PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Does Britney Spears deserve her own episode of ‘Glee’? Here are 10 acts who do!
Now that Madonna has an episode of Glee to call her own, wait for other music stars to line up for similar Glee treatment. First out of the gate is Britney Spears, whose manager has been trying to tweet up support and enthusiasm for an all-Britney episode.
He just might get his wish. Glee creator Ryan Murphy tells Entertainment Weekly that he’s taking it into consideration.
I’m interested in the Britney Spears idea. I’ve always loved her. I’m entertaining it. I think young kids would like that.”
He also told EW that he’d love to do a full hour of Billy Joel, Led Zeppelin and Courtney Love.
Courtney Love?! I love “Celebrity Skin” as much as the next Gen X guy, but do most people even know the title of one Courtney Love song? Wouldn’t Nirvana be a better fit?
Since we’re on the subject, here are the 10 artists most deserving of their own Glee episode. (I purposely left off Abba because I’m still in recovery from Mamma Mia!’s Abba overload two years ago.)
Elvis Presley You could probably do episode after episode featuring only the King of Rock & Roll’s music and keep the masses entertained for an entire season.
The Beatles No act in the history of pop has a richer, more diverse songbook. The American Idol producers don’t devote a week to the Beatles every season because they have to. They do it because the band’s discography is that good. And doesn’t the Fab Four deserve a better musical treatment than the 1978 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie?
The Rolling Stones The Beatles may have my respect, but the Stones will forever have my undying love. Oh, and I’m dying to see Jane Lynch/Sue Sylvester riff on Mick Jagger!
Michael Jackson You know you are dealing with one of the best song catalogs in music when a record label can re-release it over and over and over and sell millions of albums every time.
Stevie Wonder But only if they promise to leave “I Just Called to Say I Love You” out of it.
Elton John If you’re going to even consider Billy Joel, you’ve got to do pop’s other piano man first.
Aretha Franklin Because everybody needs a big challenge now and then.
Bee Gees A major act with an underrated discography. The songs they wrote for other artists alone (“If I Can’t Have You,” “Woman in Love,” “Islands in the Stream,” for starters) would make for an excellent episode. There was so much more to the Brothers Gibb than Saturday Night Fever and disco, and what a great opportunity to remind the world.
Duran Duran Don’t laugh. The UK success of the Glee cast’s recording of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” — as well as the attendant resurgence of the original — is proof of the insatiable public appetite for all things ’80s. Is there an act with a lengthy hit list that’s more quintessentially ’80s than Duran Duran?
Shania Twain I was going to say Dolly Parton, but her music has gone Broadway already in the 9 to 5 musical, plus I’d rather hear the kids put their glee-club spin on “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” any day.
Courtesy Jeremy Helligar/Pump up the Volume
