# Great songs performed in totally different genres **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2016, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618 "2016-09-23T03:12:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/41 "2016-09-24T19:33:05Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Not a great song, exactly, but I’ve gotten stuck on a [bluegrass/western version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iI5jzbDvFE) of the Game of Thrones theme. It translates to the new genre well. [I’ve got this ragtime version as my 'I don’t know you" ringtone.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itn8highTRo) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/42 "2016-09-24T20:06:46Z")
Big Mama Thornton’s original blues version of [Hounddog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoHDrzw-RPg) will have you saying “Elvis who?” ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/43 "2016-09-24T23:12:19Z")
Dee Snyder just turned “We’re Not Gonna Take It” into a ballad with only piano accompaniment. It’s actually better than you’d think it could be. If you close your eyes you can almost hear Neil Diamond. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/44 "2016-09-24T23:29:59Z")
Howlin’ Wolf is one of my favorite artists, but his blues version of Sittin’ On Top of the World is one of the songs that I don’t care for too much. Whereas, the Cream rock version is my favorite of their songs (that I know) and probably one of my top songs overall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R\_JusE2urNo ETA: The Rolling Stones failed to improve on Otis Redding’s Satisfaction though. Both songs are pretty crap. (IMHO) ---
**Author:** ![nachtmusick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@nachtmusick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nachtmusick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/45 "2016-09-24T23:31:57Z")
[quote=“Larry\_Borgia, post:31, topic:766618”] Reel Big Fish does a ska version of Take on Me. [/QUOTE] Love that one! In a similar vein, Save Ferris! does a ska version of Come on Eileen: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yzfCFFCSnLE/hqdefault.jpg "Save Ferris - Come On Eileen") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzfCFFCSnLE) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/46 "2016-09-24T23:49:53Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > Dee Snyder just turned “We’re Not Gonna Take It” into a ballad with only piano accompaniment. It’s actually better than you’d think it could be. If you close your eyes you can almost hear Neil Diamond. [We’re Not Gonna Take It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nDIcbPL43g) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/47 "2016-09-25T00:44:42Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > [We’re Not Gonna Take It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nDIcbPL43g) Dude’s still got pipes. I have been _really_ enjoying this thread – thanks everyone. My contribution isn’t nearly as awesome as any and all of the above posts, but [here’s Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (Latin ska) doing “Strawberry Fields Forever”](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0qEpfpo6iNs). ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/48 "2016-09-25T00:50:28Z")
…and, [the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Appalachian roots music) doing “Hit 'Em Up Style”](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wKTXJUYiAT4) (which my wife tells me was originally urban dance pop – Black Eyed Peas, perhaps?). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/49 "2016-09-25T01:42:41Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > …and, [the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Appalachian roots music) doing “Hit 'Em Up Style”](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wKTXJUYiAT4) (which my wife tells me was originally urban dance pop – Black Eyed Peas, perhaps?). That’s one of my favorite covers. (Blu Cantrell) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LMOKlXfXn50/maxresdefault.jpg "Blu Cantrell - Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) (Video Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMOKlXfXn50) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/50 "2016-09-25T02:22:29Z")
For all you metal fans, I urge you to YouTube Metallachi. Metal favorites perfored mariachi style. They are permanently on my list of must-see-if-in-town. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/51 "2016-09-25T03:44:01Z")
Alien Ant Farm’s “Smooth Criminal” comes to mind for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/52 "2016-09-25T03:50:03Z")
This is a good podcast if you like this kind of stuff. [http://coverville.com](http://coverville.com) ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/53 "2016-09-25T06:42:15Z")
Sonic Youth-“Superstar” (The Carpenters) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Y21VecIIdBI/maxresdefault.jpg "Sonic Youth - Superstar (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y21VecIIdBI) ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/54 "2016-09-25T09:27:47Z")
