A couple weeks ago, I posted an article titled "14 Cover Songs to Make You Reconsider the Originals." Shortly after it was published, my roommate and I started talking about different covers, and I remembered a slew of favorites that I hadn't included. So naturally, I was forced to create a supplemental list. You're welcome.
14. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" (The Proclaimers) by Blake Stratton
Can we talk about this cover for a hot second? Because I can't even listen to the original song without busting into laughter. A YouTube comment for The Proclaimers' song sums up perfectly how I feel about the original: "And AYE wuld wahk fev HUNdred MAIels." I can’t take it seriously. Then, Blake Stratton's version pops up out of nowhere. He makes the song heartfelt, a reverent promise of loyalty. Blake Stratton took "I'm Gonna Be," which had become a meme by 2011 when he covered it, and made it beautiful again. Without the jokey tune and odd accents, listeners are able to look past the melody to the lyrics. Someone is going to walk a thousand miles for you. That’s not a feat that should be taken lightly. Blake Stratton doesn't.
13. "Hey Brother" (Avicii) by Damien McFly ft. Facs
I'm not going to pretend like this song doesn’t remind me of the Winchesters, brothers from the TV show "Supernatural." The line "There’s an endless road to rediscover" gets me every time. The original song, however, features so much overwhelming pseudo-dubstep that I don’t have the mental capacity to ponder any of the lyrics enough to be moved by them while listening. Damien McFly changes that entirely; his stripped cover, strings-driven and beautifully harmonized, is a gem. Acoustic covers are incredible by definition, but acoustic covers of songs originally held together by percussion oftentimes are even better. This is one of those times.
12. "Habits (Stay High)" (Tove Lo) by Kygo ft. Parson James
Tove Lo has a talent for taking obscure, rather raunchy lyrics and making them break your heart, but Kygo and Parson James manage to take it one step further. Kygo's piano is absolutely beautiful, turning the sad club song into a break-up ballad. In addition to this, Parson James' soulful voice in the cover brings out a hint of R&B in a way that the original song's techno-pop tunes cover. Tove Lo's lyrics can be off-putting for some people, so take notice of that before you listen to her or any covers of her. But if you're already a fan, Kygo's cover is an experience. (Make sure to watch the video—he has beautiful hands!)
11. "Mr. Tambourine Man" (Bob Dylan) by Jack's Mannequin
We all know that Bob Dylan doesn’t have the best voice. Okay fine, we all know that only Tom Waits sounds worse. This doesn't mean we don’t love them both, but sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and consider their music without the distraction of their less-than-perfect pitch. Jack's Mannequin's cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man" pays homage to Bob Dylan by recreating his song subtly. Not only is Jack's Mannequin frontman Andrew McMahon one of my all-time favorite humans, but "Mr. Tambourine Man" is one of my all-time favorite Dylan songs. While Andrew adds a synthpop-y vibe later in the cover, he does a pretty good job of staying true to Dylan's folk roots. This is the song you play when you’re itching to hear Bob Dylan but you're not in the mood for his grating vocals. Now, let's just find a Tom Waits cover that meets the bar.
10. "Take Me Home, Country Road" (John Denver) by Chris Tomlin
Maybe I've been in New York for too long and I’m homesick for the South. Maybe I'm biased because I grew up on Chris Tomlin's music. Either way, I love this cover. Chris Tomlin strips John Denver's classic of its country vibes and makes it a little more folksy, a little more soft classic rock. It's such a lulling song this way; it's so soft and subtle. This is the kind of calming song that sounds like it should come from a movie scene, everyone sitting on logs around a campfire. In less than two and a half minutes, Chris Tomlin transports me there. I can't be the only one.
9. "Can't Hurry Love" (The Supremes) by Phil Collins
Like most things in my life, my love for this cover can be directly traced back to my love for Richard Gere. Some of my earliest memories are of watching "Runaway Bride" with my best friend, dancing around in her living room at the closing credits when this song played. Of course, in the movie The Dixie Chicks cover The Supremes' hit, but too many "Runaway Bride" marathons left me a little tired of the female trio. At 12 years old, I already had an obsession with Phil Collins' "Against All Odds," so it wasn’t hard to fall in love with his cover of "Can't Hurry Love." Six years later, I still love both songs (and Richard Gere) just as much.
8. "Call Me Maybe" (Carly Rae Jepsen) by Ben Howard
Ask anyone: Ben Howard produces some of the most unique sounds in the music industry today. His cover of Carly Rae Jepsen's summer hit "Call Me Maybe" definitely lives up to the reputation. Not only does he bring in some super cool and unexpected instruments (is that a cello?!) but his voice, guys. This song was nearly a national joke by the end of 2012 because it had been played so many times, but the emotion Ben puts into it is incredible. In 2015, I'm still sick of the original song, but Ben's cover has yet to get old. No matter what the music is, he doesn't disappoint.
