Aug 262011
 

Full Albums features covers of every track off a classic album. Got an idea for a future pick? Leave a note in the comments!

Ever since her debut single, “Just Dance,” hit the airwaves back in 2008, Lady Gaga has captivated America (and the rest of the world, for that matter) with her ever-changing looks and music. This is far from the first time we’ve mentioned the mega pop star — her hit songs are clear favorites for musicians everywhere looking for something catchy to cover. But we would probably be doing Gaga a disservice if we failed to acknowledge her chart-topping sophomore album, The Fame Monster.

Released in November 2009, this 8-track EP features some of Gaga’s biggest hits to date, such as “Bad Romance,” “Alejandro,” and “Telephone.” The Fame Monster was originally meant to be a re-release of her first album, The Fame, but was eventually made available as a standalone album at the behest of Mother Monster herself. Each of the songs references some kind of monster Gaga encountered in her two years on tour for The Fame, revealing her take on the darker, more monstrous side of fame.

The first single off the album, “Bad Romance,” was a breakaway hit, introducing a new Gaga to the public while solidifying her title as one of the most successful pop artists of all time. We’ve featured numerous covers of “Bad Romance” and many other Gaga songs before, but here it goes anyway: for your listening pleasure, each unique Lady Gaga track — covered.

Halestorm – Bad Romance


You may have thought you’ve heard “Bad Romance” covered in every single style possible, especially because we’ve mentioned different versions of the song countless times before. Despite this fact, Pennsylvania-based rock band, Halestorm, still manages to make the track their own. The shredding guitars, heavy drums, and powerful male and female vocals may have something to do with it. Try not to bang your head to this one.

All Time Low – Alejandro


Baltimore’s All Time Low is known by many for their highly energetic and undeniably catchy songs, but for their cover of Gaga’s “Alejandro,” the pop punk band turns down their usual angst and volume. With a tambourine and acoustic guitars in hand, ATL serves up a frills-free version of “Alejandro,” whose religiously-charged music video (unsurprisingly) caused quite a stir following its premiere.

astellaway – Monster


astellaway’s cover of “Monster” begins similarly to the original, but it’s not likely you’ll expect what comes next. Be prepared to be rocked to the core with distorted guitars, a loud bass drum, and screamo-like vocals — in other words, we suggest you turn your volume down for this one.

Jayme Dee – Speechless


This power ballad stands out from the rest of the electronic dance tracks on The Fame Monster, so it’s fitting that its cover stands out from all those listed here. While the original’s upbeat tempo and dressed up instrumentation seem to contradict its meaningful lyrics, Jayme Dee, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter and University of Southern California student, gets it right with her slower acoustic version. With a piano and her stirringly passionate voice, Dee’s cover will certainly leave you speechless.

Semi Precious Weapons – Dance in the Dark


In a special little tribute to their tour-mate — Semi Precious Weapons opened for Lady Gaga in The Monster Ball Tour — this glam rock band performed “Dance in the Dark” during a sound check for a show in Oslo, Norway. While some liberties are taken with the lyrics, front man Justin Tranter singing out over a sole electric guitar isn’t half bad for a sound check cover.

Ivri Lider – Telephone


You really know you’ve struck it big when an Israeli pop rock singer decides he wants to cover one of your songs. Ivri Lider really transforms the collab dance track with with an upbeat, bluesy piano part (reminiscent of Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song”), a tambourine, and a host of other instruments. Despite the drastic musical tweaks, he didn’t drop Beyoncé’s rap part — in fact, he sang it, which is awesome in itself.

Davina Leone – So Happy I Could Die


It’s amazing what a good voice and a few simple instruments can do to a song, as demonstrated by Davina Leone, a very talented 17-year-old Floridian. The popular YouTube performer sings and plays both guitar and piano in her softer acoustic version of “So Happy I Could Die.” At such a young age, we give this girl props for her musical skill.

Zac and Laura – Teeth


It’s not very easy finding covers of more obscure songs on albums, even if the artist behind the song is Lady Gaga — we all know she’s definitely far from obscure. In these instances, you can always count on the fans to serve up at least some semi-decent covers. So after much searching, Zac and Laura win the prize for best fan cover of Gaga’s “Teeth.” The duet’s back and forth paired with a guitar and a steady background drumbeat works surprisingly well for this fiery, hard-hitting track, and the accompanying YouTube video is pretty amusing.

Don’t own the original? Pick up the deluxe edition at AmazoniTunes, or your local record store. Also, check out more Lady Gaga covers in our archive.

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  4 Responses to “Full Albums: Lady Gaga’s ‘The Fame Monster’”

Comments (4)
  1. That was a fun compilation – I listened to every tune! Really loved the covers for ‘dance in the dark’ and ‘so happy I could die.’ Could be because those are my favorite songs. Anyways, thanks for this post!

    – Ava

  2. I’m diggin that cover by All Time Low. I heard of this band called Hot Chelle Rae…they’re pretty great. Check out their video. http://www.vevo.com/watch/hot-chelle-rae/i-like-it-like-that/USRV81100225?source=ap

  3. so i when i downloaded the fame monster, i got a different cover art for the album o.O
    ive never seen it before and it looks like it coudve been a album cover for the fame monster.
    it’s interesting and id like to share it with everyone especially the person that runs this site. email me or message me to my facebook. honestly i dont think ive seen this cover before..

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