Cover songs are an amazing way to bring life into a song that you have heard a thousand times before. I love listening to cover songs just to see how the artist takes the lyrics and melodies that we are familiar with and remold them into something new. I have scoured Spotify to find some of the best covers and have put them on a silver platter just for you. If you want to listen to these songs all in a row there is a playlist at the bottom of the page.
When you think of songs that far surpass the original, this song should instantly come to mind. This was originally a Nine Inch Nails song about the leader singer’s fight with his addictions. Johnny Cash related to the struggle and wanted to take his own spin on this grunge classic. Cash uses this as a final farewell to his career and a critique of all the fame he has gained. Watching the music video for this song shows you everything that you need to know about Cash’s life. It continually switches between a young vibrant Cash to an older, more disheveled Cash who has recently lost everything. The original author of the song, Trent Reznor, said that it showed him the transformative power of music and opened his eyes to why music was such an important medium.
This was originally a David Bowie song on the album of the same name. This song speaks about facing another version of yourself, one you are disappointed in. Both David Bowie and Nirvana use this song to speak about the music industry and the loss of joy once success becomes involved. Kurt Cobain really embodies this distain for the “selling of the soul” that takes place in order to achieve real stardom and the corruption it brings. While the original is a great song in its own right, this version just barely surpasses it.
I bet that you did not know that this was a cover. When you think of I Will Always Love You do not think of the original song, that was first sung by Dolly Parton as a final farewell to all those involved with her show. Dolly does a great job and I would never ever speak ill of the queen, but Whitney really steps it up here. Every singly note is filled with so much emotion it makes your heart swell. Much like the instant classic cover of “I Need a Hero” from the Shrek soundtrack this song was just part of the movie soundtrack but quickly surpassed the movie itself. No one remembers this movie but this song I will always love.
This one might be my favorite cover on the whole list, however it is far from the best. As stated at the beginning of the song, this song was all recorded in one take and it shows. There is missed beats, talking over each other, and notes that don’t land but it all contributes to the love that is in the song. This song embodies the feeling of hanging out with your friends way too late in the night when everything is funny. If you are home sick or just want something to yell at the top of your lungs this is the perfect song for you.
Tom Petty’s Wildflowers embodies the wayfaring spirit of his time, but Miley Cyrus really brings it into her own with her version. After a speckled past of some great songs and some flops, this songs serves as a showcase of what her voice can do when singing songs that serve her voice. Most of her newer stuff focuses on the grittiness of her voice, but this one allows Miley to show the softer, more gentler side that isn’t shown as much. The song evolves as it goes on starting as a flowing melodic vibe and ending with a belt of emotion.
Ever since I heard Moon River in Breakfast at Tiffany’s I instantly put it on my playlist, while I still have a lot of love for the original I think that this version should be considered in its own rite. It completely transforms the song to the point where you can barely call it a cover, imagining it in a modern style as compared to it 60’s roots. Frank Ocean makes this sound like one of his own songs but keeps true to the original material. This is the perfect example of how to do a cover well through the transformation of the medium.
Amy Winehouse kills this song in a way that makes me unable to listen to the original. This song was originally sung by English indie rock band The Zutons, unsurprisingly you probably haven’t heard of them they really didn’t do much after this. While The Zutons are responsible for the creation of the song I think it has left their hands. Amy and Mark crank the beat up to a 10 when compared to the original, every aspect from vocals to the inclusions of trumpets create a beat that is unlike any other. This is the perfect power ballad it slaps every time.
This is a weird one, but I like to include something you have most likely never heard just to keep you on your toes. This reimagines the 2000’s classic as a country song with a banjo to boot. This is just one of the many songs that have been “countrified” by the people at the Pickin’ on Series. This takes the Plain White Tee’s lyrics and makes them sound like Blake Shelton is singing and it strangely works. I am not a huge country fan but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like this one, take a chance and try it out.
I have made it abundantly clear that I love the lyrics and melodies of Elton John, but man do I hate his voice. Lady Gaga takes a break from her extremely successful career to lend her vocal talents to the Revamp album, my saving grace. This album takes classic Elton John songs and allows other performers to try their hand at it. Almost every one of them could make the list but I decided to go with Gaga for this one. She stays true to the unique sound of Elton’s voice but allows for her own talents to shine. There are way too many covers of this song, but this is by far my favorite.
Someone once told me that Passenger sounds like Kermit the Frog and I have not been able to get it out of my head. Passenger’s unique voice serves to further the whimsical and ephemeral nature of the song. You can feel the anguish and lost love of Passenger as he sings, allowing us to think of all the time we fell out of love or lost it. This cover is perfect for a walk back to your dorm or house after an event, a great song to just vibe to.
Honorable Mentions
Jimmy Buffet is a master at making beach vibe songs, no one does it like him. You know when James William Buffet makes a cover of a famous song, it is going to slap. I do not necessary think that this is the superior version of this song, but I just love this version more than any other. The steel drums alone take this from a simple bop to a beach bop for the ages. If you want something new for your next beach/lake day I got the perfect song for you.
Have you ever wanted to hear a folk version of that one song from Shrek, of course not but here it is. My favorite thing to do is to put this on a playlist with friends and wait until one of them realizes whats going on. This song did not make the list because of just how ridiculous it is, but it’s not bad. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.
I did not want have two Miley Cyrus songs on the list, but I legitimately love this more than the original and it’s not even close. The original song by the Cranberries is historic for the context surrounding the song itself, so it feels like a disservice to recommend a different version but this one just goes hard. Miley does the opposite of what she does in Wildflowers, she digs into the grittiness in her voice to bring real emotion to the song.
Simon and Garfunkel have a very particular sound to all of their music that becomes repetitive after a while. Marcus Mumford and his many sons take this tale of a down on his luck boxer and give new life to it. I think this is the definitive version of this song, its folk tone makes this sound like one of the classic story songs of the past but with a modern twist.
Here is a playlist of all the songs above for your listening convenience about:
Do you have a cover that you think is better than the original let us know on our socials.
I could not put this on the list because it was not on Spotify but I wanted to put the song that started this whole discussion here at the bottom.
