Glee: Cory Monteith’s Best Solos, Ranked

In many ways, Cory Monteith’s Finn was the heart of Glee. Introduced as the dopey high school quarterback who loves to sing and drum, he is initially blackmailed into joining the glee club by Will Schuester after he catches Finn singing in the locker room. Though he is reluctant to join at first, Finn quickly became the rock of the New Directions, with his fellow glee clubbers looking to him for leadership.

Cory Monteith appeared on Glee for its first four seasons until his untimely passing, and, in that time, he recorded and performed several solos. Although he performed admirably, injecting Finn with life and energy, some of his solos worked better than others. Here are his 10 best.

10 “You’re Having My Baby”

Sung in season one’s “Ballad,” Finn doesn’t get through too much of this song. Kurt convinces him to use the “power of the ballad” at his dinner with Quinn and her family to tell them that Quinn is, in fact, having his baby.

Although Finn does not sing too much of the song before Quinn’s father furiously interrupts him, Monteith does sound good. He perfectly captures the nervous energy Finn has in this scene. Apart from sounding good, the song is typical of the kind of deep-cut song that is weirdly perfect for that specific situation that Glee was known for in its early days.

9 “Hello, I Love You”

Monteith sings this cover of The Doors in season one’s “Hell-O” as a way of getting his mojo back after a losing streak in his life. He meets with Will, and Will encourages him to get in touch with his inner Jim Morrison. While the song is well sung and the visual of Finn walking through the hall is nice, Finn ultimately takes the wrong lesson from the song and breaks up with Rachel shortly after.

As Glee went on, it became increasingly clear that classic rock was the genre of music best suited to Monteith’s voice. While there are other examples that better show this, “Hello, I Love You” is well suited to his talents.

8 “Losing My Religion”

In the less-classic, but still-rock department sits “Losing My Religion,” R.E.M.’s 1991 hit single. Monteith sings this song in season two’s “Grilled Cheesus,” Glee’s first episode-length meditation on issues of faith and spirituality. After Finn sees Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich made with his George Foreman Grill, he decides to explore his faith a bit more.

Monteith’s delivery of the song is perfectly suited to not just his voice, but the episode’s theme. Finn’s spiritual journey is arguably the main plotline of the episode, and Monteith carries it deftly.

7 “I’ve Gotta Be Me”

Season two’s “Born This Way” explores the theme of self-acceptance, and Monteith tackles this Sammy Davis Jr. classic, with an assist from Mike Chang, as he copes with the fact that he can’t dance. Finn is often teased throughout the series as not being a very good dancer, and this song is his chance to poke fun at that fact.

While the song is on theme with the episode, it is pretty tertiary given everything else that happens. Still, this is a genre that Monteith didn’t often dabble in, so it earns points for novelty alone.

6 “She’s Not There”

Another entry into Finn’s classic rock canon, “She’s Not There” by the Zombies is sung in “The Sue Sylvester Shuffle,” a season two episode that aired in the coveted spot after the Super Bowl. In the episode, Will enlists the football team to perform at a halftime show with the glee club.

Dressed as zombies to prepare for their performance of “Thriller/Heads Will Roll,” the football boys lumber around the stage will Finn sings. This song plays to all of Monteith’s strengths; not only is the musical genre ideal, but the zombie-like dancing plays into his lack of dance training.

5 “Can’t Fight This Feeling”

The song that started it all, this is the number that Mr. Schuester overhears Finn singing in the McKinley High locker room and is convinced to enlist him in the New Directions. Though it is only sung in the shower with little to no instrumentation, the song introduces the audience to Finn and immediately establishes a connection.

“Can’t Fight This Feeling” was eventually released as a fully-produced track on Glee’s first compilation album, but the version sung in the shower is the one people remember. That’s for good reason, too; Monteith is at his goofy best, immediately making Finn endearing.

4 “Just The Way You Are”

In the second season episode “Furt,” Finn’s mom marries Kurt’s dad, and Finn sings this song at the reception – not to his new parent, but his new step-brother, Kurt. This is a premise that could have veered into annoying, saccharine territory, but the performances, especially Monteith’s, keep it grounded.

Monteith gives a fairly understated performance, but the uniqueness of this number also earns it some extra points. Brother to brother love is not a type of love that is explored all that often, and it is refreshing to see it done so skillfully here.

3 “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”

Though the storyline surrounding this performance was not always handled super well, the same can’t be said about this performance. Monteith takes this classic song and sings it to Santana, who had just been outed as a lesbian, in large part because of Finn’s mistake.

The particular arrangement of this song is stripped down, allowing Monteith’s emotionality to take center stage. It is a touching moment of forgiveness in the episode, allowing the characters to reflect on the week’s events and grow from them.

2 “Jessie’s Girl”

Another example of a song being weirdly but perfectly suited to a situation in Glee, Finn sings this song to express his jealousy over the fact that Rachel is dating Jesse St. James, the lead performer of the rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline. While the sentiment is tongue-in-cheek, it also expresses the character’s real feelings.

The song sits exactly in Monteith’s wheelhouse, and it is clear in the performance that he is having a good time singing it. This might be Monteith’s best-remembered solo on the show, and for good reason – he truly knocks it out of the park.

1 “I’ll Stand By You”

This song is remembered almost as much for outside circumstances as for the performance itself. Finn sings this song in “Ballad” to Quinn’s sonogram, leading his mother to find out that Quinn is pregnant. However, the song also appears in season five’s “The Quarterback,” the episode paying tribute to Cory Monteith. In that episode, it is sung by Mercedes (Amber Riley) to honor the late actor.

It is clear why this is the Finn performance that was chosen to honor both the character and the actor. Not only is it perfect for his voice, but Monteith sings with remarkable vulnerability. This song epitomizes Monteith’s skill not only as a singer but as an actor, as well.

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