What are some of the more "creative" covers versions you've heard?
What are some of the more "creative" covers versions you've heard?
Here are a few to get things started:
Don Henley's The Boys of Summer as an 80s synth tune
Bossa nova version of Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over
Reggae-ish version of Aretha Franklin's Respect
A capella men's ensemble version of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance
EDIT: This has been great, everyone. Thanks to everyone for all the terrific links and for introducing me to a number of artists I wouldn't have heard of otherwise. Seriously, the online rabbit-holes have been thoroughly enjoyable--even it I stayed up a bit too late a number of times.
Worth it.
Cake - I will survive
They have other great covers too8 0 ReplyDub Side of the Moon, a reggae cover of Dark Side of the Moon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dub_Side_of_the_Moon
Joke answer: Disturbed's "The Sound of Science" cover because it's fucking horrid and ruins the point of the original's meaning.
5 0 ReplyThe Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye
Somebody That I Used To Know by Gotye
Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion
Durch den Monsun by Tokio Hotel
Durch den Monsun by Tokio Hotel
5 0 ReplyDid anyone already mention Johnny Cash's version of Hurt, original by Nine Inch Nails? A marvelous reimagined version, maybe, the best cover ever.
5 0 ReplyI normally go for parodies, but this would be the place to post the Devil Went Down to Georgia (Washing Machine Cover)
More seriously, 2CELLOS' rendition of Thunderstruck is incredible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk
They have a ton of really good ones on their channel, but that one will always be my favorite for how into it they get
4 0 ReplyHolding Out for a Hero - Frou Frou.
4 0 ReplyI'm surprised nobody's put up The Wiggles cover of Tame Impala's Elephant
Yes, those Wiggles. It's good.
4 0 ReplyTwo very different examples:
Modest Mussorsky's "Pictures at an exhibition" was originally written for piano (that was all the poor guy had available), and it took Maurice Ravel to turn it into an orchestral version and make it popular world wide. Both versions are great and have their own qualities, but I far prefer Ravel's version (Although Khatia Buniatishvili's rendition here is so really really good).
Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay". The original is... well... it's a Bob Dylan song. There is a really good cover version by Ministry that, althought technically is the same song, takes it to a whole other level. Love it.
4 0 ReplyBantamweight's haunting cover of Nirvana's Heart Shaped Box is sorely underrated in my opinion.
ERRA's versions of Audioslave's Light My Way and Muse's Stockholm Syndrome.
Art vs Science's psychedelic-funk cover of Enter Sandman featuring a sweet as keytar solo.
Sleep Token's heartwrenching unplugged version of Hey Ya!.
And finally, Denzel Curry's supercharged version of Bulls on Parade. I didn't think the track could sound angrier but he's gone and done it.
Bonus: Andrew Hulshult's Hell March, featuring chainguns as percussion, Master Boot Record's Doom E1M1 metal chiptune remix, and GeoffPlaysGuitar's argent-metalized Halo Overture.
3 0 ReplyI do adore a cover version that brings something new to the song;
Orkestra Obsolete play Blue Monday
Gotye - Somebody that I used to know - Dutch choir
Not quite a cover, but more of inspiration taken from Paper Planes - 'Paper Plates' by Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer
Umbrella - Manic Street Preachers
Toy Dolls - Nellie The Elephant
Siouxsie And The Banshees - The Passenger and Dear Prudence
Cornershop perform Norwegian Wood
I could go on for ages. Might add some more later. Hope somebody enjoys at least some of these?
3 0 ReplyFunnel Of Love by Wanda Jackson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt7PPidlIvg
Cover by Boris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4T_XNdeRTs
3 0 ReplyDisturbed’s cover of The Sound Of Silence is so much better than the original.
3 0 ReplyPolysics covering My Sharona by The Knack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXHEVcYTZYQ
3 0 ReplyPostmodern Jukebox ft. Haley Reinhart - Creep (original by Radiohead), jazz/big band style
Novena - Bury a Friend, progressive metal Billie Eilish. Starts out like the original and gets progressively heavier.
3 0 ReplyThe Hu playing “Sad but True” by Metallica (in Mongolian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpxA_ZxGX_M
2 0 ReplyI love this post. This is a very weird cover of a song that was already weird. The video is also disturbing, which kinda did it for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRdDTz8wL30
The original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mR6zmSTDNE
2 0 ReplyPipilotti Rist covering Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game: I’m a Victim of this Song
The screaming starts somewhere around 3 minutes.
