The 65 Coolest Cover Songs Ever
1
“All Along The Watchtower”
By Jimi Hendrix
(Originally Bob Dylan)
Hendrix’s rowdier, louder, and punchier electrified version of Dylan’s classic song, released in 1968, blew even Dylan away. “It overwhelmed me,” Dylan said later, in a 1995 interview, about hearing Hendrix’s cover for the first time.
2
“American Woman”
By Lenny Kravitz
(Originally by The Guess Who)
In 1970 Canada’s Guess Who burned up the pop charts with hits like “American Woman,” which they claimed was a love letter to the women of their own country. Kravitz’ powerful, updated version won for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1999 and the original re-emerged in the smash film Austin Powers 2, The Spy Who Shagged Me.
3
“Angel From Montgomery”
By Bonnie Raitt
(Originally by John Prine)
Raitt’s heartfelt rendition of a middle-aged woman trying to escape her circumstances became one her most important recordings, expressing lost love, regret, and longing.
4
“Because the Night”
By Bruce Springsteen
(Originally by Patti Smith)
Springsteen co-wrote the song with Smith, a hit single from her 1978 album Easter. He changed the lyrics for his version to what he described as just another love song into a coarse introspective journey, in search of truth.
5
“Blinded by the Light”
By Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
(Originally by Bruce Springsteen)
The first song, and single, from his seminal 1973 album Greetings from Asbury Park, “Blinded by the Light” never made the charts until Manfred Mann’s Earth Band released their take in 1976. It would be Springsteen’s only songwriting credit to hit #1, despite its mangled lyrics, which were widely misunderstood in Mann’s remake. “Cut loose like a deuce,” (a reference to deuce coupe hot rods) was changed and misheard as “wrapped up like douche.” Springsteen later mused that it was Manfred Mann’s allusion to a feminine hygiene product that popularized the song.
6
“Blue Suede Shoes”
By Elvis Presley
(Originally by Carl Perkins)
Like many of Elvis’ early chart-busters, his wasn’t the first, but they were the best. Perkins, a fellow Sun Records artist, got the idea for the song after witnessing a dancer upset with someone for scuffing up his new shoes. Considered one of the first rockabilly songs, it would later be covered by Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and others. RCA asked Elvis to record “Blue Suede Shoes” while Perkins release was still hot, but they delayed the cover version that Elvis considered a tribute to his friend Perkins, until the original started to fade from the charts.
7
“Cocaine”
By Eric Clapton
(Originally by JJ Cale)
Clapton insisted that, though his 1977 hit sounded like a love song to coke, it was actually a cleverly disguised anti-drug message. Uh-huh. The B-side to the single Tulsa Time became one his signature hits, and one of several JJ Cale songs he recorded—including monster hit “After Midnight”— during that drug-soaked era.
8
“Dazed and Confused”
By Led Zeppelin
(Originally by Jake Holmes)
American singer-songwriter Jake Holmes debuted “Dazed and Confused” in 1967, a song about a breakup. It was soon copied by the British group The Yardbirds, which became The New Yardbirds with the addition of session guitarist Jimmy Page. Page appropriated the tune further with his follow-up band Led Zeppelin, bending it to his will, one of only three he recorded using a violin bow on his guitar. Holmes later cited copyright infringement in 2012, though the case was dismissed when a settlement between parties was reached out of court.
9
“Can’t Get Used to Losing You”
By The English Beat
(Originally by Andy Williams)
Williams’ 1962 hit was reborn reggae-style by on the 1980 album by The Beat at the height of the Jamaican influence in the UK. Released as a single three years on, it became their highest charting record. Beat frontman Dave Wakeling’s father loved the original, naturally, and as it happened, the song was a perfect fit for the ska treatment. “The bass line translated into a reggae feel effortlessly,” said Wakeling. “The pizzicato strings became guitar skanks, and the melody floated over the top,”
10
“Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon”
By Urge Overkill
(Originally by Neil Diamond)
Director Quentin Tarantino is credited with re-energizing this remake by indie rock legends Urge Overkill, when he deployed it on the soundtrack to Pulp Fiction, awakening a whole new fan base for the song. According to Tarantino, it’s “even better” than Diamond’s. OK, then!
