B-Sides

Since the beginning of rock n’ roll, bands have recorded and preformed covers. In fact, there are entire bands built around doing nothing but covers. There are a plethora of songs out there that some people probably didn’t even know were covers such as three of Billy Idol’s greatest hits: “White Wedding,” “Mony Mony” and “Dancing with Myself.” Nine times out of ten though, the original is better than the cover, which is what makes this list unique. Here's our list of re-imagined or re-interpreted covers, meaning the artist took the song and made it a completely new entity juxtapositioning genres–either stripping a rock song down to folk, or taking a country song and turning it into a dance song and so forth. A lot of these songs are already good alone, and now there are two interesting versions in existence.

1. Cat Power, “Satisfaction” (Rolling Stones)

The most amazing aspect of Chan Marshall’s Stones cover is how she never mentions the famous lyric “I can’t get no satisfaction.” If the song title wasn’t prominent, it would be hard to decipher what the song was since she makes it so unrecognizable. Her version consists of measured acoustic guitar and droning piano sounds combined with her sultry vocals. She recorded an entire covers record including this and other remarkable covers of songs by icons Dylan, Lou Reed and Oasis.

2. Johnny Cash, “Hurt” (Nine Inch Nails)

At first it may seem like country crooner Cash and goth rocker Trent Reznor have nothing in common, but they both are tortured souls. Cash transcends Reznor’s angst-ridden vocals with his soothing voice and takes the startling original and transforms it into the most heartbreaking, tearful and lamenting song. In a sense, it was Cash’s last hurrah–a song validating both his long career and life before he died. Before he departed, he gained some MTV cred with the video for this cover.

3. Ryan Adams, “Wonderwall” (Oasis)

This isn’t the first time “Wonderwall” has been covered by indie rock (see Cat Power), but Adams’ version is the best. It’s ethereal, dreamy, methodical, and because of all those good things, it’s a bit longer than the original. Adams’ alt-country effortlessly contrasts the Gallagher brothers Brit rock. This is one of those great songs to listen to driving late at night, after drinking too much, getting lost in heavy thoughts and simply drifting away.

4. Cicconne Youth, (Sonic Youth) “Into the Groovey” (Madonna)

Madonna’s “Into the Groove” is a great dance song, but the brilliance of Sonic Youth excels with their No Wave cover. They take out the dance and the pop, add in some feedback and off tempo beats, sample Madonna’s vocals and basically create a hypnotizing and jawdropping cover sending the Material Girl to the back of the club. Youth’s version is undanceable, but it’s more eclectic and visionary. Just imagine being on ecstasy and you’ll understand.

5. Jeff Buckley, “Hallelujah” (Leonard Cohen)

This cover is an example of a cover being better than the original. Cohen’s version sounds too churchy, almost like it’s being sung during a sermon. Buckley’s falsetto replaces Cohen’s grittiness, which brings much needed emotion and beauty to the track. Cohen’s organ and backup singers are supplanted with Buckley’s mellifluous guitar and blues riffs. Buckley’s shapes the song into a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.

6. Nouvelle Vague, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Joy Division)

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” is a perfect song, so for anyone to tinker with it is sacrilegious–unless it’s being tinkered into a Bossa Nova song with a Brazilian vocalist. Nouvelle Vague (translates to New Wave) released an album covering UK classics from Joy Division to The Clash. They take out Joy Division’s goth and opt for breezy ocean sounds complimenting singer Eloisia’s romantic inflections that evoke a lovely day at the beach.

7. Social Distortion, “Ring of Fire” (Johnny Cash)

In the original version, Cash implements Mexican sounding horns against his country melodies and sage lyrics: “Love is a burning thing/and it makes a fiery ring/bound by wild desires/I fell into a ring of fire”. Then comes Social Distortion who records a punked out/rock version with full-on electric guitars that turns Cash’s rendering into a more three dimensional and well-rounded piece of music.

8. Pet Shop Boys, “Always on My Mind” (Willie Nelson)

Country western and 1980s Britpop? Surprisingly, it works quite well. Nelson’s bluegrass classic gets revamped into an electrifying dance song for the ages. Nelson’s version contains a pensive piano and guitar rhythm, but like all good electro/dance groups, the Pet Shop Boys crank up the amp, throw in some synths and a drum machine to coalesce the track into a fun and thunderous power pop anthem.

9. Pavement, “Killing Moon” (Echo and the Bunnymen)

“Killing Moon” could be considered one of the best songs of all time–or at least from the prosperous 80s Britpop era–and Pavement could be considered legendary in the indie world, so to combine the two is a hipster’s dream come true. Pavement takes out the foreboding beats and replaces them with light indie guitar rock harmonies. The song never becomes menacing like the original, and is emphasized with Stephan Malkmus’s glorious vocals.

