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The Best and Strangest Cover Songs of All Time
torontoist.com — A white girl singing "Straight Outta Compton?" Is Paula Abdul a good songwriter after all? From emo covers of Fergie to the best 80s song remakes, here are some picks for the best (and oddest) remaks of all.
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- charbarred, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8This is a real thorough list. Thanks for submitting.
- RomulusX86, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ben Folds' cover of Such Great Heights was awesome, and with the werid percussion instruments.
- nipuL, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Death metal version of Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads :)
http://www.mp3.com.au/track.asp?id=61496
(The singer is a girl) - signal15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3They are missing one of the best (and strangest) covers ever. Bitches Ain't *****, white boy version by Ben Folds. g2p.org should have it. They covered it during a Sirius radio show in the studio, and it made it's way to the net. I don't think you can buy it anywhere.
- Gundabad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ben Folds finally did put "Bitches Ain't *****" on his most recent album, and you can pick it up on iTunes. Seriously, its the best, funniest, and most random cover song I have ever heard. While the list in the article is very good, this is a serious oversight.
- Maron8515, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The best covers always make you see the original song in a new light, and make you appreciate it even more. I've always loved Led Zeppelin's No Quarter, but when I heard Tool's cover (off of their Salival album), both versions became two of my favorite songs of all time. Somehow Tool managed to not only take the song and make it their own, but they also captured the magic of the original. Truly classic...
- superal1394, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Cash - Hurt original by Nine Inch Nails
Gary Jules - Mad World original by Tears For Fear
some of the best examles of putting a good song in new light nad making the original even better - underdog138, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Here's another one that does justice to the original:
Nonpoint - In The Air Tonight, original by Phil Collins - TheUngod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Can't believe they forgot Bigod 20's industrial cover of Madonnas "like a prayer." Also they totally left out ANYthing by Richard Cheese. For those of you who don't know Richard Cheese, he does lounge covers of everything from Baby Got Back to Down with the Sickness.
- Rethcir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The nonpoint In The Air Tonight is awful. They use the drum "solo"/crescendo on EVERY verse when the whole point of the original was that you would anticipate it throughout the whole song till the end and then do the drum on your steering wheel, desk, etc when it comes.
For a truly awsome cover: Ra - Every Little Thing She Does (is Magic)
Ra also did a live rock version of Get Back by Ludacris which was fun if not spectacular. Ludacris covers FTW. - SenatorPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Phantom of the Opera by Me First and The Gimme Gimmes.
Actually, anything by Me First would fit on this list, they are a punk cover band.
But seriously, if you like Phantom of the Opera in any form, check that out on iTunes or any DRM-free substitute.
- musicinstinct, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i love it! more cover versions please!
- mikeshow123, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Hi,don't waste your money any more to buy cd,you can download huge amounts music from
http://www.freemusicforum.com
ALL FREE,HURRY UP!!!
- mikeshow123, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Hi,don't waste your money any more to buy cd,you can download huge amounts music from
- HardSide, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Children of Bodom - OOPS I Did it Again!
Come on...band from Finland who are melodic metal covering a american pop star song...cant get any wierder then that- ravend, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Seconded. Was really surprised that it didnt make the list.
- skyshock21, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Yeah, or how about
Type O Negative covering Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young
Phish covering Runnin' With The Devil by Van Halen
Disturbed doing Land of Confusion by Genesis
Tori Amos covering Raining Blood by Slayer
Pantera doing Planet Caravan by Black Sabbath
Johnny Cash doing Hurt by Nine Inch Nails
Those are all a billion times weirder than this POS list. - grimman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxhAxlMrdIo
^-^ - BevansDesign, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Agreed. I'm surprised that they didn't have Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails on there.
Also, I used to have a bootleg MP3 of someone (I think it was the Foo Fighters) covering "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Acknowledged. It was actually pretty cool, and it helped that it was tongue-in-cheek.
Also, the Crispin Glover cover of "Ben" was featured in the movie "Willard", in case anyone wants to know. - underdog138, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I think it was Weezer that did the Baby One More Time cover if I'm not mistaken. I stumbled upon it by chance on limewire (looking for weezer songs, not spitney beers songs ;)
- underdog138, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oops, it was Fountains of Wayne. My bad.
- core29, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hit Me Baby One More Time was covered by Travis. That may be the one some of you are thinking about.
I believe Travis also covered "I Try" by Macy Gray.
- VeryAngryJim, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Staind's live cover of Alice in Chains' Nutshell is my personal fav.
video here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=elIakqcLWtk - bendedavis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Gil Mantera's Party Dream - Dreams (originally by Fleetwood Mac)
The Emotron - Send Me an Angel (originally by Real Life)
Postal Service - Against All Odds (originally by Phil Collins) - mistermanoli, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15how about the Gourds.. singin snoop dogs - gin and juice..
http://youtube.com/watch?v=a7Wen03RRYU
i dont know how this one wasnt at the top of the list..- bendedavis, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0yeah that's strange, but not good
- BevansDesign, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Not good? It was great, and damn creative.
