20 Most Unexpected Rock + Metal Covers

Who would’ve thought that on the top of the nu-metal explosion of the early 2000s {that a} Michael Jackson tune could be one of the crucial requested and largest rock radio hits? On the time, Alien Ant Farm have been nonetheless a comparatively unknown act, whereas Jackson was nonetheless the undisputed “King of Pop” who dominated the ‘80s. However on the similar time, he had seen his star dim a bit in the course of the ‘90s. Whereas his songs have been canon, he was not the recent artist of the day.

Then got here Alien Ant Farm, who correctly stored the percussive components from considered one of Jackson’s heavier songs and added their very own rock flare to the monitor. What initially felt a bit like a novelty cowl began to resonate with listeners, and Alien Ant Farm themselves helped make the transition cool with a Jackson-referencing video. As we speak, you have got a tough time imagining “Easy Legal” with out considering of Alien Ant Farm, a nod to how nice this cowl turned out, however on the time this felt like a brilliant daring step for a fledgling band.

Disco and rock have been as soon as divergent opposites when cool factors have been doled out, however in 1996 the 2 worlds collided on a canopy that no one noticed coming. Cake have been rising as one of many scorching new bands on the alt-rock scene once they dropped a canopy of Gloria Gaynor’s disco-era traditional, “I Will Survive.”

Cake themselves have been bizarre sufficient in the course of the ‘90s, creating a sound that didn’t essentially mirror any of their friends. So maybe any cowl would have sounded fairly wild. However singer John McCrea’s close to spoken phrase vocal on a tune principally identifiable as a feminine empowerment anthem helped flip the script. Add in a extra rock centric association and even some backing horns and now you’ve obtained a tune that feels uniquely Cake’s personal. Not surprisingly, it’s grow to be one of the crucial in style songs of their profession.

If ever there was a tune you’d assume could be untouchable, it may be 9 Inch Nails’ “Damage.” The coda to The Downward Spiral album was a nadir, uncooked and weak heaped in self-loathing isolation and the right finish to Trent Reznor’s intestine wrenching masterpiece of a document. However then got here Johnny Money.

Maybe we should always have seen this coming as Money had discovered some late profession success with producer Rick Rubin protecting trendy rock favorites. If ever there have been an artist to tackle Reznor’s heartbreaking tune, Money could possibly be it. The nation music icon had actually lived a life that confronted various demons, and at a complicated age, his weathered voice added much more emotional heft to the tune, if that was even potential. Whereas Reznor initially felt the quilt of his most private monitor felt invasive, he warmed to Money’s cowl even including, “I wasn’t ready for what I noticed, and it actually then, wasn’t my tune anymore.”

Depart Britney alone? Kids of Bodom actually didn’t, and we should always all be grateful. At her early 2000s peak, Spears was one of many extra polarizing figures in pop music and sadly a lot of her profession has performed out within the tabloids as a lot because it has on the radio. However there’s no denying the standard of writing on a few of Britney’s largest hits (you can even take a look at Travis’ stellar alt-rock cowl of “Child One Extra Time”).

In 2009, Kids of Bodom determined to do a covers album titled Skeletons within the Closet, which compiled most of their covers thus far together with some newly recorded cuts. Whereas the set was just about dominated by rock and steel covers, protruding like sore thumb was their tackle Britney’s 2000 pop hit. It was a surprising selection for a lot of metalheads, however Kids of Bodom’s cowl proved to be not solely a testomony to their musicianship, but additionally a nod to the unique’s nice songwriting.

Devo are a kind of acts that actually had a sound all their very own, and whereas they’ve scored hits with different covers, their tackle one of the crucial in style songs ever stays the one which stands out. The group pulled in producer Brian Eno as they delivered a brilliant spastic, virtually robotic sounding tackle the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

It’s laborious to take a tune so identifiable with one iconic rock band and make it your individual, however Devo actually did. Whereas others have tried to cowl “Satisfaction” through the years, Devo’s take is the one that almost all surprised and enthralled listeners and it even acquired Mick Jagger’s stamp of approval.

Sport changer! Whereas it was no shock that Disturbed included a canopy on their 2015 Immortalized album, the tune choice most likely caught various followers off guard. Disturbed had beforehand scored successful with their tackle Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” and had confidently coated Tears for Fears’ “Shout,” however these songs could possibly be rocked as much as match with their general vibe. Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” was a ballad, one thing that didn’t actually play throughout the band’s general scheme as much as that time.

Followers not solely embraced the quilt, it grew to become considered one of their largest hits. The band’s take not solely confirmed their musicianship, it allowed considered one of rock’s strongest voices in David Draiman to showcase his vocal vary. After a efficiency on Conan, Paul Simon despatched a observe of reward to the band. After the success of “The Sound of Silence,” Disturbed expanded their musical method to incorporate extra of a mix of heavy and melodic songs on their follow-up album, Evolution.

