Music Cover songs versus the original track, which ones are better?

[DennisN]

Wow, I just found two covers which I did not know about...
...I was genuinely very surprised as I am a fan of both artists...
But who could have guessed that they were also fans of eachother?
...reality is sometimes weirder than poetry, I guess ...

David Bowie covers ABBA:s "The Winner Takes It All"
Quote: "RARE AUDIO - Recorded inbetween sessions for Bowie's Let's Dance Single at The Power Station in Manhattan in 1982. Bowie apparently played around a lot with the song and really wanted to record it properly, but it was never to be."


Original: here

ABBA:s Frida covers David Bowies "Life On Mars?", translated to Swedish:


Original: here

I like both covers, but as often, the originals are the best.
But I really liked Bowies "naked" version of "The Winner Takes It All", it is very fragile, sad and emotional.

 

[Hornbein]

It's Raining Men by the WOW! Girls.



Gotta be from Romania. I wish they'd gone a little lighter on the Autotune.

 

[Hornbein]

King Hussein of Jordan was a big ABBA fan.

 

[robphy]

Over the Mountain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Mountain (1981)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne - Over the Mountain (Live - Albuquerque, NM Jan 7, 1982)
&t=3m00s solo

• Randy Rhoads - Over the mountain - Guitar Only - &t=2m10s solo
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Rhoads (sadly, died March 19, 1982)

---

Kids going "Over the Mountain"

(2024) Ozzy Osbourne - Over the mountain (cover) - Maximum Friction

Jaden - Guitar 13 Jasmine - bass 15 Anton - drums 18.

&t=2m15s solo

• different version: Over The Mountain (YouTube short)

(2011) Over the Mountain Cover Ozzy Osbourne performed by Party Boys (guitarist Jake)
&t=2m20s solo



(2020) Over the Mountain - Ozzy Osbourne (Cover) / Yoyoka with FRIENDS (with SATSUMA3042 )

My name is Yoyoka, I'm a 10 year old drummer from Japan

&t=2m40s solo

• (2021 Version) - (2023 Version)
• (2012) Over the mountain☆Ozzy Osbourne - &t=2m20s solo - SATSUMA3042 has many guitar covers - "Pancake shop that rocks; owner touted as Japan’s ‘Van Halen’"

(2014) Ozzy Osbourne Over the Mountain Cover - Deraps

Jacob Deraps, 17 years old, playing Ozzy Osbourne's Over the Mountain.

&t=2m30s solo

---

Honorable mention:

• (audio only) MeloDia LILIAC - Over the Mountain Audio "Recorded in 2021 at age 19!"
  (original video on FB) OVER THE MOUNTAIN Check out my take of this song by Ozzy Osbourne
  
  
• (audio only) The Word Alive - Over The Mountain (Ozzy Osbourne Cover) [New Song 2011]

 

[Hornbein]

Orig


Cover


The orig still rules, but a very good effort by the women.

 

[pinball1970]

King Hussein of Jordan was a big ABBA fan.

Everyone was and is a big ABBA fan. Elvis to Lemmy, Biden to Putin, Thatcher to Starmer, Hawking to Brian Cox. They cross boundaries.

EDIT: A pfer asked for evidence of this and I have none it is my guess my references liked ABBA. The people I used were polar opposites to make a point.

 

[pinball1970]

Over the Mountain
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Mountain (1981)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne - Over the Mountain (Live - Albuquerque, NM Jan 7, 1982)
&t=3m00s solo

• Randy Rhoads - Over the mountain - Guitar Only - &t=2m10s solo
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Rhoads (sadly, died March 19, 1982)

---

Kids going "Over the Mountain"

(2024) Ozzy Osbourne - Over the mountain (cover) - Maximum Friction

&t=2m15s solo

• different version: Over The Mountain (YouTube short)

(2011) Over the Mountain Cover Ozzy Osbourne performed by Party Boys (guitarist Jake)
&t=2m20s solo



(2020) Over the Mountain - Ozzy Osbourne (Cover) / Yoyoka with FRIENDS (with SATSUMA3042 )