2 0 ReplySTRFKR - Girls Just Want To Have Fun, synthy goodness
Kishi Bashi - This Must Be the Place - more orchestral version of the Talking Heads song
Gorillaz - Crystalized - somber cover of the XX song
2 0 ReplyMe First and the Gimme Gimmes cover of All My Loving
2 0 ReplyI made a playlist of Nina Hagen's covers of religious songs, and the originals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdiTFj0WDWc&list=PLgy7PolPvs21T7VgK9vUviZGZrZknVadp
2 0 ReplyI've always found Faith No More do absolutely spot on cover versions.
2 0 ReplyJazz Sabbath. I had no idea this existed. It was just suggested to me because the algorithms are good at their job. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qcr708w1HY
2 0 ReplyFlorence + The Machine - Just A Girl, for the TV show, Yellowjackets. Makes it so much more haunting.
2 0 ReplyYes -- America (original by Simon and Garfunkel)
Anthony Vincent -- Chop Suey in the style of Ghost (original by System of a Down)
Dr Pez & Marc Papeghin -- The soundtrack of Ocarina of Time, but its a prog rock concept album (not sure it technically counts as a cover)
Brass Against -- The Pot (Original by Tool)
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -- All Along the Watchtower (Original by Bob Dylan)
Also, not sure how widely known this is, but Arethra Franklin's Respect is itself a cover (and certainly one of the best covers of all time, up there with All Along the Watchtower and Johnny Cash's rendition of Hurt)
1 0 ReplyMelt-Banana - Monkey Man
1 0 ReplyClams casino’s version of Imogen heaps “I’m god” is great. It got tied up in legal limbo for a really long time.
1 0 ReplyI really like this cover of Take On Me
1 0 ReplyThe Heimatdamisch: Sweet Child o' Mine (Guns n' Roses)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbsEZzgCwmI&list=PLgenTP7XacTNR9mfGFwZd3pjYoHxA7cIi&index=37
1 0 ReplyI'm currently re-ripping my entire CD collection, and when I came to Revelations by Fields of the Nephilim, I realized that one of the tracks is their cover of "In the Year 2525" 🤣 It's not even that bad, either!
I just started the rip of Dimmu Borgir's Enthrone Darkness Triumphant... And the next disk in the stack is Hanson. Yes, that Hanson. I'm not entirely sure if the correct term for my taste is "eclectic" or "insane" 😅
1 0 ReplyI'm sorry, why has nobody mentioned the Jeff Buckley cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah yet? Bunch of heathens 🙂
1 0 ReplyDon't know about creative. Sometimes a minor change makes a big difference.
- Sturgill Simpson's version of In Bloom is pretty cool.
- The Once's cover of Can't help falling in love has a great build-up that deserves to be heard.
I can't find my other favs right now
1 0 ReplyUMC are doing metal cover versions of quite some songs, Captain Jack as an example.
Van Canto are an a capella band (with drums) doing also a lot of covers. Battery by Metallica
1 0 ReplyGoldfinger covering Just Like Heaven by The Cure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t0jI1K6HYQ
1 0 ReplyI love Thank You Scientist’s cover of Party All the Time, they’re such a cool band!
1 0 Replythe Gourd's cover of Gin and Juice by Snoop Dogg
(Apparently many people thought it was Phish who performed this cover, it was shared and torrented a lot as a Phish cover)
1 0 ReplyAvail covering Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellancamp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0tpeMPew3M
1 0 ReplyAmber Mark's cover of Heart Shaped Box.
I'm a die hard nirvana fan. I think she took what Kurt wrote and made it totally her own and so, so beautiful.
1 0 Replyhalf my votes for the triple j like a version top 100 fit this criteria, here were a few of my personal favs:
in hearts wake cover billie eilish
1 0 ReplyHoly Holy's cover of Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart.
1 0 ReplyPretty much anything by Leo https://youtube.com/@leolego
1 0 ReplyThe acoustic and sad version of Take On Me from The Magicians TV show is quite beautiful
1 0 ReplyThe Persuasions - Anyway the Wind Blows by Frank Zappa
Kind of a pretty straight cover, but I think by stripping it down to just melody and vocals shows just how good and faithful to the genre the original was.
The whole Persuasions album of Zappa songs is terrific. Definitely recommend.
1 0 ReplyType O Negative- Cinnamon Girl Nine Inch Nails - Metal
1 0 ReplyViagra Boys and Amy Taylor's cover of In Spite of Ourselves is an interesting take on the original by John Prine and Iris Dement.
1 0 Reply