7. "Get Lucky" (Daft Punk) by Daughter
I've been a Daughter fan for a while now. And I like just about everything frontwoman Elena Tonra does. But my feelings towards the original "Get Lucky" are so strong that when I first heard about this cover, I thought for sure Daughter's streak had ended. After weeks of seeing this cover on my Tumblr dash with tags like "SO GOOD OMG I AM CRYING," I finally decided to give it a listen. I was blown away. Everywhere that Daft Punk's original is repetitive, overly-electronic, or harsh, Daughter's cover is emotional, fluid, and smooth. With what must be other-worldly power, Elena makes this song romantic in spite of its lyrics. Miracles happen, kids.
6. "Sweater Weather" (The Neighbourhood) by Max and Alyson Stoner
I honestly don’t even know what to say about this cover. Is the original version supposed to be completely heartbreaking?! Because I never felt this pang in my chest when The Neighbourhood sang it. Something about the way Max and Alyson Stoner harmonize coupled with the raw piano of the song make "Sweater Weather," originally a percussion-driven alt hit, into a kind of twisted love ballad. Somehow, Max and Alyson keep the pervading themes of danger and sensuality from the original song in their cover, all the while Beethoven is mixing the background music. (Not really, but you know what I mean.) Count that as a win in my book.
5. "Just a Dream" (Nelly) by Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie
The first time I heard this song, I was getting over my first bad breakup. I was 14. Of course, the world was ending. It was so much easier for me to connect with Christina Grimmie, who was 16 when she recorded this song, than it was for me to connect with Nelly. This cover is important to me not only because Sam Tsui's voice is liquid gold, but because its poppy piano riffs and interesting music video appealed to my younger self more than Nelly's black and white, R&B groove. Both versions are great in their own way, and each appeal to different people - like my dad says, that's why they make chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Or, for the purpose of this review, that's why they make Sam Tsui, Christina Grimmie, and Nelly.
4. "I Want You Back/Hard to Handle" (Jackson 5/Otis Redding) by NeedtoBreathe
I want it on the record that I am requesting this song to be played at my funeral. I am not even kidding. The Rinehart brothers are so talented, and the bluegrass twang they bring to these famous songs is refreshing, to say the least. It keeps the upbeat, fun nature of the songs but makes them both something entirely new, separately and together. NeedtoBreathe's sound is so different than anything else mainstream today, and bringing that sound into classics like this is revolutionary. Maybe some more covers from you boys, please?
3. "Lego House" (Ed Sheeran) by Joe Kirk
Okay listen. I know this is a cover from "The Voice." Before you make a snap judgement, give this song a listen. This kid is incredibly good. I love Ed a lot, but Joe Kirk doesn’t drag out his words as much, which puts the emphasis more on the lyrics versus the singing. And although it is beautiful, Ed's accent does get in the way sometimes, forcing the listener to focus on the way he is singing. Maybe Adam Levine is just a jerk, but how Joe Kirk got kicked off "The Voice," I will never know.
2. "Fix You" (Coldplay) by Young@Heart
The Young@Heart Chorus started as a way for retired people to keep busy in their free time. Since its inception, it has grown tremendously and gathered somewhat of a cult following, all for good reason. The internet is filled with testimonies from spouses, children, and friends of Young@Heart choir members about how it changed their lives. This song is particularly popular for the choir, possibly because it is a genuinely moving cover, or possibly because behind it is a genuinely moving story. The lead of this song, Fred Knittle, was originally supposed to perform this as a duet. However, his partner, Bob Salvini, died in the process of recording. If you want to torture yourself further, you can rent the Young@Heart documentary on Google Play or Amazon.
1. "All You Had to Do Was Stay" (Taylor Swift) by Ryan Adams
Who knows how he got the idea, but sometime after the release of Taylor Swift's newest album, Ryan Adams sat down and thought, "Okay but like what if Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen had a baby." I'm not joking. So, in a moment of pure genius, Ryan Adams brings the '80s to "1989." He covered every single song off the album to match this old-school vibe. And it's awesome. "All You Had to Do Was Stay" is my favorite of his, probably because it's also my favorite of hers. But Ryan Adams does do a fantastic job in this one specifically of staying true to the original feel of the song whilst still making it sound like it came straight from E Street. (And I totally didn't buy "Nebraska" on vinyl to celebrate the news that Ryan's "1989" is getting a pressing ... of course not.)
So there you have it folks, 14 more covers for your enjoyment. I would promise you guys that this is it for the cover songs, that I'm going to move onto bigger and better things, but Mom told me to never lie. Oh well.
