Top 10 Cover Songs That Switched Genres
#10: “Hallelujah”
Jeff Buckley
Whenever people talk about the truly great cover songs in music history, it’s hard not to look at Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” as a prime example. Taking the gospel-infused roots from Leonard Cohen’s original, Jeff Buckley strips things down to the bare bones. However, even though his version is more minimal, his vocal delivery and guitar work elevate the song into a totally different stratosphere. Buckley’s voice carries so much more emotion and weight than Cohen’s more understated style. Whether you prefer the youthful take that Buckley gave us, or the more weathered original from the great poet Cohen, “Hallelujah” is truly a timeless piece of music.
#9: “With a Little Help from My Friends”
Joe Cocker
Ringo Starr didn’t sing too many songs in The Beatles' catalogue, but when he did, they were generally quite memorable. “With a Little Help from My Friends” is one of the standout tracks on “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and it might just be Ringo’s finest hour as a vocalist. But when Joe Cocker got his hands on it for his debut album, this chirpy and optimistic song was transformed into a blues-rock classic. Cocker’s vocal delivery, along with his backing singers, imbues this Lennon/McCartney track with a level of soul that takes things to a totally new level. And trust us, the live versions are even better than the studio recording!
#8: “Killing Me Softly with His Song”
Fugees
Roberta Flack’s legendary number-one hit “Killing Me Softly with His Song” was so well received that it won her a Grammy in 1974 for Record of the Year and the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. So when Lauryn Hill and the Fugees took the song in a much more modern and hip-hop-infused direction 23 years later, it was a move out of left field. However, the result was an absolute masterpiece. It perfectly bridged old-school R&B with the direction the genre was headed in during the ‘90s. It should come as no surprise that the Fugees came away with a Grammy of their own for their efforts.
#7: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Nirvana
We didn’t know that we needed to hear a stripped-down Tori Amos version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” until we actually heard it. Somehow, some way, this piano-driven take on this grunge masterpiece works phenomenally well. Gone is all of the heavy distortion and angst-ridden vocals… replaced with a surprising amount of control and restraint. Amos covers Cobain in a manner that is almost the complete opposite of the original, but it retains some of the attitude. When a song is truly great, it can take on a myriad of different shapes—and that’s what Tori achieves here.
#6: “Nothing Compares 2 U”
Sinéad O’Connor
Prince’s original composition, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” was destined to be remembered among his finest pieces of work. But even though his version is truly excellent, Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor reinvented the song as one of the most heart-wrenching yet uplifting ballads of all time. O’Connor’s voice alone sells the performance, but she also changes the melody in places, bringing some real tension to the chorus. Prince himself, who famously did not enjoy covers of his work, was actually full of praise for her version. But when they finally met, they supposedly didn’t get along. However, that doesn’t really matter, because at the very least, this indirect collaboration between these two iconic artists exists.
#5: “Heartbeats”
José González
You gotta give props to José González for hearing the potential for a modern folk classic buried within The Knife’s excellent synth-pop anthem “Heartbeats.” He took the original tune and stripped away all of the electronics, adding his own warm voice and acoustic guitar. In the end, what we got was something entirely new. In González’s hands, “Heartbeats” became an incredibly influential piece of indie music culture in the early 2000s, eclipsing the fame of the original and inspiring a number of cover versions of its own. It catapulted González to international fame and remains his biggest hit to this day.
#4: “Mad World”
Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules
Tears for Fears were truly a special band. Their ability to write timeless pop classics has made them as relevant as ever in the 2020s. But even they must have been surprised at how much success Michael Andrews and Gary Jules were able to have with their track “Mad World.” This version totally rips out the foundation of the original, turning it into a bleak but undeniably beautiful slice of perfection. Released as part of the “Donnie Darko” soundtrack in 2001, this track completely switched up the genre of the original while retaining the overall message. Songs don’t come much sadder than this one, folks!
#3: “I Will Always Love You”
Whitney Houston
When Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You,” it was bound to be a smash hit. Her understated but sincere performance vocally was matched by some of the most immediate pop lyrics ever written. However, for as much as Dolly’s original was beloved, when Whitney Houston took the reins in 1992, she took things to a totally different place. Released as part of the soundtrack for the film “The Bodyguard,” which also starred Houston, this became the power anthem to end all others. It was a declaration of love that was perhaps bigger and bolder than anything before it. To this day, it remains the highest-selling single by a female artist of all time.
#2: “All Along the Watchtower”
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Covers don’t come along much more transformative than Jimi Hendrix’s take on Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” The original is a pretty straightforward track within Dylan’s catalogue in terms of the instrumentation and vocal delivery. But when Hendrix got a hold of it, he well and truly blew the doors off their hinges. It was a shockingly effective overhaul of what was essentially a folk-rock song. Dylan’s words were brought to life by an incredibly urgent-sounding Hendrix and his band. As psychedelic as anything he ever released, it was his incredible guitar work that really set this one on fire. It’s the gold standard for how to reinvent a piece of music.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Mrs. Robinson,” The Lemonheads
Takes the Folk-Rock Roots of the Original to Totally New Places
“Knockin' On Heaven's Door,” Guns N’ Roses
Brings Bob Dylan Into the World of Hard Rock
“I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself,” The White Stripes
An Old Classic Gets a Garage Rock Makeover
“Maggie’s Farm,” Rage Against the Machine
Bob Dylan Went Electric, Rage Went Even Further
“Stagger Lee,” Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
An Ancient Murder Ballad Modernised by the Gothic Rock Icons
#1: “Hurt”
Johnny Cash
The idea of the old folk troubadour Johnny Cash taking on a song by industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails might’ve seemed like the biggest left turn imaginable. And that’s because it was. But Cash was pretty adventurous in his twilight years, covering a wide range of music on his critically lauded “American” album series. When he turned his hand to Trent Reznor’s “Hurt,” it blew every cover he had ever done out of the water. Backed by one of the greatest music videos of all time, listening to this song was like hearing Cash reflect on his entire life… and he didn’t even write the song. It truly doesn’t get any better than this.
What genre-switching covers would you add to our list? Let us know in the comments below.
