Undercover Covers

18 covers of famous songs—some better than the originals—you might have missed

Recently, everything in the world has been seeming very serious. On a related note, distraction is an underrated psychological defense strategy. For example, in my case, election season typically means trying to pay attention to anything other than party politics. It’s become a basic element of my mental hygiene ever since the realization ‘oh, this is just the same pestiferous crap on repeat over and over again, and nothing really changes’ sunk in around 2012, give or take. Now, I distract myself as much as possible from that whole psychotogenic madhouse so that I can focus on, well, anything that doesn’t crank my feelings of impotent rage up to eleven.

Something like…music.

My first real job was teaching music. It runs in the family: Before starting his “permanent” career, my father taught guitar professionally for many years. He was my first teacher. I started teaching guitar and electric bass at 16, once I’d gotten my driver’s license and could actually get to student’s homes. I continued through my first year of college, which mostly consisted of 10 months at home since I’d been kicked out of school for raucous behavior and was told to return next year once I’d gotten my act together, but that’s a story for another day.

The point is a decent part of the first 20-or-so year of my life were spent absorbed in music. Then, between medical school, residency, jobs, children, other hobbies, and most of all my own unconscionable lack of discipline, I gradually fell out of the habit of playing. Perhaps this predictably hysterical election season is the perfect excuse to dust off that Stratocaster (and if it’s something else besides election season that’s driving you nuts, substitute “climate emergency”, “impending war”, “competency crisis”, “fertility crisis”, “AI doomsday”, or whatever other existential disaster you’re convinced requires every neurotic ounce of your attention).

Back when I was teaching, I had to learn all the songs my students wanted to learn. Some I liked, many I didn’t—at first. One thing that helped me enjoy a lot of songs I otherwise wouldn’t have liked, however, was learning the original (for the student) and then tinkering with it a bunch (for myself). Adjusting the rhythm here, spicing up a riff there, changing from major to minor key, putting a punk song to a swing beat, and so on, I’d mess around with the original until I found something I liked, effectively make my own cover versions. Then, by some strange alchemy, I often found myself liking the originals more. I was even able to develop some appreciation for a few genres which I had thus far found aesthetically unappealing (reggae comes to mind). But these covers were for me; I didn’t care if anyone else liked them.

Making a passable cover is not very difficult. Making a cover that is both distinctive and memorable is fairly uncommon. Making a cover that surpasses the original to become the new standard is exceptional. Below are some of my favorite covers of famous songs. I tried to choose covers that aren’t already really famous themselves, like Hendrix’s cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, or Aretha Franklin’s cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect”. That said, it’s hard to know what other people have or haven’t heard, so my apologies if there’s nothing new for you here.

I think quite a few outshine the originals. But I’ll let you judge for yourselves how these measure up.

In no particular order…

1. “Purple House”, Prince (cover of “Red House” by Jimi Hendrix)

Prince released his version of the Hendrix classic in 2004 for the compilation album Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. The overall feel is a bit less blues and a bit more gospel. As with anything Prince did, the musicality of the entire piece is impeccable, despite his own sound being very different from Hendrix. The standout is his gloriously face-melting guitar solo—a fitting tribute.

2. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, Ananda Shankar (Rolling Stones)

Ananda Shankar, nephew of sitar legend Ravi Shankar, blended Indian and western music in his 1970 self-titled debut album. The first track is a glorious cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. The song evokes (what I imagine to be) a perfect late-60’s-early-70’s vibe, and is probably best enjoyed through clouds of thick smoke in a dingy basement with shag carpet and groovy paisley wallpaper.

3. “Mississippi Queen”, Ozzy Osbourne ft. Leslie West (Mountain)

Ozzy, like any great band leader, knows how to attract serious talent. For his 2005 rendition of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”, he enlisted Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell on guitar and Faith No More’s Mike Bordin on drums. Their rhythm performance is thunderous. The icing on the cake, though, is Mountain’s Leslie West reprising his lead guitar role. Purists may balk, but I prefer this version.

4. “Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 2”, Class of ‘99 (Pink Floyd)

Supergroups are a risky bet—many turn out to be less than the sum of their parts, but a handful find just the right magic at just the right moment, and go on to make something special. The Class of ‘99’s dark cover of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 2” features Layne Staley (Alice in Chains) on vocals, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) on guitar, Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction) on drums, Martyn LeNoble (Porno for Pyros) on bass, and Matt Serletic (Collective Soul) on keyboard.

5. “Blackbird”, Brad Mehldau (The Beatles)

Beatles songs are easy to cover but difficult to cover well. Jazz Pianist Brad Mehldau and his trio’s cover of “Blackbird” captures Paul McCartney’s melodic and tonal sensibilities better than most. His covers of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” and The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” are also very good.

6. “Manic Depression”, Seal & Jeff Beck (Jimi Hendrix)

For guitarists, Jeff Beck is one of the greats, but for most people he’s always lived in the shadow of Clapton, Page, and Hendrix. In this cover of “Manic Depression”, Beck distills and amplifies Hendrix’s style with delightful abandon. His solo is, well, maniacal. Seal’s vocals cannot, in my opinion, be improved upon here — he’s simply perfect.

7. “I Don’t Need No Doctor”, John Scofield ft. John Mayer (Ray Charles)

John Mayer is often underappreciated musically, both due to his pop-forward debut, as well as whatever celebrity drama and public persona he’s cultivated over the years. The fact of the matter, however, for people who’ve taken the time to listen, is that he’s a very talented musician. Here Mayer teams up with jazz guitarist John Scofield for a masterful cover of Ray Charles’ “I Don’t Need No Doctor”. Mayer’s vocal performance is impressive, but Scofield schools him in their dueling guitar solos.

