Best Cover Songs

[spantini]

There are a few on this list I can't recall hearing, but the rest I have heard many times and I have to say I agree with this listing. There are some covers I'll listen to but don't really care for because they take liberties with the arrangements I'm oh so familiar with, and expect to hear - and the voices aren't right. One of those (not on this list) would be Tommy James' Mony Mony by Billy Idol. I really don't like it when the radio stations play only the covered version, but I guess it's always been that way since the 60's-70's produced quite a few rock covers of old familiar tunes from the 50's.

Best Cover Songs: 60 Definitive Cover Versions You Need To Hear

There are many great cover songs, but only a few are landmarks, earning themselves a distinction as the best cover versions of all time.

www.udiscovermusic.com

 

[mowtontom2]

Cheers

 

[grimtraveller]

I actually knew 15 of the songs on this list.
I'm not really a fan of covers.....unless it's the cover that I've heard first. Once that cover is part of my listenscape, I'm not really interested in the original. It has happened a few times, that I've liked the original more, having heard the cover first and dug it, but it's kind of rare.

 

[TalismanRich]

I don't agree with quite a few of their picks.
Venus by Bananarama? Mediocre. CSNY Woodstock actually predates Joni's release, although she had played it live earlier.

How about
BS&T - God Bless the Child. (Billy Holliday)
Johnny Rivers - Baby I Need Your Lovin (Four Tops)
Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light and Spirits In The Night (Bruce Springsteen)
Jefferson Airplane and CSN - Wooden Ships. (written by Kantner, Crosby and Stills). They recorded them about a month apart, so it's tough to say who covered who. They both played the same song at Woodstock in August 69.
Aretha Franklin -Respect (Otis Redding)
Three Dog Night - Try A Little Tenderness (Otis Redding sang both this and Respect at Monterey Pop in 1967.)

 

[TalismanRich]

Speaking of Monterey Pop

Hendrix played:

Wild Thing (The Troggs) Hey Joe (A bunch of bands, the Byrds, Standells, Love etc) Killing Floor (Howling Wolf) Like A Rolling Stone (Dylan) Rock Me Baby (BB KIng). He recorded versions of all of those songs in the studio too.

 

[DM60]

Harry Nilsson - Without You, original Bad Finger.

 

[Mickster]

Johnny Rivers - Memphis Tennessee - Chuck Berry 1959

 

[spantini]

I don't agree with quite a few of their picks.
. . .

How about
. . .
Jefferson Airplane and CSN - Wooden Ships. (written by Kantner, Crosby and Stills). They recorded them about a month apart, so it's tough to say who covered who. They both played the same song at Woodstock in August 69.
. . .

That's some good trivia.

Speaking of Monterey Pop

Hendrix played:

. . . Hey Joe (A bunch of bands, the Byrds, Standells, Love etc) . . .

I think Deep Purple does a killer version of Hey Joe.

Please allow me to throw in Jimi Hendrix's version of Dylan's All Along The Watchtower. I've got my own acoustic version (one vocal, one guitar) that works well. It's like Jimi's, but I had to compromise some of the flourishes heard on the studio cut.

 

[TAE]

A lot of great songs in that list..Hendrix, man anything he covered was incredible.....Hey Joe damn...That haunting lead lick in all along the watchtower...where did that come from? Somewhere out there...

 

[TAE]

This is a couple local slouches

When Frank isn't slumming here in the San Gabriel Valley he is on tour with The Who as their musical director and guitarist...what a loser...He's the one in the black vest.... Dave Shelton is no slouch himself..

 

[grimtraveller]

I think Deep Purple does a killer version of Hey Joe

I'll vote for you as president !
I love Purple's version of "Hey Joe." Have done since I first heard it in '79. I consider the solo to be Richie Blackmore's first truly great solo. There are good ones on "Shades of Deep Purple" but "Hey Joe" tops them all.
the instrumental that leads into the song proper {they don't even take any writing crdit for it, even though it's like another song} is superlative. I love the MKII Deep Purple but because "Shades of..." was the first album of theirs I heard, I've always regarded it on a par with everything else they did in their heyday.

 

[TAE]

OK worst cover ever....Holy shit Chuck Berry is a saint.....

HOLY SHIT!

 

[spantini]

OK worst cover ever....Holy shit Chuck Berry is a saint.....

HOLY SHIT!

I'd like to know the backstory on this one. My impression of Chuck Berry was one of low tolerance toward other musicians not doing things his way. Watching him wince as Yoko screeches. . . well, John must have promised him lots of money for hanging in there

 

[TAE]

The Beatles were in awe of Chuck and they became friends when they came to America. I have to assume they rehearsed this and Chuck just went along with it for his friend John....but his faces during this twighlight zone experience are hilarious and telling of his real feelings OY!

 

[Smithers XKR]

There are a few on this list I can't recall hearing, but the rest I have heard many times and I have to say I agree with this listing. There are some covers I'll listen to but don't really care for because they take liberties with the arrangements I'm oh so familiar with, and expect to hear - and the voices aren't right. One of those (not on this list) would be Tommy James' Mony Mony by Billy Idol. I really don't like it when the radio stations play only the covered version, but I guess it's always been that way since the 60's-70's produced quite a few rock covers of old familiar tunes from the 50's.

Best Cover Songs: 60 Definitive Cover Versions You Need To Hear

There are many great cover songs, but only a few are landmarks, earning themselves a distinction as the best cover versions of all time.

www.udiscovermusic.com

Well I guess

Bruce wrote the line "revved up like a Duesy on a Saturday Night"
An old Duesenberg car... they were like an American Rolls Royce in the 30s 🥰🥰

So this is a pretty cool cover of Springsteens song by Manfred

 

[Smithers XKR]

The Beatles were in awe of Chuck and they became friends when they came to America. I have to assume they rehearsed this and Chuck just went along with it for his friend John....but his faces during this twighlight zone experience are hilarious and telling of his real feelings OY!

I am guesing you dig the keys on this TAE buddy xxx 🥰

 

[Smithers XKR]

The Beatles were in awe of Chuck and they became friends when they came to America. I have to assume they rehearsed this and Chuck just went along with it for his friend John....but his faces during this twighlight zone experience are hilarious and telling of his real feelings OY!

The organ sound is fab

 

[Smithers XKR]

The Beatles were in awe of Chuck and they became friends when they came to America. I have to assume they rehearsed this and Chuck just went along with it for his friend John....but his faces during this twighlight zone experience are hilarious and telling of his real feelings OY!

Fab xxx

 

[TalismanRich]

Well I guess

Bruce wrote the line "revved up like a Duesy on a Saturday Night"
An old Duesenberg car... they were like an American Rolls Royce in the 30s 🥰🥰

So this is a pretty cool cover of Springsteens song by Manfred

Actually the line is "revved up like a DEUCE, another runner in the night" The Deuce refers not to a Duesenberg, but to a Deuce Coupe, which is a 32 Ford that was popular with hot rodders in the 50s and 60s. 1932 was the first year for the flathead Ford V8 engine, the first affordable V8. It's the car that the Beach Boys sang about in "Little Deuce Coupe", and it's the yellow hot rod that John Milner drives around in American Graffiti.

Manfred Mann actually changed the original Springsteen lyric which is "Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night."

 

[Smithers XKR]

Fab xxx

I know its not live but IDK