Britney Spears – I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
Britney Spears’ 2002 cover of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ 1982 rock classic didn’t exactly help her to cross over from the pop genre into a rock ‘n’ roll chick. The song struggled to identify itself as either pop or rock and fell somewhere in the middle. The song was actually a cover, of a cover, with the original released in 1975 by British rock band The Arrows.
William Shatner – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Released from The Transformed Man album in 1968, Shatner’s rendition of the Beatles classic Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is as uniquely quirky as the man himself. The song drifts from soft singing into Shatner’s trademark song to speech melody, quite the unnerving experience for any hardcore Beatles fan. If you are a fan of the original, steer clear of this one.
Limp Bizkit – Faith
Considered by many to be George Michael’s greatest song, Faith tells the story of believing better times are to come if only you believe in yourself, a message clearly missed by the 1997 Limp Bizkit cover that appeared on their album Three Dollar Bill, Y’all. The heavy rock influence ruined the song and even created division in the band with its inclusion on the album.
Madonna – American Pie
A number one for Don McLean in 1972, American Pie features a line about the day the music died, in reference to the tragic 1959 plane crash that killed music stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens. Not the first subject matter you would associate with Madonna, however in 2000 she covered this classic and the song has never quite been the same since.
Fall Out Boy – Ghostbusters
With the 2016 reboot of the classic movie Ghostbusters, a rerecording of the iconic Ray Parker Jr 1984 soundtrack theme was needed and American rock band Fall Out Boy were challenged with the task. It’s safe to say, they failed. The cover lacked the light-hearted fun of the Ghostbusters and instead left us all feeling a little ghoulish.
Jessica Simpson – These Boots Are Made for Walkin
Recorded for the 2005 movie flop The Dukes of Hazzard, Jessica Simpson, who starred as Daisy Duke in the movie, took on the cover of Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 classic These Boots Are Made for Walkin. The track even featured a vocal cameo from Willie Nelson, although this still wasn’t enough to save the song. Simpson’s acting career soon followed down the same path as this cringeworthy rendition.
Alien Ant Farm – Smooth Criminal
Although this 2001 cover of Michael Jackson’s 80s classic charted well, it was truly a one hit wonder for the little known rock band. Just the fact they managed to convince Jackson to cover the song is remarkable in itself yet the legacy the song has left on a generation of millennials who had never heard the original is, quite frankly, unforgivable.
Sheryl Crow – Sweet Child o’ Mine
Sheryl Crow, one of the greatest female vocalists and Guns N’ Roses, one of the greatest rock bands of all time. A match made in heaven, right? Wrong. Released as the theme for Adam Sandler’s 1999 movie Big Daddy, this cover was universally panned by fans of the original. Roses front man Axl Rose apparently still refuses to talk about it to this day.
Aerosmith – Come Together
It really seems impossible to find a genuinely good cover song of any Beatles track, but this didn’t stop lead man Steven Tyler and his band Aerosmith from trying. Included on the band’s 1980 Greatest Hits album, the cover loses all sense of the original’s funky, light rock feel and leaves you wondering why they even bothered.
Glee Cast – Don’t Stop Believing
Released in 2009 on the back of the hit TV show, the cast of Glee really took Journey’s 1981 classic Don’t Stop Believing some place else. Gloriously church choir in high spots and generically hip hop pop in others, it really is offensive to the senses and loses all the magic of the original. It did introduce Journey to a new audience though, so all was not lost.
Korn – Another Brick in the Wall
There was simply no need for nu-metal band Korn to cover Pink Floyd. But despite no demand from either band’s fans, Korn covered Another Brick in the Wall Part 1, 2, and 3, as well as the following track from The Wall album. The song just doesn’t translate in the genre and makes Korn sound like a cover band of themselves.
Cher – Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)
When The Shoop Shoop song was released in 1963 it was a playful and innocent track, with touches of humour. Cher’s cover of the song sadly lacked all of the sweetness of Merry Clayton or Betty Everett’s versions. The song was a hit, being Cher’s first solo UK number-one single, but for fans of the original, it very much misses the boat.
Marilyn Manson – Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This
Perhaps one of the most famous covers in the world, Marilyn Manson’s version of Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This by Eurythmics is a campy attempt at subversion and provocation that ultimately fails. The song’s lyrics already play heavily into kink and perversion, making Manson’s creepy hushed version just seem cartoonish.
The Boo Radleys – The Queen is Dead
The Smiths are utterly iconic and so many artists have attempted to cover their hits – some less successfully than others. While The Boo Radleys are well known for their melodic shoe gaze, it doesn’t necessarily work on their cover of the 1986 song The Queen is Dead. The track is boring, lackluster, and almost unrecognizable.
