It’s hard to imagine feeling confident enough to take on a classic hit song as a musician. Luckily, a few rock outfits and artists through the years have opted to take the risk. And the results include some of the greatest rock cover songs of all time. I’d be bold enough to say the following four renditions of classic songs are even better than the originals. Though, I’ll leave the verdict up to you. Let’s dive in!
1. “How I Could Just Kill A Man” by Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine covered quite a bit of music through the years, from “Beautiful World” by Devo to “Maggie’s Farm” by Bob Dylan. However, nothing tops their rendition of Cypress Hill’s hardcore hip-hop hit “How I Could Just Kill A Man”.
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The original 1991 version of this song was your typical West Coast hip-hop track, while RATM’s 2001 version leans more toward rap metal with a dash of funk.
2. “Nothing Compares 2 U” by Chris Cornell
Sinead O’Connor made waves in the pop world with her rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U” in the 1990s. However, the song wasn’t hers; it was originally produced by Prince. And Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell released his own gorgeous cover of the track that is more than worthy of mention on our list of the greatest rock cover songs of all time.
Cornell posted his version of the song just one day after Prince passed away in 2016. In 2020, a version of the cover appeared on Cornell’s posthumous No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1.
3. “All Along The Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix
This is one of Jimi Hendrix’s most definitive songs, and it’s not even his song. “All Along The Watchtower” was originally written by folk star Bob Dylan for his 1967 record John Wesley Harding.
This folk-rock classic has been covered quite a few times through the years, but nothing will ever top Hendrix’s searing version of the song. Dylan has performed this song live more than any other of his works (over 2,250 times, specifically), but Hendrix may have outdone him with his scorching psychedelic rendition.
4. “Blinded By The Light” by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
If you didn’t know that this famous song from Manfred Mann’s Earth Band was a cover, you’re not alone. They did such a good job with this song that it sounds like their own work. However, this example of rock cover songs was originally (wait for it…) written by Bruce Springsteen. MMEB’s version hit no. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1977, while Springsteen’s version from 1973 didn’t chart much at all.
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