Really Bad Cover Songs

R

RustBucket

Well-known member
The other thread got me thinking about the flip side of cover songs. Really bad covers typically come from new artists needing a break, washed up artists needing a break, bad decisions by producers when assembling "talent" for tribute albums.

Give me your least favorite cover tunes. Barf bags optional.

Number one on my list is Faith Hill's bubblegum lyric recital of Janis Joplin's Piece of my Heart

I'm not a big fan of The Foo Fighters' rendition of Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street either.


EDIT: Almost forgot Bon Jovi's cover of Elton John's Levon
 
HA! I just mentioned Baker Street in the other thread! :D

I like both versions.

Limp Bizkit's version of Behind Blue Eyes may well be the worst cover I've ever heard... but give me some time, I'll come up with more.
 
Oooh! Oooh!

Simon Bar Sinister's remake of Gordon Lightfoot's Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It's pretty bad when a hard-rock band gets out-rocked by someone that's essentially a folk singer. :D

It wouldn't have happened had they paid attention to the original's guitar licks.
 
Dr.Jass said:
HA! I just mentioned Baker Street in the other thread! :D

I like both versions.

Limp Bizkit's version of Behind Blue Eyes may well be the worst cover I've ever heard... but give me some time, I'll come up with more.
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I went there before I checked this thread. I almost spit my drink on the monitor :bwuhaha:
I don't hate the song, just not crazy about it. There are times that Dave Grohl's vocals sound like a cheesy lounge singer's attempt at coolness.

I'd forgotten all about Fred Durst's raping of Behind Blue Eyes My only consolation would be to discover that Pete Townshend did to Fred Durst what Fred Durst did to his song.

Everclear - The Boys Are Back In Town -- And apparently they aren't as talented as the original boys. They copped out on the main riff for cryin' out loud.

The Donnas - School's Out -- The drummer is just flat out of her league here. She nailed the simple rhythym in Livin' After Midnight, but couldn't close the deal here.

Hole - Gold Dust Woman
 
I'm not sure who did the original, but UB40's version of Red, Red Wine makes me want to jam my ears with marshmellows.
My wife likes the song (or just plays it to torment me), but its the closest thing to nails on a chalkboard that I can think of.

Whitney Pass the Coke Houston's redo of Dolly Parton's I Will ALways Love You. Not bad enough that the movie assaulted our senses, but when the radio stations got hold of this turd, they pounded on them without mercilessly.
 
restoman said:
I'm not sure who did the original, but UB40's version of Red, Red Wine makes me want to jam my ears with marshmellows.
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Neil Diamond? I'm pretty sure he wrote, just not sure if he wrote it for someone else first and then released his own version...
 
When ever Joe Cocker open his pie hole and made a noise, it was a sucky cover of an otherwise decent song. :mad:
 
Another one, Metallica's take on "Turn The Page". Proof that somethings are best left alone. :doh:
 
Matt43 said:
Another one, Metallica's take on "Turn The Page". Proof that somethings are best left alone. :doh:
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Amen!! Especially near the end when Hetfield goes into Sinatra mode and starts belting out "....Turn that paayaaaage" I don't think the cleaned the cleavor between this and butchering Tuesday's Gone.
 
"American Pie"- Madonna........absolute blasphemy.

"Sweet Child 'O Mine" - Sheryl Crow....it just doesn't work.
 
dustergal said:
"American Pie"- Madonna........absolute blasphemy.
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Agreed.

I don't know the chick who does the cover of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over", but she butchered it! Also who ever covered The Cars' "Drive" sucks. No one could sing that like Ben Orr did. :(
 
Any non-country song done by a country act. I was going to write "country artist" but that's an oxymoron.

Oasis's version of Slade's Cum On Feel the Noize will make your ears bleed.

Brownsville Station were rolling over in their graves when Motley Crue remade Smokin' in the Boys' Room, and they weren't even dead yet... of course, being completely washed up an hour after that song left the charts, it's no doubt they cashed the royalty checks with big ol' goofy grins on their faces.
 
Worst covers EVER!:
Johnny Cash - Hurt...I hate how he gets the credit for writing that song!! It's one of the only old NIN songs I still love because I can relate to it as I'm sure Cash could as well, but...he ruined that song for me!

Shinedown - Simple Man. You don't mess with Skynyrd! 'Nuff said!!!! That is my all time favorite song!!!
 
dustergal;223154 "Sweet Child 'O Mine" - Sheryl Crow....it just doesn't work.[/quote said:
Oh damn I forgot about that one! What a pile of puke that one was!!! :sick:
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will to power. nuff said

Hey Jass, check out Brownsville station's "Martian Boogie" what ya eatin' there boy, crayons?
 
I have.

Smokin' in the Boys' Room was their only Top 40 hit. The Martian Boogie only hit #59, not exactly a career-saver... and not even as popular as Let Your Yeah be Yeah (#57) and I'm the Leader of the Gang (#48) from the same album as Smokin' in the Boys' Room (Yeah!, c.1973) :D

I stand by my original statement. :dance:

Will to power? :huh:
 
Fishy said:
Worst covers EVER!:
Johnny Cash - Hurt...I hate how he gets the credit for writing that song!! It's one of the only old NIN songs I still love because I can relate to it as I'm sure Cash could as well, but...he ruined that song for me!
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i disagree i thik CASHs cover of HURT is far way better than the original NIN song . :bravo:
 
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