Train – Light My Fire
The pop rock band Train is very divisive. Some people love them, some people hate them, but not even the most die-hard fans could get behind Light My Fire. Covering The Doors is a grand task and the American band just could not hope to do the mighty Jim Morrison justice with their cover.
The Farm – Don’t You Want Me
Sales and success don’t always indicate the quality of a song, and this was the case for The Farm’s cover of The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me. The song is upbeat, and catchy, and has become a lasting hit. But despite reaching number 18 on the UK single’s chart, the cover fails to be ironic or memorable, with an almost deadpan uncredited female singer.
One Direction – Teenage Dirtbag
One Direction is possibly the most famous boyband to ever exist. They reached heights of popularity that made Beatlemania seem insignificant. However, the choice to have the then squeaky clean pop band cover Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus just doesn’t make sense. They can’t play any instruments with skill and they’re unbelievable as losers or dirtbags.
Guns N’ Roses – Sympathy for the Devil
It’s not often that a cover will actually break a band up, but the Guns N’ Roses cover of Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones may have actually accomplished it. The cover was recorded for the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire and while some Guns N’ Roses fans like the song, Slash claimed it was the sound of the band breaking up.
Fall Out Boy – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Fall Out Boy has played various covers since forming in 2001 including Beat It, Roxanne, and famously, Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. The US band’s rendition of the song utterly removes any semblance of emotion and the gutwrenching agony of the original that bubbles under the band’s dark sense of humor and the dance-like feel.
Happy Mondays – The Boys Are Back in Town
As a bonus track on their 1999 Greatest Hits album, the English rock band Happy Mondays released a cover of Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back in Town. Sadly, it didn’t end up being either great or a hit. The vocals are terrible, and the cover is appalling sounding like everyone involved was drunk during the creation of the song.
t.A.T.u – How Soon is Now
Perhaps best known for All The Things She Said, Russian pop duo t.A.T.u blew up in the early 2000s. They covered How Soon is Now by The Smiths for their debut album in 2002 and the song wasn’t actually bad. However, it seemed to serve no purpose, appealing to neither fans of the duo or fans of The Smiths.
Maroon 5 – Three Little Birds
Bob Marley is a genuine legend in the music industry. To take a song from the reggae master and completely ruin it is a genuine disappointment. Maroon 5 isn’t a bad band, but their cover of Marley’s Three Little Birds is a mess and the music video is even worse.
Avril Lavigne – Imagine
When you think of covers of Imagine, there are not many that stand out as genuinely comparable to the John Lennon original. However, Avril Lavigne’s 2007 cover of Imagine is almost unlistenable. The Canadian singer usually shines with her vocals but her voice on this track is comparable to a shy child at a karaoke night.
Miley Cyrus – Smells Like Teen Spirit
The daughter of country legend Billy Ray Cyrus has branched into rock recently and shines in the genre. However, Miley Cyrus’s 2011 cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit was definitely a misstep. Perhaps now her voice has matured, a more stripped-down cover of the Nirvana song would be more popular with her fans.
Megadeath – Anarchy in the UK
There are many reasons why covers don’t work. Sometimes it’s the genre, sometimes it’s the enthusiasm of the artists, and occasionally it’s the way in which the cover artist changes the song. Megadeath decided to make changes to the lyrics when they covered Sex Pistol’s Anarchy in the UK and took much of the anger and cultural context out of the song, lessening the punk impact.
Attack! Attack! – I Kissed a Girl
The Punk Goes Pop series from Fearless Records has produced many incredible covers of songs (Stitches by State Champs is a wonderful genre shift of the Shawn Mendes hit). However the Attack! Attack! cover of Katy Perry’s breakout single I Kissed a Girl is unnecessary, adds nothing to the song, and many fans found the vocals annoying.
The Cure – Purple Haze
Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 classic rock hit Purple Haze is utterly iconic – as is The Cure. So surely The Cure covering Purple Haze would be an instant hit? Unfortunately, Robert Smith’s timing is off and his vocals sound lazy – like he doesn’t quite know the lyrics to the song.
Cyndi Lauper – What’s Going On
The queen of covers, Cyndi Lauper, has performed so many hits of others so well that you may not know that they’re not the original versions (did you know that Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a cover?) But sadly her cover of Marvin Gaye’s soul classic What’s Going On is a rare disappointment. The song loses all soul and excitement, making it seem like a rather generic cover.
