Spectacular Song Covers

I enjoy song covers that are done exceptionally well. I especially enjoy it when the artist puts their spin on the song to make it their own. In all cases, I give due credit to the original songwriters and performers who gave these songs life. In many cases, I enjoy the original song version as well, but in other cases, I feel that the song was always meant for another artist to bring it to a higher level.

I’m going to start with a rather obvious one. It is a song that made me rethink the quality of the covers of songs.

I Will Always Love You

Original by Dolly Parton

Cover by Whitney Houston

This is Whitney Houston at the absolute peak of her career. She took a fabulous song by Dolly Parton and transformed it into a truly awe-inspiring performance. Like many of Whitney Houston’s greatest songs, it starts off very gently and ends as a powerful declaration. Of course, there is also that wonderful Saxophone solo.

Hallelujah

Original Leonard Cohen

Cover Tori Kelly

I’ll be honest, this is one of the songs in which I did not care for the original version at all. Leonard Cohen’s voice does not appeal to me. The original version was also too slow and too long in my opinion. Nevertheless, the song is still very well-written. It is a song that was just waiting for the right voice to be matched to it. Like most people, I was introduced to the cover of the song Hallelujah featured in the movie ‘Sing’. I enjoyed this version, as it was beautiful, soulful, and paced very well. It caught me off guard, as I had heard the song many times before, but none were done quite this well. This version is my favorite.

More Than This

Original by Roxy Music

Cover by 10,000 Maniacs

As impressed as I was with Bryan Ferry’s (the lead singer of Roxy Music) ability to hit high notes in the original song, it just sounded much more pleasing to me in the 10,000 Maniac version. In the original song, the lead singer completely checks out of the song before the 2:00 mark. In the 10,000 Maniac version, the lead singer (Mary Ramsey) continues to sing and hum like an instrument until the song is over. In my mind, this extra effort, along with her beautiful voice makes the song infinitely better. Of course, the rest of the band sounds as beautiful as they always have.

Africa

Original by Toto

Cover by Weezer

This is a fantastic version of the original song by Toto. It perfectly replicates the feel of the original, while adding Weezer’s occasional flair for guitars and playfulness. And of course, Weezer’s sense of humor is in full display in their video for the song, complete with an over-the-top Weird Al Yankovic.

Black Hole Sun

Original by Soundgarden

Cover by Norah Jones

Anyone familiar with Norah Jones’s music knows that she has a very bluesy, loungey style. This style works wonderfully with Black Hole Sun, as it is a very dark song at its root. I can’t say that it is any better than the original song, just a very beautiful rendition of it. Speaking of Soundgarden……

Nothing Compares to U

Original by Prince

Cover by Chris Cornell

For the longest time, I felt that Sinead O’Connor’s version of Prince’s song ‘Nothing Compares to U’ was the definitive cover. It was beautiful and soulful. She put everything she had into it. And yet when I heard Chris Cornell’s version, it replaced it as the definitive version. True to the song’s title, no other version compares to it. It is so soulful and heartfelt. I can feel the emotion in Chris’s voice in every single line.