11
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun”
By Cyndi Lauper
(Originally by Robert Hazard)
Who hasn’t delighted to this power-pop ditty? As of this writing, over 30 artists have covered this iconic number, but none come close to Lauper’s take, which exploded on radio and MTV in 1983. The song, first performed by a little-known Robert Hazard in ’79, but it took maverick thinker Cyndi Lauper to do it justice
12
“Gloria”
By Patti Smith
(Originally by Van Morrison/Them)
Smith’s guttural voice, smoldering and dangerous, unfolds with the words “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine” (an excerpt from “Oath,” an early poem disavowing her Jehovah’s Witness upbringing ), and steadily builds tempo like locomotive, transforming the garage band classic into a full-on punk explosion.
13
“Hallelujah”
By Jeff Buckley
(Originally by Leonard Cohen)
Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” is the most memorable rendition of this beloved song, to the chagrin of Cohen loyalists. Buckley’s song is a secular take on Cohen’s hymnal, imbued with sexual tension and longing, reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, a sentiment made even more poignant by the singer’s untimely drowning on June 4, 1997, well before the song was later released posthumously in 2008. It would become the singer’s first number one Billboard chart-topper.14
14
“Higher Ground”
By The Red Hot Chili Peppers
(Originally by Stevie Wonder)
It’s hard to believe anyone could best the legendary Stevie Wonder, but the Chili Peppers’ “Higher Ground” may well have topped one of 1973’s biggest hits. It would become the Chili Peppers’ first single with their new guitarist John Frusciante, and scored the group’s first Grammy nomination for 1991’s Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The song presaged their seven-times Platinum-selling, critically-acclaimed album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, widely considered the band’s best work.
15
“Hurt”
By Johnny Cash
(Originally by Nine Inch Nails)
In the twilight of a legendary career, Johnny Cash would record one of his most memorable songs, produced by super-producer Rick Rubin. Cash is transcendent as he makes Trent Reznor’s dark, mournful, lyrics into his own as if delivered from the grave. Cash passed away within seven months of its recording.
16
“I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”
By Devo
(Originally by Rolling Stones)
The ultimate ironic twist on a song about alienation and sexual frustration, delivered by New Wave impresario Mark Mothersbaugh, who likely understood those sentiments intimately. Recorded in 1977 with genius producer Brian Eno at the helm, it was cleared for release by Jagger himself.
17
“I Fought the Law”
By The Clash
(Originally by Bobby Fuller Four)
The song was originally penned by Sonny Curtis of The Crickets, Buddy Holly’s replacement following his untimely demise. Covered by Hank Williams, Jr. The Dead Kennedys, and others including the Bobby Fuller Four in 1965, The Clash version—their first single in the U.S.—became a punk anthem and put the band on the map stateside.
18
“I Love Rock ’n’ RolI”
By Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
(Originally by The Arrows)
Joan Jett’s signature number was first recorded by a little-known English band, The Arrows. Jett, a master at covering other’s songs—including Crimson & Clover, Love is All Around, You Don’t Own Me, Do You Want to Touch Me, and Love Stinks—made “I Love Rock ’n Roll” her definitive statement, which went platinum after commanding the top of the charts for seven weeks in 1981.
19
“I Want Candy”
By Bow Wow Wow
(Originally by The Strangeloves)
With an infectious Bo Diddley shuffle and primal beat, “I Want Candy” is pure pop/punk confection. Sprung from the fertile mind of Malcolm McLaren, creator of the Sex Pistols, the reimagined 60s bubblegum classic was reborn with singer Annabella Lwin, who was only 15 when the hit spun into heavy rotation on MTV.