Cat Power – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones song (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction is the band in their prime. That’s why the Cat Power’s cover of the rock and roll classic is such a pale imitation. Not only is it unlikely that anyone will ever be able to live up to the high standards the band set, but Powers has a lethargic approach to the bold lyrics, removing all of the energy.
Bruce Willis – Respect Yourself
Former action star Bruce Willis has actually tried his hand at music, releasing an album in 1987 with Motown Records. Luckily he had movies to fall back on, as many reviewers haven’t enjoyed Willis’ voice on his singles, especially on his cover of Etta James’ Respect Yourself, claiming that it only achieved any success because of the talent of the backing singers.
Phish – Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It
It’s an incredibly impressive feat that American rock band Phish has been releasing music since 1983 and are still touring four decades later. With over 300 covers under their belt, one of them is likely a misstep. Their cover of Will Smith’s Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It just pales in comparison with the original – or honestly, any other cover.
Celine Dion and Anastacia – You Shook Me All Night Long
It’s a shock to many that the musical legend behind the most iconic love ballad in history has actually covered a song by one of the most iconic rock bands in history. Celine Dion covered the AC/DC classic You Shook Me All Night Long with Anastacia in 2002. While they both have great voices, they weren’t a fit for the genre, and the result was embarrassing for all involved.
Hilary Duff – My Generation
You may know Hillary Duff from her Disney Channel role Lizzie Maguire. Like many Disney stars, she attempted a career in music – although it wasn’t as successful as Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez. Her cover of The Who’s My Generation is overly sanitized, and foreshadowed the problem of Disney stars trying their hand at kid-friendly rock music.
Children of Bodom – Oops!… I Did It Again
Yet another Britney Spear’s cover, the Children of Bodom version of Oops!… I Did It Again is almost painful to listen to. It proves death metal and mainstream pop just aren’t meant to mingle with the late Alexi Laiho’s vocals just sounding like a bad South Park satire of the genre.
Weezer – Africa
Perhaps a very controversial inclusion, but some songs just don’t need covers. Toto’s Africa released in 1982 was already beloved by generations of fans. When Weezer released their cover of the song in 2018, no one knew how popular it would be. But the song just sounds like a joke, it’s overplayed, the mix is bad, and the vocals are drowned out.
No Doubt – It’s My Life
While the No Doubt cover of It’s My Life isn’t technically a bad song it’s just a very unnecessary release from the popular band. It’s so similar to the original song by Talk Talk, the band takes no risks and doesn’t play with the hit in any way. The song is just bland and wastes Gwen Stefani’s talent and vocal potential.
The Script – Lose Yourself
The Script and Eminem feel like a strange combination, but unlike french fries and frosty milkshakes, it’s not a combination that works. The vocalist Danny O’Donoghue cannot rap but instead takes on a dull rap-sing that really doesn’t do Eminem’s work justice. All in all, the cover is just lazy and really not worth your time.
Take That – Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yes, you read that right – British boyband Take That covered Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit live in 1995. Obviously, as a pop group, they weren’t able to master the grunge classic, with out-of-time drums, questionable guitar skills from Jason Orange, and tone-deaf vocals from the band.
Travis – Hit Me Baby One More Time
Britney Spears’ 1998 hit song Hit Me Baby One More Time is one of the best-selling singles ever released. It’s instantly recognisable and so many artists have attempted their own spin on the pop princess’s hit. However, one unexpected cover came from the Glaswegian rock band Travis. If it sounds like an odd fit, that’s because it was.
Steps – When She Loved Me
Sarah McLachlan’s When She Loved Me served a devastating gut punch when it appeared in Disney Pixar’s smash hit Toy Story 2. It’s emotionally wringing, exploring what it’s like to be loved and discarded. However, when UK pop group Steps decided to release their take on the song all that beauty was lost entirely, hidden behind the deplorable vocals and production.
Fergie – The Star Spangled Banner
In 2018 at the NBA All-star game, Fergie (of Black Eyed Peas fame) treated fans to a cover of the national anthem. Unfortunately in trying to emulate Marvin Gaye, the singer butchered the song, warbling and performing entirely off-key. It’s gone down in history as one of the worst performances ever.
Puddle of Mudd – About A Girl
In 2020, Puddle of Mudd’s Nirvana cover went viral for all the wrong reasons. Wes Scantlin reflected on the terrible cover of About a Girl, claiming he was tired on the day. But it wasn’t just Scantlin’s poor vocals that ruined the song, but the out-of-time instruments and lackluster performance from the band.
Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker – Killing In The Name
Rapper turned pop-punk singer Machine Gun Kelly has done a few covers of classic rock songs, but his rendition of Killing In The Name by Rage Against the Machine took all of the defiance and anger out of the song. What’s left is a pale imitation that mars the reputation of not just Kelly, but collaborator Travis Barker too.
