5 Unlikely Pop Stars Who Deserve the Glee Treatment

Tonight's highly anticipated Britney-centric Glee episode will, at the very least, remind America that the beleaguered Ms. Spears once turned out a half-dozen decent (if not spectacular) pop singles. If Glee can reestablish interest in a cipher like Britney by devoting a show to her music, imagine what it can do for these less-conventional pop stars with deeper -- and often creepier -- song catalogs.

1. Annie Lennox

Thirty years into her career, she's still called the greatest white soul singer alive. (Take that, Hall & Oates). But Annie Lennox isn't just relevant here because of her incredible voice -- she also boasts a repertoire that suits Glee's cast. "Walking on Broken Glass" and "No More 'I Love You's" are ideal Lea Michele belters, "Little Bird" is built for Charice-brand defiance, and slier Eurythmics hits like "Would I Lie to You" and "Who's That Girl" are perfect for Mercedes. Best yet, the Cheerios would kill to choreograph something zombified to "Sweet Dreams (are Made of This)."

2. George Michael

It may seem like George Michael lacks the canon to fuel a full Glee tribute, but all of his singles -- from Wham! forward -- serve the show's penchant for soul-searching grandiosity: "Careless Whisper," "Father Figure," "Faith," "Freedom '90," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," "Kissing a Fool," "Praying for Time," and of course, "Monkey."

3. Sinead O'Connor

She's spooky, literary, and hasn't had a hit record in 15+ years, but Sinead O'Connor's music lends itself to theatricality, which is all Gleebasers really want. While "Nothing Compares 2 U" can be used in a number of glee club permutations, "The Emperor's New Clothes's" haunting music video choreography could be reworked as an Emma Pillsbury breakdown. And the perfect pop track "No Man's Woman" needs to be used as a Sue Sylvester anthem, perhaps as she ceremoniously tears up a picture of Schue.

4. Eminem

Eminem's music is chockablock with vulgarities and poetic descriptions of murders he'd like to commit, but an episode centered around Marshall Mathers's oeuvre strikes just the right note of irony and subversion that Glee is obsessed with achieving. A "Guilty Conscience" duet between Sam and Puck? "Lose Yourself" for Artie? Any Eminem song reworked by Kurt as a self-empowerment anthem ("Sing for the Moment" comes to mind, but that would require tweaks in the verses.)

5. Bjork

The Nordic wailer's lyrics are sometimes inscrutable or difficult, but her passion is never in question. "Human Behaviour" is perfect for an artfully wacky New Directions showstopper, "It's Oh So Quiet" is explosive enough to convey the joy of Sunshine Corazon's first crush, and "I've Seen It All", Bjork's Oscar-nominated duet with Thom Yorke from the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack, is an almost plainspoken ballad that would give Rachel Berry some much-needed depth.



Comments

  • stolidog says:

    If you're going to do Annie Lennox (which would be awesome), Sue Silvester clearly has to belt out "I need a man" in a mash up with (who?) singing "Missionary Man"

  • stolidog says:

    And, I think a show tribute to New Order would be fantastic (and you wouldn't even notice the autotune)

  • Richard ST says:

    Oh, come now. . . Sinead O'Connor & Bjork!? If these two can get on the list, surely Cher deserves to be added before them or Britney Spears just on hits and continued popularity alone.

  • JM says:

    The 'Soul' episode was disappointing - I was hoping more for Al Green / Isaac Hayes, which would've still been popular artists but real soul but the producers obviously thought otherwise. Odd since most of Green's/Hayes' songs would fit well into some of the more melodramatic love or sexual tension-filled storylines.

  • Emotionally Retarded says:

    Dusty Springfield

  • Levi says:

    Rick Astley. 'nuff said.