- Chigaimasu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I love cover songs. Great find.
- Zidul, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2"Children of Bodom - OOPS I Did it Again!
Come on...band from Finland who are melodic metal covering a american pop star song...cant get any wierder then that"
i just put that up on winamp lol, its HIlarious!
if you want to check out a good one, look around for Baby got back by Throwdown, its an awesome version of the old rap song :)- knaps, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2haha, I'm glad you mentioned this one, because if you didn't, I would have.
Bodom always does great covers. They do a fine "She's Beautiful" by Andrew W.K. Sometimes at their shows they just do random stuff they've heard recently.
Oh, and by the way -- they refer to their keyboardist on stage as "Janne the beer-drinking wonder". The whole band's always a little tipsy if you ask me, which is probably the reason we have the Britney Spears cover in the first place.
- knaps, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2haha, I'm glad you mentioned this one, because if you didn't, I would have.
- teh_toaster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Matt Weddle of Obadiah Parker covering Hey Ya by OutKast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-8nkkOA_AM
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yeah, I was looking for that. Best cover I've ever heard.
- Buddhist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Les Claypool's Frog Brigade - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Jack Irons Version)
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade - Pigs (Three Different Ones)
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade - Thela Hun Ginjeet (King Crimson cover)
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade - Girls for Single Men (Sausage cover)
Pretty much anything off their Live Frogs album, they're great covers of Pink Floyd songs.
Type O Negative - Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young cover)
Type O Negative - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)
Ill Nino - Territorial Pissings (Nirvana cover)
Ill Nino - Red Rain (Peter Gabriel cover)
Primus - Have A Cigar (Pink Floyd cover)
Audioslave - 7 Nation Army (White Stripes cover)
Iron Maiden - Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple cover)
Iron Maiden - The Ripper (Judas Priest cover)
Rammstein - Das Modell (Kraftwerk cover)
Rammstein - Stripped (Depeche Mode cover)
Mustard Plug - Ghostbusters theme
Staind - Sober (Tool cover)
Staind - Arms Wide Open (Creed cover)
Reel Big Fish - Take On Me (A-ha cover)
Reel Big Fish - Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran cover)
Zeitmahl - Spin Spin Sugar (Sneaker Pimps cover)
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Uptown Girl (Billy Joel cover)
Radiohead - Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover)
Soundgarden - Come Together (Beatles cover)
Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie cover)
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Paul Anka cover)
Nirvana - Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam (Vaselines cover)
Richard Cheese - Smoke Two Joints (Sublime cover)
Richard Cheese - Down With The Sickness (Disturbed cover)
Sublime - Scarlet Begonias (Grateful Dead cover)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover)
Eric Clapton - I Shot the Sheriff (Bob Marley & the Wailers cover)
The Flaming Lips - Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen cover)
Operation Ivy - These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (Nancy Sinatra cover)
Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons (Nena cover)
Grateful Dead - Johnny B. Goode (Chuck Berry cover)
Pantera - Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent cover)
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Come On (Part III) (The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
- CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -18/+6Anyone realize how quick people would be to slam this if it said "a black girl singing ______"?
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I need you not to speak anymore.
- CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1I bet you need a lot of things...
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5And with one click, my need is satisfied :)
- CBTF, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1See folks? Stories really do have happy endings.
- RCola, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL covering Tom Waits' "Downtown Train"
No way. Anything Tom Waits original is always the best. - kgool, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3However could they forget Metallica covering Stone Cold Crazy by Queen?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt9nAD7JUIQ
I am not a huge fan of either band, but this song kills. - NycterisA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Hey what about Shonen Knife doing "Bartman" ! That ought to be on the list!
- ondre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Check out http://www.coversproject.com/
It's a database of cover songs- btocher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great link, thanks!
- btocher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great link, thanks!
- kgool, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2However could they forget Metallica covering Stone Cold Crazy by Queen?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt9nAD7JUIQ
I am not a huge fan of either band, but this song kills.
I would also throw in Dinosaur Jr. covering Neil Young's "Lotta Love". Nicolette Larson sung this and Young wrote it.
An Emotional Fish and Incubus both do great covers of Madonna's "Like a Virgin", but I am too lazy to look for the rest. - vhcougar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Wow, how could Ben Folds' Bitches Ain't ***** not be up there.
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti_iAnQNppM
- ThetaDot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Johnny Cash's cover of "Hung my head", originally by Sting.
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Cash's cover of NiN's Hurt was neat too
- knaps, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5wow, that list neglected Ben Folds' cover of Dr. Dre's "Bitches aint *****". I really don't think anybody could ever make that song as beautiful as Ben managed to.
