Cover Songs Make the Music World Go 'Round
Song Cover Versions Rock!
While there has been many a musical misstep over the decades, some songs just beg to be covered. Imagine if only Bob Dylan ever sang Bob Dylan songs like Knockin' on Heaven's Door or no one covered Leadbelly's fabulous Black Betty. What a loss that would be for the music world.
If I hear a song that I love and discover that the songwriter has recorded their own version of it, I immediately seek out the original. Sometimes a cover does an even better job of expressing the song than the first version did. When the song is strong, a new version can make you think about it in a different way. And every once in a while, I'll find a song that has been recorded so many times and so many ways that I have to collect as many cover versions as I can get my digital tentacles on. (When that happens, I often make a lens about it to keep them all in one place. Check out my profile for some examples!)
So, tell me, do you love song covers or do you hate to hear that yet another someone has butchered music that you hold dear? Take a look around and share your opinion!
Before You Decide Whether Cover Songs Rock
Consider these some successful cover bands
While some artists only cover one or two songs, preferring to record original music and lyrics, there are bands and musicians dedicated to taking hit songs and stamping them with their own particular personality. While "Weird" Al Yankovic has his own peculiar genius, I'm not talking about lyrics parodies. These folks take the original lyrics and completely transform the song into a new genre. I'd like to introduce you to a few of them here.Richard Cheese and his band, Lounge Against the Machine, have been remaking hits into swingin' lounge songs for years. Imagine Frank Sinatra singing Baby's Got Back or Dean Martin crooning Radiohead's Creep. You can give Mr. Cheese and the band a listen at Last.fm but be warned: Richard Cheese has a potty mouth.
If a lounge act isn't your thing, as funny as it may be, take a listen to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. These musicians have made it their mission to spice up mellow old hits, giving them a hefty goose of hard rock guitar. Artists from such well-known groups as NOFX and the Foo Fighters take time out of their busy schedules to foster this labor of, well, fun. My favorite? Who Put the Bomp.
Lastly, if you fondly remember The Andrews Sisters and their ilk, give the Puppini Sisters a try. While they do some of their own, original material, these women (who are not sisters, by the way) also offer terrific versions of songs like Walk Like an Egyptian, Blondie's Heart of Glass, and I Will Survive, all with a 40s twist.
If You Liked the Sound of That, Pick 'Em Up!
Try Cover Bands to Expand Your Taste in Music.
The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese
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Do Cover Versions Rock or Do Cover Bands Stink?
Let me know where you stand on the burning question of the recording industry. Convince me that I'm wrong! Remember, if you've got a link to drop, please put it in the "Yea" or "No Way" lists below.
Can other bands do a hit song justice?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byHooray for the cover song! I love 'em.
pastor c says:
Covers are essential music. Every generation picks out music that influenced them and performs their own take on it. I personally think if your cover sounds just like the original - do it on stage, but don't record it for release. I love acoustic versions of rock songs (ie pete townshend's cover of his own "won't get fooled again" on secret policeman's ball or billy goodrum's version of steely dan's "razor boy" on me,myself & irene soundtrack) but any kind of inspired innovation is worth a listen.
It's important to remember that your favorite artist started out playing someone else's music.
Posted August 12, 2009
dating_guru says:
It depends. Usually people like the version they heard first.
Posted June 15, 2009
lenora says:
One Band - Better off metal, bitches, or BOMB
metal covers of theme songs...freakin genius!
Posted June 01, 2009
LLnL says:
I love cover, hate butchered classics. I think that cover that remain true the original arrangement with a different voice is quite lovely. An artist that covers a song by a singer that has a similar voice sometimes can seem redundant but I'm okay with that, just not inspired. A group or artist that takes a song to a whole new level and/or meaning but is still ear candy, that is music worth living for. That I can get behind that.
Posted May 17, 2009
Joey says:
i think a well done version absolutely rules. i dig the acoustic/slow version of a distorted-guitar/fast song. i like switching up genres. i LOVE what Mark Ronson did on his latest album, and i'm a sucker for Alice In Chains and Nirvana unplugged.
Regards,
Me
http://regardseveryone.blogspot.com/
Posted April 03, 2009
Wesley says:
I got two words for you: www.Coverville.com. Listed in iTunes Best Podcasts for two years running.
Posted March 20, 2009
gmarlett says:
I either love them or hate them! Dylan's best works were done better by Joan Baez.
Posted October 13, 2008
ArtByLinda says:
I think that each artist puts their own personality into the song, so each of them are not exactly the same.
Posted October 05, 2008
Not-Pop says:
Granting horrible Marilyn Manson remakes, cover songs mean new takes on old news. They're how new bands establish that they've got the chops to last.
Posted October 05, 2008
No-talent hacks out not to be allowed to touch fabulous originals.
timethief says:
On rare occasion I appreciate their versions but overall the versions that cover bands produce usually make me cringe.
Posted December 25, 2008
Add Links to Terrific Cover Songs
Help me make my case by pointing to the good versions.
If you know of a site that offers great cover songs or a particular version that's fantastic, drop the link here!
