WXPN top 885cover songs
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I find it funny that both thread starters on this missed the fact that it’s the top 885 covers, not 850. They had a nice round number in their heads
A guy you have never heard before recorded it first a year earlier than Garth Brooks. Brooks heard the song, loved it and then recorded for his No Fences album in 1990.
Honestly the reason it doesn't make a list like this is because people don't consider it a cover.
Yesterday morning I heard a cover for the first time. It was Dwight Yoakam covering Prince's Purple Rain. It was interesting. I liked it but wouldn't expect it to make this list.
Hendrix's cover kicks butt. However, the greatest cover of all time HAS to be Aretha Franklin and Respect. According to legend Otis Redding heard it and said "she done stole my song".
Coming in right after that might be Ike and Tina Turner's Proud Mary. Both that and CCR's original are absolute classics in their genres.
You could also make a case for a song's greatness by the quality of all the covers. In that case, it's hard to beat I Heard it Through the Grapevine. Originally recorded but not released as a single by the Miracles, Gladys Knight and the Pips made it into an R&B classic and Motown's best selling record. Marvin Gaye's soul version then was even more successful. Not to be outdone, CCR turned it into a long form classic rock masterpiece.
Speaking over songs we didn't know were covers. Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Want to Have Fun! I know Robert Hazard wrote it but never knew he recorded it and released it somewhere in 1979.
Well, add me to the list of people who never knew that was a cover.
I'll add a few of my favorites.
Sinead O'Connor for Nothing Compares 2U (Prince)
also Hindu Love Gods for Raspberry Beret (Prince)
Gary Jewels and Mad World (Tears for Fears)
Wall of Voodoo for Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash)
Social Distortion also for Ring of Fire
That Stan Ridgway/Wall of Voodoo version is great - I thought it was too obscure to list. Love the Marc Moreland guitar on it (you know he’s Joey in the Concrete Blonde song, right?).
Ryan Adams did an entire album covering an album of Taylor Swift. Her musicianship begins to look a little weak when someone with more talent takes a crack at interpreting her songs
"Because the Night" on your list made me think of something kind of funny from my youth. I liked the 10,000 Maniacs version at the time. Looking back, Patty Smith's original version is without question superior. Well as for the story, in my teens, I was a family party with my future wife and "Heard it Through the Grapevine" by Marvin came on. I said "I like CCR's version better." Both of her uncles looked at me, one says "the hell is wrong with you?" the other said "are you on drugs?" Looking back in shame I can see why they felt that way.
Eh, CCR takes it to a different level - the guitar and rhythm section just rock the hell out of that song. I won’t apologize for preferring CCR but, then again, they’re on my own Mt. Rushmore
I like Springsteen’s cover of it as well, which is like making a cover of his own song.