Awesome Covers

Musician Samurai Guitarist created this unusual, but somehow just right cover version of the familiar Russian style theme song from the arcade classic, Tetris. We just wanted to shout Rawhide! at the end.

The 1971 Yes track Roundabout is one of the most epic and complicated rock tunes of all time, with 43 different parts. YouTuber Friday Night Lullaby rose to the challenge, recreating each and every component himself, including the richly layered vocals.

Our arm is sore from just watching musician Patrick Mathis turn the crank on this vintage instrument called a Barrel Organ. But what makes it more compelling is the track being played – Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. His Miles Davis is pretty awesome too.

Jazz virtuosos The Bad Plus perform their cover of Aphex Twin’s Flim live. It’s not our favorite cover song by The Bad Plus, but the video is definitive proof that drummer Dave King has a sequencer in his brain.

Steve Onotera aka samuraiguitarist created a chill cover of Cher’s Believe by playing one instrument after another and then layering the resulting tracks to create a single song and a single video.

Awesomer faves Postmodern Jukebox and Puddles Pity Party collaborated on this larger than life cover version of Coldplay’s 2008 hit Viva La Vida, led off by the inimitable vocal stylings of everyone’s favorite sad clown with the golden voice.

Musician Martha Psyko performs rock and metal tunes on her electric violin. From AC/DC’s Thunderstruck to GNR’s Sweet Child O’ Mine to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, to Metallica’s Master of Puppets, she knows her way around a fiddle. Her Misirlou ain’t bad either.

Pop hitmaker Mark Ronson (of Uptown Funk fame) teamed up with Andrew Wyatt (Miike Snow) on vocals, Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) and Kirin J Callinan to orchestrate this absolutely killer cover version of the Queens of the Stone Age track I Sat by the Ocean.

Musician Chase Holfelder takes another upbeat song and turns it into a dark and foreboding track. This time, he’s completely transformed The Temptations’ 1966 hit Get Ready into something that Trent Reznor might have produced. Download the song here.

Electronic tinkerer bd594 is back with another cover version of a classic track, as played by his merry band of old school computer and electronic equipment, this time playing The Doors’ Break on Through to the Other Side. Jump to 2:23 for some vocals.

(PG-13: Language) Neo-Soul queen Erykah Badu has the best take on Drake’s hit single by a large margin. Drizzy was definitely salty when he wrote Hotline Bling, but Erykah channels a cool, calm and collected lady waiting for a lover to come to his senses.

Musician Lorenz Rhode turns in a spot-on cover version of the talkbox modulated vocals from Daft Punk’s 2001 classic Harder Better Faster Stronger. It would be cool to see him recording the other parts of the track too.

Multitalented musician Kawehi turns in a fantastic and uplifting solo performance of The Beach Boys’ classic track Don’t Worry Baby, accompanied by her electronic recording rig to help with the harmonies.

Gang of Youths covers LCD Soundsystem’s 2007 track All My Friends with incredible finesse, with a brilliantly gradual escalation from a quiet and mellow start to an explosive wall of sound by the end. We’re not sure they beat the original, but they came damned close.

Who y’all think y’all frontin’ on? For their latest cover, Jimmy Fallon’s barbershop quartet The Ragtime Gals are joined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a wholesomely harmonized version of Rihanna’s hit Bitch Better Have My Money.

And here we thought the polka version of Rammstein’s 1997 metal track Du Hast was the wackiest version we’d ever hear. But this is the internet, and where there’s a will there’s a way. So sit back and enjoy this silly interpretation of the track as performed by Viva Vox.

The prolific rock and folk singer came through with his promises, releasing a full cover of Taylor Swift’s hit album 1989. Adams’ gloom and Springsteenian baggage doesn’t always work – his Bad Blood should just be titled Bad – but it’s a good effort overall.

Composer and arranger Nick Proch and his band of merry musicians turn in an exceptional arrangement of Rage Against the Machine’s 1996 classic Bulls on Parade, played on traditional orchestral instruments. We have to say we miss the wah-wah a bit though.

Musician Chase Holfelder has done it again – taking a perfectly upbeat song and turning it sad . His latest arrangement – American Authors’ hit Best Day of My Life, which is so good that ESPN plans on playing it during Sunday NFL Countdown this week.

In many ways, they’ll miss the good old days. Vocalist Cristina Gatti and Postmodern Jukebox turn in a sultry Casablanca-inspired version of The Strokes’ Someday, transforming it into a completely new, but just as wonderful song.

Musician Andrew Huang made this clever cover version of The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face using title-appropriate instruments – dental tools. He should think about doing a cover of Novocaine for the Soul using the same gimmick.

Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour covered The Beatles’ Here, There and Everywhere for the bonus compilation CD of Mojo magazine’s October issue. Gilmour also contributed to five other tracks in the compilation.

Postmodern Jukebox is joined by vocalist Sara Niemietz, as they turn in a swing jazz cover of one of our all-time favorite Talking Heads’ tracks. Nothing will ever be better than the original, but we appreciate their unique arrangement.