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Worst Cover Versions of All Time

Rod Stewart is a serial offender in this catagory and has been for over fourty years. But his most grevious crime is his "American Songbook" series, thinking that a raspy voiced, has been rocker could tackle the canon that is American standards, is beyond contempt. There is not ONE song that he does a better version of than any that had been recorded by the true artists in the genre. That these recordings have gone on to be multi million sellers proves the adage that popular taste blows.
 
I walked out to my carport today and turned on the radio and was immediately met with GnR's cover of Knockin on Heaven's Door. The guitar work in the cover is excellent, but vocals are so atrocious as to make the top of this list for me, and by a huge margin.
 
I like a lot of Bryan Ferry (and Roxy), but his cover of "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" is horrible!

I've also picked up "Dylanesque". He may be a big fan of Bob, but he just shouldn't TRY! :nono:
 
I probably said it already, but I'll say it again...

"Daytripper" by Mae West.
220px-Way_Out_West_%28Mae_West_album%29.jpeg


Yes. THAT Mae West. Miss Why Dotcha' Come Up And See Me Sometime. So picture Miss West, 72 years old with that delicate slur in her voice (and probably a couple drinks), trying to keep in touch with the contemporary scene by banging out an album of current hits (That album, btw, was called "Way-Out West" :D ). You can just imagine...

It's great though. Kinda' grew on me like Shatner's "Lucy". Check it out for yourself.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1yJajJ_B5R4

She looked good for someone at that age. Not sure I would have been willing to throw her one at 72, but ten years earlier, sure, why not? I bet she could bang a dude into a coma back when she was in her prime.
 
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let's take it all the way back to the beggings of rock with Pat Boones cover of Little Richards Tutti Frutti. Vanilla ice cream anyone?
 
This thread could have been titled "contenders for the Pat Boone award"




1. "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" (Original: Judas Priest) – 4:19
2. "Smoke on the Water" (Original: Deep Purple) – 3:53
3. "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" (Original: AC/DC) – 4:37
4. "Panama" (Original: Van Halen) – 5:15
5. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" (Original: Alice Cooper) – 3:06
6. "Love Hurts" (Original: Everly Brothers, popularized as a hard rock ballad by Nazareth; composed by Boudleaux Bryant) – 4:57
7. "Enter Sandman" (Original: Metallica) – 3:52
8. "Holy Diver" (Original: Dio) – 4:44
9. "Paradise City" (Original: Guns N' Roses) – 4:41
10. "The Wind Cries Mary" (Original: The Jimi Hendrix Experience) – 4:12
11. "Crazy Train" (Original: Ozzy Osbourne) – 4:32
12. "Stairway to Heaven" (Original: Led Zeppelin) – 4:59
 
Any cover by William Shatner to me are the worst covers ever. Why he does them is baffling to me he doesn't even sing he just talks the lyrics so lame...
 
jjv834 said:
Any cover by William Shatner to me are the worst covers ever. Why he does them is baffling to me he doesn't even sing he just talks the lyrics so lame...
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Yeah but it kind of works for Iron Man.
 
RT Fan said:
Rod Stewart is a serial offender in this catagory and has been for over fourty years. But his most grevious crime is his "American Songbook" series, thinking that a raspy voiced, has been rocker could tackle the canon that is American standards, is beyond contempt. There is not ONE song that he does a better version of than any that had been recorded by the true artists in the genre. That these recordings have gone on to be multi million sellers proves the adage that popular taste blows.
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Completely agree - I liked the older Rod stuff like maggie mae but he has no voice for the American Songbook ... a few years ago one of my coworkers bragged to me about getting prime tickets to see him perform that stuff in a local sports arena - just sad ...
 
onwardjames said:
Aretha Franklin's version of this SMOKES!

Anyway, nobody has mentioned Sheryl Crow doing "Sweet Child O' Mine" or Winger doing "Purple Haze"

Yuckola.
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Sheryl Crow also covered "Behind Blue Eyes." She is not a bad singer and did this one okay but it is a classic that should not be covered by anyone.
 
PastTechFan said:
I like a lot of Bryan Ferry (and Roxy), but his cover of "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" is horrible!

I've also picked up "Dylanesque". He may be a big fan of Bob, but he just shouldn't TRY! :nono:
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I refused to buy that album - I'm a huge fan of Bryan but I'm afraid he lost the path about 10 years ago ...
 
How about VH's version of Pretty Woman? Actually about half the Diver Down record was covers - most poorly done. Dancin in the Streets at least has some VH flair...Pretty Woman was just blah.
 
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