Anyone have some favorite covers of popular songs?
Looking for some covers of popular songs especially anything from the 80s or 90s that's been redone today into a hard rock or metal version. Bonus if it's a female vocalist
But I'm open to anything if the covers good or better than the original
119 replies
Not really sure if it is relevant to what you're asking, but I think it's so cool. https://youtu.be/NLnfFUZNkww?
The track I’m recommending is the Postmodern Jukebox cover of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” featuring Ariana Savalas on vocals.
For your requirements
Yes - the original got a ton of airplay on MTV and radio in the early 90s
Yes
Nope
Yes
Link:
https://youtu.be/bTfz36WArSU
If Savalas sounds familiar, her dad is the actor Telly Savalas.
Wait...the actor from like the 70s? He would be over 100 if he were still alive. How is she herself not 70 or something? Or did you mean granddaughter?
(Nevermind, looked it up and did the math... I guess he was 65 when he had her and she's 40 or close to it.)
Sleep Theory - Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC.
Bad Wolves - Zombie by The Cranberries.
Daughtry - Separate Ways by Journey.
5 Finger Death Punch - Bad Company by Bad Company.
All that Remains - The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks.
Disturbed - The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel.
Disturbed - Land of Confusion by Genesis.
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson.
A Day To Remember - Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson.
Electric Callboy - Everytime We Touch by Cascada.
Framing Handly - Lollipop by Lil Wayne.
Our Last Night - Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.
There's definitely more, but those are some that I've enjoyed, sorry no I females in the list though, except a collab on Separate Ways.
Man the first time I heard all that remains cover of the thunder rolls I fucking hated it. Thought it sounded so autotuned.
It eventually grew on me but now that the lead singer is a maga piece of shit I can't stand listening to them again
There were a couple I thought about not listing for that reason, like Disturbed.
Nirvana version of "where did you sleep last night"
Their cover of "Lake of Fire" is also good (though the original is great on its own)
All 3 Meatpuppets covers are so good. I like how they had one or both? Of them on stage.
Unplugged in New York is my favorite album of theirs.
Hailstorm doing Daft Punk’s Get Lucky is one of my favorite songs of all time.
That's a good one
Boys of Summer - The Ataris
Don Henley's 1984 version is nice, but this early 00s power pop version hits so good.
That's actually sort of why I made this thread is because of that cover
Wow! Same wavelength!
It is such a good song.
Honestly, most anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, a pop punk band I used to listen to a lot in the oughts that strictly performs covers. Favs include “My Boyfriends Back” “Stand By Your Man” and “Sloop John B”
Placebo's version of Running up that Hill is the definitive version. Fight me.
I like the Wombats version too.
Agreed. I also like their cover of Where's My Mind.
I used to agree. But I heard so little of the Kate Bush version, that when stranger things used it. I like her version better now
Johnny Cash's version of Hurt https://open.spotify.com/track/28cnXtME493VX9NOw9cIUh
It's officially the original now as per Trent Reznor.
Hurt - Johnny Cash
AWOL nations got a cover album a couple years ago. There is at least one Abba song on it.
Chris Cornell did a couple of covers I cant get enough of. Acoustic Nothing Compares to you.
And a cover/mashup of Metallica's Ones lyrics to U2s One Lyrics which is amazing.
I follow a guy called Leo Morachioli who does metal covers of popular songs. I really enjoy Leo's version of toss a coin to your witcher and also his cover over final countdown. His videos are rad.
Lourdes all along the watchtower is good
Alien Ant Farm did a fun cover of Smooth Criminal is good too
I also love Chris Cornell's NCTY and damn near anything by Leo Morachioli..
I liked AWOL Nations' cover of Beds are Burning.
Me too
Toto - Africa (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli feat. Rabea & Hannah)
This cover should meet just about all of your criteria, but it's already a few years old.
Bring out the small drums!
His final countdown is awesome, but I really like most of what he does so I'm not exactly unbiased
I don't know how to switch accounts and fucked up my wife's entire persona she was building by commenting under her account. Instead of deleting the comments when I realised my mistake, I instead just switched accounts and left those comments there for her to find when she woke up. I claim to have planned to go back to delete them, but instead I was just gonna completely forget about them.
