3 Grunge-Era Covers of Classic Songs That Rival the Original

Though grunge bands dominated pop culture in the 1990s, the roots of alternative rock lay in the classic rock and blues of previous generations.

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You can hear The Who and Neil Young in Pearl Jam. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin in Soundgarden. And Kurt Cobain often talked about the influence of The Smithereens on his own songwriting.

To highlight how these older sounds influenced ’90s alternative rock bands, here are three grunge-era covers of classic songs.

In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don’t ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through

“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins from Pisces Iscariot (1994)

The Smashing Pumpkins’ cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” appeared as the B-side to “Disarm.” While “Cherub Rock” opened Siamese Dream with a gargantuan riff, “Disarm” and “Today” helped launch the Chicago band into multi-Platinum status with a tender side offsetting Billy Corgan’s rage.

Like “Disarm,” Corgan’s reading of “Landslide” is gorgeous. Stevie Nicks liked it, too. She said, “There’s nothing more pleasing to a songwriter than [someone] doing one of their songs. It also led to me being friends with Billy Corgan and the possibility that we’ll work together. Over this song, there’s been this incredible connection.”

“Mrs. Robinson” by The Lemonheads from It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)

To Evan Dando’s chagrin, The Lemonheads are largely defined by their cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson.” Dando told American Songwriter he only recorded the folk tune for the 25th-anniversary edition of the film The Graduate (1967). He said, “I hate that song. I hate Paul Simon.”

But others loved it. Dando’s version became a modern rock hit and remains the band’s most-played song on Spotify. It wasn’t initially included on The Lemonheads’ album It’s a Shame About Ray, but Atlantic Records reissued the LP with “Mrs. Robinson” tacked on due to its popularity.

“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Nirvana from MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)

This traditional folk song, also known as “In the Pines,” closes Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged album. During the taping, Cobain mistakenly introduced it as written by Lead Belly, but the original dates to Southern Appalachia in the 1870s. Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan and Cobain had bonded over a love of Lead Belly, whom Lanegan had discovered after receiving a collection of old blues records from his father.

Archivist Alan Lomax said Lead Belly pieced together his 1944 arrangement, using parts from Cecil Sharp’s 1917 version and an earlier cylinder recording from 1925. Geffen Records planned to include the Unplugged recording as the B-side to “Pennyroyal Tea.” However, following Cobain’s death in April 1994, the label canceled the release. Cobain’s voice sounds haunted and broken. It’s still utterly heartbreaking to hear.

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