This one will endlessly carry a smile to most listeners. In 2000, post-grunge rockers Dynamite Hack took a gangsta rap traditional about life within the hood and gave it a sunny, acoustic rock makeover. The dichotomy of Eazy-E’s hardcore lyrics towards the backdrop of frat-boy melodic whiteness actually made for an fascinating distinction.

The “oh no they didn’t” novelty was quickly washed away with heavy alt-rock radio airplay and the belief that the association, which included a Beatles-esque nod as nicely, was fairly genius. Definitely one of many oddest covers for certain, but it surely’s an earworm that has stood the check of time.

By the early ‘90s, Religion No Extra have been making a reputation for themselves with such heavy standouts as “Epic,” “We Care a Lot” and “Falling to Items.” So it got here as a little bit of a shock when on their 1992 album, Angel Mud, they took on the soulful ‘70s Commodores hit “Straightforward.”

This curveball took place as a acutely aware selection throughout their reside units, deciding to switch their cowl of Black Sabbath’s “Warfare Pigs” and tweak the viewers a bit with the decidedly completely different “Straightforward.” The Religion No Extra model, although a bit extra rocked up, maintains the soulful base, and famously consists of Mike Patton’s over-enunciation of a Lionel Richie’s “ooh.” That mentioned, Richie didn’t appear to thoughts, stating that he was flattered by the band’s cowl and that he “liked it.”

After an influential run within the ‘90s, Far break up up with band members branching off to different tasks within the early a part of the 2000s. What ended up being completely stunning was not simply the band’s 2009 reunion, however how they determined to launch that reunion. They coated R&B star Ginuwine’s strip-club favourite, “Pony,” giving it a rock makeover.

Out of the blue, the as soon as underground ‘90s favorites discovered themselves getting rock radio airplay after placing their rocked up stamp on the Ginuwine monitor, bringing it to an entire new viewers.

One of many more strange covers you’ll hear on this record, the Flying Lizards made their mark on the music business with their tackle “Cash (That’s What I Need).” Although initially recorded by Barrett Sturdy, the most well-liked model of the tune got here from The Beatles.

In 1979, The Flying Lizards introduced their model of “Cash” to the BBC’s Prime of the Pops, which helped propel the polarizing cowl up the charts. Relying closely on a percussive primarily based association and letting the spoken phrase vocal cleared the path, this cowl left listeners with a “adore it or hate it” response (or “hate that I adore it.”) That mentioned, the tune peaked at No. 5 within the U.Okay. and likewise had some U.S. success as nicely, so it made its fair proportion of “cash.”

Foo Fighters have by no means been afraid to put on their influences on their sleeves, usually dedicating parts of their reside reveals to saluting a few of their favourite acts. However seeing them cowl Rush, Queen, the Rolling Stones or among the nice traditional rock bands by no means felt like an excessive amount of of a stretch. Then, in 2021, they pushed the envelope — and Dave Grohl’s voice — additional than we ever anticipated it could go. They coated the Bee Gees, not simply as soon as, however for a full on Report Retailer Day EP that might tackle the Gibb brothers and their sibling Andy Gibb’s largest hits.

Surprisingly, the Grohl growl was in a position to transition to falsetto, with the band’s tackle “You Ought to Be Dancing” exhibiting that their vary knew no bounds. The Foos leaned into the kitsch of the second, dubbing themselves the D.G,’s, dressing the half with ‘70s threads and humorously titling their EP, Hail Satin! Even for a band with a variety of style, this cowl actually took everybody unexpectedly.

Given what we’d come to know of them, maybe HIM’s cowl of Chris Isaak’s “Depraved Sport” shouldn’t have been a shock. The unique, recording in a haunting method by crooner Chris Isaak, portrayed a wanton longing that exuded such intercourse attraction that the tune appeared untouchable.

Then, in 1997, alongside got here Finnish goth rock band HIM to place their recent tackle the monitor. The band that might come to be recognized for his or her “love steel,” set darkish hearts ablaze with their cowl of “Depraved Sport,” a model that managed to painting the longing, albeit with chunky guitars and a extra rock-centric association. It turned out to be a becoming centerpiece, and for some an introduction, to HIM on their Best Lovesongs Vol. 666 debut album.

For years producer Rick Rubin had been recognized for bringing laborious rocking beats to a few of rap’s largest songs, and Jay-Z’s “99 Issues” positively match that invoice. In reality, the tune off 2004’s The Black Album turned out to be considered one of Jay-Z’s largest hits, immediately identifiable to anybody who heard it.