20
“I Will Always Love You”
By Whitney Houston
(Originally by Dolly Parton)
Recorded for The Bodyguard, one of 1992’s biggest films, Houston’s epic vocals made Dolly’s already beautiful song the best-selling single by a female singer ever.
21
“Jolene”
By The White Stripes
(Originally by Dolly Parton)
Rolling Stone magazine named The White Stripes cover of Parton’s timeless, aching “Jolene” one of the greatest remakes ever. Jack White, singing from the feminine perspective without a trace of irony, brings down the house in his epic rendition from one of his most revered country stars.
22
“Killing Me Softly”
By The Fugees
(Originally by Roberta Flack)
While Roberta Flack’s original is flawless, Lauryn Hill gives this classic 70’s ballad new life with her creamy vocals and reggae-imbued soul. The Fugees’ hit number 2 on the U.S. charts in 1996 and their rendition became the top-selling single that year in the UK.
23
“La Vie En Rose”
By Grace Jones
(Originally by Edith Piaf)
Jamaican singer Jones’ hard-edged, urban sound was one of the coolest acts in ’77. With her adaptation of Édith Piaf’s signature song (from way back in 1945), Jones displayed her softer, jazzy side making “La Vie En Rose” (Life in Pink) an international hit all over again.
24
“Let’s Spend the Night Together”
By David Bowie
(Originally by The Rolling Stones)
While The Stones’ naughty, playful little number was a provocation to prude’s everywhere in 1967, Bowie’s shiny, raunchier glam rendition arrived from the future, infused with gender-bending sexual bravado.
25
“Louie Louie”
By The Kingsmen
(Written by Richard Berry, originally performed by Rockin’ Robin Roberts and the Wailers)
The brilliant, raw, incoherent, three-chord, one-hit wonder, father of garage rock, and spiritual ancestor to Punk, Louie Louie is one of the most improbable hits ever, overcoming odds that would have snuffed out lesser tunes in their crib. The raucous, jangly Kingsmen recorded the number in under an hour in less than ideal circumstances. And when it was over the band unanimously agreed it was awful. Despite influential Boston DJ Arnie Ginsburg pronouncing it the very worst record of the week, it became a sensation, rising to #2 on the national charts where it remained in the Top 40 for 13 weeks. Indiana promptly banned it following an outraged parents’ complaint to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, which launched a two-year FBI investigation. The Feds made countless attempts at deciphering the lyrics, convinced the song was communicating in obscene code to teen subversives. Rolling Stone magazine, in 2007, would name Louie Louie the No. 4 most influential recording of all time.
26
“I Shot the Sheriff”
By Eric Clapton
(Originally by Bob Marley and The Wailers)
Bob Marley’s masterpiece is faithfully reproduced on Clapton’s monumental 1974 album 461 Ocean Boulevard, though it lands a bigger punch. The song was one of several examples of reggae’s growing influence in British and American rock and pop, from 1968’s “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” by The Beatles to Led Zeppelin’s D’yer Mak’er in 1973’s groundbreaking album Houses of the Holy. It would become Clapton’s only #1 hit.
27
“MacArthur Park”
Bby Donna Summer
(Originally by Richard Harris)
Repurposing some of the most beguiling lyrics ever, about an expiring love affair, producer Giorgio Moroder—the Father of Disco—inspires the extraordinarily gifted Donna Summer to multi-million platinum in September of 1978.
28
“Mad World”
By Gary Jules and Michael Andrews
(Originally by Tears for Fears)
The original, the first big hit by English New Wave duo Tears for Fears, was written as a response to Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film.” Re-imagined by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews twenty years later, it becomes a brooding, down-tempo piano ballad for the 2001 cult classic film Donnie Darko.
29
“Me and Bobby McGee”
By Janis Joplin
(Originally by Kris Kristofferson)
The song crystalizes the melancholy and wanderlust of its era, weaving the tale of young drifters hitch-hiking across America. Joplin’s searing execution gave it wings to become the anthem for a generation. Recorded only days before her death at 27, this American classic was released posthumously on her 1971 album Pearl.