8. “Tennessee Jed”, Levon Helm (Grateful Dead)

Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist for The Band, produced two beautiful albums before his death in 2012: Dirt Farmer (2007) and Electric Dirt (2009). Both albums are, unlike many today, great to listen to straight through. This cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed” comes from his latter album.

9. “Stayin’ Alive”, Ozzy Osbourne & Dweezil Zappa (Bee Gees)

I say without any shame whatsoever that this might be my favorite cover of the whole bunch, enough that I’m willing to include Ozzy twice on this list.

Dweezil Zappa initially recruited Ozzy to cover the Bee Gees’ vocals (the only logical choice). However, due to record label disputes, Ozzy’s version wasn’t released and Dweezil needed to find a new lead vocalist. He settled on Donny Osmond (Osmond seems close after Osbourne in the phone book, but presumably there were other reasons for the choice). Luckily, the exponentially superior Ozzy version was later released, for the benefit of all mankind.

The guitar solo is something special, featuring (I think) in order: Dweezil Zappa, Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, Warren de Martini, and Nuno Bettencourt. The whole thing is just fun.

10. “Voodoo Chile”, Angelique Kidjo (Jimi Hendrix)

This is the last Hendrix cover for this post. I love Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo’s cover of “Voodoo Chile” not only for the power of her voice, but because there aren’t any guitars. It might be one of the most covered rock songs of all time, and for good reason: in those five minutes Hendrix distills the spiritual essence of rock guitar. It’s hard to make it new and interesting because it’s already so good as it is. But by omitting the original’s featured instrument, she frees herself to blend in more African and electronic influences to make something distinctive and memorable.

A runner up—or a tie, depending on your taste—is Luna Lee’s cover on the Gayageum, a Korean stringed instrument. Amazing talent. Hendrix certainly would have loved it.

11. “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, Roger Troutman (Whitfield & Strong)

Like many in my generation, I first heard Roger Troutman’s cover of “Grapevine” in the background of the trailer for Friday (1995). Perhaps nostalgia makes me rank this cover higher than it deserves—am I allowed to use the phrase “tasteful autotune”?—but I think it’s endearing.

12. “Walkin’ In Jerusalem”, Ricky Skaggs (African American Spiritual)

This song has been covered by so many people, but I think Skaggs pulls it off best. My kids love singing along, and pronouncing “Jerusalem” correctly has become a mission for them, but they’re still stuck on “Dralusalem”, or any other variation except the right one. It’s really catchy, even for those of us not awaiting Jesus’ return.

13. “Belfast Child”, Sydney Wayser (Simple Minds)

Rarely have I heard a cover so thoroughly overshadow the original while remaining unacknowledged. To my ear, Sydney Wayser’s “Belfast Child” is grander, more Celtic, and far more haunting than the source material.

14. “Accentuate The Positive”, Dr. John (Arlen & Mercer)

Dr. John’s “Accentuate the Positive” never fails to cheer me up. It’s got that special something, but then again so do all of Dr. John’s songs. How can you listen to him without smiling? The next time you’re tempted to unhelpfully tell someone to “just cheer up”, consider playing this song instead.

15. “PIMP”, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band (50 Cent)

I was probably one of the few people who missed this one, considering it was on the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated film Anatomy of a Fall (I’m way behind—apparently 2017’s Dunkirk is the most recent Best Picture-nominated film I’ve seen, and that was when probably on TV in 2020 or something).

This cover is also a good lesson in economics—take even a small amount like fifty cents and, given enough time, even it can be turned into something of worth.

16. “Classical Gas”, Tommy Emmanuel (Mason Williams)

How to describe Tommy Emmanuel? He’s a machine. He’s a monster. He’s a demon. He’s the kind of guitarist that a young aspiring musician like me listens to around age 17 and, vacillating between inspiration and despair, ultimately concludes, “well shit, I’m just never going to be that good”. His rendition of “Guitar Boogie” is absolutely worth a listen.

17. “Pure Imagination”, Fiona Apple, 2013 (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, 1971)

I have a soft spot for dark covers of happy songs. Although whether Gene Wilder’s “Pure Imagination” is more happy or creepy I’ll leave for others to judge. But in case there was any doubt, Fiona Apple definitely makes it creepy.

18. “Thriller”, Geoff Klassen (Michael Jackson)

This is one of those creations that, at the end of time when the universe is in its last moments, will justify the existence of YouTube for all eternity (the history of japan is another). In one of the comments, Klassen says “Every note was transcribed by ear. I just have a natural talent for it”.

19. “Jet Airliner”, Paul Pena (Paul Pena)

Ok, this last one isn’t a cover, but I couldn’t resist. Everyone knows the Steve Miller Band’s 1977 song “Jet Airliner”. But many don’t know that it’s a cover of Paul Pena’s 1973 original version from his album New Train, which remained tragically unreleased until 2000 due to record label disputes.

So, this is a reverse case, where the lesser-known original outshines the famous cover. Paul Pena’s “Jet Airliner” deserves to become the classic version of the song, not just because he wrote it, but because it’s more soulful and beautiful. Pena had congenital glaucoma, among other serious health problems, and was blind by the time he recorded this song.

I hope there was at least one song here that was new to you. Feel free to share your favorite covers in the comments.