If you've loved a song for 20 years and just found out that it's a cover, THAT'S a great cover song. Our own Jeff Stillwell shares some of his favorite audio homages.
To us, cover songs are rarely done well. Most are versions not nearly as good as the original, yet someone just had to record it. IMO, a great cover song must do one of two things: either end up the much more recognized version (think cocaine by Clapton, as most don't realize it was a JJ Cale song) or the artist has to make it completely their own by reimagining it (think Hedrix covering All Along the Watchtower).
Here are ones that I think are done very well and in constant rotation on my playlist. For fun, on Spotify, I will include the original for a couple of these where the cover is the most known version. Enjoy.
Purple Rain - Dwight Yoakam - Okay covering Prince is a tall task so why not a bluegrass version
Purple Haze - The Cure - Here is how you completely remake a classic
In Bloom - Sturgill Simpson - I am convinced he could sing the telephone book and make it cool.
Crossroads - John Mayer - Sure a lot of people hate on JM but he is a heckuva guitar player and this cover of Robert Johnson’s Cross Road Blues is fantastic
Hurt - Johnny Cash - Come on, Cash covering Nine Inch Nails…Awesome
Same in Any Language - My Morning Jacket - this song was originally written by Nancy Wilson and Cameron Crowe and performed by Inine for the soundtrack to Elizabethtown. MMJ recorded it under the name Ruckus, regardless, it is a great song.
King of the Road - REM - covering Roger Miller’s song this is great because you can tell Rem was figuring this out in studio, If you listen close, you can hear the band calling out the chord changes
Stop Breaking Down - Rolling Stones - another Robert Johnson cover but the Stones make it their own
Gin and Juice - The Gourds - How can you not love a bluegrass version of Snoop?
Tainted Love - Soft Cell - originally this was done by Gloria Jones in 1964. Ironically she rerecorded it in 1976 and released it again due to it having gained underground popularity. Soft Cell made it their own.
Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season - Mishka - A great version of the Jimmy Buffett Classic
Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies - if you are going to try and cover the Velvet Underground, you better do a great job.. They did
I’m on Fire - Town Mountain - Bluegrass versions seem to be a theme here as Town Mountain covers Springsteen
Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon - Urge Overkill - many will remember this from the movie Pulp Fiction but it was originally a neil diamond song
Call Me the Breeze - Lynyrd Skynyrd - another JJ Cale cover
Wild Horses - The Sundays - they did a great version of the Stones song. Also check out the cover of this song by The Flying Burrito Brothers. Gram Parsons and the Burritos actually released the song before the stones due to a legal issue but is is a Stones song
On Broadway - Neil Young - originally released by the Drifters in the 60’s it was made popular by the jazz guitarist George Benson in the late 70’s Neil released a scorched earth version in 1989
Angel from Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt - this was originally done by the great John Prine but Bonnie made it a hit in the mid 70’s.
Satisfaction - Devo - Devo took the Stones song and turned it upside down
Save It for Later - Eddie Vedder - Who would even think to redo the English Beat song much less make it a masterpiece?
