Glee: The Music, Volume 1
Encyclopedia
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album
by the cast of the musical television series Glee
, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover version
s from the first nine episodes of the first season
and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records
and 20th Century Fox Television Records
. The album received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising large ensemble numbers, but comparing it to karaoke
tracks. It went to number one on album charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number three in Australia and number four in both Canada and the United States. Volume 1 has been certified platinum
in these five countries.
All non-bonus tracks from the album have been released as digital singles. The cast's debut single, a cover of Journey
's "Don't Stop Believin'
, charted within the top five in many countries and has sold over one million copies in the US. Other high-charting and best-selling singles include the covers of Queen
's "Somebody to Love
", Neil Diamond
's "Sweet Caroline
", and "Defying Gravity
" from the musical Wicked
. Glee Live! In Concert!
saw the cast tour the US in promotion of the series' first season and its musical releases. The album earned a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for the 2011 ceremony.
network on May 19, 2009. Series creator Ryan Murphy planned to include five to eight musical numbers per episode, and to release accompanying soundtrack albums every few months. In the week prior to the broadcast of the pilot episode
, Murphy stated that seven different companies had bid on the rights to the series' first soundtrack. The contenders were narrowed down to four labels, with Fox ultimately signing a deal with Columbia Records
as a result of chairman Rob Stringer
's belief that Glee would be a success. Stringer appreciated the series' use of both classic and contemporary pop music. He suggested that other record labels underestimated the potential of Glee musical releases as they are all cover versions.
Murphy was responsible for selecting all of the songs covered on the album, and strove to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits. He was surprised at the ease with which use of songs was approved by the record labels approached, and explained, "I think the key to it is they loved the tone of it. They loved that this show was about optimism and young kids, for the most part, reinterpreting their classics for a new audience." Music supervisor P.J. Bloom cleared the song rights with their respective publishers, and music producer Adam Anders
rearranged the tracks for the Glee cast. "Take a Bow
" was offered for use at a reduced licensing rate, which surprised Murphy, who had believed he would not be able to afford the rights given that it had been a number one hit for Rihanna
. Neil Diamond
had some reluctance over licensing "Sweet Caroline
" to the show, and retracted clearance after it had already been recorded. Bloom was able to convince him to reverse his decision, and Diamond went on to also license his song "Hello Again
" for use on the show at a later date.
Stringer did not expect the success of Glee Cast single releases, and estimated that four million copies would be sold by Christmas 2009. He was unsure whether the high sales figures would help or hinder the release of Glee: The Music, Volume 1, and as such, was eager for its release in order to gauge the physical and digital market response. The 17 tracks selected for the album were considered amongst the series' most popular, with Columbia and Fox aiming to attract casual buyers as well as Glee fans. Geoff Bywater, head of Fox's music department, anticipated considerable sales from impulse buyers in retail stores. Instrumental versions of some songs were included as bonus tracks, based on a trend of fans recreating the musical numbers in tribute to the show.
In May 2010, the Glee Cast undertook a US tour entitled Glee Live! In Concert!
, performing tracks from the first season's musical releases. From Glee: The Music, Volume 1, "Don't Stop Believin'
, "Push It
", "Sweet Caroline", "Defying Gravity
", "Bust Your Windows
" and "Dancing with Myself
" were included on the setlist, with "Somebody to Love
" as an encore
performance.
gave the album a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impression of eight critical reviews—of 60 percent, signifying mixed or average reviews. Both Emma Wall of The Daily Telegraph
and Christopher John Farley of The Wall Street Journal
expressed approval of the choral arrangements, though Wall review observed that some of the ballads lack potency without their episodic context. Farley appreciated the "emotional backstory" given to the album by the television series, writing that it would "evoke fond memories of favorite episodes" for Glee fans. He found the better songs to be the ones which do not seem "too polished", giving them a karaoke appeal. Entertainment Weekly Leah Greenblatt wrote that the soundtrack is essentially a karaoke album, describing the songs as "unapologetically sincere"—lacking the series' subversive wit, but with "a giddy sort of 'let's put on a show' charm". Billboard Mikael Wood deemed the most successful tracks those which seem least suited to the series, such as the rock ballads "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Can't Fight This Feeling". Wood commented that "Take a Bow" and "Bust Your Windows" are also enjoyable, but "lack a certain revenge-of-the-nerds triumph."
