A show like Family Guy, with its parade of cutaway gags and bizarre '80s references, wasn't supposed to last. And at first, it didn't; it debuted in 1999 to modest ratings, and Fox cancelled it after the third season. But the subsequent DVD sales did so well that Fox brought the show back from the dead. Now, Family Guy is in its 17th season, and the rapid-fire jokes work perfectly in the YouTube era of self-referential, bite-sized entertainment.
The consistent link throughout the show's existence is creator Seth MacFarlane, who is still actively involved in the show's production: he also voices numerous main characters, including Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, and Glenn Quagmire. And though he's no longer as hands-on as he once was—his numerous other comedy projects over the years, like American Dad, The Cleveland Show, A Million Ways To Die in the West, and The Orville, stretched him thin—his cheeky, crass sense of humor is always on display, and it shines most brightly during the show's musical moments.
MacFarlane likes to sing, and he takes every opportunity to do so. He sang at the Oscars. He sang at the Emmys. He sings on record; the man has four albums comprised of American standards. So it makes sense that Family Guy is filled with songs, too, from covers of popular songs to song parodies. And MacFarlane sings on nearly all of them, usually as Stewie, Brian, or Peter.
To celebrate the 17th season premiere of Family Guy, which airs September 30 on Fox, we're discussing the show's greatest musical numbers. We're only including original songs; song parodies with new lyrics are allowed, but straight-up covers, such as "Surfin' Bird," "Don't Stop Believing," and "Rock Lobster," are not. Here are our final picks, ranked.