I will never forget the first time I listened to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll.” I know what you’re thinking: Hour-long car rides with interminable sequences of “dad rock” playing on a loop is a quintessential childhood experience for many. While I went through my fair share of these, they were not what introduced me to the beloved songs we now affectionately deem “oldies.” Instead, I can proudly say that my first encounter with “Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll” was in the early 2010s as I compulsively watched “Glee” on my living room couch with my entire family.
The first time I listened to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” I was reluctantly watching the first episode of “Glee” with my mom, who claimed that it was the best pilot episode she had ever seen. The reason my mom let me, a 7-year-old, watch “Glee” with her is still a mystery to me. I’m glad she did, though. My mom and I were awestruck as we watched Rachel Berry (Lea Michele, “Scream Queens”) intensely attempt to become the main student representative of Mr. Schue’s (Matthew Morrison, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”) new glee club at William McKinley High School. I was captivated. The episode concluded with a passionate performance of “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” by the glee club’s founding members. And that’s when we knew. We loved the show. We loved the music. “Glee” provided us with the ultimate musical experience, and we felt like the characters were singing directly to us.
The first time I listened to Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black,” I was alone in my room watching “Glee” while eating a bowl of cereal for dinner. I thought I was watching just another classic “Glee” episode when Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera, “Step Up”) took the stage and expertly belted Winehouse’s fabulously fierce tune. This is kind of an embarrassing confession since, today, I’m a self-proclaimed Winehouse fangirl, but I remain proud of my initial encounter with Winehouse’s art. Santana’s cover of the song served as the main motivator for me to seek out Winehouse’s music and immerse myself in it. If it wasn’t for “Glee” and Santana’s performance, I would never have discovered one of the most iconic artists of the 2000s.
The first time I listened to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” I was in the middle of a six-hour plane ride, watching downloaded episodes of “Glee” on my way to my family’s annual winter ski trip. This confession is also a bit disconcerting, given that I claim to be the ultimate Fleetwood Mac fan, but, similar to my experience discovering Winehouse’s music, if it wasn’t for “Glee,” I would never have become so connected to the rest of the band’s repertoire. Santana, Holly Holliday (Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3”) and Brittany S. Pierce’s (Heather Morris, “Spring Breakers”) heartfelt rendition of “Landslide” opened my eyes to the diverse meanings that a song can possess for different people and the individually emotional connections that can be developed for a single tune.
The first time I listened to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl,” I was at home, forcing my best friend to watch an episode of “Glee” with me and trying to convince her that she would love the show. I convinced her to watch a low total of 10 episodes, but that’s still an accomplishment in my eyes. As Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss, “Hollywood”) joined his former glee club at Dalton Academy, The Warblers, to sing and dance to their version of “Uptown Girl” after he transferred from Dalton to McKinley, my eyes lit up. I was so overwhelmed by the display of music’s power, showing its ability to reunite disconnected friendships and camaraderie, regardless of the time spent apart.
The first time I listened to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” I was in my parents’ room watching the iconic season three finale episode, “Nationals,” my mom desperately bawling her eyes out beside me. I’ve never really gotten into Dion’s music after watching “Glee,” but I did recognize why her compositions tend to bewitch listeners with the intense emotionality and sentiment conveyed through her voice. Rachel emulated Dion’s characteristically gut-wrenching vocals with individuality, causing my mom (and me, if I’m honest) to shed tears. This version of Dion’s iconic ballad showed us that music has the ability to connect us in many ways, no matter who’s standing behind the microphone.
The first time I listened to many iconic songs from times we now consider “retro,” I was probably watching “Glee.” If you want to read this as my formal admission to being a Gleek, then so be it. Throughout the show’s entirety, the characters randomly burst into songs pertinent to the show’s plot, serving as a vehicle for musical education in all genres. This helped me, and so many others, become versed in a world where music is abundant and wholeheartedly important. “Glee” connected us to music of the past and at times music of the present while foreshadowing what was to come in my personal musical future. For that, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank “Glee” enough.
Daily Arts Writer Graciela Batlle Cestero can be reached at gbatllec@umich.edu.