From 2009 until 2013, the TV show “Glee” graced television screens across America. Three years later it is still a relevant TV series that millions enjoy. Whether you were a fan or not, there was some aspect to it that was appealing. Whether it was the cheesy tunes that you couldn’t help but belt out or the realistic scenarios that captivated your interest, here’s why Glee was and still is the best show ever.

The scenarios were realistic.
Although there were typical situations like dating drama and girl drama, there were other issues such as characters dealing with their sexuality, coming out with their true identities, overcoming teen pregnancy, and much more. On one hand, these were real life issues to deal with but on the other, it was able to be portrayed through the eyes of high school students.

It featured some of THE best music out there.
In the beginning seasons, it was a mixture of old hits from a variety of decades. There wasn’t any genre that they didn’t cover, and they even did some of the best mashups. By the third season, they were covering whatever songs were gracing the Billboard top 100’s chart. And some of the best episodes were when they covered the show tunes like “West Side Story,” “Rocky Horror Glee Show,” and “Glease!”

It inspired us all to highlight our insecurities.
When Rachel Berry broke her nose and dealt with the decision to get a nose job or not; we watched as every character dissected what they felt was wrong with them, but came to peace with. It inspired viewers to be just as okay with their flaws.

Sue Sylvester was the scariest and funniest character that made the show a hit.
In a society that makes us entirely politically correct, Sue Sylvester did not care one bit and wasn’t afraid to throw whatever racist remark there was at anyone and everyone. She called Kurt, who was gay, porcelain, made fun of Santana who looked Hispanic but was actually Lebanese, and much more. Though her goal in life was to shut down the glee club once and for all, she did have a heart of gold buried deep inside. In the later season, it is discovered that she has a little sister who has down syndrome, which explains her heart of gold for Becky Jackson.

A historical mark in pop culture was made during this series.
When Cory Monteith passed away, the nation mourned. Those that were big fans of the show or big fans of him, were devastated over the news and unaware of what that would mean for the series. With an entire episode named “The Quarterback,” they were able to highlight the success of Cory and give Finn Hudson the respectful goodbye he deserved. Throughout the series, little bits of him were still highlighted with Rachel Barry getting a tattoo in honor of him, and the series finale when they named the Auditorium after Finn. Though he’s gone, the show made sure he would not be forgotten.

It went beyond high school and taught us about life.
In the later seasons of the series, everyone graduated high school and went to college to do their big boy/big girl things. Rachel ended up getting married and winning a Tony, she carried Blaine and Kurt’s baby, Mercedes went on to have a record deal in L.A. Quinn graduated from Yale and became successful, and Puck became an officer in the navy. Despite their success, they taught the audience that high school friendships can be some of the most important friendships that you will find. It taught us that we are not defined by high school and we have the power in the world to change what we want to do years down the road in life.