3 Pop Hits That Would Have Been Even Better as Heavy Rock Songs

Pop songs get “popular” for a reason. Quite a few gorgeous, catchy, earworm hits through the years have topped the charts because they’re just so good, exactly the way they are. However, I think a few pop hits from back in the day would be even better if they were heavy, intense rock songs. Let’s look at just three examples, along with a few rock covers that prove my point.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Beat It” by Michael Jackson

I’m not going to do something insane and say that “Beat It” by Michael Jackson would be significantly better as a rock song. In a way, it’s technically already a rock song. “Beat It” has plenty of funk and hard rock elements, though most would consider it a famous tune in the dance-pop lexicon. That being said, I think this song is dynamic enough to be covered as a heavier rock tune.

To give you a sense of what this song would sound like as a rock tune, here’s a rendition of the pop classic reimagined by pop-punk outfit Fall Out Boy.

“Rolling In The Deep” by Adele

Nobody has a voice like Adele, and her megahit from 2010, “Rolling In The Deep”, proves that much. I think this R&B soul hit could translate well into rock music, but only with a vocalist who can match Adele’s singing power. You know, like Chester Bennington.

If you’re curious how this song would sound with an alt-rock edge, Linkin Park famously covered the song during iTunes Festival in 2011.

“Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd

This 2015 pop song by The Weeknd was absolutely everywhere when it was first released. It’s catchy, to say the least. With disco and funk elements at the heart of the song, one might not think that “Can’t Feel My Face” would work well as a rock song. However, I would disagree with that.

This example of pop hits that might sound better as heavy rock songs was covered by The Amity Affliction back in the day, and it’s a pretty solid post-hardcore rendition. Though, this zombified version might take some time to grow on you.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AD

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