Forewarning, I won't be covering the most popular covers ever. Well, possibly a few of them. We all know the golden standards: Whitney's And I Will Always Love You and Hendrix' All Along the Watchtower. I've even reported on a couple renditions towards the end of last year, including Ellie Goulding's Take Me to Church by Hozier and Erykah's Hotline Bling by Drake.
This post around, I'll be "covering" a few of my favorite remakes of the 90s, 00s, and now along with suggestions from the Facebook community. To listen to any song I mention, just click on the artist's name - original or cover artist - because a post full of videos is a mess, and I'm considerate towards your browsers. |
| Scott Bradlee with members of the Postmodern Jukebox collective |
Youtube Channel covers
More times than not, YouTube covers are looked down upon as unworthy of our time. That's because they're plentiful and often filmed in coffee shops or bedrooms. These two YouTube collectives, however, deserve our attention for their originality and creativity.
Pentatonix
If you haven't heard about Pentatonix, you probably have and didn't realize it. Before they released their first album of originals, the five part a capella group turned their failed contract from the Sing Off into a lucrative YouTube channel, covering songs from Fleet Foxes to an anthology of Michael Jackson songs.
If Christmas is your jam, they've released two and a half albums of that variety. (I highly suggest Mary, Did You Know?) Between the four part harmonies, vocal arrangements featuring a prominent beat boxer, and colorful videos, Pentatonix is definitely a group to check out.
Postmodern Jukebox
Postmodern Jukebox
Led by pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee, the Postmodern Jukebox are a collection of (mostly jazz) singers and musicians that take the hits of the last 40 years and transpose them through the musical styles of the 1920s through 60s.
Notable tracks include Miley Cyrus's We Can't Stop as Doo Wop, Ariana Grande's Focus in the style of Ray Charles, and Guns and Roses' Sweet Child of Mine as a New Orleans swing. There's also a Sad Clown that sings Sia's Chandelier.
Beatles covers
Beatles covers
The Beatles are by far the most covered artists of all time. Here's my obligatory salute to their accomplishment.
Fiona Apple - Across the Universe
Fiona Apple sings like a melancholy songbird soaring above the wreckage of the world as she tries to heal the land with her melody. Not a far stretch from the song's appearance on the Pleasantville soundtrack. Some have called it better than the original track. I don't disagree.
Boyz II Men - Yesterday
Boyz II Men - Yesterday
The Philly R&B group did the unexpected by covering this Beatles' song, as an a capella arrangement, no less. The groups bass singer perfectly captures the essence of the strings section of the original recording. Sprinkle three majestic black voices on top of that, and Yesterday feels like today.
[Foreseeing the length of this post, this concludes my Beatles' coverage. If you yearn for more, there's a Wikipedia page dedicated to all the official covers.]
Acoustic covers
Ingrid Michaelson - Creep by Radiohead
Radiohead's Creep is a song of loneliness and self loathing. Choosing to sing over ukelele strumming, Ingrid Michaelson offers an offputting bubbly take on the song. Creep becomes a song about recognizing where you don't belong and moving on with your life under Michaelson.
[Foreseeing the length of this post, this concludes my Beatles' coverage. If you yearn for more, there's a Wikipedia page dedicated to all the official covers.]
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| Ingrid Michaelson |
Acoustic covers
Ingrid Michaelson - Creep by Radiohead
Radiohead's Creep is a song of loneliness and self loathing. Choosing to sing over ukelele strumming, Ingrid Michaelson offers an offputting bubbly take on the song. Creep becomes a song about recognizing where you don't belong and moving on with your life under Michaelson.
Katy Perry is often critiqued for featuring weak or pitchy vocal performances on her own songs. I offer up a hypothesis that her songs are simply overproduced, as Katy sounds wonderful over an acoustic guitar. While both songs consist of heavy production to get its bop across, Katy is able to make acoustic covers danceable through the power of her voice alone.
Grizzly Bear - Too Little Too Late by Jojo
It's hard to imagine an indie, chillwave band covering a moderately catchy pop song from a teenaged girl with a great voice, but that's what makes Grizzly Bear's rendition so good. Opening with minor keys of the piano and an chant that turns the bridge of the original into a warning, Daniel Rossen proceeds to entrance us his smooth voice.
