Who wrote this song? Who sang it first? Who cares? The Beatles took this simple diddy, sped it up and made it into loud Rock n' Roll that made parents roll their eyes. Even more is they pumped everything into it and tore John Lennon's vocal chords to shreds every time they performed it. That's dedication to the craft.
2. All Along the Watch Tower - Jimi Hendrix
Bob Dylan never dreamt his song would sound like this. Now there may be other covers he could say the same for, but probably not for good reasons. Hendrix amped it up, grooved it up and made it his own. My guess is if Dylan had it to do over again he may never have performed it and just gave it to Jimi to be his.
3. Hurt - Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash had a way of ruining a song for anyone else to sing. Timeless classics like Desperado and In My Life were also twisted and formed anew by Cash on his American IV album, but none hit home more than NINs Hurt. His signature voice weathered by time and use mixed by the forlorn ache of life passed by and pain caused by drug use all combined in lyrics that seem his own, seem original.
4. Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica
I think this song works so well for Metallica is because it touches so closely to what made them a great band. This song doesn't mean anything. It's not serious. It's fun and it rocks. Listen to old Metallica and that is what catches your ear. There later stuff not so good, but they weren't true to themselves.
5. Stand By Me - John Lennon
John Lennon often pleaded to his audience to understand what he was going through. Early Beatles albums like Help show a guy disillusioned by fame and isolated from happiness. He got through that. He did this song in the 70s to tell his audience not go away. There was more good to come. He did it very simply with an acoustic guitar and his voice.
6. Cat Scratch Fever - Pantera
I am not a big fan of Pantera or the original version of this song. Yet I love it when the two mixed on the soundtrack for Detroit Rock City. It's heavy. It's still reeks with innuendo. But it also kicks ass in a new way that the song didn't when the Nuge' sang it first.
7. With a Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker
I think this may be the one Beatles song that people don't realize is a Beatles song because they've heard the cover so much. Cocker's kind of a goofy singer that's all over the place vocally. But he nailed this with his voice and the arrangement around it. Didn't hurt that it was the theme song on a hit T.V. show.
8. Walk This Way - Run DMC (with Aerosmith)
This a musical coup. Rap, hip-hop paying huge homage to rock 'n roll right at the time when rap was turning the corner on becoming the driving force in pop culture. I am not sure Aerosmith meant to pass the torch by helping Run DMC with this, but that's what they did.
9. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Guns N' Roses
Am I the only one surprised that both Axel Rose and Slash are both still alive? How many bands with that kind of success can say that? They did this song great live. It encapsulated the live hard and fast and leave a good looking corpse attitude of the 80s hair bands.
10. Faith - Limp Bizkit
Wasn't this how we all found out about the guy that wore the red baseball cap backwards. It had a good hook and it was harder than the original. I have to hand it to Duerst, he made a Wham song seem tough and cool. That's was pretty good for any year after 1989.
Honorable Mention
Last Kiss - Pearl Jam
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Landslide - Smashing Pumpkins
Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam - Nirvana
Turn the Page - Metallica
Only God Knows - Kid Rock
Boys of Summer - The Ataris
Working Class Hero - Green Day
Castles Made of Sand - Aerosmith
Drift Away - Uncle Kracker
Heroes - The Wallflowers
4. Whiskey in the Jar - Metallica
I think this song works so well for Metallica is because it touches so closely to what made them a great band. This song doesn't mean anything. It's not serious. It's fun and it rocks. Listen to old Metallica and that is what catches your ear. There later stuff not so good, but they weren't true to themselves.
5. Stand By Me - John Lennon
John Lennon often pleaded to his audience to understand what he was going through. Early Beatles albums like Help show a guy disillusioned by fame and isolated from happiness. He got through that. He did this song in the 70s to tell his audience not go away. There was more good to come. He did it very simply with an acoustic guitar and his voice.
6. Cat Scratch Fever - Pantera
I am not a big fan of Pantera or the original version of this song. Yet I love it when the two mixed on the soundtrack for Detroit Rock City. It's heavy. It's still reeks with innuendo. But it also kicks ass in a new way that the song didn't when the Nuge' sang it first.
7. With a Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker
I think this may be the one Beatles song that people don't realize is a Beatles song because they've heard the cover so much. Cocker's kind of a goofy singer that's all over the place vocally. But he nailed this with his voice and the arrangement around it. Didn't hurt that it was the theme song on a hit T.V. show.
8. Walk This Way - Run DMC (with Aerosmith)
This a musical coup. Rap, hip-hop paying huge homage to rock 'n roll right at the time when rap was turning the corner on becoming the driving force in pop culture. I am not sure Aerosmith meant to pass the torch by helping Run DMC with this, but that's what they did.
9. Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Guns N' Roses
Am I the only one surprised that both Axel Rose and Slash are both still alive? How many bands with that kind of success can say that? They did this song great live. It encapsulated the live hard and fast and leave a good looking corpse attitude of the 80s hair bands.
10. Faith - Limp Bizkit
Wasn't this how we all found out about the guy that wore the red baseball cap backwards. It had a good hook and it was harder than the original. I have to hand it to Duerst, he made a Wham song seem tough and cool. That's was pretty good for any year after 1989.
Honorable Mention
Last Kiss - Pearl Jam
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Landslide - Smashing Pumpkins
Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam - Nirvana
Turn the Page - Metallica
Only God Knows - Kid Rock
Boys of Summer - The Ataris
Working Class Hero - Green Day
Castles Made of Sand - Aerosmith
Drift Away - Uncle Kracker
Heroes - The Wallflowers
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