What Is Your Favorite Cover of a Song?

There’s a scene in Logan Lucky–a fantastic heist movie–where a young woman sings John Denver’s classic song, “Take Me Home, Country Road.” By sheer coincidence, I watched another movie a few days later (Kingsmen: The Golden Circle) that prominently features the same song.

So you could say that the song got stuck in my head a bit. I bought the John Denver version, but it wasn’t quite doing the job, so I went hunting on YouTube for covers of the song.

That’s where I found that there are so many covers of songs on YouTube.

I really like seeing how different people put their personal spin on the same song. Different voices, paces, instruments…I don’t know much about music, but I know what I like when I hear it. So it’s nice to have a variety of options.

What’s your favorite cover of a song? If you prefer it to the original, why is that?

14 thoughts on “What Is Your Favorite Cover of a Song?”

      • I was coming here to post this too, Katy! 🙂

        Mumford & Sons do an awesome cover of House of the Rising Sun whenever they come play in New Orleans incorporating a local brass band.

        Reply
  1. All along the watchtower by Hendrix is the gold standard of covers that potentially exceed their originals.

    Others that that are excellent:

    Hurt by johnny cash (and the rest of the American albums)
    Mad world by Gary Jules
    Ring of fire by social distortion
    Mrs Robinson by the lemon heads (I think)

    Reply
  2. There are so many great covers I love.

    Foo Fighters cover of Baker Street
    Bad Wolves cover of Zombie (which was supposed to feature Dolores O’Riordan, but she passed before she could record the vocals, so Bad Wolves is donating the process to her children)
    Seether’s cover of Careless Whisper
    Disturbed’s cover of Land of Confusion
    Orgy’s cover of Blue Monday
    Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Smooth Criminal
    The Ataris’ cover of Boys of Summer

    And one time my son and I found a heavy metal cover of Vanessa Carlton’s 1000 miles. It was awesome

    Reply
  3. Easy one. Aretha’s “Respect” is number one. Otis Redding wrote it, but it’s a footnote to all his other incredible work. Aretha changed it into a whole new arrangement, a whole new perspective, and an all-time classic.

    The Byrds’ version of Dylan’s “My Back Pages” gets an honorable mention.

    Reply
  4. Mr. Roboto by Kids on Drugs
    Burning Down the House by The Used
    Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
    Billie Jean by The Civil Wars
    Another One Bites the Dust by Queen and Wyclef Jean
    The Imperial March by Celldweller (kinda a cover)

    Any cover by Chase Holdfelder and most covers by Post-modern Jukebox and Puddles Pity Party.

    Great Post, Jamey. I now have more songs on my “Covers” playlist!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Jamey StegmaierCancel reply

Discover more from jameystegmaier.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue Reading