The Independent
Andy Gill was apathetic towards the album, which he too deemed "karaoke-pop". He praised Riley's rendition of "Bust Your Windows", calling it the album's "most compelling moment", but criticized Morrison's rapping as "the least convincing [...] in recording history." Gill found Agron's cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" to be "irritatingly anonymous", but otherwise felt the album contained little of note, either positive or negative. Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone shared Gill's sentiments with regards to Morrison's rapping and Riley's "Bust Your Windows", also deeming "Don't Stop Believin'
"a triumphal moment against which resistance is futile." Dan Cairns of The Times
described the album as "music of catch-in-the-throat, quick-fix, talent-show emotion" variety, calling it "undeniably effective" but "utterly nauseating."
Andrew Leahey of allmusic opined that some of the cast members are better actors than vocalists, but gave particular praise to Michele's songs, suggesting that the soundtrack is largely a showcase for her talent, and that she outperforms most of the original artists. IGN
's Brian Linder described the album as having "an appealing irreverent spirit that tamps down the earnestness just as it begins to overwhelm." Linder agreed that Morrison does not excel as an emcee, but still found his attempts at rapping enjoyable. He generally approved of the track list, but found the older songs such as "Sweet Caroline" and "Say a Little Prayer" lacking in resonance, and named "You Keep Me Hangin' On" as the weakest performance. Linder commended Riley and Michele's vocals, and most enjoyed the covers of "Somebody to Love" and "Keep Holding On", suggesting that the latter surpasses the original version. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
commented that the album requires a suspension of disbelief, attributing some negative reviews from US critics to their inability to accept the fantasy of the series. Petridis reviewed "Dancing With Myself", "Sweet Caroline", "Gold Digger", "Somebody to Love" and "Alone" favorably, but as with Gill and Linder disliked "You Keep Me Hangin' On", which she deemed bland and boring. Petridis wrote that the album does not entirely work in its own right, separate from the television series, but concluded that for listeners prepared to accept the conceit, "Glee: the Soundtrack almost lives up to its title."
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 received a nomination in the category of Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 53rd Grammy Awards
.
, selling 113,000 copies in its first week of release. The same week, the album also debuted at number two on the Billboard
Soundtracks chart, going on to reach the top position on May 1, 2010. On September 9, 2010, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
for sales or shipments of 1,000,000 or more. As of May 2011, 1.169 million copies have been sold in the US, and it has remained on the Billboard 200 for seventy-three weeks. In the United Kingdom, the album entered the top 75 three weeks before its official release, on import sales alone. Following its official release, it debuted at number one with sales of 62,000 according to The Official Charts Company. It was certified platinum for 300,000 copies sold by the British Phonographic Industry
on May 21, 2010. In Australia, the album peaked at number three, and was certified platinum for 70,000 copies sold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) in 2009, and received a 2x platinum certification from ARIA in 2011. It peaked at number four in Canada, and has been certified platinum with 80,000 units sold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
. The album also peaked at number one in Ireland, eight in New Zealand, nine in the Netherlands, thirty-four in both Austria and Wallonia, thirty-seven in Mexico, forty-eight in Switzerland, sixty-nine in Spain, seventy-four in Flanders
, and eighty in Japan.
. The releases made the Glee Cast the tenth cast
to have entries chart on the Billboard Hot 100
in its 51-year history. Their debut single "Don't Stop Believin'
charted at number five in Australia
, number four in the US
and Ireland
, and number two in the United Kingdom
. In the US, 177,000 copies of the song were sold in its first week of release. Its number four debut surpassed the Journey
original, which peaked at number nine in 1981. The original rendition sold 42,000 copies in the week of the Glee Cast release, up 48% on the previous week. "Don't Stop Believin' was also the cast's best-selling single, and has sold 1,005,000 copies in the US, a combination of sales from the original release (921,000) and the rerecording for the season finale
(84,000). It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
on October 13, 2009, and platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
the following year.
