Awesome Music

When you first click play on this video, you’re gonna get Rickrolled. But let it keep going and you’ll be treated to 49 more memorable songs that have become Internet staples, all played with an energetic rock edge by TheDooo on his electric guitar. How many can you name without looking?

Neil Young’s Harvest is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Among its tracks is Old Man, a song about a man who achieves success at a much younger age than usual. Like Young, Beck had his first big hit at age 23, so the song is a perfect fit for the multitalented alt-rock musician.

The cast of the comedy game show Game Changer was challenged to improvise an entire musical and came up with this bit of comedic genius – a hilarious opening song about a really weird town on the eastern seaboard. Watch the full episode on Dropout or stream the entire soundtrack.

Marvel characters like Living Lightning, Electro, and Thor have the ability to control electricity. But only one of those guys is an Avenger, so we’re imagining that the tesla coils in Franzoli Electronics latest video are basically rounded versions of Mjölnir shooting their lightning bolts at Captain America’s Vibranium shield.

Musician Seb Skelly is known for his original brass arrangements of popular songs. In all the years we’ve been following him, this is the first time we’ve heard him take on a David Bowie track. So put on your red shoes and dance the blues to his excellent cover of Bowie’s 1983 hit track Let’s Dance.

This short video from Instrument Maniac is less about music and more about the size of his instrument collection. In the next two minutes, you’ll hear how the same 7-note sequence sounds on more than 90 different musical instruments, from harp to flute to flugelhorn to cowbell. Which instruments do you play?

We recently discovered musician Anne Reburn and her catalog of wonderful covers and originals. Her warmth and charm are guaranteed to bring sunshine into any dark day. We couldn’t pick a favorite, but we’re big Flight of the Conchords fans, so here’s her version of the Kiwi duo’s song about friendship.

Imagine for the moment that the AC/DC classic Back in Black was recorded by Fall Out Boy or some other early 2000s emo band. Musician Todd Barriage transformed the rock anthem into a totally different song with that super-emo style. He definitely nailed the sound, but we kind of think this belongs on There I Ruined It.

Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo shows off his multitude of talents in this wild music video by director Peter Quinn. The tricky visual effects shots make it appear that Rivers has cloned himself and performed all of the instruments on the track What Happens After You? from the band’s 2022 seasonal release SZNZ: Autumn.

This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard Black Sabbath’s music turned into jazz. But Jazz Sabbath created an entire album of Ozzy and company’s metal reworked into a concert-worthy jazz performance. Seriously, this is some really great music, so consider making a purchase from their Bandcamp page.

Musician Leo Moracchioli takes a detour from the beach with this scream-filled cover version of the Dick Dale and the Del-Tones surf rock classic Misirlou. The song that Pulp Fiction made famous (for the second time) sounds especially great when played with anger as Leo does.

Shake it like a Polaroid picture and plunge into certain death with this unexpected mashup of Outkast’s Hey Ya! and Iron Maiden’s The Trooper. Remixer Bronze is Bored put together this great edit, and deserves way more subscribers with other gems like Head by the Hole, and The Fresh Prince of Slip Knot.

The Metallica song Master of Puppets already slaps pretty hard, but it sounds downright insane when performed on a bass guitar while slapping the strings. Musician Charles Berthoud absolutely crushes it with this performance that sounds kind of like a Red Hot Chili Peppers version of the song.

The theme music from The Lord of the Rings is permanently ingrained in the minds of many a fantasy fan. Now hear it like it was meant to be played, thanks to flutist Paul Harvey, who performed the tune inside of a mile-long tunnel along a trail in Wisconsin. The acoustics add the perfect air of mystery.

The future is a dark place for the Melodicka Bros. The second in their Revolt Saga concept video series transports us to a dystopian future where synthwave and industrial music join forces to fight evil. At the end of the first clip, they acquired the I.R.O.N.M.A.N. suit, and now they’re celebrating their acquisition with a song.

The Eiffel 65 song Blue (Da Ba Dee) is one of the most infectious Europop songs of all time. Now, thanks to Cornelius Link, it’s been transformed into a catchy ditty befitting of a 15th-century banquet where a king’s court feasts on turkey legs and flagons of mead while bopping their heads to the beat.

A harpsichord requires a similar skill set to a piano, but it does need some additional knowledge to become an expert player. Vinhetiero has been playing the baroque keyboard for a long time, and he shows us the progression one might experience from the day they play their first note until they master the instrument.

You might think “Weird Al” Yankovic was a weird guy, but he’s a pretty regular dude who likes hanging out with his friends. Al recently performed with David Wain’s Middle-Aged Garage Jam, with his pals Bo Boddie, Jon Spurney, Ken Marino, Eduardo Penna, Beth Dover, and Joe Lo Truglio, who you might know from Reno 911.

Santi White, aka Santigold is best known for L.E.S. Artistes and Disparate Youth, but she’s got a rich history as an alternative and punk rock musician. She recently stopped by the NPR offices to perform a diverse set, backed by a fantastic band, including Chuck Treece of Bad Brains fame and George Lewis, Jr. aka Twin Shadow.

Paweł Zadrożniak’s Floppotron 3.0 computer hardware orchestra struts its stuff with its most impressive performance to date. Crank it up and enjoy all 512 floppy drives, 16 hard drives, and 4 flatbed scanners as they perform the 1985 Dire Straits hit track Walk of Life. Yeah, the electronic boy can play.

During their October 2022 stadium show in São Paulo, Brazil, the Rockin’ 1000 assembled an informal band of musicians from around the world. Their performance of Metallica’s Enter Sandman brought down the house with infectious energy. You’ll want to crank up the volume all the way for this one.

We’re big fans of Tame Impala. Musician Max Frost imagines what it might sound like if the Aussie alt-pop group Rickrolled us all and recorded a cover of Never Gonna Give You Up in their unique electro-psychedelic style. It sounds pretty awesome if you ask us.

Pianist Gamazda is back with another ear-pleasing performance. This time, she took on House of the Rising Sun, adding an abundance of flourishes to the 1964 Animals classic. Her elaborate arrangement brings new drama and depth to the track.