The news has had time to sink in: Dan Harmon will no longer be captaining the Community ship. From his mind came some of the most charming, catchy, and gut-busting funny songs for the cast to sing during their misadventures. Music is a big part of the show—everything from hummed melodies to full-on dance numbers with choreography, costumes and confetti. Here, we collect our very favorite musical moments of Dan Harmon-era Community.
8. Cast performance of “Finally Be Fine”
From “Biology 101”
How many times have we wished to “have more fun and be less weird?” Being a weird outlier is exactly why we love Community, and it was a great satirical touch to have a bunch of neurotic (but lovable!) nut-jobs sing a song about celebrating normalcy. Never change, study group. You’re perfect just the way you are.
7. Troy and Abed humming “Daybreak” by Michael Haggins… constantly
From “Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism”
Troy and Abed have a mutual affinity for a lot of weird things, but none so weird as their proclivity towards humming the hook of easy listening diddy “Daybreak” by Michael Haggins. Troy hums it when he first enters the scene below, before he realizes Annie stepped on Abed’s DVD, and then hums a much more somber version as he holds back tears and walks away. This is but one time that the song appears in the series; Abed hums it again while in his Inspector Spacetime costume.
6. Señor Chang’s rap-backed exit from his classroom
From “Investigative Journalism”
“I am Señor Chang, and I’m so ill / This is a warning, I can’t be killed / All in your cabeza, without a chaser / Not another teacher with this much flavor.” All while Chang holds his fists triumphantly in the air and walks slowly out of the classroom. No better exit for an absurd fringe character who only exists for laughs, an occasion to which Ken Jeong has beautifully risen consistently throughout the series. Chang, out.
5. “Kiss From a Rose” karaoke with Dean Pelton and Jeff
From “Studies in Modern Movement”
Karaoke in front of a green screen is guaranteed comedy, no matter who’s doing it. Add in Dean Pelton blackmailing Jeff into spending time with him — along with Pierce hallucinating from paint fumes, Troy and Abed doing shadow puppets for Annie and a hitchhiker with a fragile hold on a reality and a guitar — and you have about two minutes of over-the-top comedy goodness.
4. Abed’s uncontrollable Christmas song
From “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”
How often do you see TV shows attempt claymation, especially claymation combined with a Christmas episode? No one does holiday-themed episodes like Community, and claymation Abed getting tasered during his big musical finish is the perfect ending to the perfect beginning of a great episode.
3. “Jehovah’s Most Secret Witness”
From “Regional Holiday Music”
If the entire episode being a satire of Glee wasn’t enough, Troy and Abed taking their rapping to the next level sure is. Donald Glover’s rapper side, Childish Gambino, definitely shines through as Troy talks about taking down Christmas from within. A little Auto-tune doesn’t hurt, either. For the sake of saving time and space, let’s just say that every song in the “Regional Holiday Music” deserves to be on this list, and they’re all readily available for viewing on the Internet.
2. “Pocket Full of Hawthornes” commercial
From “Advanced Gay”
There’s nothing funny about Pierce’s—or Shirley’s—homophobia, but the unauthorized re-appropriation of Hawthorne Wipes for the gay community in a hilarious commercial is one for the books. (Wear headphones watching this, the drag queen in the commercial makes specific mention of certain body parts that need to be tucked when queens hit the town on a Friday night.)
1. Anthropology rap with Betty White
From “Anthropology 101”
Community is known for super entertaining wrap-up scenes while the end credits roll, and including Betty White in Troy and Abed’s well-loved Spanish Rap was a brilliant move. Her inclusion in the rap makes it so much more satisfying than it usually is, and the three singing Toto’s “Africa” is priceless.