Umm any of the soul hits sung by that “no talent ass-clown” Michael Bolton rate up there with me as awful covers.
hehe gotta put an Officespace reference somewhere
Whitney Houston’s total mutilation of “I Will Always Love You”. I would rather that there be no music in the world that to have to listen to this screeching harpy destroy an otherwise likable song.
Oooh, I forgot about Michael Bolton. Eesh. Never again will anyone try to cover “When a Man Loves a Woman,” much like no one will eat the pizza after the dog has licked it.
Anyone ever heard John Cougar (back when he was John Cougar) butchering The Doors’ “20th Century Fox”? Ick.
Well, as she’s been dead for twenty years, it’s all rather academic, at this point.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers do a totally wimped out, no balls version of The Stooges “Search and Destroy” on the Iggy Pop tribute album We Will Fall.
All the covers on the major label Ramones tribute, We’re
A Happy Family, that Rob Zombie put together, except for maybe three.
What the fuck was he thinking? Garbage? Marilyn Manson? U2? U2?!?!?!
“Hmmmm…lets see, I’ll get a bunch of bands who’s fans don’t give two shits about The Ramones, and that Ramones fans hate…yeah, it’ll be a HUGE seller.” Yeah…lay off the coke Rob.
Jon
Limp Biskit’s limp cover of “Behind Blue Eyes”
Johnny Cash’s cover of Depeche Mode’s “(Your Own) Personal Jesus”
It’s so painful to listen to, that even if you started out as a fan of either, you’ll hate both of them.
In the spirit of the season Barbara Steisand’s version of Ave Maria belongs on the list. She sings the latin with such an obvious yiddish inflection that we have come to refer to it as the Oy Vay Maria.
It’s on her fist Christmas Album.
“fist Christmas” - that sounds vaguely kinky…or maybe its just me.
Tina Turner’s cover of “I Ain’t Missing You” is the aural equivalent of a barium enema.
Just sticking with Beatles covers here…
Something by Elvis. Done in his “bloated” period. Has a goth horror backup singer and what sounds like a tuba in it.
Something by Frank Sinatra. Crap
Hey Jude by Bing Crosby. Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum.
The Long and Winding Road by Cher. The long and winding roaoaoaod!
Because by Alice Cooper and the Bee Gees. A failed cross-breeding experiment.
A Hard Day’s Night by Mrs. Miller. This is the woman who sits in every row in every church on earth.
Yellow Submarine by The Leningrad Cowboys Featuring the Russian Red Army Chorus. no words.
Norwegian Wood by Alan Copeland. It’s set to the music of Mission Impossible. No, really.
There are, of course, many others by non-singers that are even worse than the ones listed here.
My God man, you’ve got an album here that could destroy the world!
MODS! Delete this thread before it implodes!
…The horror…the horror…
Well, there’s also…
In My Life by Sean Connery
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer by Steve Martin
Michelle by Xaviera Hollander
I Am The Walrus by Jim Carey
A Hard Day’s Night by Goldie Hawn
Let It Be (the entire album except one song) by Leibach (think fascist sounding marching music)
A Little Help From My Friends and Fixing A Hole by George Burns
And, of course, the incomparable, aforementioned Bill Shatner.
Saddam dreams of such destructive power.
Interesting list, but back to the OP on covers by REAL singers …
**NutMagnet ** wrote:
Don’t be dissing on the late, great Man in Black. Poor guy just passing on and all. 
But I have to say, I always loved the Depeche Mode version of the song. Then I heard Johnny Cash’s cover and it gave me chills. I think it lands right up there with his cover of “Hurt.”
Now, for my submission, Chris Smither has taken Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row,” slowed the tempo a couple notches, added his own touches to the timing and delivery and made that mellow song insufferable. If a singer can’t even improve a Bob Dylan song, perhaps it’s time to look for a day job.
Zeb
I don’t know if you’d want to call Kid Rock a real singer (I think “professional performance artist” is closer), but his cover of Lynard Skynard’s “Give Me Back My Bullets” is just horrific.
There was this cover of The Ace Of Spades by some band, Drain STH, I think, that, while not being bad, was astoundingly slow.
Really screws up the song.
I’m with you on that. I remember hearing their version of Across the Universe and thinking, “I’ve got to get this album, this is great.”
Then I got the album. Talk about a bait and switch.
And right now, I suspect he’s also dreaming of the song Fixing a Hole. 