# Most Useless Cover Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 27, 2023, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174 "2023-08-27T11:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/61 "2023-08-31T13:02:02Z")
How about Lenny Kravitz’s cover of “American Woman”? It’s not an exact carbon copy of the Guess Who’s original, but it seems pretty pointless because the Guess Who were Canadian – they had an _outsider’s_ view of American women. Kravitz is American, so why’s he singing all that nasty stuff about his own countrywomen? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/62 "2023-08-31T13:41:47Z")
Two things: 1. Kravitz and Bachman had two entirely different (both excellent) guitar tones. 2. The song had nothing to do with American women. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/63 "2023-08-31T14:04:39Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > The song had nothing to do with American women Really? It always seemed pretty transparent to me – a kiss-off song that’s both a literal breakup and a metaphorical critique of American culture circa 1970. What’s your interpretation? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/64 "2023-08-31T14:06:42Z")
That it’s a critique of American culture circa 1970. Whether the surface level counts for anything is up to the listener, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/65 "2023-08-31T14:25:35Z")
Right, so (to this listener, at least) it just seemed kind of pointless coming from an American artist in 1998. But Lenny sure can shred. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/66 "2023-08-31T14:31:11Z")
Maybe the point was that so little had changed in 30 years. Still had a war machine and ghetto scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/67 "2023-08-31T14:41:07Z")
It wasn’t Lenny’s artistic decision to cover the song; it was commissioned by the makers of an Austin Powers movie and Kravitz took the paycheck. The song was simply chosen as a theme song for a Heather Graham character. Having a current artist cover the song means there is something “new” on the soundtrack album to entice people buy even if they already have the original on some decades old Ktel album. Like a lot of the covers mentioned it was hardly useless, but a profitable business decision. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/68 "2023-08-31T14:57:00Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > As someone who has a great appreciation for both claymation and Weird Al, **THAT WAS FREAKIN’ AWSOME!!!** Big +1 on that! I thought I was familiar with all of Mr. Yankovik’s oeuvre, but I’m not sure if I ever heard that parody, and I’m sure I never saw the claymation video. Some nice visual jokes in there, like the Bronto / Aptosaurus who steps on a human, and looks distastefully at the squished person stuck on the bottom of his foot. I think that was a sly reference to the end of Ray Bradbury’s classic short story “[A Sound of Thunder](http://web1.nbed.nb.ca/sites/ASD-S/1820/J%20Johnston/short%20stories/A%20Sound%20of%20Thunder%20with%20questions%20--Ray%20Bradbury.pdf)”, unless I’m reading too much into the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/69 "2023-08-31T14:57:56Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > It wasn’t Lenny’s artistic decision to cover the song; it was commissioned by the makers of an Austin Powers movie and Kravitz took the paycheck. The song was simply chosen as a theme song for a Heather Graham character. Ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/70 "2023-08-31T16:23:38Z")
> [@solost](#): > > sly reference to the end of Ray Bradbury’s classic short story “[A Sound of Thunder](http://web1.nbed.nb.ca/sites/ASD-S/1820/J%20Johnston/short%20stories/A%20Sound%20of%20Thunder%20with%20questions%20--Ray%20Bradbury.pdf)” Good catch. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/71 "2023-08-31T16:37:09Z")
Tears For Fears’ cover of Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” sounds shockingly identical to the original. I’m going to disagree with all the hate (or at least distain) for the Ataris’ cover of “Boys of Summer.” I quite like it. The original is one of only two Henley-penned tracks I can stand at all, and I like the cover just fine. > [@nicky](#): > > Blink 182’s version of “Another Girl, Another Planet” is truly uncanny in that it appears to have destroyed the maximum artistic worth for the minimum musical change. Another one I kinda dig. In a similar vein, Too Much Joy covered the Records’ “Starry Eyes” but rewrote the lyrics to tell the story (obliquely) of they time they were arrested for covering 2 Live Crew songs onstage. Musically the versions are pretty identical, though I like the drum mix on the cover better. I love the Cure, but they’ve had a few wonky covers, many of which can be found in their B-sides box set. Except for the vocals, “Young Americans” sounds a lot like the original, but they drop in some squeaky keyboard in place of Sanborn’s iconic sax solo. Their version of “Purple Haze” is okay, but I like Zappa’s better. And I’m as much a fan of arty deconstruction as the next guy, but the appeal of The Residents largely eludes me. Their cover of “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” is terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/72 "2023-08-31T17:13:50Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Any others? everything Madonna covered… from “dont cry for me argentina” to “American pie” … those 2 were the musical equivalent of humping the dead body of Evita Perón in the morgue :side-eye: ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/73 "2023-08-31T17:37:31Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > “dont cry for me argentina” Technically, that’s not a “cover”. It’s a song in a musical, and whoever is the lead sings it. It’s in the movie. Or you have to consider Patti LuPone’s soundtrack recording a “cover”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/74 "2023-08-31T19:41:25Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I thought I was familiar with all of Mr. Yankovik’s oeuvre, but I’m not sure if I ever heard that parody, and I’m sure I never saw the claymation video. The claymation really turns a pretty good Weird Al song into a classic. So many good visual gags in there (and I think you’re right about that particular reference). I was wondering if Weird Al added some extra flourishes to the song, like the disco section or the over-the-top orchestration at the end. Nope–I just listened to the original and it’s all there. Such a perfect fit for an otherwise trainwreck of a song. Weird Al hits the high notes better, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/75 "2023-08-31T19:45:42Z")
I am still dumbfounded that the original recording was done by Dumbledore. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/76 "2023-08-31T21:03:14Z")
I’m older. I knew Richard Harris as A Man Called Horse, or that guy in the Molly McGuires. Actually, it took far too long for me to realize they were the same person. At the time, I thought singers were singers and actors were actors, and never the twain shall meet. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/77 "2023-08-31T21:07:11Z")
Witnessed by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy trying to sing. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/78 "2023-08-31T22:17:47Z")
I had Rundgren’s album _Faithful_. Side A was reworkings of several songs, like _Rain_, _Strawberry Fields Forever_, and _If Six Was Nine_. _Good Vibrations_ was the only one that charted. I like how Wikipedia states that he viewed rock songs like classical music, to be performed by others. To me as a college student who was a neophyte to the genre, it was my first introduction to some of those songs, so certainly not useless. Side B was Rudgren originals, including _Hamburger Hell_. > **[Faithful (Todd Rundgren album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faithful_%28Todd_Rundgren_album%29?wprov=sfla1)** > > Faithful is Todd Rundgren's seventh album, released in 1976. > Rundgren explained the motivation of the first side as treating rock music like European classical music, where a piece is performed over and over again in essentially the same way. The album's core group of musicians—Rundgren, Wilcox, Siegler and Powell (all members of Utopia)—makes this a Utopia album in all but name, though other official Utopia albums featured songs written by other members of the band and not just by Rundgren. > Th... ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/79 "2023-09-08T21:29:45Z")
Haven’t read the whole thread, so maybe it’s been mentioned, but I was at the credit union today and heard the fourth worst #1 song of all time (behind “Disco Duck”, “Afternoon Delight”, and the original “MacArthur Park”). What might this be? That dreadful “Free Bird/Baby I Love Your Way” medley from the late 1980s. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174/80 "2023-09-08T22:58:16Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I saw Todd Rundgren live… I didn’t so much ‘see’ Todd live. We all were _with_ Todd live. Small club, everyone was playing drums or whatever they wanted, singing, dancing. It was a fuckin’ Hoot! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-useless-cover-songs/989174.md?page=5)