Recently I was listening to UB40's cover of Elvis Presleys Can't Help Falling In Love. I started thinking back to my favorite covers, because sometimes a cover can be better then the original or just as equally good. Now when I do lists like this I always make it 7, not to sure why, but just how it is. It was very hard to limit it to 7, I had to leave off some great covers like Memphis by Johnny Rivers, Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin, Since I Don't Have you by Guns N' Roses. It's very hard, but I think, in my opinion, these are the best of the best, so here goes.
1. "Twist And Shout" - The Beatles. What an awesome cover that, at the time, blew so many people away, because "People couldn't believe a white English boy could sing a black mans song so well." Johns vocal work on this screamed classic rock n' roll, and I believe they did in one or two takes. Johns throat was very sore after recording this but was well worth it. The Beatles have a few great covers, "Anna (Go To Him)", "You Really Got A Hold On Me", "Money", but this one by far takes the cake.
2. "Cara Mia" - Jay and the Americans. What vocals! Jay Black hitting those notes he hits send shivers down my back. I really wish I had a voice like his, it was amazing. Now they do have another good cover, "This Magic Moment" which is incredible as well, but this one is just beautiful.
3. "Unchained Melody" - The Righteous Brothers. Sure I know, when people hear this song now, they think of making out and scoring while making pottery or someones dead boyfriend uses a fotrune tellers body to touch his girlfriend again. But before that, the song was known for just being beautiful, with great vocals. And to me, is one of the greatest love songs of all top, top 5 for sure.
4. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell. Yeah most people don't know this is a cover, a disco song from the 70's. It's two covers in one, cause after singing Tainted Love he goes into a great cover, a song I don't even like except for when they do it, of Baby, Baby Where Did Our Love Go? ( not sure if that's even what it's called.)
5. "Can't Help Falling In Love" - UB40. The song that inspired this list. UB40 seems to be the master at covers, the good, "Red Red Wine", and the bad "I Got You Babe". This one is very good, very upbeat, and has a great video that I watched a lot as a child.
6. "Man Who Sold The World" - Nirvana. What a freaking awesome cover, Nirvana doing David Bowie. The guitar is awesome, the violins a nice touch (and different for Nirvana), and one of Kurts best vocal jobs I think. Always wonder, what could have become of Nirvana had Kurt not left so soon.
7. "Billie Jean" - Chris Cornell. With all due respects to MJs, this one did not bore me. Cornell shows so much pasion singing this, you feel like this happened to him. I never felt that this song was powerful until Cornell did it, and he really kicks ass on it.