&t=2m40s solo

• (2021 Version) - (2023 Version)
• (2012) Over the mountain☆Ozzy Osbourne - &t=2m20s solo - SATSUMA3042 has many guitar covers

(2014) Ozzy Osbourne Over the Mountain Cover - Deraps

&t=2m30s solo

---

Honorable mention:

• (audio only) MeloDia LILIAC - Over the Mountain Audio "Recorded in 2021 at age 19!"
  (original video on FB) OVER THE MOUNTAIN Check out my take of this song by Ozzy Osbourne
  
  
• (audio only) The Word Alive - Over The Mountain (Ozzy Osbourne Cover) [New Song 2011]

We do this one in the tribute. The drum intro is "Pictures of home," off Machine head but a bit slower I think.
Ian Paice, the best rock drummer for me.

Those kids are amazing though. If you stuck them on our gear with a good sound engineer they would nail it.

 

[DennisN]

Everyone was and is a big ABBA fan. Elvis to Lemmy, Biden to Putin, Thatcher to Starmer, Hawking to Brian Cox. They cross boundaries.

Yes.
And your quote prompted me to tell a little personal story....

As you very well know I am a BIG ABBA fan (not so much of their more easy/cheesy pop, but of their experimental and really creative music, which I think is just fantastic), and I was a fan from a very early age.

But one thing I never quite understood was how darn popular they were outside of our small country.
Because it was highly unusual (and it has never been even nearly repeated by any other Swedish artist to such a big extent). And I was young then too and did not travel much to other countries either.

You see, we are a really small country (about 8 million people back then), and we were definitely not famous for our music, until ABBA came and broke all the rules.

Since I never quite understood how they managed to appeal to such a wide audience, I decided to research it to find out, because it IS so unusual.

Look at this chart, it is crazy:

The Official Top 20 biggest selling groups of all time revealed! (UK)​

(the ten first listed below)

1​	BEATLES​	22.1 MILLION​	​
2​	QUEEN​	12.8 MILLION​	​
3​	ABBA​	11.3 MILLION​	​
4​	ROLLING STONES​	10.1 MILLION​	​
5​	OASIS​	9.079 MILLION​	​
6​	TAKE THAT​	9.078 MILLION​	​
7​	SPICE GIRLS​	8.0 MILLION​	​
8​	BEE GEES​	7.6 MILLION​	​
9​	U2​	7.5 MILLION​	​
10​	STATUS QUO​	7.2 MILLION​	​

Source: https://www.officialcharts.com/char...t-selling-groups-of-all-time-revealed-__2515/

Seeing this chart is just crazy for a Swede. First is the Beatles (of course), then Queen (I can see that) and then... ABBA? What? Before Rolling Stones? And U2?

Why? Here's my take on it after my research:

1. They were incredibly versatile, playing many different music styles (so did the Beatles), e.g. pop, rock, experimental and even musical-like
2. They actively mixed different styles into new unique styles (so did the Beatles)
3. They had (at least) TWO ridiculously good composers in the band (as did the Beatles)
4. They wrote easy listening stuff, but they also wrote very advanced music (so did the Beatles)
5. Even so, they both still had a unique sound; if your hear The Beatles or ABBA you can not mistake it for something else.

And there are probably more comparisons with the Beatles I haven't thought of yet .

Here is a interesting video which actually started my personal research on the topic; in this video they ask this very question to other composers and artists:

Why we all love ABBA | DW History and Culture​

Bonus fun, because it is SO weird for me as a Swede to see this... :

John Lydon, the lead singer of the iconic punk band Sex Pistols here tells his older punk audience that Sid Vicious' favorite band was ABBA. And then they sing along to "Fernando":



You see, this just blows my mind. My brain can't really comprehend that UK anti-establishment punk rebels, without any irony at all, like ABBA. It just doesn't make sense . But it sure is fun .

 

[fresh_42]

As you very well know I am a BIG ABBA fan (not so much of their more easy/cheesy pop, ...

