# Major bands who have never recorded a cover song
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 18, 2004, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678 "2004-07-18T11:37:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/1 "2004-07-18T11:37:18Z")
I was having a discussion with some friends last night about bands which never have recorded a cover song.
**Genesis** is the first band that came to mind. On a couple of tours, they did play a medley of classic rock songs, but this was never released on a CD.
I’m sure there must other major rock bands which have never recorded a cover song. I just can’t think of any!
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/2 "2004-07-18T11:42:59Z")
Dire Straits?
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/3 "2004-07-18T14:40:55Z")
The Beatles?
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/4 "2004-07-18T14:43:35Z")
> [@x-ray vision](#):
>
> The Beatles?
Assuming you’re not joking, their first 4-5 albums had cover songs on them.
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/5 "2004-07-18T14:45:13Z")
Led Zep
Kiss
Kansas
Boston
Bon Jovi (I don’t think “The Boys are back in town” was put on an album)
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/6 "2004-07-18T14:49:50Z")
> [@x-ray vision](#):
>
> Led Zep
From the AMG (the song “You Shook Me”):
> [@](#):
>
> Led Zeppelin turn this Willie Dixon classic into an incendiary device for their blues-based brand of no nonsense heavy, electric rock and roll. One of the primary reasons it was included on Led Zeppelin’s (1969)
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/7 "2004-07-18T14:53:31Z")
Also, KISS did a cover of Bobby Rydel’s “Kissin’ Time” on their first album.
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### Author:  [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/8 "2004-07-18T14:53:42Z")
> [@x-ray vision](#):
>
> Kiss
What are you talking about? They did a cover of Poison’s _I Wanna Rock and Roll_ ! 😃
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/9 "2004-07-18T14:54:27Z")
I just looked it up. Willie Dixon also gets credit for “I Can’t Quit You Baby”.
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/10 "2004-07-18T14:56:13Z")
OK, but I’m correct about Bon Jovi, right?
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/11 "2004-07-18T14:56:48Z")
If this thread had been posted a month earlier, I would have said **Rush**.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/12 "2004-07-18T15:08:36Z")
Kansas did “Eleanor Rigby” on their 1998 _Always Never the Same_.
It appears that Bon Jovi has not done any covers, though.
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/13 "2004-07-18T15:10:44Z")
Ooops, Bon Jovi did Tom Waits’ “Just Older” on their “Crush” album. I wanna get one right dammit!
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/14 "2004-07-18T15:12:07Z")
I still got a chance with Boston (if they’re considered a major rock band).
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/15 "2004-07-18T15:13:09Z")
Velvet Revolver 😃
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/16 "2004-07-18T15:13:47Z")
> [@x-ray vision](#):
>
> I still got a chance with Boston (if they’re considered a major rock band).
I checked them, too. It’s pretty much Tom Scholz on nearly every song.
They were considered a major rock band in the 70s.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Roboto)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/17 "2004-07-18T15:25:16Z")
Zeps “Whole Lotta Love” is a cover of the Small Faces,“You Need Lovin”
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### Author:  [@Mr.Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Roboto)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/18 "2004-07-18T15:28:28Z")
Buffalo Springfield…with composers like Steven Stills,Neil Young & Ritchie Furay,
No Covers Necessary
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/19 "2004-07-18T15:29:53Z")
Wow, I never knew that about “Whole Lotta Love”. Cool. You can hear a clip [here](http://www.humble-pie.net/rockon/pie2/html/op-ed1.html)
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### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-bands-who-have-never-recorded-a-cover-song/255678/20 "2004-07-18T15:58:01Z")
As far as I know, the only cover Queen ever recorded was the British national anthem, “God Save the Queen.”
King Crimson didn’t record any cover tunes for 30 years, but finally broke down and recorded a cover of John Lennon’s “Free as a Bird.”
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