When Ryan Adams announced his intention to cover Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ album most people reacted as though you had put brown sauce in their tea.
“No, they could never go together” was collectively uttered by both sets of fans. Of course, these folks soon realised that sometimes brown sauce in your tea can be delicious.
Adams knocked it out of the park and the album is the most relevant thing he has done in years. It got us thinking, ‘what unlikely cover versions have really, really worked?’
Here are 9 of our favourites, including a great track from Adam’s version of 1989.
Note: This isn’t our 9 favourite covers – this is our 9 favourite unlikely covers (i.e genre crossovers)… before you all start shouting for Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’.
Ryan Adams – Out of the Woods (Covering Taylor Swift)
The former Whiskeytown front man adds a sense of desperation to Swift’s pop hit. What was a sweet pop-country hit is now a heartfelt indie track which wouldn’t sound out of place on Adam’s best album ‘Love is Hell’.
Clip via RyanAdamsVEVO
Nouvelle Vague – Ever Fallen in Love (Covering Buzzcocks)
Going through Nouvelle Vague’s cover versions is an article in itself. Here, they soak the Buzzcocks iconic punk hit in a bath of fine French wine, take it out, then whack it over the head with a baguette. The result is surprisingly good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4op1esLn4mc
Clip via OGRevexe
The White Stripes – Jolene (Covering Dolly Parton)
Dolly Parton has many qualities. So do the White Stripes. Their qualities are very, very different yet this somehow works.
Clip via GiulsZuzzi
Mark Ronson – Stop Me (Covering The Smiths)
Fans of The Smiths often ridicule this tune, but that is their hearts ruling their heads in this humble writer’s opinion. This is a great cover of a brilliant track and brings something new and urban to it.
Clip via Nicolas Chaves
Punch Brothers – Reptilla (Covering the Strokes)
Ever wonder what an Americana version of the Strokes would sound like? Wonder no more.
Talking Heads – Take Me To The River (Covering Al Green)
One of the whitest groups of all time covering this seminal blues hit is as unlikely as it is terrific.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ar2VHW1i2w
Clip via FlyingDoctor1988
Bon Iver – I Can’t Make You Love Me (Covering Bonnie Raitt)
This 80s pop song was forgotten by almost everyone. Justin Vernon et al. gave it life that it never had before. We much prefer this cover to the original.
Clip via SavannahSP
Johnny Cash – Hurt (Covering Nine Inch Nails)
Without a doubt the darkest cover on the list. The man in black turned this tune into one of his own and it’s wonderfully grim.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt1Pwfnh5pc
Clip via DFTranslateBR
Staring at Lakes – Carol of the Bells (Christmas Carol)
This is your new favourite Christmas song. It just is.
We’ve all heard this song a million times, but never like this.
Screaming Females – Shake it Off (Covering Taylor Swift)
The second time someone covering Miss Swift makes it onto this list. We are amazed how well this song turns into an indie-dance tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm1-bVYio1k
So there you have it, 9 of our favourites. Don’t forget to let us know what yours is…
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