Limp Bizkit – Behind Blue Eyes
Limp Bizkit is among a crowd of acclaimed musical artists who have attempted to cover Behind Blue Eyes, originally performed by The Who. Sadly, even Sheryl Crow’s cover of the rock song was better than Bizkit’s. Fans claim it’s part of the reason they’ve stopped liking the band, finding the song cold and robotic.
Disturbed – The Sound of Silence
1964’s The Sound of Silence is one of the most easily recognizable songs ever released. Disturbed took Simon & Garfunkel’s classic and butchered the song. The arrangement is strange, David Draiman holds notes on constants which creates an odd effect, and it seems largely unnecessary as a cover.
Elton John – Young, Dumb, and Broke
With hits like Tiny Dancer, and a career that spans decades, it may be surprising that Elton John has released a cover that ruins the original. But he accomplished that feat with his cover of Young, Dumb & Broke by Khalid. The song is transformed into yet another treacly Elton John ballad, making you question why he even tackled the song at all.
Gene Simmons – Firestarter
There’s no denying that Gene Simmons is an incredibly talented musician. However, the rockstar’s cover of Firestarter by The Prodigy is reminiscent of a bad karaoke track, with vocals that aren’t much better than your drunk uncle. It was released as part of a 2004 solo album, and unfortunately for fans of Kiss, the rest of the album isn’t much of an improvement.
Calum Scott – Dancing On My Own
Transforming Robyn’s hugely popular dance track into a melancholic ballad is a big risk to take on a cover, and it’s not one that paid off for English singer Calum Scott. While his cover of Dancing on My Own was commercially successful (receiving two EDM mixes) critics claimed it stripped the song of all its original context, and ruined it with breathy syllables and nasal whine.
Lenny Kravitz – American Woman
Cheesy, obnoxious, and flashy are all words that have been used to describe Lenny Kravitz’s cover of American Woman by Guess Who. The singer and actor was asked to deliver his take on the song for Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me but most fans just found the cover to be unnecessary.
Katy Perry – Don’t Stop Me Now
Covering such a song as iconic as Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now is a risky move. It’s so easy to compare to the original, so any mistakes will be even more obvious. When Katy Perry decided to cover the beloved 1979 rock song live, fans weren’t expecting perfection, and the result was far from it. Perhaps the singer should stick to pop music.
Adele – Lovesong
Famous for her ballads and heart-wrenching lyrics, it wasn’t much of a surprise that when singer Adele covered The Cure’s Lovesong, she chose to slow the track down. The song became less of an energetic declaration, and more of a mournful, melancholic moan. She’s taken one of the most unique love songs ever made and made it utterly forgettable.
Kenny G – What a Wonderful World
As an incredibly talented saxophonist, Kenny G is a world-class musician. That, however, didn’t stop him from ruining What a Wonderful World with his 1999 cover. One reviewer claimed, “Kenny G has been a burden on society since the 80s, but all of that background waiting noise is nothing once you’ve witnessed the robbing of Louis Armstrong’s grave.” Ouch!
Ryan Adams – Welcome to New York
The former spouse of actress Mandy Moore has made some interesting career choices – one of which being to cover an entire Taylor Swift album from start to finish. Ryan Adams covered the complete Taylor Swift album 1989 and ruined Welcome to New York with his lack of enunciation, lazy singing, and a tendency to be entirely off-key.
Dynamite Hack – Boyz in the Hood
N.W.A’s Boys in The Hood is a defiant track about the reality of living in Compton as a young black person. That’s why it was such a surprising choice for the all-white post-grunge band Dynamite Hack to tackle the song. The lyrics felt entirely inappropriate, but the chill acoustic approach to the song almost transforms the entire cover into a parody. It’s laughable, honestly.
The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide
Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide is a seminal song that tackles incredibly difficult emotions. Stevie Nicks gives a stellar performance on the song, with beautiful vocals. Sadly, The Smashing Pumpkins’ cover from 1994 is a disappointment. The discordance in Billy Corgan’s voice makes for uncomfortable listening, especially opposed to the dreamlike composition of the original.
Kelly Osbourne – Papa Don’t Preach
With a father as famous as Ozzy Osbourne, you may have expected Kelly Osbourne to knock it out of the part with her cover of Madonna’s Papa Don’t Preach. Unfortunately, it appears that musical skills aren’t genetic. Kelly doesn’t have the vocal capabilities to tackle this song, leading to her pop-metal cover being a swing and a miss.
