Joe Jackson’s Jumpin’ Jive is a collection of covers of 1940s-era jump blues, and it kicks ass.
Western Standard Time by Asleep at the Wheel is a collection of… well… Western standards. Like pretty much any other AatW album, it’s excellent.
Lefty Frizzell Sings the Songs of Jimmie Rodgers is a tribute to one of the greats, by another one of the greats.
LaVern Baker Sings Bessie Smith is an absolute joy from beginning to end.
The Smithereens did some neat covers of Meet The Beatles and Tommy.
Lyle Lovett recorded a 2-CD album Step Inside This House, all covers. All songs by mostlly* Texas songwriters he learned from (Townes van Zandt & Walter Hyatt) or who were playing the little clubs when he was. It was a good way to send some royalties to artists (or their survivors) who deserved them–but it’s mainly a great collection of tunes.
Lefty Frizzell did an album of Jimmie Rodgers songs? So did Merle Haggard…
Jumpin’ Jive totally smokes - was a great album. I play that in the car and for my kids all the time. They here Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby and go “hey, that’s from that old Tom and Jerry cartoon!!” and then I pull out my Louis Jordan CD.
I actually played Lefty Frizzell’s main guitar - the one with the leather pickguard that had his name on it. I was so not worthy…
All of the following albums have both ardent fans and major detractors:
Bob Dylan’s ***Self Portrait ***album is mostly cover songs, including Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain” and Paul Simon’s “The Boxer.”
John Lennon’s Rock and Roll consists of covers of his favorite oldies.
***Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell ***was a hard rock collection of covers of artists who died from drug or alcohol abuse. It had some very good numbers
[Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films](Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films) is pretty awesome.
Great album. Personal favorites are Skid Row’s Holidays In the Sun and Bon Jovi’s cover of “The Boys Are Back In Town.”
I’m not sure if this is considered a cover album, though. I’d classify it more as a tribute album. But I suppose it’s in the eye of the beholder.
Annie Lennox’s Medusa is well regarded.
Briefcase Full Of Blues- Blues Brothers–all covers of older blues tunes. Reached #1 Billboard Chart.
Patti Smith - Twelve
12 covers - with (much) different arrangements from the originals.
Some hate it - I don’t!
Was going to mention Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads but someone beat me to it.
The other one I can think of off the top of my head is Lana Lane, who seems to have a cover or two every album (I love her version of California Dreamin’), and did two full albums, The Covers Collection and Gemini which were entirely covers. There was also a couple of Ballad Collection albums (eventually re-released as a double cd The Ballad Collection Special Edition), but I am not 100% sure that every song on these is a cover. (I think the song Avalon was written for her keyboardist/husband’s solo band but she sang on the original so it’s up for debate whether it’s really a cover).
So that’s potentially 4 cover albums from the same artist.
The Soundtrack of All This And World War II, which consisted of covers of Beatles songs.
1.“Magical Mystery Tour” – Ambrosia
2.“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” – Elton John –Features John Lennon (under the pseudonym “Dr. Winston O’Boogie”) on lead guitar & backing vocals.
3.“Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight” – The Bee Gees
4.“I Am the Walrus” – Leo Sayer
5.“She’s Leaving Home” – Bryan Ferry
6.“Lovely Rita” – Roy Wood
7.“When I’m Sixty-Four” – Keith Moon
8.“Get Back” – Rod Stewart
9.“Let It Be” – Leo Sayer
10.“Yesterday” – David Essex
11.“With a Little Help from My Friends/Nowhere Man” Jeff Lynne
12.“Because” – Lynsey De Paul
13.“She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” – The Bee Gees
14.“Michelle” – Richard Cocciante
15.“We Can Work It Out” – The Four Seasons
16.“The Fool On The Hill” – Helen Reddy
17.“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” – Frankie Laine
18.“Hey Jude” – The Brothers Johnson
19.“Polythene Pam” – Roy Wood
20.“Sun King” – The Bee Gees
21.“Getting Better” – Status Quo
22.“The Long and Winding Road” – Leo Sayer
23.“Help!” – Henry Gross
24.“Strawberry Fields Forever” – Peter Gabriel
25.“A Day in the Life” – Frankie Valli
26.“Come Together” – Tina Turner
27.“You Never Give Me Your Money” – Will Malone & Lou Reizner
28.“The End” – The London Symphony Orchestra
Their cover of “Go All The Way” by The Raspberries is…wow.
Laibach made a habit of this. NATO is all-covers as well and was a lot more conventional than Let it Be - the covers are recognisable and some of them are pretty good as regular, non-experimental music, although it still sounds like a martial band singing along with light techno covers of pop hits.