On October 22, 2010, Yahoo! Music
published a list of the twenty most popular Glee songs, based on download data from Nielsen SoundScan
. Of the twenty best-selling singles, eight are included on Glee: The Music, Volume 1: "Don't Stop Believin", "Defying Gravity
" (335,000 copies), "Somebody to Love
" (315,000), "Sweet Caroline" (187,000), "Take a Bow" (181,000), "Keep Holding On
" (166,000), "Taking Chances
" (163,000), and "Alone
" (159,000). "Take a Bow" charted at number 46 in the US, with 53,000 copies sold in its first week of release. Sales of the original Rihanna
version increased by 189 percent after the song was covered in the Glee episode "Showmance". Sales of the Queen
version of "Somebody to Love" rose from 2,000 to 6,000 downloads following the release of the Glee Cast cover version.
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
by the cast of the musical television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s from the first nine episodes of the first season
Glee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
and 20th Century Fox Television Records
Fox Music
Fox Music is the music arm of 20th Century Fox. It encompasses music publishing andlicensing businesses, dealing primarily with Fox Entertainment Group television and film soundtracks...
. The album received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising large ensemble numbers, but comparing it to karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
tracks. It went to number one on album charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and peaked at number three in Australia and number four in both Canada and the United States. Volume 1 has been certified platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in these five countries.
All non-bonus tracks from the album have been released as digital singles. The cast's debut single, a cover of Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
's "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
, charted within the top five in many countries and has sold over one million copies in the US. Other high-charting and best-selling singles include the covers of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Queen song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
", Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
's "Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
", and "Defying Gravity
Defying Gravity (song)
"Defying Gravity" is the signature song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003...
" from the musical Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
. Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert! is a concert tour performed in character by members of the cast of the popular television series, Glee. The tour, created by series creator Ryan Murphy was designed due to the overwhelming response to the series. The show reached North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland...
saw the cast tour the US in promotion of the series' first season and its musical releases. The album earned a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for the 2011 ceremony.
Development
Glee debuted in America on the FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on May 19, 2009. Series creator Ryan Murphy planned to include five to eight musical numbers per episode, and to release accompanying soundtrack albums every few months. In the week prior to the broadcast of the pilot episode
Pilot (Glee)
"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
, Murphy stated that seven different companies had bid on the rights to the series' first soundtrack. The contenders were narrowed down to four labels, with Fox ultimately signing a deal with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as a result of chairman Rob Stringer
Rob Stringer
Rob Stringer is Chairman of the Columbia Records, which is part of Sony Music Entertainment.He is the younger brother of Sir Howard Stringer, who is Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation.-References:...
's belief that Glee would be a success. Stringer appreciated the series' use of both classic and contemporary pop music. He suggested that other record labels underestimated the potential of Glee musical releases as they are all cover versions.
Murphy was responsible for selecting all of the songs covered on the album, and strove to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits. He was surprised at the ease with which use of songs was approved by the record labels approached, and explained, "I think the key to it is they loved the tone of it. They loved that this show was about optimism and young kids, for the most part, reinterpreting their classics for a new audience." Music supervisor P.J. Bloom cleared the song rights with their respective publishers, and music producer Adam Anders
Adam Anders
Adam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...
rearranged the tracks for the Glee cast. "Take a Bow
Take a Bow (Rihanna song)
"Take a Bow" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, taken from the re-release, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded , of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad . The song was written and produced by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Shaffer Smith, under their stage names Stargate and Ne-Yo...
" was offered for use at a reduced licensing rate, which surprised Murphy, who had believed he would not be able to afford the rights given that it had been a number one hit for Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
. Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
had some reluctance over licensing "Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline
"Sweet Caroline" is a pop song written and performed by Neil Diamond and officially released on September 16, 1969, as a single. It was later released on December 9, 1972 as a part of Diamond's Hot August Night album. There are three distinct mixes of this song...
