“The Man Who Sold The World” is a standout song on David Bowie’s album of the same name from 1970. And it also happens to be quite the fan favorite among his contemporaries and fellow musicians. These four bands and artists covered “The Man Who Sold The World” the most beautifully, in our opinion. Let’s take a look!
Videos by American Songwriter
1. Nirvana
Not only is Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged rendition of this song from the early 1990s the most well-known cover of “The Man Who Sold The World”, but it’s also one of the most famous cover songs in rock music. We might just be bold enough to say that the quality of this stripped-down acoustic cover rival’s that of Bowie’s original vision.
“I was simply blown away when I found that Kurt Cobain liked my work,” said Bowie of the cover. “And have always wanted to talk to him about his reasons for covering ‘The Man Who Sold The World’… It was a good straightforward rendition and sounded somehow very honest.”
2. Emel Mathlouthi
Many great covers of “The Man Who Sold The World” came out years ago, but this recent venture from 2020 managed to capture the energy of the source material beautifully, even though it came out half a century earlier. Emel Mathlouthi’s cover is captivating, moody, and slowed down in all the right ways. That piano melody and the magical atmosphere of the song just can’t be beat.
3. Simple Minds
Scottish rock band Simple Minds delivered their own cover of this famed David Bowie track back in 2001 as part of their album Neon Lights. There are quite a few excellent covers on that album, from Van Morrison songs to Patti Smith tunes, but Simple Minds’ “The Man Who Sold The World” is on another level. This cover, more than most, feels like a true tribute to a man who clearly inspired the band.
4. Lulu
Released just a few years after the original song was recorded, Lulu’s version of “The Man Who Sold The World” is one of the finest covers out there. The Scottish crooner came to fame in 1969 during Eurovision, and she became even bigger half a decade later by contributing “The Man With The Golden Gun” to the James Bond franchise.
Fun fact: David Bowie actually produced her cover himself, and Mick Ronson provided sax and vocals to the track.
Photo by Frank Micelotta
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