Ryan Murphy’s hit show Glee gave us many things; iconic song mash-ups, great guest stars, and most recently, the Lea Michele Funny Girl drama. However, the biggest gift that Glee gave us, and keeps on giving — now that it’s back on streaming platforms — are the crazily bizarre performances that no one saw coming.
There are plenty of performances to choose from among the six seasons of the musical series and fans of the show have been making TikToks and Twitter threads about their rankings for some time. So, now it’s our turn to get in on the fun and rank the most bizarre Glee performances by complete and absolute insanity.
10. Gangnam Style: Season 4, Episode 8
While there wasn’t anything inherently wrong with this performance, it just felt a little, well, out of place. There were a couple red flags, one of which being the fact that this is one of Tina’s only solos in a competition and it just so happens to be by another Asian artist, Psy. Not only that, but using the dance from the video is simply tacky. This performance was cut short, thankfully, except for the fact that it was only because Marley passed out from her eating disorder. It was an all-around messy and bizarre performance.
9. I’m Still Standing: Season 3, Episode 15
While it feels like this number was supposed to be meaningful, it just sort of fell flat in a less than ironic way. Both actors, whom aren’t handicapped in real life, perform the song after Quinn gets into an accident while texting and driving. The plot line was supposed to show the dangers of texting and driving, but really it just made audiences have a reason to hate Quinn when they found out she could walk sooner than she told anyone. Using Elton John’s classic, “I’m Still Standing” is just a lazy attempt at being clever.
8. Run Joey Run: Season 1, Episode 17
Any Gleek knows about the iconic ‘Run Joey Run’ music video that Rachel made with the boys in the first season. Well, everyone except for the three different guys in the video; Finn, Puck and Jesse. Rachel decided to use three guys to tell the story of this underrated song and the song isn’t so much bizarre as it is dramatic — although the music video is also really bizarre.
7. Let’s Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time: Season 4, Episode 8
Glee was famous for its mash-ups, but one that wasn’t as iconic as others was ‘Let’s Have a KiKi/It’s Turkey Lurkey Time’. The basic premise of this performance is that Kurt and Rachel are living in New York and are having a lonely Thanksgiving, only for Kurt’s new boss (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) to invite herself as well as New York’s entire LGBTQ+ community over for a party. It seems like a fun idea, but the song choice was so beyond odd that it just made everyone go, “Huh?”
6. It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World: Season 1, Episode 21
Now, we didn’t get many Quinn solos throughout the series, which sucks, because Dianna Agron has a lovely alto voice. One solo they could’ve kept though, was ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’. If you take a moment to think realistically (which honestly you shouldn’t ever do with Glee), how did this performance even come to be? Did Quinn just approach every single pregnant girl one at a time and explain the concept and how they’d perform it in the school’s most hated club? The whole thing is just…. weird.
5. The Thong Song: Season 1, Episode 8
Onto Will Schuester’s first crime: ‘The Thong Song’. He was at school, where he was teaching, singing a song about thongs to a woman who was engaged to be married, all while he was married as well. Anyone that knows this song knows how bizarre it is. Now, just imagine it being sung by a high school Spanish teacher to the guidance counselor at the same high school. It just feels uncomfortable.
4. I Still Believe/Super Bass: Season 4, Episode 16
Sue Sylvester was one of the best parts of Glee, however, in Season 4, she and Blaine had a mash-up battle that included Nicki Minaj’s ‘Super Bass’ as well as Mariah Carey’s ‘I Still Believe’. From the pink cheetah print body suit to the Cheerios in those awful wigs, ‘Super Bass’ alone would’ve made the list. Instead, though, they decided to mash this up with something so out of left field that the songs didn’t even sound good together, and Glee had become known for mash ups at this point.
3. What Does the Fox Say: Season 5, Episode 7
Puppets. ‘What Does the Fox Say’ was a weird enough song when it was released, and then out of nowhere, Glee decided to do a cover of it using…. puppets? The Glee Club dressed in animal costumes/ears and even the New York City gang (which now included Santana and Adam Lambert) participated in the song. This song doesn’t need much more of an explanation. Enough said.
2. Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me: Season 2, Episode 5
Onto Mr. Schue’s next crime against humanity and the school, him and Emma performing ‘Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me’ was inappropriate and quite honestly a little disturbing. The entirety the Glee episode, which parodied The Rocky Horror Picture Show, was a bit bizarre; Emma lying on her back, belting out the words “touch-a touch-a touch-a touch me, I wanna be dirty,” all while we see different faces — including students — is very disturbing, to say the least.
1. Blurred Lines: Season 5, Episode 5
Finally, it’s time to send Will to jail because this performance was so unnecessary and should’ve never seen the light of day. The entire point of this episode was getting the Glee Club to loosen up, and how would they be doing that? By twerking, of course. Yes, you read that right. Their grown adult male teacher wanted his students to twerk for competition. Will even begins the number in the hallways, subjecting other students — who didn’t sign up for his creepiness — to the twerking as well.