Aaron Carter – I Want Candy
You couldn’t be blamed for thinking that Aaron Carter’s cover of I Want Candy was the original, especially with how successful it’s been. However the song was first released in 1965 by American band The Strangeloves, and when you compare Carter’s sickly sweet cover against the original it’s clear to see that Carter’s version was perhaps a mistake.
Vic Mensa and 93PUNX – Zombie
The Cranberries’ Zombie is a song that has gone down in history, inspiring hundreds of covers. But Vic Mensa and 93PUNX version of the song may be the worst of the bunch. It’s seen as almost an insult to the original. It’s a slow, auto-tuned slog of a song that transforms the Irish protest song into another emo radio hit.
Paris Hilton – Do Ya Think I’m Sexy
The infamous socialite and heiress Paris Hilton made an impression on the music industry with a series of songs in the late 2000s. That impression wasn’t necessarily good, however, as reviews of songs like Stars Are Blind find Hilton’s voice annoying and the songs far overproduced. Her cover of Rod Stewart’s Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? is undeniably bad, removing all the charm of the original song.
Sugar Ray – Is She Really Going Out With Him
80’s hit Is She Really Going Out With Him from New Wave musician Joe Jackson and his band is perfectly singable, memorable track that put Jackson on the map. That’s why Sugar Ray’s cover was such a disappointment. The band’s approach took all of the humor out of the sardonic lyrics, alongside all of the soul from the track.
Panic! At The Disco – Bohemian Rhapsody
Panic! At the Disco made a monumental impact on the emo scene when they released their first album in 2005. But when attempting to cover Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody vocalist Brendon Urie tries to showcase his vocal range but pales in comparison to the original, relying on music theater experience and missing the mark entirely.
Marcus Collins – Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes have more than earned their place in the history of rock, with incredible bass lines and powerful vocals. Seven Nation Army was a triumph for them, and English singer Marcus Collins entirely ruined that with his cover. Transforming the song into a silky pop tune takes away all of the aggression, effectively taming what was a defiant rallying call.
Shakira – Back in Black
One of the world’s most well-known and loved artists, Shakira’s vocals are rarely doubted, but in taking on ACDC’s Back in Black, she may have left herself open to criticism. Her voice is great but this beat-by-beat cover exposes how lackluster her performance is against original vocalist Brian Johnson. She made a step into another genre, and sadly it wasn’t the right choice.
Duran Duran – 911 is a Joke
When covering a song, artists should consider much more than just whether they have the musical talent to deliver a good performance. Some songs aren’t a fit for everybody and this was the case with hip hop group Public Enemy’s 911 is a joke. British band Duran Duran didn’t have the experience to lend credence to this song about poor emergency service responses in black American communities.
Scissor Sisters – Comfortably Numb
Comfortably Numb is an emotional journey that covers intense depression, drugs, and societal alienation. The complete and utter dissonance between the lyrical content of the Pink Floyd song and the upbeat, disco vibes of the Scissor Sisters’ cover is mind-boggling. It makes no sense why they decided to cover this song, and they shouldn’t have.
Girls Aloud and Sugababes – Walk This Way
Walk This Way was a monumental moment in musical history, bringing together two titans of their respective genres (Run DMC and Aerosmith). While British groups Girls Aloud and Sugababes were well-liked pop stars, none had the vocal range or skill to tackle this song – both groups ended up looking worse for their involvement.
McFly – Born to Run
Radio 1’s Live Lounge has delivered some impressive covers but McFly’s cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run was not one of them. The boyband doesn’t have the gruffness, nor the working-class experience to deliver the energy of this epic tale of working-class disenfranchisement and idealized notions of escape.
Evanescence – Heart-Shaped Box
With her reliance on extending vowels, warbling her vocals, and delivering angry, grungey vibes, Amy Lee appears to be doing her best Kurt Cobain impression in this cover of Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box. It’s not a new take on the song, nor is it particularly exciting. It’s angsty and reeks of teenage pain.
Ronan Keating and Moya Brennan – Fairytale of New York
The joy of Fairytale of New York is that it’s different from traditional Christmas songs. The original by The Pogues is brash, crude, and perfect to sing at a holiday party. However, the cover by Irish singers Ronan Keating and Moya Brennan sounds sanitized and overly clean. It removes all the charm that made people fall in love with the song originally.
Joss Stone – Fell in Love With a Boy
Joss Stone’s cover of The White Stripes’ Fell in Love With a Girl is possibly one of the worst covers ever to be released. The grunge rock classic is changed in far more ways than just switching genders. Stone transforms The White Stripes hit into a slowed-down, syrupy soul track. It simply shouldn’t have been attempted in the first place.