I once read a discussion about their "easy/cheesy pop." IIRC it was "Thank you for the music" but I am not sure. Anyway, the message was that their music is all but not easy. They have sophisticated harmonies and baselines. What may sound like "easy/cheesy pop" is the result of hard work hiding the actual complexity.

 

[DennisN]

I once read a discussion about their "easy/cheesy pop." IIRC it was "Thank you for the music" but I am not sure. Anyway, the message was that their music is all but not easy. They have sophisticated harmonies and baselines. What may sound like "easy/cheesy pop" is the result of hard work hiding the actual complexity.

"Thank you for the music" is not the easy listening/cheesy I was thinking about.
That song is spectacular, and far from easy, and it's from their very creative album called "The Album", probably my favorite album if I have to choose one.

Regarding easy listening pop I was thinking more about songs like "Ring Ring", "Take A Chance On Me", still good songs, but definitely not among their best (in my subjective opinion).

Excellent songs on "The Album" (according to me):

• Eagle (just stunning, it's like a fantasy)
• The Name of the Game (simply an incredible mix of genres if you analyze it, one analysis here, another great analysis here by a pro DJ. My note: excellent verse, bridge, chorus and break, AND they mix styles in the same song... the verse is mystical and groovy, then it goes into a classical bridge and then into a killer chorus sounding a bit like the Beatles AND they also get in psychedelic guitars AND a capella parts... in the same song!
  In short: it takes a musical genius to manage to pull that off in the same song, there is no doubt.
• Move On (a mix of genres and very deep existential lyrics)
• Hole In Your Soul (a crazy mix of genres, and a dedication to rock'n roll from this pop band, and the verse could have been the Beatles)
• Thank You for the Music - spectacular, a mix of quality pop, and sounding very close to a piece from a musical
• I Wonder (Departure) - incredibly emotional
• I'm A Marionette - crazy experimental music, and a superb verse

A shoutout goes also to "The Visitors" on their last album
Very unusual for ABBA, much more serious and really, really dark, and with synthesizers that are just out of this world... with VERY weird sounding vocals in the verse.
And what is the lyrics about? It's a mystery to the listener.
Listen to it, and make a judgment...

Then, read this spoiler:

Spoiler

It is about political dissidents in the Soviet Union. A protest song against the treatment of political prisoners in the Soviet Union, disguised as an experimental piece.
- and some people say that their music wasn't deep... well, they were wrong.

Edit:

I just have to add something regarding the song "The Visitors"...
It was released in 1981 and wasn't very successful, partly because it did not sound like the usual ABBA.

But it was SO ahead of its time that people didn't understand that ABBA was breaking new ground
with it. It is now categorized as a synth-pop/art rock song, but people did not get it at the time, because no-one had heard such music before.

It is essentially ABBA pioneering into the dark wave and goth genre that became popular later in the 1980s by UK bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Soft Cell etc.

Phil Collins later told ABBA they should have released it as the opening single for that album.

And I challenge anyone to find a song from that time that sounds just like it...
...I don't think there is any. It is something like as if Vangelis or Jean Michel Jarre decided to make a dark synth song with lyrics. It is very unique. Here is one who gets it, but he's more than 40 years late .

 

[fresh_42]

Regarding easy listening pop I was thinking more about songs like "Ring Ring", "Take A Chance On Me", still good songs, but definitely not among their best (in my subjective opinion).

I bought Waterloo back in the '70s. I was probably one of a few who liked the B-side "Watch Out" even more.

 

[pinball1970]

Yes.
And your quote prompted me to tell a little personal story....

As you very well know I am a BIG ABBA fan (not so much of their more easy/cheesy pop, but of their experimental and really creative music, which I think is just fantastic), and I was a fan from a very early age.

But one thing I never quite understood was how darn popular they were outside of our small country.
Because it was highly unusual (and it has never been even nearly repeated by any other Swedish artist to such a big extent). And I was young then too and did not travel much to other countries either.

You see, we are a really small country (about 8 million people back then), and we were definitely not famous for our music, until ABBA came and broke all the rules.

Since I never quite understood how they managed to appeal to such a wide audience, I decided to research it to find out, because it IS so unusual.

