Cee Lo Green on the 'Glee' Machine and Why Acts Like Kings of Leon Say F--- You

When the good folks from 'Glee' wanted to inject some hipness into the show's predominantly cheeseball playlist, they turned to Cee Lo Green.

Last month, Gwyneth Paltrow's substitute teacher Holly Holiday waltzed into glee club, dropping some meta commentary about their song choices -- "They sounded like somebody else's favorite songs. Not yours. Just saying." Paltrow then proceeded to blow the kids (and audience's) minds with her fantastic rendition of 'Forget You,' the TV- and radio-friendly version of Green's viral summer smash.

"I was pleasantly surprised, I really was. I had no idea that she was a vocalist at all. She did a great job," Green tells Spinner, grinning widely. "She did it sexy. It was hot, it turned me on."

It also probably turned on Green's accountant. After all, 'Glee' has sold over 5 million albums, over 15 million singles and has landed 102 songs on the pop charts, surpassing the Beatles and putting them about one episode away from unseating Elvis Presley.

Still, not every artist is lining up to let Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes croon their tunes. Kings of Leon famously turned the show down, and got slammed with a fan and blogger backlash.

"Everyone took it so seriously when we said no to 'Glee' because it's everyone's favourite show. But we just had never really seen the show, we didn't know what it's about," guitarist Matthew Followill exclusively told Spinner. "You just have to balance out the stuff that sounds cool and the stuff that doesn't."

Gorillaz leader Damon Albarn wasn't asked, but made a point of telling the media that he would say no as a protest to their supplanting the Beatles for most appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 by a non-solo act. "Those songs won't last like the Beatles, by any stretch of their imagination," Albarn told the Associated Press. "They'll be forgotten in a few years time."

Watch Gwyneth Paltrow Perform 'Forget You' on 'Glee'
Green says he may not agree, but, echoing what 'Glee' star and real-life musician Darren Criss told Spinner, he does get where these artists are coming from.

"I can see it because living the American dream is being able to afford to say 'Well, no. I don't need your money. I don't need your publicity. I don't need the association. I don't need the validation. You don't validate me. It's validating enough that you asked.' Even asking me, and me declining, is validation enough -- and that I can respect.

"See, 'F--- You' is not that kind of song. If it was a song about my mother, y'know, and a clip of me being born in the hospital, it would be like, 'Nah, you can't have that part of me.' But 'F--- You,' yeah, we can share that, it's just a little ditty, know what I'm saying? I'm glad that it worked out to all of our benefits because it's like our song now."

Green says that giving his music to 'Glee,' he may even encourage a cooler caliber of musician to participate so that 'Glee' can expand its musical pallette beyond Journey, Britney, Broadway musicals and Bruno Mars.

"I have just as much 'cool' and credibility as any of those people you named, but I did 'Glee' so maybe others are out there reconsidering doing it or not. Anything could be done in good taste. Porn can be done in good taste. I'm being cheeky, but the point I'm making is, like, c'mon, man, these are not those times where people [are called] sell-outs. Hey, let me have some fun," Green argues, adding that being asked by the producers to be part of the 'Glee' phenomenon was "flattering," even without a movie star singing his song.

"But I get both sides," he admits. "It depends on the song -- one song I would do, another song I wouldn't."