Grizzly Bear - Too Little Too Late by Jojo
It's hard to imagine an indie, chillwave band covering a moderately catchy pop song from a teenaged girl with a great voice, but that's what makes Grizzly Bear's rendition so good. Opening with minor keys of the piano and an chant that turns the bridge of the original into a warning, Daniel Rossen proceeds to entrance us his smooth voice.
Though not my favorite cover, Obadiah Parker's Hey Ya is popular with the Facebook community, and I can understand why. Hey Ya became so popular that it became annoying to listen to. This stripped down portrayal of Andre 3000's solo debut offered a break from the catchy beat. Consider it an island vacation spent on a hammock instead of the resort's dancehall.
Indie covers
Chet Faker - No Diggity by Blackstreet
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| Ella Erye |
Indie covers
Chet Faker - No Diggity by Blackstreet
Chet Faker is a white man covering an R&B song while managing to keep its soul in tact. Probably for the best, Chet Faker chose to use the top 40s, rap free version of the song. His lazy, nonchalant singing style adds to the laid back feel of the song. Spitting game is his forte, after all. Though the organ sounds like it belongs in a Nissan commercial, it oddly fits the vibe.
Probably one of my favorite covers of the past five years, Durand Bernarr offers up a soulful rendition of one of Kendrick's most popular songs. Wording the chorus into a more polite approach and adding Monica's Just One of Those Days as the bridge, Durand transforms the ingredients of this song perfectly.
Scavenger Hunt - Latch by Disclosure ft Sam Smith
Scavenger Hunt - Latch by Disclosure ft Sam Smith
During a Capital Cities concert, Scavenger Hunt opened for the band. Along with their original songs, they included a sultry version of Latch. Stripped down but still electronic in nature, it's a surprise the singer's alto didn't cause couples in the audience to commence baby making immediately. It's the perfect balance between Disclosure's and the acoustic version of the track. Definitely add this to your sex playlist.
Cry Me a River is a song of a lover scorned seeking revenge. DrDr's version takes it a step further and add a nightwatcher element. The updated take on Timberland's production literally sounds like a stalker tiptoeing behind their prey. There's truly something to be said when a woman covers a song originally sung by a man.
Ella Eyre - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Jermaine Stewart
Ella Eyre - We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Jermaine Stewart
Originally produced in the 80s, Jermaine Stewart gave the world a standardly campy song with a serious message during the height of the AIDS epidemic. However, due to the heavy synth, it's easy for the song to be taken as a dance song about exploring other options, leading to Gym Class Hereos' homage to the song.
Luckily, Ella Erye recognized the relevance of the track as we fight for rape rates to drop. She recorded a more serious and soulful version of the song that truly drives the point home. Take a moment and cry to this.
Respect covers
Cee Lo Green - No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses and
Band of Horses feat. the UGA Redcoat Maching Band- Georgia by Cee Lo Green
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| Band of Horses |
Respect covers
Cee Lo Green - No One's Gonna Love You by Band of Horses and
Band of Horses feat. the UGA Redcoat Maching Band- Georgia by Cee Lo Green
Found on Cee Lo's LadyKiller, No One's Gonna Love You is probably one of my favorite tracks from him. I was honestly surprised to discover the song was originally by Band of Horses. Cee Lo's version offers up the soul and strife the track lacked.
After realizing this, Band of Horses decided to return the favor by covering Georgia, a single that never landed on a Cee Lo album. Oddly enough, they add the folky nature Georgia needed. It goes to show that more artists should occasionally write for others in the industry.
Main Stream covers
Chance the Rapper - Everyday is Wonderful from Arthur
The 90s were probably the best decade for theme songs, particularly from cartoons. PBS's reggae-theme for Arthur, sung by Ziggy Marley, is what originally inspired me to watch the show. Chance the Rapper must have felt the same reaction, as he and his collective The Social Experiment releases their own version of the song. It's an inspiration bop that can get you through your darkest days. Because everyday, it could be wonderful.
James Blake - Limit to Your Love by Feist
Another song I had no idea was a cover, Limit to Your Love takes Feist's tender and confrontational song and transforms it into a haunting record full of despair. Choosing to use fewer lyrics and create loops and rounds of his voice, the song becomes a chant as you fall through the emptiness of your soul. It's a wonderful feeling.
After realizing this, Band of Horses decided to return the favor by covering Georgia, a single that never landed on a Cee Lo album. Oddly enough, they add the folky nature Georgia needed. It goes to show that more artists should occasionally write for others in the industry.
