 'n' roll music begins. The lyrics are straightforward and describe the mesmerizing effect the girl has on the singer. "Well, she was just seventeen, You know what I mean, And the way she looked was way beyond compare," sings Blaine. The singer is so taken by her that he can't even imagine dancing with anyone else in her presence. "So how could I dance with another when I saw her standing there?" he asks.
Jake takes over the second verse, where he explains his own encounter with the same girl. "Well, she looked at me, and I, I could see/That before too long I'd fall in love with her." After a night of dancing and holding each other tight, he declares that he'll never dance with another since he saw her standing there. The chorus repeats this sentiment, and the song ends with a call to dance.
Line by Line Meaning
1, 2, 3, 4!
A musical cue to begin the song.
Well, she was just seventeen, You know what I mean, And the way she looked was way beyond compare.
Blaine describes the physical beauty of a girl who is just seventeen years old.
So how could I dance with another, Whooh! When I saw her standin' there?
Blaine and Ryder express their desire to dance with the girl they saw standing there, and wouldn't consider dancing with anyone else.
Well she looked at me, and I, I could see That before too long I'd fall in love with her.
Jake describes how he fell in love with the girl at first sight.
She wouldn't dance with another, Whooh! When I saw her standin' there.
Jake and Ryder confirm that the girl they saw wouldn't be interested in dancing with anyone else.
Well, my heart went "boom," When I crossed that room, And I held her hand in mine...
Sam describes the moment he met the girl and held her hand, feeling an instant connection.
Whoah, we danced through the night, And we held each other tight, And before too long I fell in love with her.
Sam and Ryder recount their experience dancing and holding each other throughout the night, culminating in Sam falling in love with the girl.
Now I'll never dance with another, Whooh! Since I saw her standing there, (Sam: Awwww!)
Sam only has eyes for the girl he saw standing there and wouldn't dance with anyone else.
C'mon and dance, hey Yeah Oh yeah
Blaine encourages others to dance and enjoy the moment.
Well, since I saw her standing there
The repeated refrain emphasizes the impact that the girl had on each of the singers, and how they will always remember that moment.
Contributed by Andrew V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.