Also covered by Skyclad (pagan folk metal band)
I so love cover songs.
I’m a big fan of anything by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. There are dozens and dozens to choose from.
Some of these on YouTube aren’t as good as the digital versions I have, but you get the idea:
Muse - Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Andy Williams/Frankie Valli)
Placebo - Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush) - one of my very favorite covers. I’m not a Kate Bush fan, but this song is fantastic. A totally different feel.
Robbie Williams - Lola (The Kinks)
Stereophonics - Best of You (Foo Fighters) - this is acoustic and very basic but the singers raspy voice gives it a different feel. OR Lee Ryan - Best of You (Foo Fighters) Yes, I know he was in a boy band but it’s not bad. This is one of my favorite songs and this version is sort of piano-ish and bongo drummy. Different.
Ignite - Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2). A punkish version. Quite interesting. The double bass drum is hypnotic.
If I could throw in a voice against adding Johnny Cash’s “Hurt.” I love Mr Cash, but ohhh man that has been played out soooo much it’s nauseating.
I’ll stop now before this gets even more tl;dr
Moby - Temptation (New Order)
Fiona Apple - Across the Universe (Beatles)
Gabriel & Dresden - Dust in the Wind (Kansas)
Jon Brion - Voices (Cheap Trick)
Midival Punditz - Four Sticks (Led Zeppelin)
Jem - Yellow (Coldplay)
Front Line Assembly featuring Tiffany - New Year’s Day (U2)
Morrissey - “Moon River” and “That’s Entertainment”
That’s a good one. The wifey and I wanted to use it as our wedding song but the guitar part is just a little bit too heavy.
Two more I forgot:
Orgy - Blue Monday (New Order)
And speaking of Morrisey:
tAtu - How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths)
In the running tally of things, this is the second time I’ve ever said “I literally almost threw up a bit in my mouth when I read that,” but it’s true. Then again, how could it be any worse than Snake River Conspiracy’s?
For what it’s worth, Wikipedia says Johnny Marr hated it and Morrisey loved it, which is more or less what you’d expect.
Apocalyptica - Helden (w/ Till Lindermann of Rammstein) (David Bowie, Heroes)
Collide - Son of a Preacher Man (Dusty Springfield)
Blue Man Group & Venus Hum - I Feel Love (Donna Summer)
Natacha Atlas - I Put a Spell on You (Screamin Jay Hawkins) – covers also done by Marilyn Manson and CCR
Deftones - To Have and To Hold (Depeche Mode)
Just for the record, 4 of the 11 most covered songs in history are Beatles songs- and one of the other 7 is John Lennon’s Imagine.
Eleanor Rigby is #1.
I forgot one I meant to mention!
Deftones - No Ordinary Love (Sade)
Some of these suggestions are pretty faithful IMHO. These aren’t.
The Afghan Whigs “Creep” (TLC, not Radiohead)
Rock Plaza Central “Sexyback” (Justin Timberlane)
Nina Gordon “Straight Out Of Compton” (N.W.A.)
Vanessa Carlton “Paint It Black” (The Rolling Stones)
Deepfield “Don’t Let Go (Love)” (En Vougue)
Annie Lennox - Waiting Vain, originally done by Bob Marley.
So very very pretty…
I’ll see your Gourds and raise you Dynamite Hack’s cover of Boyz In The Hood (NWA).