Top 10 Best Cover Song Performances in Movies

Long before she was wowing us in “Les Misérables,” Anne Hathaway was proving she had considerable vocal chops. “Ella Enchanted” wasn’t as beloved as some of her early hits, but it has a great solo from Hathaway, who plays a girl cursed to be obedient to every command. “Somebody to Love” is her opportunity to let loose. Originally recorded by Queen, Ella performs the song for an audience of adoring giants. She was still a few years away from her Academy Award for “Les Mis,” but it was a sign of things to come.

This highly stylized musical biopic follows Elton John’s early career, which was almost cut short by substance abuse and self-harm. The title song takes place after the singer has overdosed on pills. It’s a fantasy sequence that sees actor Taron Egerton, who did all his own singing, being taken by ambulance to Dodger Stadium, where he completes the song amid the singer’s inner turmoil. It’s a perfect marriage between song and scene. On top of the world professionally, personally, he’s standing on the edge of total ruin. Egerton’s vocals are amazing. He manages to sound like the real Elton John, but still gives himself to the moment.

This twisting, turning, existential offering from David Lynch finds two actresses navigating a dreamlike approximation of Los Angeles. Their journey together leads them to a darkened nightclub, Club Silencio. There, they are brought to tears by singer Rebekah del Rio’s Spanish-language performance of the Roy Orbison song, “Crying.” It’s an arresting scene that ends with the singer falling to the stage, but it’s revealed that she has been lip syncing to a recording of herself. Illusion and fantasy runs through Lynch’s work and the scene is another reminder that nothing is what it seems. Even without this context, it’s a beautiful cover.

Between Nicole Kidman taking on Marilyn Monroe and the thrilling “Roxanne” tango, naming the best cover in this frenetic movie musical is probably a matter of taste. “Your Song” is our pick. Ewan McGregor had big shoes to fill. He plays Christian, the lovesick poet who falls for Satine, a nightclub performer and sex worker. With his sonorous and velvety-smooth voice, he tackles this Elton John classic with all the skill of a born musical lead. Given it’s one of the few numbers in the movie without a huge production number, except some dancing on clouds, he really has to sell it.

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi moved the fictional musical duo from “Saturday Night Live” to the big screen with this movie. The film, named for the pair of blues and soul playing brothers, found them raising money for the orphanage where they were raised, and breaking almost every law on the books to get it. Their fundraising concert features this rapturous cover of this Solomon Burke number. The song definitely gets the crowd on its feet. Even a few of the cops, cowboys, and Nazis who have followed them there can’t help but dance along. Explaining what all of them are doing there would take too long; you’re better off watching the movie.

Jim Carrey is known for his elastic face, boundless energy, and often moving performances in both comedies and dramas. But over the years, he’s also entertained us with his oddly great vocal abilities. In the underrated cult classic, “The Cable Guy,” he plays a deranged cable installer who dazzles a party with a karaoke performance of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love.” The song was one of many that played the stage at Woodstock, which clearly informed Carrey’s performance. Filled with psychedelic imagery, it’s a big swing, even for him. He even imitates frontwoman Grace Slick’s distinctive vibrato. Of course, his technique might be a little unconventional.

This one didn’t necessarily start as a cover. The Plastics of North Shore High School originally wanted to just lip sync while they looked so fetch in their skimpy, Christmas-themed outfits. Just what kind of assembly is this? But a misjudged kick sent a CD player flying into the audience, leaving them to have to sing it themselves. Who says “Mean Girls” wasn’t a musical before? Between the looks of panic and the seamless transition to live singing, this is a classic musical moment. Any fan can tell you the impromptu “Jingle Bell Rock” number is one of the movie’s most iconic highlights, and that’s a high bar to clear.

Taking names and songs from the Beatles’ discography and forming a musical out of them, “Across the Universe” reinvents several of their biggest hits. As recorded, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is an upbeat track about puppy love. Slowed down and performed with longing by actress T.V. Carpio, it turns into a ballad of unrequited love from one high school cheerleader to another. Oh, this bouncy love song you remember? It’s gonna tear your heart out now. Even if you’ve heard the song a million times before, you’ve never heard it like this.

Okay, everyone. You know what’s up. Sister Mary Clarence and the students of St. Francis Academy ditched the stuffy staging of the regional church choir competition and brought a much-needed shot of adrenaline. “Joyful, Joyful” was a poem by Henry Van Dyke later set to the music of Beethoven. “Sister Act 2” gave the hymn a hip hop infusion, with rap verses and soulful harmonies that make a very old song feel very current. Not bad for a century-old poem and a two centuries old melody. Odds are, this is the coolest either has ever sounded.

You can’t be the leading single from the best selling movie soundtrack of all time and not earn a spot here. Dolly Parton’s original song was heartfelt enough. Whitney Houston’s cover launched it into the stratosphere. Sung by Houston’s pop star character, Rachel Marron, as she bids a tearful farewell to the man who saved her life, the song makes for an explosive and heart-wrenching finale. Their last kiss is unforgettable. A brilliant rendition of an already-great song, “I Will Always Love You” cemented this scene as one of the classic movie goodbyes, and became Houston’s signature track.

Which of these songs was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.