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| Chance the Rapper |
Main Stream covers
Chance the Rapper - Everyday is Wonderful from Arthur
The 90s were probably the best decade for theme songs, particularly from cartoons. PBS's reggae-theme for Arthur, sung by Ziggy Marley, is what originally inspired me to watch the show. Chance the Rapper must have felt the same reaction, as he and his collective The Social Experiment releases their own version of the song. It's an inspiration bop that can get you through your darkest days. Because everyday, it could be wonderful.
James Blake - Limit to Your Love by Feist
Another song I had no idea was a cover, Limit to Your Love takes Feist's tender and confrontational song and transforms it into a haunting record full of despair. Choosing to use fewer lyrics and create loops and rounds of his voice, the song becomes a chant as you fall through the emptiness of your soul. It's a wonderful feeling.
By some sorcery, the Flaming Lips created a more intense version of Seven Nation Army. Screamed mostly through a megaphone, it sounds as if Wayne Coyne is leading an army through the desert of Mad Max: Fury Road. It's actually surprising they didn't use it for the soundtrack. The woos during the instrumental chorus pulls the track together.
Whitney Houston - I'm Every Woman by Chaka Chan
Whitney Houston - I'm Every Woman by Chaka Chan
Attempting to stray from the disco roots of the song, Whitney opens her version with a sensual intro backed by every woman she embodies. The track then breaks into an updated disco track suitable for the 90s. Some would argue her vocals out do Chaka's much like she did to Dolly. However, Whitney knows how to respect her fellow divas and shouts Chaka's name during the outro.
Janelle Monae - Smile by Charlie Chaplin/Nat King Cole
Janelle Monae - Smile by Charlie Chaplin/Nat King Cole
Originally composed by Charlie Chaplin without lyrics, Nat King Cole gave voice to Smile. Years later, Janelle Monáe covered the song on her first EP. The heart and soul Janelle adds to her rendition would make you think she wrote it herself. The power and pain behind her voice as she sings over a bass guitar (and eventually keyboard) resonants within you.
Seether - Careless Whisper by George Michael
Seether - Careless Whisper by George Michael
If you don't want to click on the George Michael link, just know this is that catchy song with the saxophone that became a meme. There's no further stretch for this record than a hard rock version, but Seether manages to capture a completely different essence that George Michael's sultry stylings could never comprehend. This is great for a night drive.
Nirvana and Kid Cudi - Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Leadbelly/American Folk
Nirvana and Kid Cudi - Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Leadbelly/American Folk
Dating back to the 1870's to an unknown composer, the distinct origins of Where Did You Sleep Last Night are untraceable. Leadbelly released the first commercial version of the song in the 1940s, but Nirvana most notably publicized the song during the MTV Unplugged set. Kurt Cobain offered the suffering the song was most likely routed in.
Years later, Kid Cudi produced a version of the song under the name WZRD for the album of the same name. Though it does not feature the same pain Cobain portrayed, Cudi offers a more melodic version I find particular enticing.
Childish Gambino - U Don't Have to Call by Usher and So Into You by Tamia
Years later, Kid Cudi produced a version of the song under the name WZRD for the album of the same name. Though it does not feature the same pain Cobain portrayed, Cudi offers a more melodic version I find particular enticing.
Childish Gambino - U Don't Have to Call by Usher and So Into You by Tamia
It wouldn't be a music post by Wacko without me talking about Donald Glover. He has a variety of covers, but these two are his most recent.
U Don't Have to Call is a mixtape cover, which means there are plenty of liberties taken. The track starts of as a ballad and moves into a night ride through the city. He wraps up his version with a monologue, attempt to get the attention of a woman without being to desperate.
So Into You is more of a serious cover, it being one of Gambino's favorite songs. Forgoing the Fabolous route, he sings the entire song start to finish. Starting with simple snaps, by the time he reaches the bridge, his full band joins him to encapsulate the track. It's sweet and wonderful and everything you will ever need.
So Into You is more of a serious cover, it being one of Gambino's favorite songs. Forgoing the Fabolous route, he sings the entire song start to finish. Starting with simple snaps, by the time he reaches the bridge, his full band joins him to encapsulate the track. It's sweet and wonderful and everything you will ever need.
Thus concludes look inside cover songs. I hope you enjoyed the long short list I've put together for you. Disagree with any of my picks? Want to suggest more songs to me? Leave a comment below; maybe they'll be a part 3 someday. A long long day from now.
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