10. Madonna, “I Want You” (Marvin Gaye)

Marvin Gaye and Madonna? Well, they both sing about sex. Madonna eliminates Gaye’s dizzying horns, guitar/bass combo and his urbane vocals and substitutes them with trip-hop orchestral elements. There are moments of jazz infusion, electro tinges and a bit of baleful stalkerness to Madonna’s reinterpretation. Like everything else Madonna touches, she makes this cover her own, slowing down the funk and mixing in her signature seductiveness.

11. Eugenius, “Indian Summer” (Beat Happening)

Calvin Johnson’s “Indian Summer” contains the minimal–his baritone vocals, a single drum and gossamer guitar melodies. The song is an affable and nostalgic rumination done with pristine melodies from both bands. Eugene Kelly takes his twee pop proclivity and assembles sprawling instrumentations with strings and his gentler voice. Both bands ushered in a new era of pop music, unfortunately most people have never heard of either band, but now they will.

12. Frente, “Bizarre Love Triangle” (New Order)

Frente strips down New Order’s exhilarating 80s electro tune with her cherubic and child-like voice. She cuts out New Order’s famous dance beats, shortens the length of the song, and sings a cappella against a lone strumming guitar to create a sweet and sad song. The minimalism especially makes New Order’s potent lyrics stand out. What ever happened to Frente, anyway?

13. Flying Lizards, “Money (That’s What I Want)” (Barrett Strong)

Strong’s version is a blast of Motown funk with belting vocals and good ‘ol rock n’ roll, but the Flying Lizards remaster it by doing a New Wave cover. Strong’s vocals are replaced with a female vocalist with a thick German accent who mainly speaks the lyrics. With the addition of the New Wave beats, Strong’s melodies practically vanish.

14. Flunk, “Blue Monday” (New Order)

You know New Order is a popular when two of their best songs are covered on the list. The lead singer of Flunk sounds uncannily like Bjork, so this version is best explained with what would happen if Bjork did New Order. Flunk minimizes the dance beats to record a meticulous and spacey piece. This is a fine example how a song can work well with some experimentation and creativity.

15. Nirvana, “Son of a Gun” (The Vaselines)

In one corner, twee pop, in the other, grunge. It is widely known what a huge fan Kurt Cobain was of Eugene Kelly and the Vaselines, so it’s not surprising he covered this and two other of their songs. Cobain’s harsh vocals contrast Kelly’s and backup singer Frances McKee’s pleasing vocals. Cobain affixes grunge centered guitar riffs, speeds it up a notch and gives the original a jamming makeover.

16. Iron and Wine, “Such Great Heights” (Postal Service)

The Postal Service became a wunderkind band with their blend of electropop beeps and bleeps and Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard’s lovelorn vocals, but Sam Beam of Iron and Wine shuns the Postal Service’s effusive melodies by turning this track into a folky and pretty adaptation. Beam’s lullaby drenched vocals especially contributes to this being a cover worth mentioning.

17. Fiona Apple, “Across the Universe” (Beatles)

Both versions are equally good, but Apple adds her own touch. If the Beatles version is orchestral and guitar fueled, then Apple’s version sounds more polished with the inclusion of her lush and entrancing vocals–which is the main reason this song shines. By bringing an undertow of melancholy to the song, she lifts it to a far-reaching new height. It’s difficult to compete with the artistry of the Beatles, but Apple does a fine job of it

18. Travis, “Baby One More Time” (Britney Spears)

Earnest Scots Travis get cheeky with an acoustic rendition of this pop classic. Travis seem to take this rendition seriously though, as they hit Spears’ high notes. This was Spears’ first and best of a passel of mediocre hits that soon followed, but because of this cover, it’ll live on in infamy. Also, it’s nice to see the usually somber Travis having some fun with for once.

19. Sonic Youth, “Superstar” (The Carpenters)

Thurston Moore gives Karen Carpenter’s 1970s easy listening song a lo-fi transformation. He removes Karen’s poetic melodies and transforms the song with electric guitar feedback and his somewhat sinister vocals. He sounds kind of creepy when he sings the “baby, baby, baby” chorus. At times, he seems to be channeling Carpenter from the grave for the ultimate tribute. Spooky.

20. M. Ward, “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie)

M. Ward makes Bowie’s dancepop song unrecognizable. At first, it may sound familiar– like one of those “I think I’ve heard this somewhere before” rants–then an epiphany occurs from the listener: “It’s Bowie!” M. Ward entirely eradicates Bowie’s synths, horns and pop inclinations to instill an acoustic guitar and raspy southern vocals to form a sparse and lethargic ballad.

HONORABLE MENTION

Feist, “Inside &Out” (Bee Gees)

Covering songs from the 70s is prevalent on this list (see Sonic Youth), and Canadian chanteuse Leslie Feist does it well. The Gibb brothers sing in such high falsettos, they almost sound like chipmunks, but Feist furnishes her stunning and soulful voice to catapult the easy listening/disco original into a new realm consisting of bolder and more R&B influenced rhythms. Trivia: The Bees Gees initially titled this “Love You Inside and Out.”