Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Even Better Than The Real Thing (Sometimes) Part Deux

Why do people like covers so much?  Who wants to hear something that's already been done before? I mean, really, isn't that all a cover is?


People like covers for a pretty simple reason. Its familiar.  Yet new.  You think you know what to expect, but as the person doing the cover gets started- as they play the first few familiar notes, they may start to stray.  Different key, different tone, even different lyrics sometimes.  As the listener, we get treated to hearing something we love, but different enough that its almost like we've never heard it before.  And sometimes, the cover is so different that it DOES sound like something we've never heard before.

That's why we all like a good cover. 

I heard a cover today on that inspired me to find some others.  It was the Stereophonics doing an almost wistful, unexpected version of Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U":

There are obviously many a great cover out there and I fear my lists of covers will never be completed, but I shall try anyway. Here are a few more.

Florence and the Machine-Addicted to Love (Robert Palmer original)

Damien Rice- When Doves Cry (Prince original)

Smashing Pumpkins- Landslide (Fleetwood Mac original)

One of my all time favorite covers-- Counting Crows- Ghost in You (Psychedelic Furs)

Keith Urban - Free Fallin (Tom Petty original)

Rolling Stones - Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly original)

Bono - I am the Walrus (The Beatles original...duh)

John Mayer- Message in a Bottle (try to ignore the girlie screams)  (The Police original)

Travis...covers a surprise song...check it out:

Leave your cover suggestions in the comments.


  1. One of my favorite cover albums is the "50 First Dates" soundtrack. I mean it's nothing too spectacular, but it puts me in a good mood. :)

  2. I would have never even thought of it but it really is an album of covers!