Eight genre-bending covers you didn’t know you needed.
I love a Joan Baez cover of Bob Dylan just as much as the next person, but what if we made it punk…
artwork by Charlotte Littlefield.
Covers were one of my first loves of music. It started when I was 13, and I discovered Fearless Records’ Punk Goes Pop Series, which took top 40 hits and reworked them to include double bass guitar, whiny vocals, and a whole lot of angst. For a teenage emo-kid, this was revolutionary, and I was hooked.
In the spirit of that series, I wanted to compile a list of genre-bending covers—folk to hard rock, alternative to pop, and rock to jazz—that may be lesser known than what appears on your average best-of-all-time list. Essentially: covers you didn’t know about and didn't know you needed until now.
To narrow down this list, there are some constraints:
The original and the cover must be in different genres. While there are so many incredible covers that stay true to the original, I wanted renditions that offer new takes on a track.
The original must also be relatively well-known: most people only know Whitney Houston’s cover of “I Will Always Love You” and not Dolly Parton’s original version. Songs like this, where the cover is more popular, have thus been excluded.
The cover must not be overly popular or frequently featured on “best covers” lists. While many incredible covers have gained mainstream recognition (I’m looking at you, Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah”), this list focuses on hidden gems—renditions you didn’t know you needed.
Without further ado and in no particular order, here are eight genre-bending covers you didn’t know you needed.
“Just Like Heaven” - The Cure, Cover by Dinosaur Jr.
Maybe being from Boston gives me a soft spot for Dinosaur Jr., or maybe this cover is just that good. The grunge punk outfit delivers an edgier version of the new wave classic, forgetting the synth and opting for gritty guitar and some metal screams. While goth and punk involve similar visual aesthetics, they could not be more different auditory experiences. For some reason unknown to me, this cover gives me Rodrick Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid vibes; give it a listen and see if you feel the same.
“I Don’t Like Mondays” - The Boomtown Rats, Cover by Tori Amos
“I Don’t Like Mondays” was written for Tori Amos—pairing perfectly with her haunting vocals and eerie instrumentals. The song is about a school shooter who, in a statement after the crime, said her rationale was that she didn’t like Mondays. The original is upbeat, but Amos’ version takes the story to a deeper, darker level of emotion, somehow capturing rage, indifference, and madness. If you like this cover, give Amos’ cover album Strange Little Girls a listen. It is filled with renditions of songs by artists ranging from The Beatles to Eminem.
“Maggie’s Farm” - Bob Dylan, Cover by Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine are known for their high-energy, raucous protest songs—covering Dylan was clearly the perfect move. In the final track of their 2000 album Renegades, Rage delivers hard, sticking it to the man and creating an “f-you” anthem for the little guy. The band always follows through on these massive, tension-building breakdowns, but they never cease to surprise me. If you are looking for a high-energy take on a folk classic, then Rage Against the Machine’s cover of “Maggie’s Farm” is for you.
“Happiness Is A Warm Gun” - The Beatles, Cover by The Breeders
My favorite detail about The Breeder’s remake of “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” is the sound of a lighter at the start of the recording. This small but noticeable sound is indicative of what is to come: a trip. At the lyric, “I need a fix ‘cause I’m going down,” The Breeders descend into madness, replicating a junkie spiral with a guitar and drum breakdown. Despite the Beatles’ notable emotional range in the original, this remake conjures even higher highs and lower lows, with the original’s dynamics standing little chance against the rollercoaster ride of the Breeders’ alt-rock take on the song. The track is creepy, with Kim Deal whispering, “Happiness is a warm gun,” as the song comes to a close.
“Mrs. Robinson” - Simon and Garfunkel, Cover by The Lemonheads
Here’s to you, “Mrs. Robinson”—Jesus, I love this song more than you can know. The Lemonheads revitalized this S&G classic on their breakout album It’s A Shame About Ray. By bringing the 1968 folk anthem into the alt-rock scene, they propelled their career as one of the early 90s greats. Spoiler alert! The track was used twenty years later in The Wolf of Wall Street when the FBI raided the offices of and arrested the movie’s protagonist, Jordan Belfort. While this track may be a 1990s alternative essential, “Mrs Robinson” by the Lemonheads will forever go down as a male manipulator masterpiece.
“Linger” - The Cranberries, Cover by Lake Street Dive
Eight years after the release of their cover EP Fun Machine in 2014, the indie-jazz-pop band Lake Street Dive came back with a sequel. Its crowning jewel? Their cover of “Linger” that takes the longing of the original and turns it into joy. Going from alt-rock to jazz-pop, Lake Street Dive is quite literally the Fun Machine! The Cranberries version is impeccable, but Lake Street Dive stood up to the plate on their remake, with frontwoman Bridget Kearney’s vocals a match for those of Dolores O'Riordan. This track has me wrapped around its finger, so I’m going to have to let it linger on this list.
“Doin Time” - Sublime, Cover by Lana Del Rey
From ska-punk to alt-pop, Lana Del Rey revitalizes the Sublime classic on the fifth track of her 2019 album Norman F*****g Rockwell. The cover sounds like a lost track of the Born to Die era, hopelessly reminiscent of the early Del Rey years of daddy issues, string bikinis, and cocaine. While the Sublime track reminds us of relaxed and hazy summer days, Del Rey’s upends the narrative, reinterpreting the lyrics through the lens of gangsters and mobsters. Fitting seamlessly within her aesthetic, “Doin Time” is now a Lana classic.
“Addicted to Love” - Robert Palmer, Cover by Florence + The Machine
Might as well face it, I’m addicted to this cover. Florence Welch’s rendition of the Robert Palmer track rewrites womanizing to yearning, almost eerily so. The original is quintessential 80s pop: synth and a catchy beat. But for Florence + The Machine, this is not a Casanova crooner track—her chamber pop aesthetic gives the sound of a stalker haunting their prey. The first minute of the song mimics a rising heartbeat and growing passion, beginning alone and quiet before swelling into a harp-and-drum-backed wave of devotion that encircles the listener. Twisted and perverted, this isn’t your parents’ 80s love song.
edited by Samuel Espinal Jr.
artwork by Charlotte Littlefield.
