My Music: Favorite Covers

Favorite covers are subjective, and in my opinion, when it comes to the original, nobody does it better… except for these guys.

I don’t limit my listening time to one specific genre. I like my pop, my pop-punk, my classic rock, my jazz, classical, musical theatre, and everything in between it all. I’m clearly not alone, with the proof being in the existence of popular covers. One of my favorite things in existence is the album series called “Punk Goes Pop,” in which typically “punk” artists cover songs that you’re likely to find in the Billboard Top 10 (here’s “Stitches” by Shawn Mendes covered by State Champs).  I personally think that almost any song sounds better either “punkified” or a capella, but that’s a separate theory!

Here’s a list of a few of my favorite covers. Since I touched upon this in my holiday music post last year, I’m going to exclude Christmas songs, since those are standards that have been covered by the latest artist at three year intervals!

1. 1. The cover: “Creep,” by Michelle Branch

      The original: “Creep,” by Radiohead

      Something about hearing this from the voice of a melancholy woman gives this already punk’d out classic an extra dose of edge. The stripped down instrumentals give the song a bittersweet feel. It also couples well when imagining the song being considered from the perspective a woman trapped by a creep… a weirdo… who doesn’t belong here. When does season 3 of “You” come out again? Extra shout-out to Scala and Kolacny Brothers, for making this iconic cover of the song, too (feeds into my a capella theory a lil’ bit, right?)!

 

1. 1. The cover: “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” by Bon Iver

      The original: “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and “Nick of Time” by Bonnie Raitt

      I’m not going to pretend that millions of young women who came before me didn’t listen to this song while crying into their journals thinking about a boy in their Geometry class that probably looked like a young Tom Cruise (or maybe they were just crying over Tom Cruise. Been there. Where were we?). This song is a classic, but this version takes that sorrow to a whole new level. Bon Iver strips it down with just piano backing his soft, sad vocals. It’s simple, and delicate, like most heartbreaks of unrequited love.

 

1. 1. The cover: “Time After Time,” by Quietdrive

      The original: “Time After Time,” by Cyndi Lauper

      “Everyone knows this song! It’s amazing!” –April Ludgate, Parks and Recreation
      The first two are sad songs, made sadder. This one’s a bittersweet bop, made punchier. This cover is a modernized take for blasting in your limo on the way to prom. It’s still a graduation jam, but it feels more fun and less wistful than the original. 10/10 recommend playing this one for your next reunion, or the next time you hang out with the ONE friend you still talk to from high school (or maybe you all still hang out? That’s kind of nice).

 

1. 1. The cover: “Send Me On My Way,” by Guy Meets Girl

      The original: “Send Me On My Way,” by Rusted Root

      I dare not diss this classic that I think everyone my age knows from “Ice Age.” Okay, I’m letting in one dig: how many words can you actually make out in the original? There’s way better enunciation in this cover! While the original is dynamic and kind of fun, the cover is, you guessed it, stripped down with just vocals and one instrument (guitar). It’s been used over and over again this past year on TikTok. I’ve come to associate it with my cats, Jake and Rosa, because somehow they can tell what song it is! They like it, and I love them. That’s all the reason I need.

 

1. 1. The cover: “I’m a Believer,” by Smash Mouth

      The original: “I’m a Believer,” by The Monkees

      My generation knows this exclusively because of the cover. Like most hippies sixties songs, this song is happy but soft. The cover adds a bit more fun, a lot more head nodding, and modernizes it for a new generation to enjoy. Mission accomplished, “Shrek” soundtrack. Speaking of which…

 

1. 1. The cover: “Holding Out for a Hero,” by Jennifer Saunders

      The original: “Holding Out for a Hero,” by Bonnie Tyler

      “C Minor, put it in C Minor.” I can’t explain how this cover is just… a CULTURAL RESET, but it just is.

 

1. 1. The cover: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” by Sleeping at Last

      The original: “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles,” by The Proclaimers

      The first time I heard this song was in a throwaway gag from “Family Guy,” and it played a bigger role in one of my favorite shows, “How I Met Your Mother.” I discovered this cover in mid-2019, and ultimately chose it to be Aaron and I’s last dance at our wedding. Similar to item 4, this is an upbeat, fun song that gets the stripped down treatment. This makes things way more sentimental. Perfect for a good slow dance with your person. Semi related, Sleeping At Last also did an incredible cover of one of my favorite songs of all time, “Chasing Cars.“

 

1. 1. The cover: “Every Breath You Take,” by Chase Holfelder

      The original: “Every Breath You Take,” by The Police

      Later generations have found the lyrics to this eighties hit to be a bit creepy. Possessive. Scary. But Sting just sounds so forlorn, and hopelessly in love, so it’s more Lloyd Dobbler than Jeffrey Dahmer, right? Enter this cover. This is the song that plays when the guy you smiled at once three years ago at the frozen yogurt store traps you in his dungeon maze. Chase Holfelder actually has found a niche for his art: covering major songs in a minor key. If this one grabs you, check out his cover of “Animal,” by Neon Trees and “I Will Always Love You,” by Whitney Houston. Then uh… run for your life!

 

1. 1. The cover: “God Only Knows,” by Peter Smith

      The original: “God Only Knows,” by The Beach Boys

      I know you’re seeing a pattern: my favorite covers are fun, happy songs, either made pop punk or depressing. This very upbeat song (which yes, got a shout-out in my Christmas post– semantics!) was covered by this artist in an episode of “Shrill,” a Hulu original series that I fell in love with at the tail end of this year. Dramatic, with only vocals and bare minimum piano, this turns a beautiful, happy song, into something even deeper. God only knows what I’d be without this song.

 

1. 1. The cover: “I Want You to Want Me,” by Letters to Cleo

      The original: “I Want You to Want Me,” by Cheap Trick

      Of all my favorite covers, I’d be surprised if anyone thinks of a different version of this song than the cover. I haven’t outright said which of, if any, of these covers are outright better than the originals. I’ll leave it up for debate, but I think that while the original is fun and campy, this cover just nails that fun energy. Plus, nineties alt rock just wins 9 times out of 10 in general. I don’t make the rules.

 

Covers have occurred since the history of documented music, and I’ve really only covered a few decades worth of covers. For this list of my favorite covers, I specifically tried to avoid covers of modern songs (read: songs from 2017 that got a great cover in 2019). I would like to give a shout out to Brendon Urie, Ariana Grande, and Miley Cyrus, because I would personally listen to a cover of any song they did. I know I’ve truly scratched the surface here, but these are the first covers I can think of where I might be more likely to turn them on over their source material. If you wanna throw things at me for that, just know… I’m gonna take cover.