Covers

The Alanis "My Humps" cover is startling. I'm sure by now you've seen it or heard it--according to YouTube, more than 1.5 million people have viewed it. It also made me think of my favorite cover songs. So here, in no particular order, are some of my favorites.

Tori Amos, "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
David Bowie, "Wild is the Wind"
Talking Heads, "Take Me to the River"
Eurythmics, "Come Together"
Johnny Cash, "Hurt"
PJ Harvey and Bjork, "Satisfaction"
Nydia Rojas, "The Tide is High"
Sinead O'Connor, "Success Has Made a Failure of Our Home"
Bono, "Hallelujah"
The Vines, "Miss Jackson"
Cyndi Lauper, "Carey"
Madonna & Massive Attack, "I Want You"
Scissor Sisters, "Comfortably Numb"
Syd Straw, "These Boots are Made For Walkin"

And just to be fair, execrable versions that should never be played again.

Britney Spears, "My Prerogative"
Rod Stewart, "Downtown Train"
Jessica Simpson, "Angel"/"These Boots are Made for Walkin"/"You Spin Me Round"
Madonna, "American Pie"
Annie Lennox, "Train in Vain"
10,000 Maniacs, "Because the Night"
Marilyn Manson, "Sweet Dreams"/"Tainted Love"
Counting Crows, "Big Yellow Taxi"
Gloria Estefan, "Everlasting Love"/"Turn the Beat Around"
Johnny Cash, "Bridge Over Troubled Water"/ "Danny Boy"
Celine Dion, "You Shook Me All Night Long"
Hillary Duff, "My Generation"
Sheryl Crow, "The First Cut is the Deepest"/"Sweet Child O' Mine"