So think about the shock when London-based, blues-influenced musician Hugo arrived on the scene in 2011, fully remodeling Jay-Z’s signature tune and turning right into a foot-stomping bluegrass romp that commanded the airwaves. Whereas music followers marveled at this overhaul, one one that wasn’t that every one shocked was doubtless Jay-Z. Seems Hugo was signed to Jay’s Roc Nation label, which helped carry this recent take to listeners within the first place.

My what a distinction a decade makes. In 1987, it was laborious to keep away from the acoustic-guitar pushed earworm “Religion” by former Wham! vocalist George Michael. Flash ahead a decade and music listeners obtained one other dose of “Religion,” albeit one which was a bit extra off-key and in-your-face. This time it was the up-and-coming Limp Bizkit doing the honors.

On the level of its arrival, Limp Bizkit had but to grow to be the dominant drive they might be over the following couple of years and even nu-metal had but to take over the airwaves, although the “Religion” cowl would play a key function in paving the trail. Sure, Limp Bizkit stored the identical strummy guitar, however then layered Fred Durst’s warbling and gutturals excessive of it giving listeners the aggro anthem they by no means knew they wanted.

Whereas we at the moment are nicely conscious of Machine Head’s wide-ranging musical tastes because of their pandemic livestream cowl periods, that wasn’t all the time the case. And in 1999, it most likely took a number of listeners unexpectedly when the band’s third album included a watery cowl of The Police’s traditional, “Message in a Bottle.”

Singer Robb Flynn pulls again his vocal aggression, first showcasing a extra weak aspect that ultimately turns extra menacing within the construct as much as the refrain. It’s a extra rocked up model for certain.

Punk rock supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are recognized for his or her punked up cowl songs with just about nothing off limits. Their 2003 album Take a Break discovered the collective taking up primarily R&B favorites, with issues reaching peak absurdity once they turned Boyz II Males’s chart-topping ballad “Finish of the Street” right into a punked out rager.

Whereas the band retains the sentiment principally the identical, the true enjoyable comes with the ad-libbed spoken phrase lament reflecting on drunken seaside day that explains precisely why she’s the one he can’t let go. Whereas the tune is unquestionably meant to inject some humor into this early ‘90s sobfest, there’s no denying the Me First model has its pit-stirring chops so as.

On this planet of sudden covers, this one must rank proper up there. Bob Dylan initially recorded “Lay, Girl, Lay” as a deep-voiced seduction, supposedly written for his spouse, again in 1969. However gone are the nice and cozy intonations of Dylan’s voice on the time, as a substitute changed by a extra aggressive and chugging guitar-led model when Ministry obtained maintain of it for his or her Filth Pig album.

Regardless of the drastic shift in tone, it nonetheless works, and fairly nicely. When you get previous the odd cowl selection novelty, the Ministry model really stands up over time.

Speaking Heads have been one of many extra experimental acts to return from New York’s punk and funk scene of the ‘70s, so possibly their cowl of the Al Inexperienced R&B traditional shouldn’t have been as a lot of a shock because it was.

The tune, showing on the band’s 1978 album Extra Songs About Buildings and Meals, really performed a giant function in propelling the band’s profession. It additionally allowed them to proceed to department out by displaying extra of their soulful dynamics, whereas including simply sufficient of their very own touches to appease their followers. It’s an exquisite mix that is still simply devoted sufficient to the unique to attraction to a broader viewers.

In 2022, Mark Tremonti, the guitarist for Alter Bridge and Creed and chief of his self-titled outfit, pulled off one of many extra spectacular musical transitions we’ve seen, embodying the vocal of the legendary crooner Frank Sinatra on not only one tune however a full album …. and with a lot of Sinatra’s personal gamers.

Turns on the market was an excellent motive for this transition as Tremonti was anxious to start out his personal “Take a Likelihood for Charity” initiative inviting performers to do one thing entertaining exterior of their consolation zone with the intention to carry consideration and funds to a selected charity. In Tremonti’s case, it was the Nationwide Down Syndrome Society in honor of his daughter. Merely put, Tremonti simply wowed, emulating the vocal intonations that Sinatra made well-known, taking us again in time with a velvet contact.

Right here’s an ideal instance of why taking part in towards sort works so nicely for covers. Seals & Crofts scored a chart-topping hit in 1972 on the top of country-influenced mild rock. “Summer season Breeze” conjures up visions of summer season brightness and lightness. It’s precisely the kind of monitor you’d by no means count on goth steel professionals Sort O Destructive to land anyplace close to, but they did on 1993’s Bloody Kisses standout.

Peter Steele and crew strip away all of the ethereal nature of this AM Gold traditional, changing it with doomy dreariness, and but it nonetheless shimmers just like the hit tune it ought to. This couldn’t have been a extra sudden cowl, however rattling if it didn’t work all the identical.