30
“Nothing Compares 2 U”
By Sinead O’Connor
(Originally by Prince)
Nothing Compares 2 U, a monster hit for the Irish chanteuse, is perhaps the ultimate breakup song. Written by Prince for one of his side projects, O’Connor delivers an emotional performance that is impossible to resist. Just try to hold back the tears. Go ahead, try.
31
“Over the Rainbow”
By Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
(Originally by Judy Garland)
Hawaiian musician Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, with only his voice and his ukulele, redefined a beloved classic.
32
“Proud Mary”
By Ike and Tina Turner
(Originally by Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Tina lays it down from the very start: “We never, ever do nothin’ nice and easy. We always do it nice. And rough.” Then she proceeds to rip it to shreds. Ike and Tina’s earth-shaker is a song so seared into our collective consciousness that it taps into a primal urge to get up and dance.
33
“Red Red Wine”
By UB40
(Originally by Neil Diamond)
UB40, left-wing political activists from Birmingham, England took their name from a form used to claim unemployment benefits in the UK, “Unemployment Benefit Form 40”. Their reggaed-up cover of Neil Diamond’s somber acoustic ballad is an ode to drinking as a way to forget your romantic woes. Diamond stated that it is one of his favorite covers of his songs, and frequently performed it using the UB40 reggae arrangement.
34
“Respect”
By Aretha Franklin
(Originally by Otis Redding)
Respect is a landmark clarion call for feminism that still resonates today. By contrast, Otis Redding’s 1965 original ballad, which featured Booker T. Jones and Isaac Hayes on keyboards and piano, was a plea from a man desperate to keep his woman. Respect marked Franklin’s breakout as a major force in pop music thanks to the foresight of legendary producer Jerry Wexler who, after many lackluster recordings, brought Aretha back to her gospel roots.
35
“Ring of Fire”
By Wall of Voodoo
(Originally by Johnny Cash)
The iconic song “Ring of Fire” invites stylistic interpretation, though none as memorable as this acerbic, industrial punk-rock, synthesizer-driven spaghetti western. Wall of Voodoo’s re-telling of Cash’s lyrics describes a literal descent into hell. Might there be an alternative meaning? Vivian Cash, his first wife, claims that “Johnny wrote that song, while pilled up and drunk, about a certain private female part body part.”
36
“Sea of Love”
By The Honeydrippers
(Originally by Phil Philips)
Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant croons a faithful rendition of this 1950s R&B classic in his band The Honeydrippers, comprised of an all-star lineup of musicians including former Yardbirds Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. “Sea of Love” would become Plant’s best-selling single in the post-Zep era. As a renowned disciple of the American music canon, Plant would later join bluegrass-country singer and fiddler Allison Krauss on the 5-time Grammy-winning platinum album Raising Sand.
37
“Smells Like Teen Spirit”
By Tori Amos
(Originally by Nirvana)
Amos defangs Nirvana’s signature anthem, rendering its gnashing, tortured disaffection into a tender but desperate plea, stripped of all accompaniment but her piano. Asked about Amos’s cover, Cobain would sneer that it was “a great breakfast cereal version.”
38
“Sweet Jane”
By Cowboy Junkies
(Originally by The Velvet Underground)
The Cowboy Junkies best-loved track springs from their seminal album The Trinity Session, recorded in one day around a single microphone in a Toronto church. Singer Margo Timmins delivers a dreamy, drowsy take on Lou Reed’s 1969 classic.
39
“Tainted Love”
By Soft Cell
(Originally by Gloria Jones)
As members of the Second British Invasion of the 1980s, Soft Cell resurrected a forgotten Motown hit first recorded in the 60s by Gloria Jones, girlfriend of pop sensation Marc Bolan (aka T. Rex). Rising to no. 1 in 17 countries, and as high as no. 8 in America, its dark, conspiratorial tone about escaping a toxic relationship struck a chord with legions of listeners. The single’s B-side interpreted another Motown classic, “Where Did Our Love Go,” by The Supremes.