Look at this chart, it is crazy:

The Official Top 20 biggest selling groups of all time revealed! (UK)​

(the ten first listed below)

1​	BEATLES​	22.1 MILLION​	​
2​	QUEEN​	12.8 MILLION​	​
3​	ABBA​	11.3 MILLION​	​
4​	ROLLING STONES​	10.1 MILLION​	​
5​	OASIS​	9.079 MILLION​	​
6​	TAKE THAT​	9.078 MILLION​	​
7​	SPICE GIRLS​	8.0 MILLION​	​
8​	BEE GEES​	7.6 MILLION​	​
9​	U2​	7.5 MILLION​	​
10​	STATUS QUO​	7.2 MILLION​	​

Source: https://www.officialcharts.com/char...t-selling-groups-of-all-time-revealed-__2515/

Seeing this chart is just crazy for a Swede. First is the Beatles (of course), then Queen (I can see that) and then... ABBA? What? Before Rolling Stones? And U2?

Why? Here's my take on it after my research:

1. They were incredibly versatile, playing many different music styles (so did the Beatles), e.g. pop, rock, experimental and even musical-like
2. They actively mixed different styles into new unique styles (so did the Beatles)
3. They had (at least) TWO ridiculously good composers in the band (as did the Beatles)
4. They wrote easy listening stuff, but they also wrote very advanced music (so did the Beatles)
5. Even so, they both still had a unique sound; if your hear The Beatles or ABBA you can not mistake it for something else.

And there are probably more comparisons with the Beatles I haven't thought of yet .

Here is a interesting video which actually started my personal research on the topic; in this video they ask this very question to other composers and artists:

Why we all love ABBA | DW History and Culture​

Bonus fun, because it is SO weird for me as a Swede to see this... :

John Lydon, the lead singer of the iconic punk band Sex Pistols here tells his older punk audience that Sid Viscious' favorite band was ABBA. And then they sing along to "Fernando":



You see, this just blows my mind. My brain can't really comprehend that UK anti-establishment punk rebels, without any irony at all, like ABBA. It just don't make sense . But it sure is fun .

ive started a new thread

 

[jack action]

The day before yesterday, Duane Eddy passed away. Younger, I always knew Peter Gunn by The Art of Noise. This one fits in this thread.

​

Not really a cover, but I thought of another popular song that uses the Peter Gunn theme: Planet Claire from The B-52s.

​

 

[Hornbein]

Yes.
And your quote prompted me to tell a little personal story....

As you very well know I am a BIG ABBA fan (not so much of their more easy/cheesy pop, but of their experimental and really creative music, which I think is just fantastic), and I was a fan from a very early age.

But one thing I never quite understood was how darn popular they were outside of our small country.
Because it was highly unusual (and it has never been even nearly repeated by any other Swedish artist to such a big extent). And I was young then too and did not travel much to other countries either.

You see, we are a really small country (about 8 million people back then), and we were definitely not famous for our music, until ABBA came and broke all the rules.

Since I never quite understood how they managed to appeal to such a wide audience, I decided to research it to find out, because it IS so unusual.

Look at this chart, it is crazy:

The Official Top 20 biggest selling groups of all time revealed! (UK)​

(the ten first listed below)

1​	BEATLES​	22.1 MILLION​	​
2​	QUEEN​	12.8 MILLION​	​
3​	ABBA​	11.3 MILLION​	​
4​	ROLLING STONES​	10.1 MILLION​	​
5​	OASIS​	9.079 MILLION​	​
6​	TAKE THAT​	9.078 MILLION​	​
7​	SPICE GIRLS​	8.0 MILLION​	​
8​	BEE GEES​	7.6 MILLION​	​
9​	U2​	7.5 MILLION​	​
10​	STATUS QUO​	7.2 MILLION​	​

Source: https://www.officialcharts.com/char...t-selling-groups-of-all-time-revealed-__2515/

Seeing this chart is just crazy for a Swede. First is the Beatles (of course), then Queen (I can see that) and then... ABBA? What? Before Rolling Stones? And U2?

