HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, CHUCK, COMMUNITY and More Favorite Television Musical Moments

Robin Sparkles. Jeffster. Joss Whedon.

GLEE may have blazed the trail for musicals as a suitable genre for a series as a whole, but the musical “moment” in television has a long, proud, and epically awesome history.

In honor of the GREY’S ANATOMY musical event tonight, we’re taking a look back at some of our past favorite moments in no particular order…

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

“Let’s Go to the Mall,” Robin Sparkles/Scherbatsky

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF1b1pf9DRY[/youtube]

Whether you see this as just a silly little pop song or as the piece of song-writing brilliance that it is, the moment when our dear Robin Scherbatsky revealed her past as a Canadian pop-star was the moment I fell in love with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. She may have developed an ever-lasting fear of malls, but at least she got to dance with a robot.

“Sandcastles in the Sand,” Robin Sparkles/Scherbatsky

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H90MJTO4wZo[/youtube]

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER’s supposedly melancholy follow-up to “Let’s Go to the Mall” had everything you could ask for: Alan Thicke, Tiffany, Dawson Leery, and the emergence of the Barney/Robin romance.

“Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit,” Barney Stinson

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbAgmD3Mo90[/youtube]

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER topped off its 100th episode in grand fashion, employing GLEE choreographer Zachary Woodlee in a musical number contemplating whether our perpetually suited Barney Stinson would choose suits or women. When you’ve got NPH on your side, you really can’t lose…so it’s no surprise it turned out great.

PUSHING DAISIES

“Hopelessly Devoted to You,” Olive Snook

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbe1m30RS8c[/youtube]

This show was cut down long before its time, but that didn’t stop them from letting Kristin Chenoweth (playing lonely waitress Olive Snook) belt out a tune whenever she darn well pleased. First up was “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” originally from GREASE, which she sang as she closed up the Pie Hole and danced with Digby. PUSHING DAISIES was always a show set on whimsy, and what better way to prove that but to express heartbreak through a showtune? Don’t worry, Kristin Chenoweth, we’re hopelessly devoted to you, too.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

“Once More, With Feeling”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hxafBhGZ-Q[/youtube]

This isn’t really a “moment,” per se (more like an entire episode), but the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER musical episode “Once More, With Feeling” has become — in the words of HIMYM’s Barney Stinson — legendary. Some say it’s even responsible for jump-starting the trend of musical episodes in general. Much like other BTVS episodes such as “Hush” and “Tabula Rasa,” the high concept weaved almost effortlessly into the framework of the characters’ lives at that point in the series, using the songs to articulate what had been dogging them. The episode took on the addition of music with finesse, aided by the fact that the show was already grounded in fantasy. Plus, it was just plain fun.

VERONICA MARS

“One Way or Another,” Veronica Mars

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJqZkqecnTw[/youtube]

Another tiny blonde with a penchant for hunting down bad guys, Veronica Mars brought her sass and caustic wit to the Private Investigator game. She also brought some great vocal chords, apparently, as she proved in the season one episode “Clash of the Tritons.” She belted out Blondie’s “One Way or Another,” karaoke-style. If I were her enemy, I’d be scared.

SCRUBS

“Poison,” Turk

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvVZegDnbJU[/youtube]

Alternating between reality and J.D’s imagination, SCRUBS has no shortage of musical moments. They even have an entire episode full of them. But one of my favorites would have to be Turk dancing to Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison.” I don’t know if it’s the dancing or the expressions of awe on the faces of the Janitor and Ted. It’s probably the dancing. Has anyone ever suggested that Donald Faison (Turk) join the cast of GLEE? Because that needs to happen.

COMMUNITY

“Somewhere Out There,” Troy and Abed

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZJHamGNOFQ[/youtube]

Irish step-dancing with Professor Chang. Learning about public speaking and brownies with Shirley. Singing the AMERICAN TAIL song to a lost rat named Fievel with Troy and Abed. There’s a reason COMMUNITY is my favorite show currently on the air, and I’d be lying if I said that moments like this weren’t a huge part of it. Utterly ridiculous, and yet somehow still heartwarming.

“La Biblioteca,” Troy and Abed

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox1euwLB_rY[/youtube]

What exactly is a “disco spider”? Is the goat’s mustache really Cameron Diaz? We may never know, but that didn’t stop me from memorizing this nonsensical Spanish rap from one of the tags of COMMUNITY. It was also arguably the birth of Troy and Abed as the next great comedy duo, and for that we should all be forever grateful.

SUPERNATURAL

“Eye of the Tiger,” Dean

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsyMtYoSkC0[/youtube]

It may not have technically been in the episode, but it made me laugh so much that it still gets to count (also see: PSYCH-outs). Jensen Ackles (Dean), you slay me, though hopefully not in the same way you slay those demons. SUPERNATURAL has always been a fan of the classic rock genre, and this is the perfect way to showcase it. He plays air-guitar with his leg. How much cooler could you get?

FIREFLY

“The Hero of Canton,” The Population of Jaynestown

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmG4tPspd-E[/youtube]

Joss Whedon’s FIREFLY was brilliant from the very beginning, but this was the moment I became forever indebted to it. Surly, brusque, none-too-bright Jayne Cobb…the subject of hero worship from a bunch of back-planet mudders. For more fun, check out Adam Baldwin himself singing it. I think Simon said it best as he was listening to the song for the first time: “This must be what going mad feels like.”

EVEN STEVENS

“We Went to the Moon,” Ren Stevens

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrb4K3-DJQE[/youtube]

This may seem like a truly random addition to this list. And in all honestly, it probably is. But not only is EVEN STEVENS the show that introduced Shia LeBeouf to the world, it’s also responsible for the song that taught many young people in my generation what year we landed on the moon. It also taught us the value of preparing for our school presentations beforehand.

CHUCK

Every Jeffster song ever performed.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es0ywjPrjrc[/youtube]

Whether it takes place during a Buy More revolution, a farewell party, or a showdown between Chuck and a guy who looks suspiciously like Superman, all Jeffster songs are epic. There’s simply no other way for them to exist in the world. As a result, I had to cheat and include them all on this list. Sam Kinison and that Indian lesbian really know how to rock.

PSYCH

Every PSYCH-Out ever

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtHmVr_tdQM[/youtube]

If you have never seen a PSYCH-Out, I am very sorry for your loss. In my opinion, the show competes only with COMMUNITY for the awesomeness of its closing credit tags, and a large number of them are musical in nature. Go watch them all. Immediately. That’s an order.

Other Notables:

* “Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” Zack Addy, BONES
* “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Temperance Brennan, BONES
* “I Will Always Love You,” Lorelai Gilmore, GILMORE GIRLS
* Pete and Trudy do the Charlestown, MAD MEN
* “Elsewhere,” Haley, ONE TREE HILL
* “On My Own,” Katie Holmes, DAWSON’S CREEK
* “Getting Rid of Britta,” Vaughn, COMMUNITY
* Every song performed on FLIGHT OF THE CONCORDS

There are so many of these that I’m sure I missed some, so what did I leave out?

Let us know in the comments!

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page.

And to be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/givememyremotetv