Top Ten Covers of 2010

Covers can be tricky; bands need to be careful not to offend fans of the original song by compromising the originals integrity but at the same time they need to change the track enough to make it their own and put it in their own style. It is a balance which not everyone can handle with tact but in this case, these ten tracks rise to the occasion.
10. Weezer “Unbreak My Heart”
I know this seems like a cop out because Weezer‘s cover of Toni Braxton‘s 1996 single was actually recorded long ago but it does not change the quality of the tune. Weezer turns the R&B pop hit into a power ballad befit for Mr. Big.
09. Rubblebucket “Michelle”
All bloggers have a soft spots for something; for me, I have a soft spot for the French language. Perhaps that is why Rubblebucket‘s Franglais cover of The Beatles‘ “Michelle” appears on the countdown. I’m not even a big Beatles fan and this cover hit the spot for me.
08. Sarah Winters “Dynamite”
I love songs that completely change the genre of the song they are covering. The perfect example of this is Sarah Winters‘s cover of Taio Cruz‘s “Dynamite.” Winters takes an upbeat electropop track and makes it into a slow, plodding piano ballad that could not be more engaging.
07. The Dashing Suns “Who Loves the Sun”
It is hard to put a very traditional cover high on a countdown like this. The reason to make a covers countdown is to show off the unique and interesting interpretations bands have on others’ songs but in this case, The Dashing Suns essentially said “The Velvet Underground did it right, so why mess with it?” That attitude works out to magical consequences on their cover of “Who Loves the Sun.”
06. Samuel “Find Your Love”
NYC’s Samuel finally shows us what Drake‘s single “Find Your Love” would sound like from a singer who did not need auto-tune. The result is a funky and incredibly well-sung take on the track.
05. Sad Brad Smith “Hey, Young World”
Sad Brad Smith is better known for his work on the Up in the Air soundtrack that for making quirky covers but his cover of Slick Rick‘s “Hey, Young World” proves that his covers should get more press. He adapts his generally acoustic style into a keyboard-based reggae adaptation of Slick Rick’s 1988 single to an overwhelming positive response…at least from me.
04. OVERWERK featuring The Dirty Tees “Only Girl (In The World)”
Usually when an artist like Rihanna gets covered, it is by some rock band who turns one of her upbeat dance songs into an acoustic guitar based slow jam. In this case, Overwerk and The Dirty Tees took Rihanna’s dance single “Only Girl (In the World)” and turned it even more dancy, a seemingly impossible task.
03. Vancans “Amazing”
There is something special about Vancans‘s cover of Kanye West‘s “Amazing.” Maybe it is the TLC “No Scrubs”-style guitars or the little country twang Vancans adds to the track? Whatever it is, it adds up to the best Kanye West cover I heard this year.
02. Band Of Horses “Georgia”
It seems like everything Band of Horses does is critically acclaimed. Even their cover of Cee-Lo Green‘s “Georgia” is getting critical props. It only makes sense though; the band turns the neo-soul track into essentially a marching band backed rock song.
01. A B & the Sea “California Girls”
A B & the Sea‘s cover of Katy Perry‘s “California Gurls” is everything one could want from a cover song. The track is fun while still poking fun at the original track. The additional references to The Beach Boys just help elevate the track to the status of “Best Cover Song of 2010”

2 Comments

  • thomas bryan eaton says:

    Loving Vancans’ cover of Amazing

  • Walt Ribeiro says:

    The OVERWERK “Only Girl (In The World)” remix was great. I arranged it For Orchestra. Rihanna’s music is a blast to arrange.

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