Covering songs is as old as rock and roll itself. Elvis covered countless songs written and performed by other people and throughout the ensuing decades, others have done it as well. Some have been good, a few even better than the original, and some have been awful. I've compiled a list of what I feel are the 50 Greatest Rock Covers of all-time. Some of these are obvious covers, many of them I had no idea that they weren't original songs. Click on the links to see and hear the differences in the songs from over the years.
30. Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin (1971)
Battle of Evermore by Heart (2003)
This Zeppelin classic came off as natural to the Wilson sisters of Heart.
29. Piece of My Heart by Erma Franklin (1967)
Piece of My Heart by Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968)
Aretha's sister Erma Franklin originally performed this soul song. Janis Joplin, and her band Big Brother and the Holding Company, turned it into one of the more iconic classic rock songs ever.
28. Somebody to Love by Great Society (1966)
Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane (1967)
Grace Slick sang for both of these bands when their versions were released. After she left Great Society and took the song with her, the Airplane version became one of those songs synonymous with the Vietnam Era and the hippie movement.
27. You Really Got Me by The Kinks (1964)
You Really Got Me by Van Halen (1978)
The classic Kinks version was spruced up in '78 on Van Halen's debut album. Eddie Van Halen's iconic guitar solo "Eruption" led right into "You Really Got Me" as a perfect transition.
26. Who Do You Love? by Bo Diddley (1956)
Who Do You Love? by George Thorogood and the Destroyers (1978)
Thorogood makes his third and final appearance on this list covering somebody else's music. The blues guitarist made a name of himself digging deep into blues history and remaking them on a more amplified level. This is my favorite of those.
25. Turn the Page by Bob Seger (1972)
Turn the Page by Metallica (1998)
Metallica's covers album Garage, Inc. has several great versions of other people's songs. This is one of their best.
24. Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran (1958)
Summertime Blues by The Who (1970)
This song has been covered by nearly everybody. Rush, Alan Jackson, The Beach Boys, Blue Cheer, and several more have taken their stab at remaking the song. I like The Who's version best, though.
23. Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Ian Hunter (1975)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Great White (1989)
Great White scored their greatest hit when they remade this song.
22. Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 1, 2, 3) / Goodbye Cruel World by Pink Floyd (1979)
Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 1, 2, 3)/Goodbye Cruel World by KoRn (2004)
Nu-metal titans KoRn brought Floyd's dark classic to the forefront of metal radio with their 2004 version.
21. Cross Road Blues by Robert Johnson (1936)
Robert Johnson's southern blues song from the Great Depression era is one of the most well known and covered blues songs during the past seventy plus years. Cream's version, with Eric Clapton on guitar, is the most recognizable of those.
Stay tuned for songs #20 - #11 coming very soon. Agree? Disagree? Sound off in the comments section below. And as always if you haven't subscribed; please do by clicking the link by my name at the top of the page. Thanks and rock on!
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