" to the show, and retracted clearance after it had already been recorded. Bloom was able to convince him to reverse his decision, and Diamond went on to also license his song "Hello Again
The Jazz Singer (soundtrack)
The Jazz Singer is an album by Neil Diamond from 1980, which served as soundtrack album to the 1980 remake of the film The Jazz Singer. The soundtrack was released in November 1980 originally on Capitol Records. EMI Films produced the film...
" for use on the show at a later date.
Stringer did not expect the success of Glee Cast single releases, and estimated that four million copies would be sold by Christmas 2009. He was unsure whether the high sales figures would help or hinder the release of Glee: The Music, Volume 1, and as such, was eager for its release in order to gauge the physical and digital market response. The 17 tracks selected for the album were considered amongst the series' most popular, with Columbia and Fox aiming to attract casual buyers as well as Glee fans. Geoff Bywater, head of Fox's music department, anticipated considerable sales from impulse buyers in retail stores. Instrumental versions of some songs were included as bonus tracks, based on a trend of fans recreating the musical numbers in tribute to the show.
In May 2010, the Glee Cast undertook a US tour entitled Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert! is a concert tour performed in character by members of the cast of the popular television series, Glee. The tour, created by series creator Ryan Murphy was designed due to the overwhelming response to the series. The show reached North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, performing tracks from the first season's musical releases. From Glee: The Music, Volume 1, "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
, "Push It
Push It (Salt-N-Pepa song)
"Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA...
", "Sweet Caroline", "Defying Gravity
Defying Gravity (song)
"Defying Gravity" is the signature song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003...
", "Bust Your Windows
Bust Your Windows
"Bust Your Windows" is the second single by R&B singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan from her debut Grammy-nominated album Fearless. It was available as a digital download on Amazon.com in the U.S. on the September 16, 2008...
" and "Dancing with Myself
Dancing with Myself
"Dancing with Myself" is a song by the band Generation X. The song was first released as a single and a 12" in 1980 and, a few weeks after the single release, was included on the band's last album - 1981's Kiss Me Deadly...
" were included on the setlist, with "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Queen song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" as an encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
performance.
Critical response
MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the album a Metascore—a weighted average based on the impression of eight critical reviews—of 60 percent, signifying mixed or average reviews. Both Emma Wall of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and Christopher John Farley of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
expressed approval of the choral arrangements, though Wall review observed that some of the ballads lack potency without their episodic context. Farley appreciated the "emotional backstory" given to the album by the television series, writing that it would "evoke fond memories of favorite episodes" for Glee fans. He found the better songs to be the ones which do not seem "too polished", giving them a karaoke appeal. Entertainment Weekly Leah Greenblatt wrote that the soundtrack is essentially a karaoke album, describing the songs as "unapologetically sincere"—lacking the series' subversive wit, but with "a giddy sort of 'let's put on a show' charm". Billboard Mikael Wood deemed the most successful tracks those which seem least suited to the series, such as the rock ballads "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Can't Fight This Feeling". Wood commented that "Take a Bow" and "Bust Your Windows" are also enjoyable, but "lack a certain revenge-of-the-nerds triumph."
The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
Andy Gill was apathetic towards the album, which he too deemed "karaoke-pop". He praised Riley's rendition of "Bust Your Windows", calling it the album's "most compelling moment", but criticized Morrison's rapping as "the least convincing [...] in recording history." Gill found Agron's cover of "You Keep Me Hanging On" to be "irritatingly anonymous", but otherwise felt the album contained little of note, either positive or negative. Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone shared Gill's sentiments with regards to Morrison's rapping and Riley's "Bust Your Windows", also deeming "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
"a triumphal moment against which resistance is futile." Dan Cairns of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described the album as "music of catch-in-the-throat, quick-fix, talent-show emotion" variety, calling it "undeniably effective" but "utterly nauseating."
