3 Alternative Rock Songs That Sound Simple but Are Nearly Impossible To Cover Properly

Alternative rock songs are often simple in nature, as most rock songs are. Drums, bass, guitar, vocals, and a bit of snarl and grit. The formula for a good alternative rock song is quite simple. However, some tracks are particularly complex and almost impossible to cover properly, or at the very least, easily. Let’s take a look at a few examples of famous alternative rock songs that are just way too hard to cover perfectly.

“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)

Plenty of musicians and bands have tried their hand at The Smashing Pumpkins hit “1979”. But few have managed to properly cover the 1995 song “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”. Billy Corgan’s voice is hard enough to imitate as it usually sounds, but the particular snarl his often nasally vocals (a compliment, I promise) have on this song is very difficult to master. Plus, all the layers of guitar tracks would be a tough one to duplicate in a live setting. Hawthorne Heights and My Chemical Romance gave it solid shots, but the song remains a tough one to reproduce.

“Paranoid Android” by Radiohead (1997)

I’d be bold enough to say that many of Radiohead’s songs from the 90s are pretty difficult to cover, outside of pop-oriented jams like “Creep”. However, “Paranoid Android” is particularly complex. The song’s time signatures bounce around throughout the song, the guitar textures are particularly complex, and those vocal harmonies are a level beyond even The Beach Boys. The balance between quiet and chaotic volume is also pretty difficult to master. Still, plenty have tried, from Brad Mehldau to Easy Star All-Stars to Sia to Weezer.

“Hunger Strike” by Temple Of The Dog (1992)

On a compositional level, “Hunger Strike” by the short-lived grunge band Temple Of The Dog isn’t that difficult to perform. However, when it comes to those vocals, very few could ever do the song justice. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) sing lead on this song, and we know they’re two of the most talented grunge vocalists of their era. And that harmonization? It just can’t be reproduced, though bands and musicians like Daughtry and Stephen Wilson Jr. have certainly tried. “Hunger Strike” is just one of those alternative rock songs that can’t be reproduced perfectly.

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