40
“Take Me To The River”
By Talking Heads
(Originally by Al Green)
In the liner notes on their 2004 compilation Best of Talking Heads David Byrne writes ‘Take Me To The River’ is “a song that combines teenage lust with baptism.” Co-produced by Brian Eno, the track reached only #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979, though it established this thoroughly original band as a powerhouse in pop music. At the time of its release, there were at least three other covers of Al Green’s classic by Foghat, Bryan Ferry, and Levon Helm, but none resonated like the Heads’ version, which supersedes even the original in notoriety.
41
“The Man Who Sold The World”
By Nirvana
(Originally by David Bowie)
Nirvana’s haunting, introspective cover track made a surprise—and only—appearance on MTV’s Unplugged 1993 live session in New York. The song, which Bowie described is about a need to find out who you really are—finds new resonance coming from deep within Cobain’s soul. Bowie said at the time “I was simply blown away when I found that Kurt Cobain liked my work” and that “it was a good straight-forward rendition and sounded somehow very honest.”
42
“Twist and Shout”
By The Beatles
(Originally by The Isley Brothers)
Shortly before The Beatles broke up, Paul McCartney commented that despite all their genre-bending experimentation, they were fundamentally a “really good rock ’n roll band.” Like Elvis and The Rolling Stones, The Beatles honed their chops grinding out covers of pioneering Black American artists like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and The Isley Brothers. A chart-topping 1964 hit “Twist and Shout” was recorded in a single take, with Lennon suffering a bad cold, which accounts for the song’s wonderfully raspy delivery.
43
“Valerie”
By Amy Winehouse
(Originally by The Zutons)
Amy Winehouse was unable to make it to the set for the taping of her video for Valerie. So producer Mark Ronson instead chose three Amys to stand-in, all at the same time. While it worked brilliantly, her absence is haunting. The Zutons song comes into its own with Winehouse’s distinctive vocals.
44
“Walk This Way”
By Run DMC
(Originally by Aerosmith)
This truly groundbreaking collaboration launched Aerosmith’s comeback and set the stage for the continuing dominance of rap in the pop music world. Run-D.M.C. fuses rock and rap with this cover, recording it with the actual band instead of simply sampling the original. It became the first hip-hop song to break the Billboard top 5.
45
“We Can Work It Out”
By Stevie Wonder
(Originally by The Beatles)
This beautiful song as performed by The Beatles was a plea for reconciliation, expressed with passion, though little hope. Conversely, Stevie’s rousing funk version, from his 1970 masterwork Signed, Sealed & Delivered, is all about desire and promise. Wonder performed the song for McCartney’s Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony in 1990.
46
“Whiskey in a Jar”
By Metallica
(Originally recorded by Thin Lizzy)
Metallica takes an old Irish folk song, earnestly recorded by Dublin’s Thin Lizzie in 1972, and shreds it to bits, in their raucous, borderline camp version.
47“
With A Little Help From My Friends”
By Joe Cocker
(Originally by The Beatles)
Cocker’s combustible performance at Woodstock elevated Ringo’s sweet little ditty to the anthem of a generation. A BBC poll ranked it the seventh best cover song of all time.
48
“Woodstock”
By Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
(Originally by Joni Mitchell)
Joni Mitchell wrote “Woodstock” in a moment of spiritual reflection, considering the Woodstock gathering a biblical fishes-and-loaves story of optimism. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young run with that idea, conjuring up a celebratory, electrified jam, woven together with the band’s mellifluous harmonies to create yet another iconic soundtrack of a generation.
49
“You Really Got Me”
By Van Halen
(Originally by The Kinks)
To the Van Halen’s dismay, Warner Brothers chose to debut a cover song to herald the arrival of its new mega-group. Awesome though it was—The Kinks’ original was a defining moment of the British Invasion—it instantly became eclipsed by this thundering, new over-the-top sensation. At the time of the Van Halen release, The Kinks were touring America to promote their album Low Budget. Kinks frontman Dave Davies was steamed as he recalls: “Some kid came up to me after one of the gigs and said, “‘I like your cover of Van Halen’s ‘You Really Got Me.’”
