Is there a band out there that has been covered more often than the Fab Four? I doubt it. And with so many Beatles covers floating around, it’s not exactly possible to hear them all or to pick which ones are the best. Personally, I think the following three covers of the Fab Four are quite underrated and deserve way more love today. Let’s jump in!
Videos by American Songwriter
“Help” by The Damned (1976)
This B-side to “New Rose”, The Damned’s biggest hit, got a bit overshadowed by that legendary A-side. It’s a shame, because this punk rock band took a then-decade-old song and breathed new (and aggressive) life into it. Though, there are quite a few changes in this version compared to The Beatles’ 1965 original. The Damned’s version of “Help!” is about twice as fast, and it’s very much a classic 1970s punk rock jam. And it’s absolutely amazing.
“And I Love Her” by Kurt Cobain (1987/1988)
Recorded in either 1987 or 1988 and released in 2015, Nirvana fans likely know this song quite well. However, Beatles fans may have never had the privilege of listening to it. The cover was also released years after Cobain’s death for the authorized documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck. Documentarian Brett Morgan had to dig through a ton of work that Cobain left behind to find his cover of “And I Love Her”, and it’s a blessing that he found it. The original song from The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night was released in 1964 and was a No. 12 hit on the Hot 100 chart.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” by Our Lady Peace (1996)
If you loved The Craft as much as I did in 1996, you’ve heard this entry on our list of Beatles covers before. If you’ve never seen that witchy horror film, this cover might just be new to you. I’m very picky about covers of “Tomorrow Never Knows” because it’s my favorite Beatles song. But I have to hand it to alt-rock outfit Our Lady Peace. Their cover of the song for the soundtrack of The Craft is extremely faithful to the original. If you’re not a fan of post-grunge, you might scoff at it. I think Our Lady Peace managed to take a trippy classic and modernize it quite well.
Photo by Eyles/Daily Herald/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
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