It is the ultimate form of compliment from one artist to another when they record their own cover version of the original artist’s work.Artists covering other artists have long been an integral part of the ebb and flow of the music industry.While some artists take a song and put their own twist on it, others may attempt to replicate the sound of the original artist’s recording. Some artists have actually made entire cover albums; in fact, multiple artists have recorded tribute albums toThe Beatles, David Bowie, and U2.
There have also been countlesscollaborationsbetween artists to cover other legendary artists throughout history. Aside from the big-name covers that everyone knows about, however, every once in a while, an artist throws a cover into their albums, or a live performance during a recorded, and later released, live show.These 15 covers took my breath away when I serendipitously stumbled upon them,and they absolutely deserve more recognition.
15Blue Sky by Joan Baez
Originally by the Allman Brothers Band
Joan Baez included her own version of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky” for her 1975 albumDiamonds & Rust. The Allman Brothers' hit is the kind of song that perfectly matches its title—it is an easy, breezy, feel-good song, and Joan Baez simply illuminates that feeling in her cover version.Baez released her cover of “Blue Sky” as the lead single fromDiamonds & Rust, and it peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This song is one of many songs that Baez has covered throughout her discography, but “Blue Sky” is one that kind of jumps out at you while listening to the album.It catches you by surprise if you’re not expecting it,and it’s a very pleasant surprise at that. The guitar riff in the intro is instantly recognizable, and aside from the vocals, which have the slightest hint of southern folk twang, the recording sounds just like the Allman Brothers'.
14What A Wonderful World by The Flaming Lips
Originally by Louis Armstrong
“What a Wonderful World” is the closer on The Flaming Lips’In a Priest Driven Ambulance, and suffice it to say, the song doesn’t exactly fit nicely alongside the rest of this album’s track list. Louis Armstrong’s peaceful, throaty ballad takes on a very different form when played by The Flaming Lips. Wayne Coyne is the kind of singer who can’t sing.His voice is so unique, however, that the lack of any smoothness in his vocals just works.
Even with Coyne’s distinctly jarring vocals, and the feedback-laden electric guitar, it is a chilling yet gorgeous way to close out their fourth album.
As one can imagine, that vocal quality is a little unorthodox on a song that relies so heavily on beauty, and the smoothness in Louis Armstrong’s vocals on the original recording.The Flaming Lips' version is oddly calming,and even with Coyne’s distinctly jarring vocals, and the feedback-laden electric guitar, it is a chilling yet gorgeous way to close out their fourth album.
13Every 1’s A Winner by Ty Segall
Originally by Hot Chocolate
When I first heard this song, I didn’t realize it was a cover—Ty Segall puts together a fantastic ensemble of muted, crunchy guitar, and unique, broad-ranged vocals, and places the song early on his album,Freedom’s Goblin.It fits in so well with his personal sound and the rest of the album, I thought it was an original.After listening to Hot Chocolate’s original version, I appreciated Segall’s cover version even more.
Segall maintains the musical integrity of the track, down to the low-pitched backup vocals in the chorus repeating the line,“That’s the truth.“Hot Chocolate’s version has a much funkier sound, but aside from the tempo and the brass instruments employed in the original, Segall’s cover is fairly similar.The overwhelming funk sound is stripped away to make it a more alternative cover version,so it fits a bit more seamlessly into his tenth studio album.
12Reflections by Swervedriver
Originally by The Supremes
Shoegaze and soul are two genres that exist on entirely different planes of the musical landscape. So when a post-punk shoegaze band like Swervedriver covers a Motown R&B group like The Supremes, it’s hard to know what to expect. That said,Swervedriver’s cover version of “Reflections” is exactly what one probablywouldexpect.It’s a more fraught version of the song, with some signature shoegaze background noise complementing Adam Franklin’s hazy vocals.
The original version is upbeat and soulful, accented by Diana Ross’s velvety vocals, to which Franklin provides a gorgeous contrast in Swervedriver’s cover version. They released the song on a two-track EP alongside a cover of Gene Clark’s “Think I’m Going to Feel Better.” Though Swervedriver does a great job of paying tribute to The Supremes, their version of “Reflections” is certainly their own, andif you didn’t know the song already, you would have a hard time discerning the fact that it isn’t originally an alt-rock, shoegaze song.
11The Joker by Fat Boy Slim and Bootsy Collins
Originally by Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band’s greatest achievement and the crowning jewel of their discography was “The Joker.” The band’s sound could best be described as psychedelic blues rock, butwhen DJ Fatboy Slim produced a cover of “The Joker” with funk-master Bootsy Collins on vocals, the song took on a much different tone.Collins' vocals have a hip-hop, psychedelic soul quality, which elevates both the lyrics, and the signature sound effects, namely the wah pedal, of this song between the lyrics as well.
Fatboy Slim’s version of “The Joker” maintains a good portion of the musical quirks present in the original,but still takes any number of creative liberties in making the cover his own.He adds almost a full minute to his version of the song, with an unconventional intro full of Collins' mumbling and a brass horn section, and even more sound effects cut together in a jam-like fashion.
