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

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

Original



There are dozens if not hundreds of worthy covers of this famous tune -- such is the power of mass media -- but this is the one I keep coming back to. It's sung in Indonesian.



This was created with AI assistance but I'm OK with that. It's better than the covers by real symphony orchestras. And you can't realistically expect some guy in the attic to hire a real symphony orchestra.

Isn't this a tango?

 

[Hornbein]

 

[robphy]

These are covers by Ami Inoi

(2025) The Trooper／Iron Maiden｜クラシック・ギター1本で描く、ロックの世界（著・猪居亜美）【模範演奏】

(#562 The Trooper, more The Trooper on PF)

(2022) I Was Made For Lovin' You / KISS (Classical Guitar ver.)

(#2,091 I was Made For Lovin' You)

(2025) Goodbye To Romance／Ozzy Osbourne｜クラシック・ギター1本で描く、ロックの世界（著・猪居亜美）【模範演奏】

(see also KNULP's cover of Goodbye to Romance in #973)

(2025) Sweet Child O’ Mine／Guns N’ Roses｜クラシック・ギター1本で描く、ロックの世界（著・猪居亜美）【模範演奏】

(see also Sweet Child O' Mine #92 , #1,734 , and more on PF )

(2025) Master Of Puppets／Metallica｜クラシック・ギター1本で描く、ロックの世界（著・猪居亜美）【模範演奏】

(see also #1,410 Master of Puppets and more on PF )

 

[Hornbein]

In my opinion Xhosa and Zulu are the most melodious of languages.



Encore!

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

Little drummer Yoyoka is from Hokkaido, Japan's answer to Idaho.

 

[robphy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wait_(White_Lion_song) (1987)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Lion

White Lion - Wait
- solo &t=2m10s

• White Lion - Wait (Official Music Video) - solo &t=2m17s
• White Lion — Wait • Vito Bratta Only (Isolated Guitar) - solo &t=2m13s
• interview: Vito Bratta Of White Lion - Hot Guitarist Video Magazine
• interview: Vito Bratta | Interview | Eddie Trunk | 02/17/2007
  &t=13m49s on the Wait solo
  

  Vito said
  "We need to record the solos and
  uh...Mike, you remember when you said 'ok go ahead' and i did the solo for Wait and I did it as a rehearsal.
  And you turnaround and I said, 'okay, when are we gonna do the real thing?'
  And you said 'That was it.'"
  Michael Wagener (producer) "And that's the solo on the record. One take, One go, man."

• • VITO BRATTA from WHITE LION @timfromkickingharold
  • My 30 Best Vito Bratta guitar Solos with White Lion - Marc Vyler

(see also #1,693 When the Children Cry )

---

(2024) Wait | White Lion | Electric Guitar Full Song Cover | Ash Blair
- solo &t=2m13s


(2020) White Lion - "Wait" Vocal Acoustic Guitar Cover Song - Mickey Lilly

(see also his Judas Priest - Victim of Changes Vocal/Acoustic Guitar Cover short)

(2012) White Lion: Wait - cover song - PDX Guitar Freak's Tabs & Lessons
- solo &t=2m22s


(I couldn't find a live band that nailed the solo.)

 

[pinball1970]

Hard to improve on perfection so not keen on the AF version.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Hornbein]

Orig



Cover

 

[robphy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_On_Me (1984)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-ha

a-ha - Take On Me (Official Video) [4K] (2.3B views)

- a-ha - Take On Me (Live 8 2005)

---

(2024) Pacifica - Take On Me (Official Live Video)

- Pacifica Take On Me (A-Ha cover) Toronto, Adelaide Hall, June 6, 2024
- Psycho Killer - Talking Heads (cover by Pacifica)
- Mamma Mia - ABBA (cover by Pacifica)

(2017) A-ha - Take On Me (Pop Punk / Rock Cover by Minority 905)


(2022) Take On Me - a-ha (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spotify & Apple


(2009) Reel Big Fish - Take On Me --ska


(2025) Baard Kolstad Plays "Take On Me" (Leprous Cover) - Drumeo

Leprous joins us for an episode of Musora’s “Covers On The Spot”, bringing some Norwegian prog-metal madness to “Take On Me” by a-ha.

You’re watching the final drums-only performance from the full ‪@MusoraOfficial‬ challenge.
See how the band experiments with tempo, reimagines rhythms, and creates epic moments with unexpected textures, breaking down the original song and rebuilding it with their signature sound.

Norwegian Prog/Metal Band LEPROUS Covers "Take On Me" On The Spot

Honorable mention
- a-ha - Take On Me (Cover) - Jess & Becs --acoustic & vocal harmonies
- aHa - Take On Me (One Man Band Cover by Aaron Paulsen)
- Weezer - Take On Me (Official Video)
- Jim Carrey Singing Take on me by A-ha

 

[Hornbein]

Didn't know she had it in her.