I am so smart 🤓
Children of Bodom cover of Oops I Did it Again
Was coming here to say this haha
I never found a metal rendition of a 'softer' song that's better than the original so I got nothing on that.
But here's few of some artis I follow.
Eleanor Rigby - Josh Turner I think most of the song he cover is old (idk I don't really listen to classic song). But good lord, he's talented af.
Jack Conte (CEO of Patreon) are on both of these. Pomplamoose is his band with his wife Nataly Dawn.
Scary pockets brings different singer (and other instrument) each song, mostly funk forward.
Pomplamoose - Mr Blue Sky
Just the 2 of us - Scary Pockets
If you like those two, you probably also like Lawrence
This is just straight up jazz but they're super good. Young Original - Its a lovely day today
Solid choices. Love pomplamoose.
Not metal, punk, but here ya go: Send Me an Angel
OH! And some metal: Everytime We Touch
Sultans of Swing (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli feat. Mary Spender)
Cover - check
Popular song - check
From 80s or 90s - check
Redone into metal - check
Female vocalist - check!
Bonus song: Manhattan Skyline by Ihsahn feat. Einar Solberg
It's not harder than the original, but Ihsahn and Einar are some of the most influential metal musicians out there
Marilyn Manson's cover of Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics is a personal favorite
Hurt by Johnny Cash
Thunderstruck by Walk Off the Earth. Female vocalist, a wild twist on instuments that just seems to work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RnGkIxhFGU
Republica's cover of Gary Numan - Are Friends Electric
Which also Dead Weather did I think
Edit to add: Apparently bands like to cover This Must be the Place.
Pomplamoose - Pumped Up Kicks/Radiohead's
Creepmashupcomes to mind for me. Creep'Everything in it's right place'* which was recorded in the 90sI think its " everything in its right place" instead of Creep. That's a cool song, thanks for sharing that.
The standouts for me are A Perfect Circle doing covers of People are People by Depeche Mode and Peace, Love, and Understanding by Brinsley Schwarz.
I misread the original post. This one isn't female but it is a (prog) metal cover of Take on Me (A-Ha) by the band Leprous
https://youtu.be/Te2MR6j5Qhg?is=pwBpxHfcAFXb5aiP
The whole channel is just great covers being made on the fly so I'm sure there's some stuff in there you'd enjoy
Love this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu_NEFpri0g
I really like Shawn Mullins cover as well. https://youtu.be/2OYiqplKrLo
I know it's probably not what you're asking for but there's an album where a bunch of Japanese anime voice actresses did covers for popular songs from the 80s and 90s. It called Voice Actresses Legendary Punk Songs Collection and here's a playlist that has most of the songs (one of them is unavailable for some reason).
Outside of that, I mostly only know bands who have covers of video game music (and some movies) from the 80s and 90s. If you are counting those, here are some examples of them:
Lighting Strikes Again and Metal Squad from Thunder Force IV by SSH. SSH is known for metal covers of old video game music, so this is just one example of his music.
Cranial Syphon by Armcannon, which is a cover of some song from Metroid but I'm not familiar with that game so I don't know what it is exactly. On top of covers for other video game music, they also have stuff like the Ghostbuster's theme.
Kraid by Metroid Metal, which is obviously another metroid song (possibly the same one). There music was a bit hard to find on YouTube, I've forgotten where I first heard their music before but Youtube might not be the best platform to find the rest of their music.
Battle Scene from Final fantasy by The Black Mages. While they are currently disbanded, they were known for rock/metal covers of music from the Final Fantasy games (which makes sense given that the band was created by Nobuo Uematsu himself). They did briefly rebrand as "Earthbound Papas" for one album because not only did they want to cover more than just the Final Fantasy games but they also wanted to branch out to more genres.
I know for sure that there are some that I'm forgetting and there's also some that I don't feel like looking for examples for (mainly artists who've covered the music from the 90s era Touhou games). If asked, I may do through and provide them but I think I've provided more than enough already.
The band Tragedy started out as a heavy metal BeeGees cover band, I believe, but expanded to do hard rock covers of disco, pop, and adult contemporary staples. I'm not a big Abba fan but I love every one of this band's covers and their cover of Madonna's Borderline.
