10 More Great Cover Songs

Nothing more really to expand on beyond that blog title. Cover songs are a part of the music world and as we all know, some are great...some not so much. Thankfully, we'll be focused on the good ones today. Save the not so great ones for later. 10 More Great Cover Songs.

1. MaxAmillion - "Sexual Healing"

As blasphemous as it is to say a cover of a Marvin Gaye song is great, but it is. Probably because MaxAmillion transformed a song intended for intimate one on one time into a dance hall reggae-pop hip grinder. To this day it's impossible not to make it through the whole track.

2. Happy Mondays - "The Boys Are Back In Town"

The dog's bollocks indeed! Thin Lizzy's anthemic ode to a boy's night out was never high on my re-listen to list. A quick spin of the Happy Monday's re-hash and it's clear to see that this track is must have for any pump up party mix!

3. Krokus - "Stayed Awake All Night"

It must have been a struggle for metal bands to make it big in the 80's. It's one way to explain why so many of them choose to cover each other's obscure tracks. Quiet Riot covered Slade. Slayer covered Iron Butterfly. And Switzerland's Krokus had their fair share as well. My fave by them was a cover of an obscure song by Canada's Bachman Turner Overdrive, "Stayed Awake All Night"

4. They Might Be Giants - "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"

Originally a 50's swing tune by The 4 Lads....what a typical name for a swing-vocal band from that era...a Canadian group originally named the Otnorots. They Might Be Giants sped the tune up and added just a tinge of their quirky change of the decade flair to this already quirky song. Either way it worked.

5. Santana - "Hold On"

Another song written by a Canadian that found worlds more success after it was covered. Hamilton's Ian Thomas (who happens to be younger brother of actor Dave Thomas) wrote and released "Hold On" in 1981 only to have Santana record a version a year later and see it reach much more success.

6. Pussycat Dolls - "Don't Cha"

Well not so much of a cover, but "Don't Cha" was originally written by CeeLo Green in 2004 and recorded by Alamaze, a former backing singer for Outkast. Alamaza then backed out of her contract with her label and the song was re-recorded by The Pussycat Dolls singing group fabricated by the same label. The rest is quasi-memorable-pop-chart-topping-sorta history.

7. Helmet - "Army Of Me"

90's bands covering 90's songs. What more can I say?

8. Ben Gibbard - "Indian Summer"

I've written about "Indian Summer" before and how it's been referred to as the "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" of the Indie scene in Seattle. Well that's because everybody has done a version of it. Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service recorded a version for his involvement with the Kurt Cobain biopic "About A Son"

9. Hayden - "Gouge Away"

Speaking of the Indie Scene in Seattle, The Pixies were grunge before anyone knew who Nirvana were. Hayden's version of their classic "Gouge Away" shifts from grunge to a semi-folk grunge fusion. It's delightful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVSXvbsT_eo

10. The Offspring - "Killboy Powerhead"

I'm not sure The Offspring's 1994 album Smash needed the help of  a cover song to get it noticed, but they included a rare track from Illinois punk group The Didjits anyway. "Killboy Powerhead" was originally on The Didjits 1990 release Hornet Pinata, and barely had time to breathe before The Offspring got a hold of it 4 years later

Thanks again for reading!

ROCKTOBER GOING STRONG!!!

JZ