Best Covers of Rock Songs

[MSGRET]

Here is a cover by Tina S., that should be considered rock even though it's Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (3rd Movement). This is just unbelievable that this was done by a 16 year old.

 

[bloor]

check out Nicki's kazoo work at 2:02

 

[bloor]

from the banks of the Moskva river, Rooskies doing Bon Jovi

 

[MSGRET]

Sara Bareilles' version of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", who was quoted that "it was a better then his version".

 

[MSGRET]

How many of you remember this Pepsi commercial?

 

[nwhoopfan]

We've gotten kinda liberal, so here goes. A song originally done by Steelheart, here performed by "fake" band Steel Dragon from the movie "Rock Star." The vocals are actually from the original vocalist (not Mark Wahlberg) and most of the band are real deal rockers. It's not Spinal Tap, but Steel Dragon is pretty legit.

 

[Littlemin]

One of the best covers of Janis Joplin's "Me & Bobby McGee" by Pink.

Without sounding like “that guy”, no question Joplin had the biggest hit with the song, but it was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster and first recorded by Roger Miller. The First Edition, Gordon Lightfoot, and Kristofferson all recorded it before Joplin did; actually she recorded it only days before her death. It obviously became a huge mega-hit for her posthumously and her name is the one most associated with the song.

 

[MSGRET]

School of Rock's cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me". The bassist is really into the song.

 

[MSGRET]

Without sounding like “that guy”, no question Joplin had the biggest hit with the song, but it was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster and first recorded by Roger Miller. The First Edition, Gordon Lightfoot, and Kristofferson all recorded it before Joplin did; actually she recorded it only days before her death. It obviously became a huge mega-hit for her posthumously and her name is the one most associated with the song.

I knew that Kristofferson and Foster wrote it, but didn't know that it was Miller that first recorded it. I also knew that it was Kris that recommend to Janet on recording the song. They had sang it together, never recorded it, and he thought her version was better than any of the others.

 

[MSGRET]

@nwhoopfan had posted these young ladies earlier with a Queen song. Here they are with another song by Queen "Somebody to Love".

 

[nwhoopfan]

Why not one more version of the same song? From the movie "Bandslam." Singer/actress Aly Michalka, who performs w/ her sister as Aly & AJ.

 

[nwhoopfan]

From the same movie, this time w/ Vanessa Hudgens singing.

 

[Bigboote]

Santana doing Maggot Brain

My lord, that's fantastic. I would've said, "Whoda thunk?", but Carlos Santana and George Clinton, while having very (very) different personae, aren't cut from all that different cloth. Both geniuses.

 

[Bigboote]

Another version of Voodoo Chile was posted earlier. I just love this version by Austin/Nashville stoner/doom/metal band All Them Witches. It's creative yet true to the original.

 

[64Zcode]

Disturbed with another great cover:

Heard this for the first time a couple years ago and was blown away.
This gentleman has some pipes.

 

[64Zcode]

Here's a Heart classic covered masterfully by Alice in Chains (joined by Nancy Wilson) fronted by country singer Gretchen Wilson on vocals at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors concert. One of the greatest covers ever.

Gretchen shreds the vocals and Jerry Cantrell gives a master class on lead guitar.

Agreed, Gretchen nailed it.

 

[Littlemin]

I knew that Kristofferson and Foster wrote it, but didn't know that it was Miller that first recorded it. I also knew that it was Kris that recommend to Janet on recording the song. They had sang it together, never recorded it, and he thought her version was better than any of the others.

One song Joplin did co-write was “Mercedes Benz” which she wrote with Michael McClure and Bob Neuwirth, a friend of Dylan and (in)famous for his scathing, mocking tongue among folkies. My oldest brother sang for a spell with a core that later morphed into The Turtles and Flo and Eddie; at the time they were a group of guys trying to become the east coast version of The Beach Boys. He would occasionally see Neuwirth in the Village and said the only person he ever knew with a more acid tongue was Danny DeVito, with whom we shared a common friend. You just didn’t want to get into it with DeVito, he was way beyond witty, downright hilarious, and lightning quick and could cut you down verbally in a heartbeat; really good guy though. This was when DeVito was at Oratory Prep in Jersey but years later we swore his Taxi character, Louis DePalma, was based on the real life DeVito.
And to get back on topic, Joplin’s version is the best, by far, IMO.

 

[64Zcode]

Member of The Warning Army reporting for duty. Who would have thought my first post after years of lurking would be about The Warning. Extremely talented young sisters, ages 21, 19 and 16, from Monterrey, Mexico.

Yeah, I have to exercise a lot of restraint not to post all the excellent covers they've done over the years.
Maybe you should post some of the Liceo performances so I don't reveal myself as an annoying fanboi. (Yeah, I know, too late...)

 

[nwhoopfan]

Here is a cover by Tina S., that should be considered rock even though it's Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (3rd Movement).

Along the same line, Laura Lace from Latvia has some great guitar covers of pieces by Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Bach and Brahms.

Talked myself into posting one of her. I think some of those composers were rock n' roll several centuries before the phrase was coined!

 

[64Zcode]

Originally by Jimmy Cliff.

 

[nwhoopfan]

This one isn't even cheating. I checked out the original song, I'd call it industrial rock. This is a fun take on it.

edit--it's all about attitude, does not even matter what instruments you are playing; just wait for it, you'll know when you get there...

 

[MSGRET]

This one isn't even cheating. I checked out the original song, I'd call it industrial rock. This is a fun take on it.

edit--it's all about attitude, does not even matter what instruments you are playing; just wait for it, you'll know when you get there...

Here's one for you @nwhoopfan and I loved yours very much.

SILENZIUM - I Was Made For Lovin' You (Kiss cover)

 

[bloor]

While we are doing foreign covers, here are a couple that will make your head explode:

Mongolian singer doing a George Strait classic (starts at 42 seconds in)

 

[bloor]

A ten? year old Japanese girl playing "Carry On" by Kansas

 

[nwhoopfan]

How many of you remember this Pepsi commercial?

Of the 3, I think Pink's voice is by far the most well suited to this song.