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCe33AhFCT2agDzBideLHGRw
Motörhead - Heroes
Original by David Bowie 1977.
motörhead recorded the cover version while recording their last album in 2015.
Generally I would say I like the music of Bowie better than motörhead, but in this case, their cover of his song is better than the original.
Apocalyptica also did an amazing cover, in German, with Till Lindeman of Rammstein on vocals
Source: YouTube https://share.google/CuefW3TX3FDx8yDCZ
I wanna be like you (jungle book) by psychedelic porn crumpets. Give it a try, it's good.
I like Denzel Curry's cover of Bulls on Parade.
Oh and Heart's cover of Stairway to Heaven (not 80s or 90s but still a banger)
Wind Rose - Diggy Diggy Hole
https://youtu.be/34CZjsEI1yU
Fucking this! This lives in my head rent free.
Maybe sorrrttttt of the opposite of your "especially", but:
Do They Owe Us A Living? by Croy and the Boys, which is a country cover of the 70s punk song by Crass.
Absolutely love this song.
Fuck yeah, Crass. Did not know this song was covered. Thanks!
Edit: didn't realize you said country and listened to it. Not my type of country, but respect the cover/band and the great suggestion. I just can't listen to that twangy, slide guitar country. But thanks regardless!
No prob!
Fight war, not wars!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scZY7VNV-Go Halestorm - Get Lucky (and a bunch others)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRKAL-i-UbE Alestorm - You are a Pirate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkRUF-aEkmI Animetal - Moonlight Densetsu
Maybe not what you are looking for, but unironically entertaining on several levels (at least to me)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWWBeaqdBas
Spice Girls - Wannabe (in the style of System Of A Down) feat. @macglocky
Jack Johnson covered Badfish by sublime for a tribute album. I'm not really familiar with his music, but damn his version is better than the original to me.
And iron and wine's cover of waiting on a Superman by the flaming lips. It's a heartbreaking song in his whisper-singing.
For a different feel, Tool's cover of No Quarter.
Liking Jack Johnson's version more than the classic sure makes me feel a certain way, but right on.
Same with Waiting for Superman, but I've always liked Iron and Wine's originals more than his covers
One dance cover of the Flaming Lips that i really like probably more than the original is Utah Saints's version of Feeling Yourself Disintegrate. (But it is so good by being in opposition to the original -- it wouldn't be good if it was the only version). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LMsz3klt6s
(Embrace the chaos of my picks)
Gimme More (SID)
Mad World
Ocarina of Time as a Prog Rock Album
Take Me to Snurch
Gangnam Style
Neither metal nor female singer, but this is one of the best covers ever.
Macha Loved Bedhead - Believe
If you want covers better than originals, Johnny Cash is your man. His 'America 1-4' albums are full of them.
Oh, I'm so bookmarking this discussi.
I know there's a whole anti cars movement but I think it's a pretty good cover
https://youtu.be/nDh6rr36spU
Tune!
Right round by Dope.
Absolute banger just no female singer.
Could have a look through the punk goes pop albums too there's some good stuff in there
Anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
The Protomen - The Cover Up
I really like this cover of Dead Man's Party
And for some Metal, as you requested, Everytime We Touch
The A.V. Club used to do a series where bands would come on and choose from a list of songs to cover. As the season goes on, the list shrinks and the covers get more exotic. You can search "av undercover" on YouTube to watch through the back catalog of old seasons for some pretty great covers. I don't think they do it anymore, but it ran for several years.
Puddle of Mud has a nice Nirvana cover
The good one, or the "good" (terrible) one?
The terrible one lol
Ooof, that is a terrible one. I think it was about a girl?
I was legitimately surprised that he could actually sing a good Nirvana cover.
Huh , I mean there is that one Puddle of Mud song i like kind of i suppose.
Maybe he his vocal chords were messed up that day
Yeah who knows. I think it was this cover I heard before that actually sounded like Kurt (kind of).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tbfbslUmd4
My favorite is in the opposite direction - Porter Robinson covering Fontaines DC "favorite" in a 90s pop rock style. Such a good version of such a good song, and it's worth reading the interview where he talks about recording it.
