10 Best Cover Songs in Rock History

While driving to the Circle K to return Toy Story 3 to the RedBox (what would someone fifty years ago think of that phrase?) I heard a great version of Our Lips Our Sealed on the radio.  The Go Go’s original is one of the greatest pop songs ever written, and the version I was hearing by Everclear was fantastic as well.  It got me thinking of the best cover songs I’ve heard over the years.  Some of the classics were faithful versions of the original (You’ve Got a Friend).  Others were so original that it’s hard to imaging that anyone else had ever recorded them (Hurt).  Others still took the song in a whole new direction (Such Great Heights).  These ten span those qualifications and then some.



1 – Hallelujah (Jeff Buckley) – Somehow all of Leonard Cohen’s songs are better when performed by other artists, but this one is in a class by itself.  Buckley’s haunting tenor and brilliant guitar work are breathtaking.



2 – Hurt (Johnny Cash) – Cash famously owned this Trent Reznor song shortly before he died.  Cash’s vocal is one of the best of his storied career and the video is heartbreaking.





3 – Respect (Aretha Franklin) –You didn’t know anyone else recorded it?  I didn’t either.  How can you cover a song better than that?





4 – All Along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix) – No one disputes the songwriting genius of Dylan, but I can hardly listen to his original version of this song.  Hendrix took the famous two-verse, no chorus song and made it an anthem.



5 – A Groovy Kind of Love (Phil Collins) – Diane and Annita originally recorded this Wine/Sager tune, but Phil Collins 1990’s version was a monster hit.  I also love Collins’ cover of You Can’t Hurry Love.





6 – Crossroads (Cream) – Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker.  What couldn’t they play?



7 – With a Little Help From My Friends (Joe Cocker) – There aren’t many Beatles songs that were done better by someone else.  In fact, this is the only one I can think of.  I generally have an affection for Ringo’s vocals, but Joe Cocker was born to sing this song.





8 – Hard to Handle (Black Crowes) – This is an odd one simply due to the weight of the other artists who recorded it.  Otis Redding wrote and recorded the original, and UFO even took a crack at it, but it was the Crowes who laid down the best version.



9 – God Gave Rock and Roll to You (KISS) – Okay there are probably better choices, but I saw KISS when I was 8 and they’re a guilty pleasure.  Argent is hardly a cover-worthy act either, so it’s a great fit.





10 – Emmylou Harris – That’s not a song, obviously, but every cover Harris has ever done is amazing.  Sin City.  Till I Gain Control Again.  When I Stop Dreaming.  Here, There, Everywhere.  The woman is a genius.