50
“You’re No Good”
By Linda Ronstadt
(Originally by Dee Dee Warwick)
One of the 1970s most prolific hit-makers, 11-time Grammy winner Linda Ronstadt gives this someone-done-me-wrong song a sinister edge as she weaves through her many moods, supported by Motown-like backup vocals. Many have recorded Dee Dee Warwick’s poppy jingle, but none come close to Ronstadt’s, a number one chart-topper in February 1975.
51
“Superstar”
By Sonic Youth
(Best-known version by The Carpenters)
Karen and Richard Carpenter’s monster hit was written by rock legend Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett (of 1960s rock/soul duo Delaney & Bonnie) for Rita Coolidge. Others have covered this yearning ballad, though none rise to the level of Thurston Moore’s faithful homage to Karen Carpenter’s. It reveals an uncharacteristically sensitive side of the caustic and arch New York City rock band.
52
“Landslide”
By Miley Cyrus
(Original by Fleetwood Mac)
Only Miley’s husky voice could improve on the Stevie Nicks original. Cyrus has said that song has deep emotional resonance for her, and she does it justice without attempting to bend it to her will. A testament to her confidence and genuine talent. She is a musical treasure with a boundless future.
53
“Police On My Back”
By The Clash
(original by The Equals)
Well, I’m a-runnin’
Police on my back
I’ve been hidin’
Police on my back
There was a shootin’
Police on my back
And the victim
Well, he won’t come back
And so goes the first verse of the fugitive ballad penned by Eddie Grant of the mid-‘60s British pop group The Equals. It features a slower Jamaican-style cadence, in contrast to the urgent, hard-driving Clash version. Featured on Sandinista, critics considered it among the most Clash-like song on the album. Bonus: “I Fought the Law (And the Law Won)” was a similarly-themed Clash cover originally by The Crickets, Buddy Holly’s band. (Written by former Cricket and legendary songwriter Sonny Curtis, whose credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme.) Covered by nearly everyone, the best rendition of “I Fought the Law”—until The Clash had their way with it—was recorded by The Bobby Fuller Four in 1966.
54
“Rusty Cage”
By Johnny Cash
(Original by Soundgarden)
In the later years of his illustrious life, The Man in Black did many reinterpretations of contemporary artists, a gangster move courtesy of famed producer Rick Rubin. At first, neither Cash nor Chris Cornell of Soundgarden embraced the idea of Cash covering “Rusty Cage.” But Rubin persisted with a new arrangement made with the help of Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and Cash was persuaded. He made the grunge anthem his own with his signature grave, disconsolate vocals and meaty, outlaw guitars. The late, great Tom Petty plays on this track along with Mick Fleetwood on percussion. The album, Unchained, won the Grammy for Best Country Album in 1998.
55
“Common People”
By William Shatner
(Original by Pulp)
With Shattner’s previous cover efforts widely scorned, his rendition of British alt band Pulp’s gloriously arch “Common People” surprised critics and fans alike. Credit goes to musician/producer Ben Folds for his deft handling, including the brilliant addition of English singer-songwriter Joe Jackson. Jackson’s voice replaces Shatner midway, then merges into a duet before a grand chorus joins in for the finale. Entertaining and creative, Shatner pulls a rabbit out of his hat with this one.
56
“Always On My Mind”
By Pet Shop Boys
(Variously recorded by Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and others)
What began as a one-off Elvis tribute on the tenth anniversary of the King’s passing became the all-time favorite cover song in a 2014 BBC poll. The Pet Shop Boys debuted their synth-pop rendition of “Always on My Mind” on Love Me Tender, a TV special featuring top groups of 1987 performing covers of Elvis’ greatest hits. The Pet Shop Boys’ performance was the breakout song that became the UK’s number-one Christmas single of that year. It dominated the charts for four weeks, reaching number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.