Andrew Leahey of allmusic opined that some of the cast members are better actors than vocalists, but gave particular praise to Michele's songs, suggesting that the soundtrack is largely a showcase for her talent, and that she outperforms most of the original artists. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Brian Linder described the album as having "an appealing irreverent spirit that tamps down the earnestness just as it begins to overwhelm." Linder agreed that Morrison does not excel as an emcee, but still found his attempts at rapping enjoyable. He generally approved of the track list, but found the older songs such as "Sweet Caroline" and "Say a Little Prayer" lacking in resonance, and named "You Keep Me Hangin' On" as the weakest performance. Linder commended Riley and Michele's vocals, and most enjoyed the covers of "Somebody to Love" and "Keep Holding On", suggesting that the latter surpasses the original version. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
commented that the album requires a suspension of disbelief, attributing some negative reviews from US critics to their inability to accept the fantasy of the series. Petridis reviewed "Dancing With Myself", "Sweet Caroline", "Gold Digger", "Somebody to Love" and "Alone" favorably, but as with Gill and Linder disliked "You Keep Me Hangin' On", which she deemed bland and boring. Petridis wrote that the album does not entirely work in its own right, separate from the television series, but concluded that for listeners prepared to accept the conceit, "Glee: the Soundtrack almost lives up to its title."
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
.
Commercial performance
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 debuted at number four on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 113,000 copies in its first week of release. The same week, the album also debuted at number two on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Soundtracks chart, going on to reach the top position on May 1, 2010. On September 9, 2010, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales or shipments of 1,000,000 or more. As of May 2011, 1.169 million copies have been sold in the US, and it has remained on the Billboard 200 for seventy-three weeks. In the United Kingdom, the album entered the top 75 three weeks before its official release, on import sales alone. Following its official release, it debuted at number one with sales of 62,000 according to The Official Charts Company. It was certified platinum for 300,000 copies sold by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
on May 21, 2010. In Australia, the album peaked at number three, and was certified platinum for 70,000 copies sold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) in 2009, and received a 2x platinum certification from ARIA in 2011. It peaked at number four in Canada, and has been certified platinum with 80,000 units sold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
. The album also peaked at number one in Ireland, eight in New Zealand, nine in the Netherlands, thirty-four in both Austria and Wallonia, thirty-seven in Mexico, forty-eight in Switzerland, sixty-nine in Spain, seventy-four in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, and eighty in Japan.
Singles
Each of the songs included on Glee: The Music, Volume 1, except for the bonus tracks, were released as singles, available for downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. The releases made the Glee Cast the tenth cast
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
to have entries chart on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in its 51-year history. Their debut single "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
charted at number five in Australia
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, number four in the US
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Ireland
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
, and number two in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In the US, 177,000 copies of the song were sold in its first week of release. Its number four debut surpassed the Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
original, which peaked at number nine in 1981. The original rendition sold 42,000 copies in the week of the Glee Cast release, up 48% on the previous week. "Don't Stop Believin' was also the cast's best-selling single, and has sold 1,005,000 copies in the US, a combination of sales from the original release (921,000) and the rerecording for the season finale
Journey (Glee)
"Journey to Regionals" is the 22nd episode and first season finale of the American television series Glee. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on June 8, 2010. In "Journey to Regionals", New Directions performs at Regionals in front...
(84,000). It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
on October 13, 2009, and platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
the following year.
On October 22, 2010, Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
published a list of the twenty most popular Glee songs, based on download data from Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. Of the twenty best-selling singles, eight are included on Glee: The Music, Volume 1: "Don't Stop Believin", "Defying Gravity
Defying Gravity (song)
"Defying Gravity" is the signature song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003...
" (335,000 copies), "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Queen song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" (315,000), "Sweet Caroline" (187,000), "Take a Bow" (181,000), "Keep Holding On
Keep Holding On
"Keep Holding On" is a pop rock power ballad song recorded by Avril Lavigne and is the theme song for the film Eragon . It also appears as the last track on Lavigne's third album, The Best Damn Thing which was released on April 17, 2007. Lavigne has described the rest of the album as being upbeat...
