The Best And Worst Cover Songs

BY JEREMY HAAS

A cover song should be produced with care and respect for the artists who originally wrote and performed it.  Some of the most popular songs in history have been covers. Talented bands can interpret a song and make it their own while still keeping the original version in mind.  Other artists take a perfectly good song and bludgeon it beyond recognition. These are, in this writer’s opinion, the best and worst covers of all time.

THE BEST

The Man Who Sold the World – Nirvana

“The Man Who Sold the World” was released by David Bowie in 1970. In 1993, as a part of an MTV Unplugged performance, Nirvana covered the track to great acclaim. David Bowie’s original version has a calm, sullen tone. Nirvana’s version has a similar sound and the same basic guitar riff, yet Nirvana make it their own.  They do this through raspier vocals, acoustic guitar, and a more natural sound.  The song is a classic, and Nirvana does it more than justice.

Just Like Heaven – Gatsby’s American Dream

“Just like Heaven” is originally by The Cure, off of their album Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me.  It is regarded by Cure fans as one of the band’s best and is fast paced, ecstatic, and extremely catchy.  The cover is by indie/pop punk band, Gatsby’s American Dream (GAD) and it features a slowed down tempo with deeper, sadder vocals. GAD’s version brings out a lot of the emotion that might be missed in the original. Their approach shows originality and though the track is changed a lot, GAD puts a good spin on it.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Marilyn Manson

“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was originally released in 1983 by the British Pop duo The Eurythmics. “Sweet Dreams” is easily recognizable and is a pop-music anthem, even today. This is why it’s so bizarre for Manson’s extremely dark cover to be so praised, almost as much so as the original.  Normally, when a band disgraces a perfectly catchy hit with an over-the-top goth cover, I see it as unoriginal.  There is something to this version though; it gives the song a darkness that is oddly charming and its influence is everywhere. Every band that associates their music with the color black has looked to this cover for inspiration in their awful attempts at radio hits. But, Manson seems to be the only one who can pull it off.

Drain You – Foxy Shazam

“Drain You” was on Nirvana’s revolutionary album Nevermind. “Drain You” isn’t one of the band’s bigger hits, but it is still a great grunge track. Foxy Shazam’s cover was featured on SPIN magazine’s compilation album Newermind. This album consists of the entire tracklist of Nevermind, with each song covered by a different artist.  Even though the Newermind was a disappointment overall, this cover conveys true musical genius. Foxy Shazam is an American Rock band who push the limits of categorization with their eclectic mix of glam, punk and classic rock. Their cover of “Drain You” definitely shows this, starting with clean piano chords and soft vocals.  From there the music picks up, capturing energy in its purest form.  Perhaps the greatest part of the new version is it’s ending, a beautiful trumpet solo leading to a climax that is thirty seconds of musical ecstasy.

I Fought the Law – The Clash

“I Fought the Law” is a tune originally written by Buddy Holly’s former backing band, The Crickets, and gained its popularity through its covers.  Though there are a few, most notably the hit 1965 version by The Bobby Fuller Four, possibly the best one is by the legendary 70’s punk group The Clash.  Though the song itself has a punk-rock/anti-authority theme to it, it never really got that full punk sound until The Clash decided to cover it. This version is punk rock in its natural form – loud, obnoxious, disruptive, and completely beautiful.

THE WORST

Such Great Heights – Confide

“Such Great Heights” is originally by The Postal Service. It’s a soft, synthesizer-based track that is extremely popular, especially after being featured in the movie Garden State.  Post-hardcore band Confide covered the song and featured it on their debut album Shout the Truth. The new version starts out with some promise, speeding up the intro just a bit.  Then the “music” kicks in.  The loud distorted guitars mashed with screaming vocals give the impression that something is dying a painful death.  Their reason for massacring perfectly good music is beyond me, but this band has taken 3 minutes of my life that I will never get back.

Smells like Teen Spirit – Miley Cyrus

“Smells like Teen Spirit” is Nirvana’s most popular song.  It’s a grunge rock classic, from a band that stood for everything that Miley Cyrus is not. This un-original Disney-produced pop star decided to take this masterpiece, throw it on the floor and light it on fire.  It’s people like Miley who made Kurt Cobain ashamed of his music, yet she still destroys this track at many of her live shows.  Her version is completely copied off of the original except for her whiny, plastic voice.

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Sheryl Crow

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” is one of Guns N’ Roses most famous songs, if not one of the most famous rock and roll tunes of all time. It’s essentially a perfect rock anthem. Axl Rose’s wailing vocals, Slash’s soulful guitar solo, and the overall energy of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” make it rock and roll gold. All of that is thrown out the window when Sheryl Crow puts her weird pop/country spin on it.  She tries to belt the notes Axl Rose once screamed, adds acoustic guitar, and replaces Slash’s signature solo with a string quartet.  Once again, an innocent song is slaughtered.

Imagine – A Perfect Circle

John Lennon’s “Imagine” is considered one of the greatest songs of all time, its message is simple and its words inspiring.  “Imagine” is such a timeless classic it would be downright idiotic to try and cover it, yet despite this obvious truth, A Perfect Circle did it anyway.  The group tries to make it their own by putting their creepy, dark, alterna-metal spin on the timeless track.  After A Perfect Circle had their way with it, “Imagine” was no longer a hopeful ballad for peace, but a depressing compilation of everything that’s wrong with the world.

Any cong covered by Glee

The popular T.V. series Glee focuses on a high school Glee club, and the music for it is made up of covers of classic songs.  The cast makes show-tunes out of timeless hits that should be treated with respect.  They butcher music from bands like Journey and Queen as well as tracks by modern artists like Cee Lo Green and Amy Winehouse.  The result of this musical neutering is a bland, lifeless collection of songs that only appeals to the show’s teenage fans and their mothers.