THE BEST RECORDED COVERS OF ALL TIME

30. Billie Jean, Chris Cornell
Album: UnpluggedIn Sweeden
Original Recording: Michael Jackson
This is right along the lines of Cake and other spoken word genusis'. Well done with his classic grunge voice and the perfect tempo. And like every great cover...it almost does not even sound like the original.

29. Always On My Mind, Pet Shop Boys
Album: Discography
Original Recording: Brenda Lee
Classic recording of one of the greatest love songs of all time and turned into a electronic rave classic. Willie Nelson could never even attempt to sing this sone this fast but the Boys do it in great gay style

28. Enter Sandman, Pat Boone
Album: In A Metal Mood
Original Recording: Metallica
Pat got a lot of heat for this album. Taking some of the greatest metal songs on all time and turning them into his christian pop fun. He really knows how to murder a great metal song but he does it with such fun it is hard to not tap your feet and sing along...

27. Comfortably Numb, Scissor Sisters
Album: Scissor Sisiters
Original Recording: Pink Floyd
One of the best covers of all time. The sisters somehow managed to take a classic pot smoking song and turn it into a upbeat disco anthem!! Awesome!!!

26. Secret Agent Man, Agent Orange
Album: When You Least Expect It
Original Recording: Johnny Rivers
I love a punk band doing a classic country hit. A little poppy for Agent orange but a Classic.

25. Who’s Loving You, Terence Trent D’Arby (1987)
Album: Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’arby
Original Recording: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1960)
Terence Trent D’arby’s Introducing the Hardling… was one of the most promising debut albums ever recorded. I was totally blown away by it when it came out, especially this track. The vocal on it is just mind blowing. No one was singing like that in the late 80s… Just listen to that last note that he hits that goes on and on. Such a shame that he faded into obscurity afterwards.

24. My Sweet Lord, Edwinn Starr (1971)
Album: Involved
Original Recording: George Harrison (1970)
Speaking of obscure, this is one of my personal favorite covers, of the George Harrison classic. I guess you can say the ORIGINAL is kind of a cover since it is a complete rip off of the Chiffons “He’s So Fine”… but regardless, I love this moody version of it… Especially that gurgling guitar sound. His voice just pierces you on this.

23. I Want Candy, Bow Wow Wow (1982)
Album: Best of Bow Wow Wow
Original Recording: The Strangeloves (1965)
Like so many of the songs on this list, this cover was so good, that it became more famous and synonymous with the artist than the original. As a child of the 80s, this of course is a classic. I used to be fascinated as a child by the video. Not only was the singer beyond gorgeous, but you got a chance to see what kind of instruments the band was playing, I remember thinking the bass guitar the guy played was particularly cool looking.

22. With a Little Help From My Friends, Joe Cocker (1969)
Album:With a Little Help From My Friends
Original Recording: The Beatles (1967)
You know you’ve got something when you can take a BEATLES song and better it. The way Joe Cocker and his Grease Band deconstructed this tune was pehenomenal. They totally made it their own. Now famous for being the title tune of the show “The Wonder Years” which is kind of a drag because it removes some of the original power of it, it still remains an iconic recording of the era.

21. Hey Joe, Jimi Hendrix (1967)
Album: Are You Experienced
Original Recording: The Leaves (1966)
Practically unrecognizable from the original, this is one of the many signature songs of the all too brief career of the great Jimi Hendrix. He shows himself to be not only a grenius songwriter and musician, but a master interpreter of other peoples material as well. He took a kind of a rave up 60sy tune and made something menacing, searing and timeless.

20. I Love Rock and Roll, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (1981)
Album: I Love Rock and Roll
Original Recording: The Arrows (1975)
Joan Jett could cover a song like nobodies business. Pretty much a note for note rendering of the original, what she added was the BALLS… This version is much thicker and heavier and she sang it with way more conviction. The Blackhearts had a great fucking sound… the solo is much better as well.

19. Turn Turn Turn, The Byrds (1965)
Album: Turn Turn Turn
Original Recording: Pete Seeger (1962)
The Byrds are another band that knew how to cover a song and make it their own. This classic Roger Mcguinn opening riff is one of the great riffs of all time. It was such a good cover that after they recorded it, Pete Seeger sang THEIR version in concerts ever afterward.

18. Louie Louie, The Kingsmen (1963)
Album: The Kingsmen in Person
Original Recording: Richard Berry
One of the most famous three chord rock and roll tunes ever recorded was a COVER… This beery, slurring bit of ragged glory is practically unrecognizable to the original’s R&B flavor… and it works.

17. Everybody’s Talkin’, Harry Nilsson (1969)
Album: Soundtrack to the Film Midnight Cowboy
Original Recording: Fred Neil (1967)
Nilsson actually recorded TWO versions of this song. One in 1967 and this more famous version in 1969, which was included in the classic movie Midnight Cowboy and became a huge smash hit for him. I love this version above all others. I also love the original artist as well, Fred Neil… one of the great underrated geniuses of the 60s.