When he performed it live at my school, he said "I wrote this song with Dr. Dre.... Actually, no I didn't. I don't think he even knows about this song. Please don't tell Dr. Dre." Genius.
The song's fantastic, I definitely recommend you check it out. (this wasn't the show at my school, but I was there too :))
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ELO0-38Xr9I - AMSRay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The definitive cover of "Baby's Got Back" is Jonathan Coulton.
- jasonwert, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11How about Cake's cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"?
- negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Not a single mention of MFATGG??? wtf. Granted, some of their covers suck, but they have a ton of great ones.
RHCP - Higher Ground?!?!
Goldfinger - 99 Luft Balloons? That song has been so overplayed on commercials and segues it's ridiculous.
I call shennanigans on this article.- jasonwert, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Someone mentioned Me First and the Gimme Gimmes' cover of "Science Fiction Double Feature" in the comments of the linked page. I always liked their version of "Rocketman"
- DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1MFatGG's covers of showtunes are their best, easily. Are A Drag is a great album.
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3RHCP cover of Love Roller Coaster is great
- battmutler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Their new country album is rock solid. You've never heard "Desperado" or "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" until you've heard them at breakneck speed.
- SelfAbortion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Local H covering Britney Spears' "Toxic" is amazing. It's available on their myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/localh
One of my favorite weird covers.- battmutler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Local H's cover of "Toxic" is indeed hilarious, but Nickel Creek's treatment of it is downright amazing. They've been covering it live lately; it's findable on google. Their cover of Pavement's "Spit on a Stranger" is awesome too.
- MightySlam, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I third the Ben Folds' "Bitches Ain't *****," and second Cake's "I Will Survive."
Also, Fountains of Wayne's version of "Hit Me Baby (One More Time)" is sweet. - DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2NOFX - Gin & Juice (by Snoop Dogg)
MSI - Bring The Pain (by Method Man)
MSI - Big Poppa (by Biggie Smalls)
MSI - Tom Sawyer (by Rush)
Gary Jules - Mad World (by Tears For Fears)
Marilyn Manson - The KKK Took My Baby Away (by the Ramones)
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (by the Eurythmics)
Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love (who's that by again?)
System of a Down - Snowblind (by Black Sabbath)
System of a Down and Wu Tang Clan - Shame on a ***** (by Wu Tang Clan)- negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Dude, that Gin & Juice cover is definitely not NOFX. Listen to any other nofx song on the planet and it's pretty obvious that it's not...some idiot misnamed it and it's been spreading for the last 10 years as a nofx song.
But SOAD's shame on a ***** does rock...don't know if it counts as a cover, as odb and a few others are in it. :) - SelfAbortion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Marilyn Manson - Tainted Love (who's that by again?)"
It's by Soft Cell - DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have a version that does sound like NOFX (and I do listen to them, and I've seen them live, so I know what they sound like), but it could be different. It isn't an exact match, but it's close enough to think it could be them. Either way, it's a cool cover.
- anaesthetica, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Tainted Love is by Gloria Jones. Soft Cell covered her.
- negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Dude, that Gin & Juice cover is definitely not NOFX. Listen to any other nofx song on the planet and it's pretty obvious that it's not...some idiot misnamed it and it's been spreading for the last 10 years as a nofx song.
- crxyem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Nice to see Ned'S Atomic Dustbin on the list
and Jeff Buckley
DDRSkata read the whole list Marilyn Manson is on the list
Also what about Phish "99 Problems" by Jay-z - p_o_b, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Check out Ben Folds' In Between Days, Golden Slumbers and Barrytown
- saranagati, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Johnny Cash - Hurt
Ignite - Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Blood for Blood - Runaway
Earth Crisis - Paint it Black
Mower - All The Leaves are Brown- negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dugg for blood for blood!!! ROCK!
that ignite cover is sweet too. - DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I can't believe I forgot that one. Blood For Blood is apparently doing a reunion show in January.
- saranagati, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0last blood for blood 'reunion' show I went to kinda sucked. They played with sick of it all at the roxy which is the worst venue ever.
- negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dugg for blood for blood!!! ROCK!
- ZenMojo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Dave Werner does not make a better version. His actually kind of sucks.
The White Stripes on "Jolene" was pretty awful.
"ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO'OLE"...So THAT's the guy. *****, I love that cover...completely made the ending for 50 First Dates.
Lenny Kravitz does a sick "It ain't over 'till it's over."
Maxwell did a pretty smooth version of "Closer" byt he Nine Inch Nails. EDIT: I notice that Richard Cheese actually covers this. Nowhere near as cool as the Maxwell version, but no one does it like Maxwell.
Richard Cheese on "Down With the Sickness." Takes a diamond-hard metal song and makes some pretty tasty lounge music. It's a toss-up between this and "12 Oz. Mouse" for my favorite cover by him.
