20 Best Beatles Cover Songs

[petertoshsghost]

I found this article on Spinner last week. After acknowledging that covering The Beatles is no easy feat and most Beatles covers are lacking in execution, the article lists a few that stand out from the crowd. I’ve copied and pasted some of my favorites below.

Peter Tosh, 'Here Comes the Sun'
Anyone who's heard Paul McCartney's ditzy 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae' knows it's no mean feat to get moptops and dreadlocks to peacefully coexist. Tosh, a founding member of the Wailers with Bob Marley, was not exactly known as a glass-half-full guy, which is one big reason his reggae-fied adaptation of George Harrison's lovely ode to optimism works so well.

The Black Keys, 'She Said She Said'
Ohio's finest dirty-blues duo lay the fuzz on this Lennon nugget so thick, it's a wonder the Black Keys found their way out of the studio. A photo finish ahead of the Feelies, who did their own excellent version of the song, which Lennon wrote after recalling a comment by Peter Fonda at an LSD party.

The Brothers Johnson, 'Come Together'
Aerosmith's version is a spinal cracker, too, but this underappreciated family affair -- George "Lightnin' Licks" and Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson -- took John Lennon's absurdist wordplay and downplayed it into a slinky space-funk mood piece that came grooving up slowly.

Booker T. and the MGs, 'Medley: Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window/I Want You (She's So Heavy)'
The Stax bandleader laid his inimitable B-3 organ sound on a huge chunk of the 'Abbey Road' album on this expansive medley, released the same month the Beatles announced their breakup. "It was all or nothing for me at that point," the funk-soul instrumental keyboardist recalled.

What do you think? Did they miss any obvious candidates? I’m not a big fan of Stevie Wonders version of We Can Work It Out, nor Johnny Cash’s cover of In My Life, but they both made the list none the less. You’ll have to Google for a link to the article, but it should be too hard to find.

[Neo Cassady]

How is there no mention of Joe Cocker?

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or Boyz II Men?

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[CarolineQT2774]

House of Heroes - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

[Kurt Retenauer]

Hahaha Boyz II Men. It's actually a decent cover, though. But,

Ben Folds-Golden Slumbers
Eddie Vedder-You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Two of my personal favorites. And not Nevershoutnever-Yesterday.

[fueledbyvictory]

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - Schenker/Pattison Summit.

AWESOME.

[raychull]

I am the walrus by Gray Matter.

/thread.

[MADSTA]

I like the Across The Universe covers.

[xwearetheendx]

Thrices' rendition of 'Elanor Rigby'

[Neo Cassady]

I like the Across The Universe covers.

Let It Be.

[Un'Aria Ancora]

Thrices' rendition of 'Elanor Rigby'
So bad...

Let It Be.

Definitely my favorite.

[letdownagain]

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[xwearetheendx]

So bad...



Definitely my favorite.

I'm biased but i really think it had alot of thought put into it.

[phil19]

thrice did a good version of eleanor rigby

[xJesusFreakx]

Ew, the Thrice cover of "Eleanor Rigby" is so bad... The extended outro is fun, but it's pretty horrible besides that.

Their "Helter Skelter" cover is pretty rad, though.

[:-)]

All the covers from the Across the Universe movie are really well done - especially Because.

But this is one of the best (not musical, but still very powerful): 6NUpOovSItA

[murrich]

How is there no mention of Joe Cocker?

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This is the version on the Woodstock documentary isn't it? I love this cover.

[3eb23]

Thrices' rendition of 'Elanor Rigby'

...is horrible

[A7XXX]

I know we're talking about the best cover but I just want to mention this as a weirdest version http://boingboing.net/2009/10/28/weirdest-beatles-cov.html
Personally I really like The Breeders' rendition of Happiness is a Warm Gun as well as Aerosmith's Come Together

[Nick Le]

Thrices' rendition of 'Elanor Rigby'

I prefer their cover of Helter Skelter.

[Broclee]

Since Thrice has released their cover of Helter Skelter, I think all mentions of the "Elanor Rigby" cover need to go away. Just sayin.

[Oddpac87]

Thrice - "Helter Skelter" and Mae - "A Day In The Life" are the two best Beatles cover songs I've ever heard. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that those are my two favorite Beatles songs.

[mmmmmpoetry]

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thread needs more elliott.

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no, you were elliott!

[Auals]

Let It Be.

Revolution No. 1 (or is no. 2?) Is just incredible. I bought that movie almost purely to hear revolution.

[MADSTA]

thread needs more elliott.

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no, you were elliott!
Let's be best friends.

[biscant]

Thrice Helter Skelter, Rufus Wainwrights across the universe, echo and the bunnymen all you need is love, oasis i am the walrus, neil young a day in the life

[mulcahy67]

Across the Universe OST
Godheads Eleanor Rigby

[Ill]

Across The Universe covers? Yes.

The movie itself? FUCK no.

[CellarGhosts]

Paul Westerberg's cover of "Nowhere Man".
Johnny Cash's cover of "In My Life".
Steve Earle's cover of "I'm Looking Through You".

[StreetSpirit76]

Look no further than Ray Charles for great Beatles covers:

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Also, Stevie Wonder and Johnny Cash's covers are fantastic. No idea how you couldn't like them, but to each his own.

[StreetSpirit76]

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[IWasaCamera]

thrice did a good version of eleanor rigby
hahahaha

[cshadows2887]

Aretha Franklin - Let It Be

I honestly might like it more than the original. That's how effin good it is.

[mmmmmpoetry]

Let's be best friends.
I can dig it :buddies:

[letdownagain]

thread needs more elliott.


Totally forgot about I Me Mine. Good call.

Revolution No. 1 (or is no. 2?) Is just incredible. I bought that movie almost purely to hear revolution.

There's Revolution 1 and Revolution 9. No two. There's an album and single version of Revolution 1, both very different. Also, in Beatles rarities, there's a version of Revolution 1 - Take 20. Crazy stuff.

Across The Universe covers? Yes.

The movie itself? FUCK no.

True. I could live without the story, I'm just mainly interested in the interpretations of the music. I don't think the movie's that bad, but it could just be a collection of music videos.

[petertoshsghost]

I had no idea thrice did either of those! Totally rad! Elliot Smith covered practically every Beatles classic. Insane!

[gmiscool]

Silverstein - Help

:D

[maxvsmaradona]

The drummer for this (Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater) go me into drumming (along with ?uestlove of The Roots)

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[maxvsmaradona]

Also, I really enjoy Thrice's Elanor Rigby cover, and I don't like their Helter Skelter cover. I guess that's just me :shrug:

[mulcahy67]

Aerosmiths Come Together.

[Robin.]

I love I'm only Sleeping covered by Oasis with Stereophonics.

Michael Jackson's Come Together had its moment too.

I am the walrus by Jim Carrey? Haha.

Actually the whole SPLHCB 40th anniversary with bands like The Fray, Oasis, Stereophonics..Fixin' a Hole was great.

Fionna Apple's Across the Universe.

Revolution by The Stone Temple Pilots.

[Troggy]

The Black Keys, 'She Said She Said'
Ohio's finest dirty-blues duo lay the fuzz on this Lennon nugget so thick, it's a wonder the Black Keys found their way out of the studio. A photo finish ahead of the Feelies, who did their own excellent version of the song, which Lennon wrote after recalling a comment by Peter Fonda at an LSD party.

I by no means keep up with Beatles covers, but I second this one.

[Stavie Steelo]

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