" (166,000), "Taking Chances
Taking Chances (song)
"Taking Chances" is a single by Celine Dion and written by songwriter Kara DioGuardi and ex-Eurythmics member Dave Stewart's band Platinum Weird, taken from their unreleased self-titled album. The song was originally released in February 2007, and later made famous by a cover version by Céline...
" (163,000), and "Alone
Alone (Heart song)
-Céline Dion version:Céline Dion covered "Alone" for her 2007 album Taking Chances. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom...
" (159,000). "Take a Bow" charted at number 46 in the US, with 53,000 copies sold in its first week of release. Sales of the original Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
version increased by 189 percent after the song was covered in the Glee episode "Showmance". Sales of the Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
version of "Somebody to Love" rose from 2,000 to 6,000 downloads following the release of the Glee Cast cover version.
Track listing
Personnel
- Adam AndersAdam AndersAdam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...
– arranger, engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, soundtrack producer, vocals - Dianna AgronDianna AgronDianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
– vocals - Peer ÅströmPeer ÅströmPeer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...
– engineer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, producer - David Bett – art direction, design
- PJ Bloom – music supervisor
- Geoff Bywater – executive in charge of musicMusic executiveA music executive or record executive is person within a record label who works in senior management, making executive decisions over the label's artists...
- Kristin ChenowethKristin ChenowethKristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
– vocals - Chris ColferChris ColferChristopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
– vocals - Kamari Copeland – vocals
- Tim Davis – arranger, vocal contractor, vocals
- Dante Di LoretoDante Di LoretoDante Di Loreto is an American writer and producer, best known for executive producing the 20th Century Fox series Glee.-Career:Prior to joining Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create Glee, Di Loreto produced several shows for cable and broadcast television as well as a selection of films...
– executive producer - Lamont Dozier – composer
- Brad FalchukBrad FalchukBrad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
– executive producer - Emily Gomez – vocals
- Heather Guibert – coordination
- Nikki Hassman – vocals
- Jeannette Kaczorowski – cover design
- Robin Koehler – coordination
- James Levine – producer
- David Loucks – vocals
- Meaghan Lyons – coordination
- Chris Mann – vocals
- Dan Marnien – engineer
- Maria Paula Marulanda – art direction, design
- Kevin McHale – vocals
- Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
– composer - Lea MicheleLea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
– vocals - Cory MonteithCory MonteithCory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
– vocals - Matthew MorrisonMatthew MorrisonMatthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
– vocals - Ryan Murphy – producer, soundtrack producer
- Ryan Peterson – engineer
- Zac Poor – vocals
- Jasper Randall – vocals
- Amber RileyAmber RileyAmber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
– vocals - Mark Salling – vocals
- Louie Teran – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Jenna Ushkowitz – vocals
- Windy Wagner – vocals
Weekly charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 | |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
4 | |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 37 | |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
8 | |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
34 | |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
9 | |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
1 | |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 69 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 | |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Soundtracks |
1 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 34 | |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
69 | |
| French Albums Chart | 52 | |
| German Album Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
21 | |
| Italian Compilations Chart | 13 | |
| Japanese Albums Chart | 80 | |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
47 | |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 48 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
40 | |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
38 | |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
183 |
| Chart (2010) | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 31 | |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
27 | |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
11 | |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
68 | |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 54 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
22 | |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
23 | |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Soundtracks |
2 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
2x Platinum | |
| Canada | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum | |
| Ireland | IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
3x Platinum | |
| New Zealand | RIANZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Platinum | |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum | |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Country | Release date | Format(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Compact Disc Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... (CD) |
||
| Canada | CD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... (DD) |
||
| Netherlands | CD, DD | ||
| Mexico | CD, DD | ||
| New Zealand | CD, DD | ||
| United States | CD, DD | ||
| Australia | CD, DD | ||
| Belgium | CD | ||
| Brazil | CD, DD | ||
| Japan | CD | ||
| Ireland | CD, DD | ||
| Taiwan | CD | ||
| United Kingdom | CD, DD | ||
| Spain | CD, DD | ||
| Italy | CD, DD |
External links
- Glee: The Music, Volume 1 at GleeTheMusic.com