Covers, Illustrated
Dolly Parton, Jolene:
White Stripes, Jolene:
Beyoncé, Jolene:
Collective Soul, Shine:
Dolly Parton, Shine:
Doris Day, Que Sera Sera:
Sly and the Family Stone, Que Sera Sera:
AC/DC, Thunderstruck:
Steve ‘n’ Seagulls, Thunderstruck:
Bee Gees, Stayin’ Alive:
Bruce Springsteen, Stayin’ Alive:
Glenn Miller, In the Mood:
Brian Setzer Orchestra, In the Mood:
Fred Rogers, It’s Such a Good Feeling:
Donora, It’s Such a Good Feeling [Soundtrack for “My Tale of Two Cities“]
Guns N’ Roses, Welcome to the Jungle:
Richard Cheese, Welcome to the Jungle (opens in YouTube)
Steely Dan, Reelin’ in the Years:
Donny and Marie Osmond, Reelin’ in the Years
Michael Jackson, Smooth Criminal:
Alien Ant Farm, Smooth Criminal:
Guns N’ Roses, Sweet Child o’ Mine:
The Warning, Sweet Child o’ Mine:
Metallica, Enter Sandman:
The Warning, Enter Sandman:
Shania Twain, That Don’t Impress Me Much:
Haim, That Don’t Impress Me Much:
The Monkees, I’m a Believer:
Neil Diamond, I’m a Believer:
Smash Mouth, I’m a Believer (from Shrek):
Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines:
Postmodern Jukebox, Blurred Lines:
Jackie Wilson, Higher and Higher:
Rita Coolidge, Higher and Higher:
Earth, Wind, and Fire, September:
Taylor Swift, September:
The Best?
Lists of “the best” cover recordings of American popular music are inevitably subjective and subject to change. Here is one such list:
Ike and Tina Tuner, Proud Mary (covering Creedence Clearwater Revival):
Bryan Ferry, It’s My Party (covering Lesley Gore):
Stevie Wonder, We Can Work It Out (covering The Beatles):
Talking Heads, Take Me to the River (covering Al Green):
Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower (covering Bob Dylan):
Indigo Girls, Romeo & Juliet (covering Dire Straits):
Dwight Yoakam, Purple Rain (covering Prince):
Haim, Strong Enough (covering Sheryl Crow):
Johnny Cash, Hurt (covering Nine Inch Nails):
Regina Spektor, Hallelujah (covering Leonard Cohen):
Gym Class Heroes (covering Supertramp):
Coco Mamba (covering Migos):
System of a Down (covering Berlin):
Lily Allen (covering Kaiser Chiefs):
From Turkey: the song Mühür Gözlüm
Ali İzzet:
Zeki Muren:
Neşet Ertaş:
Sampling and Re-Recording, Illustrated
George Clinton and Funkadelic, Get Off Your Ass and Jam:
N.W.A, 100 Miles and Runnin’:
Madonna, Vogue:
Salsoul Orchestra, Love Break:
Janet Jackson, Someone to Call My Lover:
America, Ventura Highway:
Girl Talk, Night Ripper:
Rolling Stones, The Last Time:
The Verve, Bittersweet Symphony:
Mashups, Illustrated
Appropriation, Illustrated
Chuck Berry, Sweet Little Sixteen:
The Beach Boys, Surfin USA
The Lion King, The Lion Sleeps Tonight:
Tight Fit, The Lion Sleeps Tonight:
The Tokens, The Lion Sleeps Tonight:
The Weavers, Wimoweh:
Solomon Linda, Mbube:
Paul Simon, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes: