Top 10 Cover Songs That Sound Completely Different Than the Original

who said imitation was the sincerest form of flattery welcome to watchmojo.com and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 cover songs that sound completely different than the original for this list we're looking at the artists that took major risks when covering songs from other musicians either changing the style or tone of the original got me going oh so shy we're not taking into account cover songs which have been only performed live however just songs with a studio version to back it up your lollipop disobey is you're the sucker to think that I would be a victim not another number ten boys in the hood dynamite hack originally by easy starting things off with one of the more entries on our list dynamite hacks cover is a mellow and acoustic arrangement of easy ease gangster rap classic boys in the hood here reimagined with more than a little bit of post-grunge irony the real key to dynamite hack success is the monotone delivery of the lead vocals matched with all the originals gruff and boisterous bravado which provides all of the comedic punch and timing needed to make this cover a hit only let's start stink and gotta give my girl to rock that body Cardon number nine smells like teen spirit Tori Amos or originally by nirvana dining singer-songwriter Tori Amos is no stranger to releasing inventive unique cover versions of artists as diverse as Eminem REM and Slayer yet it's this 1992 version of Nirvana's smells like teen spirit that really strips down the originals arrangement and essence to its basic memorable vocal melody Amos is passionate sensual vocals are set on full display here as is her evocative and haunting piano playing which punches each chord with a charged palpable energy if intense head banging and rough vocals aren't your scene yet just might enjoy this powerful rendition instead so what you want to do proof I got a pocket full of rubbers in my heart boys do too so turn off the lights and close number eight gin and juice the gourds originally by Snoop Dogg gzip reshuffle the second now brown study ever wonder what it would sound like if a bluegrass band decided to cover Snoop Dogg's classic gin and juice well look no further than the gourds complete with violin scratches mandolins and accented southern twang instant beats in bass the gourds don't stray far at all from their musical roots instead adopting the originals lyrics into their own upbeat musical arrangements which fit in just fine with their swing and country roots rock eventually reaching the ears of snoop d-o-double-g himself who gave the gourds cover his seal of approval shortly after this version was originally released number seven I can't get no satisfaction Deva originally by the Rolling Stones the idea of Devo covering the Rolling Stones is a bizarre one in and of itself but it isn't until ears are properly tuned to the band's cover of satisfaction that the true size of the situation can be assessed can you say a total musical deconstruction well Devo certainly can with this unique and avant-garde retooling of the stones classic stripping virtually all of the rock bomb bass from the original and replacing it with the futuristic and cold machinations the results are a weird yet no less driving take on the song although dyed-in-the-wool stones fans are required to stay as far away from this one as possible number six Billie Jean Chris Cornell originally by Michael Jackson stripping down a song to its most basic form is a popular method of covering a song and this was exactly the method Chris Cornell followed for his take on this MJ classic so though my what do you mean whereas Jackson's original was a cautionary tale against the dangers of groupies with a super-sweet bassline Cornell drops the tone down significantly with his version as with the civil wars in 2011 dropping the bass and drums in favor of a man and his guitar approach this gives Cornell's version a darker and starker vibe while his powerful vocals carry Billie Jean into a much harder rock arena we still miss that bass line though number five style Ryan Adams originally by Taylor Swift when news hit that Ryan Adams was going to be releasing a cover album of Taylor Swift's entire 1989 anticipations were fairly high as to what Adams would do with the material predictably Adams is 1989 is very much in the singers established approach of emotional pop and indie rock with his take on Swift's shake it off and style serving his early standouts off his own from the record Adams's replaces the 80s electro vibe of style with a jangling rock style not that dissimilar from classic Bruce Springsteen while at the same time keeping the big melodic chorus which made the Swift originals such a hit number four all along the watchtower Jimi Hendrix Experience originally by Bob Dylan no reason to get excited the thief he kindly spoke now many among us who feel alive is brother Joe it takes a certain special sort of cover to become better known than its original and that power can definitely be heard here with the Jimi Hendrix Experience as they run through an iconic take on Bob Dylan's all along the watchtower the song is very cinematic in scope having made appearances in numerous films and soundtracks over the years and with good reason as a deep production soulful vocals and powerful guitar works sends this electrified Bob Dylan original into the upper echelon of stone cold cover version classic number three Woodstock Crosby Stills Nash and young originally by Joni Mitchell Joni Mitchell was dating Crosby Stills Nash and young member Graham Nash when she wrote Woodstock in 1969 but didn't actually attend the event thanks to bad advice from her then manager Nash and his CSNY bandmates David Crosby Stephen Stills and Neil Young would include an upbeat harder rockin version of the track in their deja vu album updating Mitchell's soft and emotional folk style into the burgeoning rootsy rock movement zsn why's Woodstock is an aggressive to the point road trip track with hard drums and some slick guitar licks making a musical snapshot for this legendary festival of peace love and music and you number two Hertz Johnny Cash originally by Nine Inch Nails this cover song may have some of the most emotional impact of any on our list as evidenced almost immediately from Johnny Cash's raw and ravaged vocals brimming with passion and determination as he rips out a heart-wrenching Lee brilliant cover of Nine Inch Nails hurt this cover was one of the final releases of Cash's career appearing on is American for the man comes around release and the accompanying video serves as a moving tribute to the man in black while both versions are intensely personal Cash's death shortly after the tracks release adds an extra layer to the already emotional song I would find Oh before we reveal our top cover song pic here are a few honorable mentions everybody wants to think you nice day to me number one blinded by the light manfred Mann's Earth Band originally by Bruce Springsteen whoa manfred Mann's Earth Band took a slinky disco meets Prague approach to this Bruce Springsteen Jam in 1976 taking the bosses workingman aesthetic and shining it real nice with plenty of smooth hi-hat action bright lights and sequins turning blinded by the light into a major if not quirky hit even decides to throw in a little bit of Euphemia islands chopsticks melody for good measure because why not of course there's also that little bit of business about the song's chorus being one of the most commonly misheard in the world for the record it's wrapped up like a deuce deuce so do you agree with our list what unique cover songs do you think should have been included you're a womanizer for more fun top 10 list published every day please subscribe to watchmojo.com

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Keywords: top 10, list, viral, top 5, cover songs that sound way different than the original, eazy e, nirvana, joni mitchell, bob dylan, nine inch nails, taylor swift, michael jackson, rolling stones, snoop dogg, bruce springsteen, the strokes, music, cover songs, watchmojo, top ten, best, pop, rock, hip hop, best covers, creative covers, acoustic cover, acoustic version

Id: x0oi1mso_sE

Length: 14min 34sec (874 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 01 2016