57
“A Case of U”
By Prince
(Original by Joni Mitchell)
It turns out that the Purple One had a big-time crush on Joni Mitchell, showering her with fan mail, according to the beloved songstress. From Mitchell’s 1971 Blue album, “A Case of You” has since been covered by over 200 artists, though none as poignant as the Prince take. Performed live in Minneapolis in 1983, it wasn’t until 2001 that the studio track was laid down. Prince tinkered with various iterations of this much-loved song right up to his untimely death in 2016.
58
“Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
By Led Zeppelin
(Original by Blind Willie Johnson)
With the addition of contemporary drug-related references, Nobody’s Fault But Mine may be better described as an adaptation than a cover. The booming hard-rock masterpiece was a track on the band’s 1976 penultimate studio album Presence. It returned the band to its Blues roots, the sound that had elevated them to rock god status.
59
“Walkin’ the Dog”
By Aerosmith
(Original by Rufus Thomas)
This was one of the Boston Bad Boys’ best cuts before they descended into ballad-y mediocrity. Like “Back in the Saddle,” also from the 1976 album Rocks, “Walkin the Dog” is among the group’s sharpest works, strutting their prowess as one of the premier rock bands of all time. Of the many artists and groups that took a shot at Rufus Thomas’s R&B classic, the Aerosmith version is the most raucous fun, a salute to what the group was built for.
60
“Where Is My Mind”
By Tkay Maidza
(Original by The Pixies)
This gorgeous rendition comes courtesy of Zimbabwe-born hip-hop artist Tkay Maidza, who resurrects the seminal ‘80s punk/pop group that defied labeling. (Though David Bowie tried, affectionately describing the Pixies as psychotic Beatles.) In the process, we rediscover the band’s mind-bending brilliance, as Maidza’s modernized classic swirls with a headiness and sensuality that honors the original.
61
“The Chain”
By The Highwomen
(Original by Fleetwood Mac)
Fleetwood Mac is having a well-deserved moment. The latest homage by The Highwomen, the constellation of female musical stars comprised of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires, delivers a perfect—perhaps too perfect—rendition of Fleetwood’s most excellent song.
62
“Black Hole Sun”
By Brandi Carlile
(Original by Soundgarden)
This tribute to Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell features original band members Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron. Combined with Carlile’s fearless, soaring vocals, her execution of this grunge classic is spine-chillingly on the money.
63
“Poor Poor Pitiful Me”
By Linda Ronstadt
(Original by Warren Zevon)
For those old enough to recall the 1970s, Linda Ronstadt was a towering talent of the era. She covered the lyrical stylings of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, James Taylor . . . and the list goes on. There was almost no musical genre Ronstadt did not explore and conquer (including her virtuosity singing American Standards with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra on What’s New.) But she held a special place in her heart for Warren Zevon’s quirky lyrics. “JD Souther and Jackson Browne were really good friends with him, so I used to meet him sometimes and I loved his songs,” recalls Ronstadt. “I started doing as many of his songs as I could figure out how to do.” They remain among her best.
64
“Borderline”
By The Flaming Lips, with Stardeath & The White Dwarfs
(Original by Madonna)
This inventive iteration of Madonna’s highly-caffeinated ‘90s hit starts out tenderly, leans into a glee club-style chorus, and finishes with a clamorous jam. Complex and out there, somehow it works. Experience the video for the complete immersion.
65
“Baby I Need Your Lovin’”
By Johnny Rivers
(Original by The Four Tops)
Hard to imagine besting a Motown classic, but Johnny Rivers did just that, charting higher than the original Four Tops track in 1967, climbing to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Rivers was famous for a stream of ’60s hits—both covers and his own—including Mountain of Love, Midnight Special, Seventh Son, The Poor Side of Town, and of course, Secret Agent Man.
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