M'shell N'degeOcello on "Poison Ivy" was damn hot.
I think a contender for best version of "A.D.I.D.A.S." has to be the one by Outkast and Killer Mike. The fact that they choose a hip-pop chimey tune to describe oral sex and STD's was pretty sweet. - cazoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i'm sick of irony as much as the next guy but that nina gordon acoustic cover of 'straight outta compton" is a killer song.
- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Phish covering Mmm Bop as James Brown
Incubus covering the Jackson 5 - hd95, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Joss Stone and Joe Simon both Covered "The Chokin Kind" ...
It was a originally performed by Waylon Jennings and written by Harlan Howard - IvanB, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I really like Nirvana's take on The Man Who Sold The World. I think it's better than Bowie's version.
- joebrent, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Jimi Hendrix -- 'All Along the Watchtower' by Bob Dylan
- SelfAbortion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Some other contributions to the list:
Bauhaus - Ziggy Stardust (David Bowie original)
Type O Negative - Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young)
Solar Twins - Rock the Casbah (The Clash)
Sneaker Pimps - Firestarter (Prodigy)
Primus - The Thing That Should Not Be (Metallica) [Primus does tons of awesome covers)
Foo Fighters - Down in the Park (Gary Numan
Godhead - Eleanor Rigby (Beatles)
Smashing Pumpkins - Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
Battery - Gangsta's Paradise (Coolio)- eplawless, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The neat thing about that Primus cover is that Claypool was nearly the bassist for Metallica, but they parted ways because he was too weird for them.
- SelfAbortion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I heard they actually said that he was too good to be in Metallica. Too weird or too good, I can believe it. Les Claypool is hella awesome.
- sphinx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My votes have to go to the Paula Abdul cover and most definetly the cover of Crazy By Ray Lamontagne
- gregmo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Ray's Crazy is the amazing. I'm seeing him when he comes to St. Louis next week, and that's one song I would kill to hear live.
- garion911, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Bigod20 - Like a prayer (Madonna)
- MatthewDuke, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2I've got a few, if anyone is interested:
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Take On Me - Ah Ha
Straight Outta Canton - NWA (and blatant Nina Gordon style rip off)
And one original: "Kraptastica"
http://www.myspace.com/mattdukemusic- sfmman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Take On Me is a cover?
- sathias, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They missed
Devo covering "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones
Mr Bungle covering "What the world needs now is love" by Jackie De Shannon
Sepultura covering "Drug Me" by The Dead Kennedys- patrickloggins, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2BUNGLE!
Also, Bungle doing the same "Drug Me" is good. - PuyoDead, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If you ask me, this list not having Devo's "Satisfacton" cover voids the entire list. Hell, they could have included Devo's cover of "Working in a Coal Mine" as well for oddity. But nope, neither are on there.
- patrickloggins, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2BUNGLE!
- Stwo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Dynamite Hack - Boyz N tha Hood
Everlast - Bedtime Story - DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Napalm Death - Nazi Punks ***** Off (by Dead Kennedys)
The Unseen - Paint it Black (by Rolling Stones)
Reel Big Fish - Take on Me (by A-Ha)- DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I also forgot:
Foo Fighters - Gas Chamber (by Angry Samoans)
Leftover Crack - Sweet Dreams (by the Eurythmics)
Ozma - Korobeiniki (Russian folk song, better known as Tetris theme)
- DDRSkata, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I also forgot:
- satanlovesbeer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Life Of Agony- "Don't You" (Forget About Me)
Mushroomhead- Crazy "Seal Cover"
Fear Factory- Cars - MatthewDuke, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Satisfaction - Brittney Spears (by the Rolling Stones)
What? - emoj0388, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Where is Mad World!? Clearly way better than the original by Tears for Fears.
And the Dan Band is definitely one of the strangest of cover bands (with songs ranging from an ABBA medley to Milkshake)
Definitely check the Dan Band out for a good laugh of some old classics and new *****. - Scatropolis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I liked
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q02ompQhtY8&eurl=
a lot better..- Freshjive787, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Owen Pallett is a genius.
- karlschmidt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Just go to iTunes and do a search for "Hayseed Dixie".
Some of the weirdest (and coolest) bluegrass covers of rock songs ever. - ashura001, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Reel Big Fish - Hungry Like The Wolf
MXPX - Barbie Girl
Agent Felix - Baby Got Back - Alchemeron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2How on Earth could this list fail to include Ben Folds' "Bitches Ain't *****"
- Stwo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hard n Phirm - Rodeohead
- onthedrums, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0How about Cats In the Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe
-or-
Revolution (Beatles) done unplugged by Slaughter
My favs - onthedrums, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Damn, I forget the ultimate
BEATALLICA - mix of beatles and metallica...absolutely brilliant!! You can get all of their songs free, google them. -
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