10Surfin' USA by the Jesus and Mary Chain
Originally by The Beach Boys
The Jesus and Mary Chain, who were one of the very first shoegaze bands to start the movement, released a heavily feedback-driven cover of the Beach Boys' quintessential summertime hit, “Surfin' USA,” for their compilation albumBarbed Wire Kisses. A song this distinct is unmistakable regardless of who recorded it,but The Beach Boys' and The Jesus and Mary Chain’s versions couldn’t be more different.
The Jesus and Mary Chain recorded their vocals,clearly imitating Mike Love’s Californian-accented vocals, over a heavily feedback-driven guitar track.Reminiscent of the early sound on theirdebut album,Psychocandy, their version of “Surfin' USA” featured quite a bit of noise complimenting the guitar and vocals. It doesn’t have a distinct shoegaze sound, per se, but more of an unpolished garage rock sort of feel to it. Nevertheless, The Jesus and Mary Chain certainly made “Surfin' USA” their own on their b-side compilation album.
9Johnny B Goode by Judas Priest
Originally by Chuck Berry
The Father of Rock earned his nickname in part due to his smash hit, “Johnny B. Goode,” his first single to reach platinum certification. A number of musicians have covered the track, from Elton John, to Jimi Hendrix, to the Sex Pistols, and more.Perhaps the greatest cover, however, of “Johnny B. Goode,” is unexpectedly from heavy metal pioneers, Judas Priest.Judas Priest covered Chuck Berry’s smash hit for their 1988 albumRam It Down.
When Berry released “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958, as one of the first-ever rock ‘n’ roll hits, it was revolutionary. Judas Priest recorded a version 30 years later that was just as revolutionary,giving the song a bit of heavy metal flair while still keeping with the legendary guitar riffs that made Berry’s original such a hit.Rob Halford’s high-pitched vocals on the cover version are unmatched, making this a vastly unique take on an iconic rock song.
8Mother by Pearl Jam
Originally by Pink Floyd
If there was ever a song that I would request a band to cover at a live show,Pink Floyd’s “Mother” at a Pearl Jam concert would be at the very top of the list.David Gilmour’s smooth, melodic vocals in the original song’s chorus lend themselves perfectly to Eddie Vedder’s voice in the cover version; it’s almost as if Gilmour and Roger Waters wrote the song, keeping in mind that there might be a certain grunge band who would want to cover it a few decades down the line.
McCready does a beautiful job of recreating Gilmour’s wailing guitar solo, and Vedder masterfully bends his voice around Gilmour and Waters' respective lyrics.
Pearl Jam released their cover version of “Mother” on alive albumfrom their 2013 Portland, Oregon show, andfor the majority of the song, it is more or less a duet between Vedder and Mike McCready’s guitar.McCready does a beautiful job of recreating Gilmour’s wailing guitar solo, and Vedder masterfully bends his voice around Gilmour and Waters' respective lyrics. As such, I would pay an obscene amount of money to see a performance like this live.
7Tainted Love by Sepultura
Originally by Gloria Jones, made famous by Soft Cell
Brazilian death metal group Sepultura came out with a cover of a cover, andall three versions of this song could not be more different from one another if they tried.The song was originally recorded by R&B vocalist Gloria Jones in 1965, but it wasn’t until the synth-pop duo Soft Cell recorded a cover version in 1981 that the song gained international familiarity. If Soft Cell turned the song on its head, however, then Sepultura launched it into another dimension entirely.
Where Soft Cell turned the soul hit into a synth-pop dance track, Sepultura’s distinct metal sound certainly turned the song into a headbanger.
In October 2020, in the thick of the pandemic, Sepultura came together to record a hardcore, death metal version of “Tainted Love.“Their cover probably sounds the most dissimilar of the three,with heavy electric guitar, throaty, deep vocals, and some relatively insane drumming. Derrick Green’s screaming vocals don’t provide as much variation in the lyrics as far as melody goes, but where Soft Cell turned the soul hit into a synth-pop dance track, Sepultura’s distinct metal sound certainly turned the song into a headbanger.
6Light My Fire by Stevie Wonder
Originally by The Doors
Funny enough, “Light My Fire” actually sounds just as great as a Stevie Wonder song as it does a Doors song. Of course, the original will always be the best, as it is in fact one of the greatest songs of the Doors' career, butStevie Wonder did a phenomenal job of recreating the classic rock hit with his own soulful flair.He released his cover of the song on his 1969 album,My Cherie Amour,along with a few other covers, though “Light My Fire” definitely stole the show.
Wonder brings a whole new feeling to Jim Morrison’s poetic lyrics, with his booming, soulful vocals.The contrast between each vocalist is palpable in each line of Wonder’s cover version. Each one oozes personality and a whole spectrum of sound, but The Doors' hearty rock original, in Wonder’s Motown voice, becomes a dynamic, upbeat, club hit that just makes you want to move.