16. I put a Spell on You, Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968)
Album: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Original Recording: Screaming Jay Hawkins
John Fogerty (a genius in his own right) took this Screaming Jay Hawkins number and turned it into a baroque classic, that sported one of the greatest solos ever. One of my favorites..

15. Hound Dog, Elvis Presley (1956)
Album: Elvis 30 #1 Hits
Original Recording: Big Mama Thornton (1953)Written by the legendary songwriting team of Lieber and Stoller (who penned a million early rock and roll classics), this tune, originally recorded as more of a blues number by Big Mama Thornton, was transformed into one of the most important early rock n roll classics by the King.

14. Hurt, Johnny Cash (2002)
Album: America IV: The Man Comes Around
Original Recording: Nine Inch NailsOne of legend Johnny Cash’s last recordings, and one of his greatest. He turns a distinctly 90s angsty tune into a timeless classic. The video is heartbreaking as well. One of the great recordings of the last decade… and all time for that matter

13. I Know (Im Losing You), Rod Stewart (1971)
Album: Every Picture Tells a Story
Original Recording: The Temptations (1967)
Not a huge fan of Rod Stewart generally, but he totally nailed this one. Just a tremendous track. For a man who made a career of covering other people’s songs and doing very well at it… this is his greatest cover.

12. Time is on my Side, Rolling Stones (1965)
Album: 12 X 5
Original Recording: Irma Thomas
One of the Stones’ earliest signature tunes… It was such a Stonesy type song that for years i thought they had written it. But they didn’t it was a cover and practically a note for note version at that… But they made it their own.

11. You really got me, Van Halen (1978)
Album: Van Halen
Original Recording: The Kinks (1965)
With this recording Van Halen achieved a near impossible feat. They made a hugely famous single (one of the biggest of the 60s) their OWN so that whenever you hear it you can only think of David Lee Roths squeaks and screams and Eddie’s guitar. Later on Roth did the same with the Beach Boys’ California Girls… Unfortunately RUINING that one…

10. Take me to the River, Talking Heads (1978)
Album: More Songs About Buildings and Food
Original Recording: Al Green (1974)
One of the Talking Heads early singles… they took classic 70s soul into the New Wave… Deconstructing it just enough to give it a punk edge.

9. You’ve got a Friend, James Taylor (1971)
Album:Mud Slide Jim and the Blue Horizon
Original Recording: Carole King (1971)
A song so good that it was recorded by two different artists (the composer Carole King) and James Taylor in the same year and BOTH VERSIONS got grammies for it. Not only that but Taylor played on King’s version as well! A brilliant piece of songwriting.
8. Sea of Love, The Honeydrippers (1984)
Album: The Honeydrippers, Vol. 1
Original Recording: Phil Phillips (1959)
In my opinion the Honeydrippers is Robert Plant’s finest post Zeppelin moment. A terrific cover of a beautiful classic. I loved the summery video for this as well. Just jad a great vibe to it.
7. Love Buzz, Nirvana (1989)
Album: Bleach
Original Recording: Shocking Blue
A strange song for them to cover for their very first single, but it works on all levels… Cobain turned a roly poly 60s bit of psych and started a revolution with it… You can’t get bigger than that.
6. Respect, Aretha Franklin
Album: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967)
Original Recording: Otis Redding
Aretha’s first HUGE smash was originally an Otis Redding tune.. I love Otis, but this one bests his more heavily soul inflected version… Her take connected with a broader audience and also became an anthem for the women’s movement.

5. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
Album: Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
Original Recording: Gloria jones (1964)
One of the all time great covers, by one hit wonders Soft Cell. This 80s classic doesn’t really change the original too much (except for all the synths).. but Marc Almond’s vocal on it is iconic…

4. Without You, Harry Nilsson (1971)
Album: Nilsson Schmilsson
Original Recording: Badfinger (1970)
Harry returns with his cover of tragic figures Badfinger’s “Without You”… What he does with this song is nothing short of breathtaking. His voice is so heartbreakingly moving, and the arrangement so gut wrenchingly sad.. He might as well have written it himself.. but he didn’t

3. Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin (1971)
Album: Pearl
Original Recording: Kris Kristofferson (1971)
One of the all time great recordings ever.. and Janis Joplin’s biggest hit. Still sung today in HER style (I just saw some contestant on American Idol do it)… its as relevant today as it was written then by the great Kris Kristofferson…

2. All along the watchtower, Jimi Hendrix
Album: Electric Ladyland
Original Recording: Bob Dylan (1967)
Jimi Hendrix worshipped Bob Dylan… This recording is an homage to him.. You can tell he wanted to do something really special.. He pulled out all the stops on it.. What a production…

1. (Whats so Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding, Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1979)
Ablum: Armed Forces
Original Recording: Brinsley Schwarz (1974)
Written by the great Nick Lowe and recorded by him and his group Brinsley Schwarz, Elvis took it and made it his greatest anthem… with Lowe’s blessing, who happened to produce it for him. The message is as clear today as when it was written. Just an amazing recording.