 

[robphy]

"Alison Hell" (1989) from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Hell
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilator_(band)

Annihilator - Alison Hell [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

- Alison in Hell - Annihilator - Frankfurt 29.06.1989 - &t=20m15
- Jeff Waters (Annihilator) performing Alison Hell from the Album Alice in Hell at Musik Messe 2010!
- Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR) talks Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH, METALLICA) - (fan-submitted question #1)

---

(2020) Alison Hell - Guitar Cover by Tanner Benedict


(2021) Annihilator - Alison Hell; bass cover - Tom Longbottom


(2020) Kay & Liz -Annihilator - Alison Hell - Guitar Cover


(2013) ANNIHILATOR - Alison Hell (8 strings full cover) - Achokarlos Music

"This is me (Spain), Josh Steffen (USA) and Mr. Lizard (Earth´s core) covering "Alison Hell" from the "Alice in Hell" album by Annihilator."

(2023) Alison Hell (Annihilator cover) - Yismeicha - Yisroel Charloff

- based on: Alison Hell - Annihilator Guitar Cover (2 Guitars) - loanna Mitsioni and Kostas Papadimitriou
- which is based on Alison Hell / Annihilator - Guitar Backing Track by Boiled Tofu

Honorable mention:
- Annihilator - Alison Hell - Drum Cover - Mike Nielsen
- Alison hell band cover - instrumental by kids (their town didn't like the lyrics)

 

[Hornbein]

 

[robphy]

These are covers by Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine ( Mark Jonathan Davis ) .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cheese
https://www.youtube.com/RichardCheese

(2004) Richard Cheese "War Ensemble" from the album "I'd Like A Virgin" (2004)

#2,183 War Ensemble

• (2023) Slayer -War Ensemble (Jazz Version) - Andry Øz
  
  - says he was inspired by the cover by Richard Cheese

(2011) Richard Cheese "Killing In The Name" (from 2011 "A Lounge Supreme" album)

#673 Killing in the Name

(2005) Richard Cheese "Welcome To The Jungle" from the album "Aperitif For Destruction" (2005)

#500 Welcome to the Jungle

(2023) Richard Cheese "Get Lucky (Live From Hollywood)" (2023)

#1,438 Get Lucky

(2021) Richard Cheese presents Johnny Aloha "Gangsta's Paradise (Live at Tiki Oasis)" - July 31, 2021

#843 Gangsta's Paradise

- (2012) Richard Cheese "Creep" live on "The Jonathan Ross Show" on ITV London, England (November 3, 2012)

 

[Hornbein]

This is the theme song of a fictional TV show about high school girls who have a rock band. Though they have just learned they play these very difficult pieces. So real high school girls formed rock bands and learned to play this stuff. Then they grew up. Today there are dozens of J female rock and jazz bands that play with great skill. I've also been told that school children are required to either engage in sports or music and are graded on their performance. The girls mostly choose music. They take it pretty seriously. A typical J middle school band is about as good as a USA music college band.

The drummer was in middle school when she did this. It was the beginning of international fame.



These men are Russians living in Japan. The two nations are geographically close together.

 

[Hornbein]

 

[Point Conception]

The original

 

[Point Conception]

 

[Hornbein]

The original

Well whaddya know. I grew up with The Rolling Stones' version.

 

[Hornbein]

With Angela Davis on backing guitar and vocals.

 

[DennisN]

Of course the original is better, but this is too funny not to share here...

8-bit Boléro (The World's Most Ambitious Chiptune?)

 

[Hornbein]

There are many covers of this. It had a Hollywood movie and even a short-lived brand of beer named after it.

 

[pinball1970]

There are many covers of this. It had a Hollywood movie and even a short-lived brand of beer named after it.

What's the drummer doing? He has the feel of the tin man.

 

[Hornbein]

This lady has the prettiest voice in the world.

 

[Hornbein]

I love Hiromi on the occasions she gets away from the superspeed thang.



Note that halfway through she can't stand it any more and speeds up.

 

[Hornbein]

They don't make 'em like they used to.

Linda Ronstadt hit it big while having only modest skill as a singer. She worked on it and you hear the result. This is unusual in the West -- usually once people make it they stop learning. Having lived in Japan it is in contrast expected to continue to improve during the entire length of one's life. To do otherwise is to be considered lazy. Laziness is much frowned upon. Ideally one becomes a sensai [teacher] with the ultimate honor being to be exceeded by one's students.

Encore! Let's give the melancholy Miss Garland another shot. To remain unmoved by this you'd have to be made of stone. And the lyrics are so clever. They don't make 'em like they used to.