Slipknot - “Wait And Bleed” (Radio Disney Version) (NSFW lyrics, assuming anyone listens to the lyrics (Seriously, in a world where “Brown Sugar” is a radio staple…)) Cowboy Junkies - “Sweet Jane” (Lou Reed’s favorite version) Steve’N’Seagulls - “Holy Diver” (Bluegrass cover) Paul Anka - “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Lounge cover) (Paul Anka did a whole album of this stuff. It’s apparently all on YouTube.) Dick Dale and Gail Farrell - “One Toke Over The Line” (Champagne Music cover on “The Lawrence Welk Show” (if that doesn’t mean anything to you, think “so square they thought it was a spiritual”)) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t8tdmaEhMHE/hqdefault.jpg "One Toke Over The Line - Lawrence Welk - WTF! (1971)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8tdmaEhMHE) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/55 "2016-09-25T18:29:02Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Ironic reference, but still cool: most folks don’t know that the original version of **Train Kept a’ Rollin’** is not the amazing version by **Johnny Burnette and the Rock n’ Roll Trio** , but by **Tiny Bradshaw** from 1951: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci4EQDD4CqA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci4EQDD4CqA) > > The Burnette version: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufzRV3xspYA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufzRV3xspYA) is clearly the basis for the famous Yardbirds and Aerosmith versions. So in contrast Tiny’s grooving R&B version sounds like a different take. See if you can figure out what well known song this original inspired: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/s2i3Q-QdSU4/hqdefault.jpg "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer - Bertolt Brecht") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2i3Q-QdSU4) Die Moritat von Mackie Messer/Mack The Knife ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/56 "2016-09-25T18:38:14Z")
Some favourites that I’ve not seen yet, apologies if anyone’s posted them already [Richard Thompson - Oops I Did It Again (Britney Spears cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4WGsMplGxU) [The Horrible Crowes - Teenage Dream (Katy Perry cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughGgGOWxLg) [June Tabor & The Oysterband - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-pWSHTQOFs) Thanks for all the other suggestions, some great stuff here! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/57 "2016-09-25T19:04:03Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Some favourites that I’ve not seen yet, apologies if anyone’s posted them already > > [Richard Thompson - Oops I Did It Again (Britney Spears cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4WGsMplGxU) > [The Horrible Crowes - Teenage Dream (Katy Perry cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughGgGOWxLg) > [June Tabor & The Oysterband - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-pWSHTQOFs) > > Thanks for all the other suggestions, some great stuff here! I find a common reaction to the Richard Thompson Spears cover goes through three stages: 1.) Hahaha, Richard Thompson is doing a Britney Spears Song! 2.) Wow, he’s such a great musician he can invest this piece of bubblegum with genuine passion and feeling. 3.) There really isn’t anything to this song is there? Also, here’s Richard Cheese covering Snoop Dogg. There are a ton of parody rap songs out there, but this is my favorite. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owutDdnIMUI) ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/58 "2016-09-25T19:42:35Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > [We’re Not Gonna Take It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nDIcbPL43g) As long as we’re talking about Twisted Sister, how about their version of [Oh Come All Ye Faithful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmEfFlbqbbY)? Pretty catchy, and a nice acknowledgement of the source material for their biggest hit. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/59 "2016-09-25T19:48:07Z")
The Afghan Whigs-“Creep” (TLC) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NmIWkiTZ8qM/hqdefault.jpg "The Afghan Whigs cover TLC's 'Creep'") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmIWkiTZ8qM) ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618/60 "2016-09-25T20:12:04Z")
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by [The Supremes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKQbcJyVKR0) and [Vanilla Fudge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdLRoOYk50o). “If We’re Not Back in Love by Monday” by [Merle Haggard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VO9t8rBhYk) and [Millie Jackson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxA92NBYu1Q). “You Can Leave Your Hat On” by [Randy Newman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G55cJrUs9VM) and [Etta James](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmdT1Si4bo). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-songs-performed-in-totally-different-genres/766618.md?page=4)