Oct 152012
 

Earlier this year we featured five of the best covers, so far, of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know”. Of course the first video that went uber-viral and helped ignite interest in this year-old song was the five-on-one guitar cover by Walk Off the Earth. Since then hundreds of covers, parodies and remixes of this hit have flooded the YouTubes. You are in luck, as I have spent far too much time listening to the already overexposed song to pull out a few covers that either rival or surpass the original. In no particular order, here are ten more versions for your enjoyment.

1) Karmin–  a Cover Me regular from YouTube that has gone on to appear on Saturday Night Live. Watch Amy and Nick do their pop thing on SiriusXM Hits.

 

2) Kelly Clarkson – The original American Idol performs live at Jones Beach, NY on August 21, 2012.

 

3) Netherlands Radio Choir – The 74 person ensemble does the song to raise funds to help save the choir.

 

4) fun. featuring Hayley Williams – fun, performs live on BBC 1 Radio’s Live Lounge alongside a recording of the Paramore singer.

 

5) Rita Ora – The UK singer, songwriter and actress drops an R&B take on Radio 1’s Live Lounge

 

6) Cast of Glee – “They did such a faithful arrangement of the instruments but the vocals were that pop ‘Glee’ style, ultra dry, sounded pretty tuned and the rock has no real sense, like it’s playing to you from a cardboard box,” Gotye told the Sunday Mail of Darren Criss and Matt Bomer’s rendition of his song.

 

7) Noah featuring Christina Grimmie – The incredibly talented, deep voiced Noah Guthrie keeps the YouTube cover hits coming.

 

8) Old School Computer Remix – With an HP Scanjet 3C as the vocals.  An Amiga 600 as Bass on left audio output and Guitar on right audio output. Harddrives as the drums and cymbal and a PIC16F84A microcontroller, this digital ditty is pretty amazing.

 

9) “The Star Wars That I Used To Know”  – A Parody with new music and original lyrics. It’s a story of heartbreak to which Star Wars fans everywhere can relate. A shot at the movie remakes, new CGi effects and George Lucas. Easily the best video.

 

10) Two Kids in a Car – I know this isn’t a cover, but these two six year old friends who love this song are serious stars in the making. How can you not love this?


Check out more from Gotye on his website
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May 082012
 

Gotye‘s “Somebody That I Used to Know” has pretty much conquered the world over the past few months, leaving heaps of cover versions and newly-minted YouTube celebrities in its wake. Now the hyper-catchy Australian earworm is even making its mark on the world of loud rock and metal, with New York rockers Coheed and Cambria adding it to their live set. The performance has hit the internet thanks to fan-shot videos, including this recording from their recent stop at The Music Farm in Charleston, South Carolina. Continue reading »

Apr 032012
 

Genre and style are interesting things. Sometimes, you hear a song and you know right off the bat what you’re getting yourself into; sometimes a single instrument or note or tone of voice will tell you precisely what to expect. Michael Kiwanuka’s cover of Gotye‘s “Somebody That I Used To Know” is, thankfully, not one of those times. Continue reading »

Mar 062012
 

The members of New York’s PS22 Chorus are arguably some of the most famous fifth graders in the world. They’ve racked up 42 million views and counting on Youtube, where they post their covers of artists from Matisyahu to Kylie Minogue. Last week they shared the stage with Sinead O’Connor at Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom, opening her show with their take on Gotye‘s much-covered “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Continue reading »

Feb 152012
 

“Somebody That I Used to Know,” the breakout single from Belgian-born musician Gotye, has been getting some serious covers attention in the last few months. We recently recapped the five best covers of the track to date, but new contenders are emerging all the time. The latest take on “Somebody” comes from acapella group Pentatonix, who won the most recent season of NBC’s The Sing-Off. Continue reading »

Feb 072012
 

Best (So Far) finds the finest first-round covers of the latest pop hits.

Gotye’s über-ctachy breakup jam “Somebody That I Used to Know” first hit the web last summer, but it’s only taken off stateside in the past few months. A small part of that popularity comes from Walk Off the Earth’s stunning viral cover. Lots of other artists have covered the song too, many delivering takes at least almost as memorable. Continue reading »