Why? Here's my take on it after my research:

1. They were incredibly versatile, playing many different music styles (so did the Beatles), e.g. pop, rock, experimental and even musical-like
2. They actively mixed different styles into new unique styles (so did the Beatles)
3. They had (at least) TWO ridiculously good composers in the band (as did the Beatles)
4. They wrote easy listening stuff, but they also wrote very advanced music (so did the Beatles)
5. Even so, they both still had a unique sound; if your hear The Beatles or ABBA you can not mistake it for something else.

And there are probably more comparisons with the Beatles I haven't thought of yet .

Here is a interesting video which actually started my personal research on the topic; in this video they ask this very question to other composers and artists:

Why we all love ABBA | DW History and Culture​

Bonus fun, because it is SO weird for me as a Swede to see this... :

John Lydon, the lead singer of the iconic punk band Sex Pistols here tells his older punk audience that Sid Vicious' favorite band was ABBA. And then they sing along to "Fernando":



You see, this just blows my mind. My brain can't really comprehend that UK anti-establishment punk rebels, without any irony at all, like ABBA. It just doesn't make sense . But it sure is fun .

That chart turns out to be sales of singles. Huh. ABBA is 32nd on album sales. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists

 

[robphy]

S!CK by The Warning

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Warning_(band)
https://thewarningband.com/
https://www.discogs.com/artist/4533866-The-Warning

---

Related earlier posts by me:​

• https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...-ones-are-better.1050205/page-16#post-6933638
• https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...-impact-on-modern-music.1055930/#post-6981063

The Warning (formed in 2013) is a rock group of three sisters from Monterrey, Mexico.​

​

They had a well-viewed cover [now at 25M views] (2014) Enter Sandman - METALLICA Cover - The Warning​

when guitarist Daniela "Dany" was 14, drummer Paulina "Pau" was 12, and bassist Alejandra "Ale" was 9. Metallica invited them to contribute to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metallica_Blacklist (2021).​

​

This track, S!CK, is from their fourth album Keep Me Fed (2024).​

​

While I was looking at Maximum Friction, who was featured in the Over the Mountain covers (#1354) ,​

I saw that they had covered S!CK and was pleasantly surprised to find a few others who covered the song. It's nice to see covers of songs from a relatively-new band that I've liked.​

---

• (October 21, 2023) The Warning - S!CK (New song debut) Teatro Diana, Guadalajara, México 10/21/23
• (Feb 1, 2024) The Warning - S!CK (Official Music Video)
• (June 14, 2024) THE WARNING - S!CK , Live at The Live House Soma, Osaka, Japan June 14 2024
• (Jun 28, 2024) The Warning - S!CK (Live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! / 2024)
  
  • See also a collaboration with BAND-MAID (See #1005 Thrill)
    (June 12, 2024) BAND-MAID x The Warning - "SHOW THEM" (LIVE)!
    (August 6, 2024, premiere in 30 minutes) BAND-MAID with The Warning / SHOW THEM (Official Music Video)

---

---

(April 8, 2024) Sick Drum Cover: Victoria Takes on The Warning's Explosive Hit!



(June 6, 2024) The Warning-S!CK covered by Venus



(June 8, 2024) S!CK - The Warning | Cover By LAVENDERS


(May 3, 2024) The Warning - S!CK [COVER] - Fiebre de Cover



(Jul 15, 2024) Sick - The Warning (cover/ Soundcheck) - Maximum Friction

Maximum Friction takes on a cover by all sister trio The Warning. Filmed while while doing sound check opening for Nicko McBrains Titanium Tart at The OCC Roadhouse in Clearwater, FL.

• see also #1354 Over the Mountain

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Cover

 

[robphy]

Orig



Cover

Interesting.
I wasn’t aware of the Nickelback song. But you and quite a few others are. I’m somewhat concerned.

 

[Arjan82]

Pretty good voice I think

 

[DennisN]

Pretty good voice I think

Pretty good?
I heard two sentences of the song (with Alice Phoebe Lou), and paused the video to reply:
She has not a pretty good voice, she has a terrific voice!
Now I'm gonna listen to the rest of the song...