GWAR did a cover of Pink Pony Club
It's infinitely better to the original. I known it's a new song. I don't care.
The Shrek 2 'fairy godmother' cover of I Need a Hero is far more enjoyable than the original one imo.
Others that come to mind have already been listed here..
Okay...
...ah, fuck. Yeah, the original is from 2013 😄
Check!
Well, 2 out of 3 is good enough: Take Me to Church by The Agonist
In This Moment covered In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins. It's a slow burn, but it's great!
I love Shinedown's cover of Simple Man.
Tweeter and the Monkey Man - The Headstones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLEvl_uplUk
Joe Jacksons cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh, Well" rocks! The Ramones cover of the old 1960's Spiderman TV theme song was excellent! Nancy Griffith's cover of "Tecumseh Valley" by Townes Van Zandt always leaves a lump in my throat.
The style is alt pop rock bullshit, so it might not be your bag, but Weezer has a whole album of covers from that era, and I am absolutely enamored with that album, the "teal" album.
Also featuring this banger of a music video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk5Dwg5zm2U (Africa)
Guano Apes - Big in Japan Goldeneye - Wallace Vanboven Message in a bottle - Machine Head Baby one more time - August burns red Baby one more time - Children of bodom Enjoy the silence - Lacuna coil Paranoid - Megadeath Wicked game - Stone sour Tainted love - Marilyn Manson
Some match your requirements better than others
Perfect Strangers by Yob
Straight Up by Mares of Thrace (this is what you're looking for)
The Replicants had a self-titled album of covers in 1995 and they are all killer rock versions. Check it out. No female singer though. They do a great cover of Cinnamon Girl by Neil Young.
I'm unable to meet your specific requirements, but i do have a playlist of covers i enjoy. Be warned, there is alot of weeb shit and video games. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTRuZiBzA6WvKe-FKkZ0rfltPbFyU6BFt
My all time favorite cover. Hey Ya - Cover by The Blanks
22 Jacks - Message in a Bottle
The Bad Plus released an albulm with a female vocalist that covers songs from around that time:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kYOVekH8fgd2t1h3GMLmxCmp5D_tIs-KE
Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen/John Cale's Hallelujah is the definitive version.
Super Guitar Bros. featuring Dan Avidan - Kiss From A Rose
How do you feel about ska?
Save Ferris - Come on Eileen
The Interrupters - Bad Guy
No Doubt - It's My Life
Doesn't quite fit the requirements perfectly but I love Ella Red's soft cover of MCR's I'm not okay (I promise).
Screaming Females have a cover of Shake It off that absolutely fucks: https://youtu.be/Zm1-bVYio1k
They do a good Sheryl Crow one too!
Radio goo goo by electric Six. Is danger danger High Voltage!
Archenemy made a whole album of coversin metal, their vocalist is a woman (Alissa White-Gluz). It includes cover of bands like: Tears of Fear, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Europe and Manowar.
Maphra
I Melt With You - Bowling for Soup
This retired the whole genre:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDyb_alTkMQ
Sid Vicious's version of I Did It My Way. I think originally from the 1980s.
Hey Ya But It's Let The Bodies Hit The Floor
Call Me Maybe In Minor Key
Uptown Funk But Every Other Beat Is Missing
Please Don't Touch by Motorhead/Girl School
Originally recorded in 1959 by Johnny Kid and the Pirates
Joint State (South African rock band) covering Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72U7UYmxA3k
Every cover by Scary Pockets is incredible like sweet child o' mine
Deftones - No Ordinary Girl
Yes Sir, I can Boogie as performed by The Fratellis. The original was from the 70's but I'm told people liked it.
Country roads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC8fsX-B0BE
GnR's Sympathy for the Devil is better than the original
Its a fairly recent one, but Maphra's cover of Doomed by Bring Me The Horizon. It's crazy good!
Careless Whisper in Japanese i know it screams AI, but its actually old cover
Edit: never mind, I should have read the metal sentence LOL
Lo Fang, covering Your The One That I Want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYluMAO1b7Y
And for something weirder, Ohgr covering Borderline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT7yQ45xLVI
Doesn't have to be metal.