By Katerina Sperl and Sam Nicosia
1) “Come Together” by Aerosmith, originally performed by the Beatles. It is completely obvious to the world that the Beatles is one of the greatest bands of all time. It is also completely obvious to the world (or at least the people in it that know me and Katt) that we think Aerosmith is the greatest band of all time. When you put together the two, you are heading straight for musical greatness. Many covers involve the artists changing the song, but the cover hits precisely to the original. However, there might not be a greater way to do it. Steven Tyler’s vocals are as strong as always, and the rest of the band keeps the dramatic beat powerful.
2)“She’s So High” by Four Year Strong, originally by Tal Bachman. This cover is so unlike the last one, because the changes that Four Year Strong made are so dramatic and impacting. When a punk band covers a mellow song, this is sure to happen. Surprisingly, the cover is better than the original. The cymbals in the background paired with the screamy punk vocals make the cover more exciting than its calming original.
3) “Cups” performed by Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect, originally by Lulu and the Lampshades. I am addicted to this cover! It is only a minute long, so it is played about eight times before I will even switch the song. The very less-recognized original is definitely worth the YouTube check. I do prefer the cover, but the original oozes a fun, more folky vibe.
4)“Working Class Hero” covered by Green Day is an outstanding song being covered by an even more outstanding band. I remember the first time I listened to bands covering John Lennon’s music on the Instant Karma album and thinking what an amazing tribute this album is to the musical legend. However, this song by far sticks out due to Green Day’s unique interpretation of the musical piece and Billie Joe Armstrong’s phenomenal vocals, which completely draw the listener in to the song. I can honestly say without a doubt that John Lennon would be proud of their tribute.
5) “Hotel California” by The Eagles takes on a new vibe when covered by The Killers. With a twist of Latino influence, the song becomes one of the greatest ever heard. Brandon Flowers’ voice hits every note to perfection and can only be rivaled by Don Henley’s vocals in the original. As a fan of classic rock, I have found it very hard to find another band that can do their unique take on this song without destroying it. The Killers have done an amazing job and this definitely goes down in my book as one of the greatest covers of a classic rock masterpiece.
6) “Hey Ya,” originally by Outkast, is not exactly my favorite song in the world. I’ll (Sam) be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of pop or hip-hop, but Obadiah Parker leaves me speechless whenever I hear his acoustic cover of this hit song. His vocal range and raw talent shine through in this tribute. When you first listen to this song, the first thing you will notice is that it sounds nothing like the original, but instead is a brilliant acoustic cover accompanied by this artist’s powerful vocals. By taking this song and interpreting it in such a dramatically different way, Obadiah Parker’s musical genius will astonish music fans everywhere.
7) “Beautiful” is known to most as one of Christina Aguilera’s greatest hits in her musical career. However, the cover of this song performed by The Lemonheads puts the original song to shame. This tribute shows musical brilliance in its unique interpretation of the song, accompanied by the band’s pure talent. The acoustic guitar along with Evan Dando’s remarkable vocals turns this hit pop song into a soothing musical masterpiece. The only way to simply describe this song is by its title: beautiful.