Edit:

Now I've listened to the rest, and yes, she is a terrific singer. An interesting mix of pretty bright vocals, but also soulful.

And I actually don't like the original song very much, so I prefer Alices version much more.

 

[pinball1970]

Pretty good voice I think

That was unexpected!

An usual voice, lovely tone and kudos for taking on a track like that. I would have said that was untouchable as a cover, just too big.

She played around with it a bit.

I will listen to more of her stuff

 

[pinball1970]

Pretty good voice I think

I love the Lou Reed one too!

 

[Arjan82]

Pretty good?

Yeah, I understated it a bit indeed

 

[Arjan82]

She played around with it a bit.

That's actually what I very much like about covers. It is when the artist makes the song their own instead of just copying what has already been done. If the result of the cover is almost a carbon copy of the original, what's the point?

There used to be a Dutch morning show on the radio (3FM, with Giel Beelen) where there was a live band each morning (oh.. those were the days...) where they first did a song of their own, and then a cover of 'something out of the mega top 50 chart' (sometimes taken a bit loosely). I absolutely loved that second part, because that was what set apart the good artists from the great ones. The good ones did a carbon copy, the great ones made the song their own with some amazing results!

 

[pinball1970]

The good ones did a carbon copy, the great ones made the song their own with some amazing results!

I'm in tribute bands so that is pretty much all we do ha ha! It is hard to copy good music and good musicians and people still want to hear it because those bands are not playing anymore. Or not playing like that anymore or have different members.

 

[robphy]

If the result of the cover is almost a carbon copy of the original, what's the point?

I'm in tribute bands so that is pretty much all we do ha ha! It is hard to copy good music and good musicians and people still want to hear it because those bands are not playing anymore. Or not playing like that anymore or have different members.

For me, I appreciate covers and tribute bands because some reverse-engineering
was done to reveal how the original may have been done.
(For example, "Oh, that's how you play that riff (or that solo)... and maybe I can too [with practice]...")

In addition, I appreciate covers by bands that are different from the original bands,
like covers done by kids and by bands from around the world (from places one might not expect).
Maybe one could say that these bands are a few years behind...
but I think they keep the song and style alive...
and maybe they continue with new original songs in that vein.

To me, covers that are quite different from the original
suggest that elements in the original (like the melody or lyrics)
have a life beyond the original song [in its original genre and style].

 

[Arjan82]

So good points indeed. I can definitely see that being a tribute band you need to be truthful to the original. I would love to be at a concert of a tribute band of The Cranberries for example, and I would want them to be as truthful to the original music as possible.

Also I see the point about reverse-engineering, although I would say that this is mainly the benefit for the musicians rather than the listener (but I can certainly appreciate the effort as a listener). So you would definitely learn a lot as a musician by looking very closely at others songs.

I also totally agree that a good cover that differs from the original also tells you a lot about the quality of the song itself. It's usually the very good songs that can be or are covered in this way, and by doing that you more or less immortalize them.

So thanks for pointing that out :)

 

[Hornbein]

One reason I spend half the year in Tokyo. No tribute bands except a few for The Beatles (who in my opinion deserve tribute). There isn't much by way of cover bands either. Tokyo people want to hear your own thing.

When I lived in northern Michigan there was a summer concert series in the park. Nine out of ten shows were tribute bands. It's a nation that looks to the past.

 

[Frabjous]

One reason I spend half the year in Tokyo. No tribute bands except a few for The Beatles (who in my opinion deserve tribute). There isn't much by way of cover bands either. Tokyo people want to hear your own thing.

When I lived in northern Michigan there was a summer concert series in the park. Nine out of ten shows were tribute bands. It's a nation that looks to the past.

You are comparing the culture of the Japanese capitol to the culture of northern Michigan? If that is a comparison of equals, I feel pretty good about the USA. If I was Japanese, I’d feel pretty insulted.

 

[berkeman]

Thread closed for Moderation...

EDIT -- After a Mentor discussion, thread is reopened.