This week, you’ve heard the original verse, but have you heard it done another way? Here are our Top Five Cover Songs.
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Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...
8 Comments
So many good covers but one recent one that many might not have heard is Hayley Kiyoko’s “Blurred Lines” cover. Like the vibe much better than the original.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkZASQw_G2E
Also, as a reggae fan, I found Nenes unique cover in mainly Japanese of Bob Marley’s “No woman no cry” pretty neat.
Not the best recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDi3zIujubk
but much cleaner version was on a great album called “Cover the world”
5. Gone Daddy Gone
Original: Violent Femmes
Cover: Gnarls Barkley
This song despite coming out close to my birth was played a fair amount during my high school years. Then the Gnarls Barkley version came out while I was in my twenties both periods being rather defining periods in my life.
This one comes in at five because it is a good cover but it isn’t an improvement on the original just a different and enjoyable variety.
4. Enjoy the Silence
Original: Depeche Mode
Cover: Flesh Field
This song has always been one of my favorites from Depeche Mode however Flesh Field turns it into a male female duet that just feels right. I honestly feel this is an improvement to the original.
3. Radioactive
Original: Imagine Dragons
Cover: Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix or Pentatonix and Lindsey Stirling (take your pick)
With the exception of the inhale done in the original version of this song everything about the cover feels leaps and bounds better to me. The first time I heard this cover I had goosebumps.
2. Creep
Original: Radiohead
Cover: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox featuring Haley Reinhart
This cover almost always gives me goosebumps and nearly makes me forget the weird circumstances that led to the creation of the original song. The big band style music with Haley’s incredible vocals is leaps and bounds better than the original in my opinion.
1. Love Reign Over Me / Love Reign O’er Me
Original: The Who
Cover: Pearl Jam
To be fair I was never a huge The Who fan, I enjoy their music when I hear it but they were definitely before my time. However hearing Eddie belt this one out is awe inspiring and I have yet to meet someone not emotionally moved by this cover.
Here is a list of YouTube links for the songs in the episode. I need a little time to amass my own Top 5 to post here.
Since I already had to search these to listen to them… I thought I’d share.
Well, I really don’t know if you could call “cover songs” it’s own genre, but it sure is my favorite type of music to listen to.
Enjoy.
S5 https://youtu.be/e1efsq1GFpE
R5 + M5 https://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY
R4 https://youtu.be/E2Z4uA0QQTY
S4 https://youtu.be/scj1fIpIvjA
M4 https://youtu.be/K54zBEgVpjs
S3 https://youtu.be/LpwabPQW4p4
R3 https://youtu.be/sWHmZQp93ok
M3 https://youtu.be/7-t2n_jk1QM
(Bonus: https://youtu.be/dWRWYYt47RI)
S2 https://youtu.be/H4hGSR5njZE
(Encore: https://youtu.be/Pe1Ge8uXbck)
R2 https://youtu.be/SH0Tzx5brVE
M2 https://youtu.be/Rpq35wyDi7I
S1 https://youtu.be/ainyK6fXku0
R1 https://youtu.be/6nJLO9QVTNc
M1 https://youtu.be/BO1qcWa6blQ
Thank you for this list
All of my favorite cover songs are produced by Post Modern Jukebox, and here are my favorite:
5. Dream On (Aerosmith) covered by Morgan James <3
4. Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden) covered by Haley Reinhart <3
3. Say My Name (Destiny's Child) covered by Joey Cook <3 <3
2. Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne) covered by Jennie Lena <3 <3 <3
1. Pony (Ginuwine) covered by Ariana Savalas <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
I was lucky enough to see my #1 performed live, and well, Ariana Savalas is just…swoon!
I love what Postmodern Jukebox is doing, too!
First of all, congratulations on your 200th episode, Top Fivers! I thought maybe this was a repeat, because I have a strong memory of Stephen talking about bluegrass covers of pop songs, but it turns out that was just one item in his list of Things We Are Suckers For (Episode 77: http://majorspoilers.com/2014/10/09/top-five-things-suckers/).
My list:
5) “Bird on a Wire” – Willie Nelson covering Leonard Cohen
One of my guilty confessions about music is that I admire Leonard Cohen as a songwriter and lyricist, but I can’t stand the sound of his voice. That’s why one of my favorite albums is Tower Of Song: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen, which includes covers by many great artists. Other stand-out tracks include “Famous Blue Raincoat” sung by Tori Amos, “I’m Your Man” by Elton John, and “Light As The Breeze” by Billy Joel.
4) “Dear God” – Sarah McLachlan covering XTC
As much as I love the biting wit of the original, with the opening and closing lyrics sung by a little girl’s voice, McLachlan’s cover has much more pathos. She truly seems to be trying to understand.
3) “Romeo And Juliet” – Indigo Girls covering Dire Straits
I love the Indigo Girls almost unconditionally, and didn’t realize this was a cover until long after their Rites Of Passage album came out. Once I heard Knopfler’s version, I didn’t care for it.
2) “Androgynous” – Crash Test Dummies covering The Replacements
One of the defining albums of my college years was The Ghosts That Haunt Me by Crash Test Dummies. I assumed this was their original for many years. Miley Cyrus also performs a great rendition with Joan Jett and Laura Jane Grace of the band Against Me! in her Backyard Sessions (see below)
1) “Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things” – The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl covering Cole Porter
Red Hot + Blue was an AIDS benefit album consisting of Cole Porter covers by contemporary artists, including this one as well as “Well, Did You Evah!” by Deborah Harry and Iggy Pop, “You Do Something To Me” by Sinéad O’Connor, and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” by Thompson Twins
Honorable Mentions: “Look What They’ve Done To My Song, Ma” – Miley Cyrus covering Melanie (part of the marvelous Backyard Sessions); “All My Tears” – Emmylou Harris covering Julie Miller; “Release Me” – Def Leppard (as Stumpis Maximus) covering Eddie Miller and Robert Yount; “Higher Ground” – Red Hot Chili Peppers covering Stevie Wonder; “Seaside Rendezvous” – The King’s Singers covering Freddie Mercury (a cappella); and yes, Matthew, “Hurt” – Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails.