# Cover version changes genre of original **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 5, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116 "2008-09-05T02:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/1 "2008-09-05T02:52:12Z")
Cover version changes genre of original: hilarity ensues The original thread was started by **Randy Seltzer** who posted some great covers and asked “What else? What cover songs have changed the genre of the original to your great amusement?” Unfortunately, I think the thread died in the changeover. I got a lot of great tunes out of it, so I’m had to reposting it after Amnesia Weekend has ended in hopes of getting more. If I’m reposting a thread that lives, please forgive me, and blame the \*^&$%#@ search function. The dear departed thread had: The Gourds - “Gin and Juice” - bluegrass style Jonathan Coulton -“Baby Got Back” -as a love ballad. Mat Weddle -Outkast’s "Hey Ya -Emo Dynamite Hack - “Boyz in the Hood” Dub Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd - Reggae Paul Anka - Jump - Ankastyle Dread Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin songs - Reggae Weird Al - Bohemian Rhapsody - Polka Derrick Laro & Trinity - Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough Luther Wright and the Wrongs – Rebuild the Wall Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit China Drum - Wuthering Cornbread Red “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” - Bluegrass Album of Green Day bluegrass ‘Pickin’ on Green Day’ Nouvelle Vague - Marian –Bossa Nova The Folksmen - Start Me Up -Folk The Hampton String Quartet - Born To Be Wild - Classical Travis -Baby One More Time. the Flaming Lips -Can’t Get You Outta My Head Syd Straw - Que Sera, Sera Holly Cole - I Don’t Wanna Grow Up Hayseed Dixie - Hell’s Bells - Country Brad Mehldau- Radiohead Asst. White Hassle -Loose Bran Van 3000 -“Cum on Feel the Noize” -Electronica The King –Various Rock and Roll - a la Elvis Rolf Harris - Stairway to Heaven Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Various Standards- Punk Straight Outta Compton –Nina Gordon -Ballad Fall Out Boy - Beat It Pat Boone - "In a Metal Mood” metal standards - Ballads The Stranglers - Bacharach & David’s "Walk On” - Punk The Beatnix original version of “Stairway to Heaven,” Tori Amos - Slayer. Michael Buble’s Spider-Man theme -swing Johnny Cash – Hurt- Country Ben Folds -Bitches Ain’t Shit Laibach - Life Is Life Social Distortion’s - Ring of Fire –Punk Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme -Black Hole Sun -Lounge Whew- Now, more, more, more. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/2 "2008-09-05T03:00:55Z")
[Stairway to Heaven](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WfoccRna6I) by the Beatnix. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/3 "2008-09-05T03:32:47Z")
William Shatner - Common People (Shatner) Type O Negative - Cinnamon Girl (Goth) Thea Gilmore - Ever Fallen in Love? (Ballad) The White Stripes - Jolene (Indie Rock) The Tea Party - Paint it Black (Prog Rock) The Romanovs - Scarborough Fair (Cabaret) Stromkern - The Mercy Seat (Industrial) Sally Anthony - Turn the Page (Pop) Petra Haden - Thriller (Twee Pop) Neil Finn - Billie Jean (Acoustic Pop) KMFDM - These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (Industrial) Kidneythieves - Crazy (Industrial-ish) Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop (Acoustic Folk) Jack Off Jill - I Touch Myself (Industrial-ish) HIM - Wicked Game (Goth-ish) Faye Wong - Lemon Tree (Mandarin Pop) Charlotte Martin - Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town (Piano Pop) ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/4 "2008-09-05T03:51:07Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > William Shatner - Common People (Shatner) > Type O Negative - Cinnamon Girl (Goth) > Thea Gilmore - Ever Fallen in Love? (Ballad) > The White Stripes - Jolene (Indie Rock) > The Tea Party - Paint it Black (Prog Rock) > The Romanovs - Scarborough Fair (Cabaret) > Stromkern - The Mercy Seat (Industrial) > Sally Anthony - Turn the Page (Pop) > Petra Haden - Thriller (Twee Pop) > Neil Finn - Billie Jean (Acoustic Pop) > KMFDM - These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ (Industrial) > Kidneythieves - Crazy (Industrial-ish) > Jose Gonzalez - Teardrop (Acoustic Folk) > Jack Off Jill - I Touch Myself (Industrial-ish) > HIM - Wicked Game (Goth-ish) > Faye Wong - Lemon Tree (Mandarin Pop) > Charlotte Martin - Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town (Piano Pop) How were you able to riff these off so fast. I only posted the OP a little while ago. You must type 60 wpm. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/5 "2008-09-05T04:01:10Z")
Around 70, actually, but to answer your question, I just scrolled through my playlist picking and choosing favorite songs. I always have my player up when online, and keep my entire library in the editor window. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/6 "2008-09-05T04:03:46Z")
Another good one: Nevermore’s take on [Sound of Silence](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tNApceu3AQ) ---
**Author:** ![octothorpe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@octothorpe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octothorpe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/7 "2008-09-05T04:40:56Z")
**Joey Ramone** does a punk cover of _What a Wonderful World_. Yowza! # ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/8 "2008-09-05T05:03:19Z")
**Run C&W** - _Into the Twangy First Century_. They do soul music bluegrass style. Hilarious concept and outstanding music. ---
**Author:** ![TNWPsycho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@TNWPsycho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TNWPsycho)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/9 "2008-09-05T05:05:23Z")
Mushroomhead made a metal version of “Crazy” by Seal. I thought it was actually very good though. Mushroomhead also made a soft rock version of “When Doves Cry” but i suppose you could argue that wasnt a genre change. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/10 "2008-09-05T06:12:26Z")
You mentioned “Dub Side of the Moon” but missed out on the more recent cover album by the Easy All-Stars, [Radiodread](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiodread) …an all-reggae/dub/ska cover of the entire OK Computer album from Radiohead. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/11 "2008-09-05T06:28:21Z")
Tori Amos “Heart of Gold” (piano pop) 30 Seconds to Mars “Hunter” (space rock) Type O Negative “Summer Breeze” (goth) White Zombie “I’m Your Boogie Man” (alt metal) Lacuna Coil “Enjoy The Silence” (gothic metal) Dynamite Hack “Boyz In The Hood” (alternative) A Perfect Circle “Imagine” (alt metal) Nina Gordon “Straight Out Of Compton” (um… ballad?) Rock Plaza Central “Sexyback” (folk?) Massive Attack & Tracy Thorn “The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game” (trip hop) System of a Down “Metro” (some sort of metal, this is the only song I like by them so…) ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/12 "2008-09-05T07:14:03Z")
The Lurkers’ 300 mph version of “Then He Kissed Me” (The Crystals) - retitled “Then I Kicked Her” - is always good for a laugh. John Otway also does a significantly souped-up “In Dreams” (Roy Orbison). ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/13 "2008-09-05T08:47:46Z")
Joss Stone Fell in love with a boy (originally white stripes fell in love with a girl) from a fast punk original to a slow funk cover oops forgot the hilarity ensues part…well its not all that funny but still a change ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/14 "2008-09-05T08:55:55Z")
Sgu: “Great balls of fire” (bossa nova) ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/15 "2008-09-05T08:56:55Z")
Comfortably Numb - Scissor Sisters (disco) ENZSO - an entire album of Split Enz covers in a symphonic style by the NZSO Si ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/16 "2008-09-05T09:01:20Z")
I can’t believe I’m the first to say: Guns and Roses - Knocking on Heavens Door! ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/17 "2008-09-05T16:35:56Z")
Paul Anka’s “Rock Swings” album is composed entirely of 80s/90s rock songs done in Vegas-pop style. His cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” might actually outdo the original. Speaking of SLTS, the jazz trio Bad Plus has covered that and other rock songs from Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” to Aphex Twins’ “Film” Swedish indie poppers the Cardigans covered both “Iron Man” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”. ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/18 "2008-09-05T16:46:42Z")
Richard Cheese did a whole album of 90s era alternative music (the album is called Lounge Against the Machine) in lounge music style. My favorites are his covers of NIN’s “Closer” (with added Sesame Street theme song riff) and Nirvana’s “Rape Me” (starting with “This one goes out to the ladies!”) ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/19 "2008-09-05T16:53:01Z")
Remembered even more: “Slow Hand”, Conway Twitty (R&B to country) “All Apologies”, Herbie Hancock (grunge to jazz) “You Keep Me Hanging On”, Vanilla Fudge (Motown to hard rock) “Locomotion”, Grand Funk (pop to hard rock) “Wichita Lineman”, Urge Overkill (country to indie rock) “A Lover’s Concerto” by the Toys, “Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum, and “Fifth of Beethoven” by Walter Murphy–all based on classical compositions. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116/20 "2008-09-05T17:47:02Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Hayseed Dixie - Hell’s Bells - Country They countrified several AC/DC songs, then later did the same for KISS as well as some popular garageband songs like “I Love Rock & Roll”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cover-version-changes-genre-of-original/462116.md?page=2)