Huge classic hits, but rarely or never covered

[TyBo]

Sometimes the songs have so much production and specialized sounds that a typical band can't duplicate the tune in a way that works. Some tunes work with all kinds of different instrumentation, but others require faithful reproduction to even work.

So the tune falls by the wayside. Check out A-Ha's "Take on Me" from the 80's. Very few people can pull off those vocals and not all have the synth sound or chops to make the song work. So I've never seen it covered live locally.

One of the great blasts from MTV's past! As you say, tough one to pull off live. And that video is such a strong part of the package, just way cool all around.

 

[mellowinman]

A few I have at least vocally covered, mentioned on this very thread:







I don't know how they would go over live, but I'm guessing if played with sincerity, and correct feel, they would go over with the right audience.

 

[gjohnson441496]

People do Barracuda or Magic Man, but I've never seen anyone cover this:

I play this in my cycling (Spin class) class. Heart has some of the best ballads.

 

[Rebopmass]

We do in any particular order
DONT CHANGE. INXS
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF. DURAN DURAN
DOWN UNDER MEN AT WORK
SHE BOP CINDI LAUPER
I WILL SURVIVE. GLORIA GAYNOR BUT DONE LIKE EUROPE OR MAIDEN
WALKING ON SUNSHINE KATRINA AND THE WAVES
YOUR LOVE OUTFIELD
KEEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF GEORGIA SATELLITES
Twighlight Zone. Golden Earring
My kinda Lover Billy Squier
Another Brick in the Wall. Pink Floyd
Dont you want me. HUMAN league
I melt with you. Modern English

Next up we are aorking on
Long long way from Home foreigner
In a big country big country
Stand deliver adam and the ants. Lma0
Cars. Gary Numan


And a bunch of others.
We are a rock hard rock pop country band. We kinda play whatever we all like.

Ps Hungry Like the Wolf and Down Under over huge

 

[SteveCS]

Sultans of Swing. Never heard it covered. I would have to guess it is due to the incredibly tasteful guitar playing.

One of the local bands around when I was in my teens was a Dire Straits tribute. My friend was the rhythm guitarist, and he could play a bit. The lead guitarist was a 17 year old called Simon Philips, who had every note and nuance of every number nailed... That's the one and only time...

 

[diegom]

People do Barracuda or Magic Man, but I've never seen anyone cover this:

It could be argued that Carrie Underwood won American Idol on the strength of her cover of that exact song, very early in the season...

 

[Mosfed]

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Van Halen - Jump
Somebody - Bryan Adams

...just a few off the top of my head from the '80s...should be classic enough hits?

I am not sure I have ever seen an 80s band that didn't cover 'Money for Nothing". If they had a guitarist who could hang

 

[grinx]

who does the best cover of a known/semi-known Loverboy song that isn't 'Working for the Weekend'?

 

[diegom]

OTOH, some hits just should be left alone...

 

[tb4sbp]

True that different parts of the world have different hits. Even the same artist will release a song in one country and a different song in another. One of my favorite bands is Thin Lizzy and in the US only the Jailbreak album was commercially successful for them. So when I want to play a TL song in a band it is always the boys are back in town. Not that I do not like that song but there are so many other songs that I would much rather play. Very rarely will other musicians learn off an 'odd' song that was not a hit in their area. Shame really as I love hearing bands cover songs that are not the same ole thing.

Rebopmass has it great that they just play what they like. IME that is rare. I also feel that by doing that and having fun with your covers that translates to the audience better. It does to me.

 

[jamro217]

Should be called "Underdun".

 

[fishdreams]

Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
Van Halen - Jump
Somebody - Bryan Adams

...just a few off the top of my head from the '80s...should be classic enough hits?

hmm.... in my recollection, where i'm from (European mainland) everybody played these. Almost Freebird-status coverband fare.

 

[Lava]

Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen (classic slap bass line)
Heatwave - Boogie Nights (with the full in/outro)
Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King (killer groove)

 

[carsbybigd]

Whiter Shade of Pale , Stealin ( Uriah Heep) , Easy Livin

 

[12BitSlab]

In the last band I was in, we covered a lot of stuff that few others did:

- The entire Aja album from Steely Dan
- Beach Boys w/ 6 part harmonies
- Al Jarreau
- From Yes - Round About, Long Distance Run Around
- From Tower of Power - Down to the Nightclub, What is Hip, So Very Hard to Go, In The Slot
- Zanzibar from Billy Joel

and a whole bunch of others.

 

[swarfrat]

Alice's Restaurant
In the year 2525

 

[theduke1]

On Topic:

I have never seen or heard covers of these iconic (in my mind) rock tunes:

David Essex -- Rock On
The Outfield -- Your Love
anything by Warren Zevon

(I always thought a Warren Zevon 'tribute' band would be awesome ...... No one else seems to think so ......)

My band does Your Love
Duke

 

[Jimmy4string]

Little Green Bag -George Backer Selection
Alone again -Love

 

[Buster Brown]

Still one of my favourite songs of all time.

Always LOVED that song!!

 

[Richland123]