 The episode features covers of seven songs , including a mash @-@ up of " Don 't Stand So Close to Me " by The Police and " Young Girl " by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap . Studio recordings of all songs performed in the episode were released as singles , available for digital download . " Ballad " was watched by 7 @.@ 29 million US viewers and received mixed reviews from critics . Elizabeth Holmes of The Wall Street Journal and Liz Pardue of Zap2it were disappointed that Jane Lynch did not appear as Sue Sylvester , though Mike Hale of the New York Times did not miss her presence . Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle deemed " Ballad " one of the best episodes of Glee to date . Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly did not enjoy it as much as the preceding episode " Wheels " but reviewed the episode positively overall , while Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune deemed it " deliriously , deliciously bad " . 