Route 66: A Modern Standard
Whether traveled that highway or never even been t more...2 points
Mack the Knife: A Swingin' Standard
Louis Armstrong recorded the smash hit in 1955 and more...2 points
The White Christmas Song
What lyrics conjure up more memories than, 'I'm dr more...1 point
Rock Me, Baby: A Blues Crossover Standard
Rock Me, Baby has been bouncing around the blues w more...1 point
The Peter Gunn Theme Song
When Peter Gunn hit the airwaves in 1958, a new hi more...1 point
Apocalyptica
Combining classical cellos with heavy metal, Apoca more...1 point
Summertime: The Greatest Cover Song Ever
George Gershwin's Summertime may be the most-cover more...1 point
Frankie and Johnny: A Folk Music Standard
Frankie and Johnny has been covered and recorded f more...1 point
You Really Got Me - The Kinks and Others
This 1960s rock song takes several roads to greatn more...1 point
It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
Duke Ellington started the craze for It Don't Mean more...1 point
Listen to rock, pop, R&B and electronica cover versions of Wham's Last Christmas
Did you know that 80s music duo Wham!'s 1984 hit s more...1 point
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
Consider the Roaring 20s, with flappers and their more...0 points
Sweet Georgia Brown: A Whistlin' Jazz Standard
Sweet Georgia Brown grabbed the attention of flapp more...0 points
Song Lyrics
Song lyrics database with 750,000+ song lyrics sea more...0 points
Sample Cover Songs from All Genres
Country, Pop, Ska, Punk, and More
Show Me the Error of My Ways
Drop a link to a really, really bad cover version or a list of them.
Sure, there are a few good cover songs out there. But a huge, steaming pile of cover-song tripe makes those gems really shine. Post a link to a version that slaughters the original or, better yet, to a web site dedicated to bad versions of big hits. Prove me wrong!
The 20 Worst Cover Songs in Pop Music History | Cracked.com
The 20 Worst Cover Songs in Pop Music History. 20 more...1 point
When cover songs go really, really bad - Test Pattern - msnbc.com
I was cruisin%u2019 in my ride and singing along t more...0 points
What's Really Cool about That Cover? Nothing.
Yahoo's Get Back blog offers a pile of bad, bad co more...0 points
Who Else Has Been Writing about Cover Songs?
What new versions of great songs might you be missing?
- “Back on the Train” (Phish acoustic rock cover song) – The Guest ...
- An acoustic cover song version of Phish's Back on the Train by Jeremy Hammond for the Guest Sessions at the Laptop Sessions cover song music video blog. ... The Laptop Sessions is a video blog that showcases acoustic cover songs from the best rock bands of all time. Our cover songs are added constantly and we always put a unique spin on every song we play. Songwriters Jim Fusco, Chris Moore, and Jeff Copperthite all contribute to this music video series on a daily basis ...
- Songs in The Key Of…. Black Sabbath | Musicouch
- Part of the true measure isn't just how many bands cover your songs, but who those bands are, and what exactly they call the song. If it's a great song, it's a cover. If it's a great band, it's a tribute. And there may be no greater band than Black Sabbath. The roll call of bands who have offered tribute in ... Snow-blind System of a Down. System is by far one of the most unique bands Rock music has ever produced; their version of Snow blind is nothing short of genius. ...
- Jeff Matthews Is Not Making This Up: Shazam! From the Boss to the ...
- What we recall in our youth to be a handful of mostly good, listenable songs?Nat King Cole's incomparable cover of ?The Christmas Song? (written by an insufferable bore: more on that later); Bing's mellow, smoky, ?White Christmas?; .... Thanks to Shazam, we learn that this is actually the fourth version Nat recorded. The man worked at his craft, and it shows here: this is the best version of the song by anyone, and probably one of the two or three best Christmas songs out ...
- Pop Tarts Suck Toasted: This Week's Track Reviews
- Jukebox the Ghost - "Temptation" (New Order Cover); Jukebox the Ghost has always done an amazing job of incorporating cover songs into their live sets. Their amazing residency at Pianos a year or two ago notoriously debuted a new cover ...
What's Your Favorite Cover Song?
Or do you think they're a waste of 4:4 time?
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Reply
- arncyn arncyn Nov 11, 2009 @ 6:25 am
- This is a fantastic lens (as your lenses always are). Lensrolling it to my Wham!'s Last Christmas Covers lens. (:
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- Not-Pop Not-Pop Dec 20, 2008 @ 9:41 am | in reply to Shaney
- Is that for or against?! :D I know that Me First and the Gimme Gimmes did a great cover of Leaving on a Jet Plane, but I'll have to see if I can find any others. American Pie could certainly use some rockin'.
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- Shaney Shaney Dec 20, 2008 @ 6:45 am
- Wild World (Cat Stevens) - Cover by Mr. Big
Burning Love (Elvis) - Wynonna Judd
If (Bread) - Eric martin
Anyone know any rock cover for these songs?
-American Pie
-Leaving on a Jet Plane
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- RolandTumble RolandTumble Nov 16, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
- I, too, used to collect cover versions (still do, but more slowly). Some of my favorites are:
Take Me to the River by the Talking Heads
All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
Smokestack Lightning by Manfred Mann
and anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
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- gmarlett gmarlett Oct 13, 2008 @ 11:36 am
- Top notch lens! Welcome to the SquidGroovy Group
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- Portable_eBay Portable_eBay Oct 7, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
- I used to collect cover songs. 5*
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- Not-Pop Not-Pop Oct 7, 2008 @ 8:30 am
- Ha! My sentiments exactly. He's the best argument there is for cover songs. ;)
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- Mac33 Mac33 Oct 6, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
- If it weren't for covers of Bob Dylan tunes, we'd never be able to understand the lyrics!
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by Not-Pop
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