The 50 Best Paul Simon Covers Ever

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20. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Kodachrome

It’s a rare occasion to find Conor Oberst having a laugh on stage, or doing much that resembles goofing around. Yet we’ve got something close to both here on Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band’s lively cover of “Kodachrome,” from 1973’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. Why Oberst and the band sound like they’re having this unusual amount of fun could be explained by the cover’s source: a tour documentary called One Of My Kind (and, specifically, its accompanying album of outtakes). The film follows Conor and the Mystic Valley Band’s roundabout adventures together on the road in Mexico in the late ‘00s. The rollicking arrangement feels like it could have been drawn directly from a single, adrenaline-fueled live take, particularly when the band get to the iconic double-time outro. Though there isn’t much to differentiate it from Simon’s original, musically speaking, Oberst is able to find some in-roads to “Kodachrome” by simply letting loose. – Ben Easton

19. Matt The Electrician – American Tune

Matt Sever, the eponymous “Electrician,” doesn’t do anything crazy with this cover of Simon’s “American Tune”. The opening is quite similar, just a guitar and a voice, but about halfway through the song, a chorus of voices supporting Sever replace the strings and drums of the original. The production is crisp and Sever’s voice just a bit more gravely, pushing the song from “folk” just over the line into “indie folk.” It’s not the most inventive cover, but the end product stands on its own, thanks to the quality and simplicity. – Mike Misch

18. Gipsy Vagabonds – Boxeador

Bavarian group Gipsy Vagabonds translate the lyrics “The Boxer” into Spanish (eschewing the more obvious song choice “El Condor Pasa”). They translate the music just as thoroughly, bringing in touches of flamenco and klezmer with a disco kick. – Ray Padgett

17. Justin Townes Earle – Graceland

Subtractive change is sometimes the best change. Justin Townes Earle reduced the layered richness of Paul Simon’s “Graceland” down to a simple-sounding acoustic guitar arrangement. Earle’s picking is smooth and grooving, and his singing is graceful in its understated way. The only hitch is when he slips into a chuckle at the end of a line – either he was tickled by the lyric, or just relieved to land the verse despite its tricky tumble of words (it’s the verse about the human trampoline). I doubt that I’m the only listener who thinks the lyrics come through better in this version than in the original, where they compete with the amazing bass line, the backing vocalists, and other splendors. We lost Earle just over a year ago, but we have this gem, and many hours of original music, to remember him by. – Tom McDonald

16. The Lemonheads – Mrs. Robinson

Hey, remember the ‘90s? Take this one out for a spin if you’ve forgotten. It’s got all the usual elements: the chugging guitars, cranked-up drums, bits of distorted feedback, and a loud, noisy outro. The Lemonheads’ cover of “Mrs. Robinson” is a classic for a reason. For some young alt-rock fans in the ‘90s, this song may have been their introduction to Simon and Garfunkel. Considering that, aside from turning up the tempo and the rock ‘n’ roll, it’s very similar to the original, it’s a decent way to discover the group. The bassline in the Lemonheads version drives the song along with the galloping drums. It’s over in a blur, which makes it great for repeat listens. – Mike Misch

15. Aretha Franklin – Bridge over Troubled Water

Paul Simon has been quoted as saying that “maybe it’s the best cover of any of my songs that anyone ever did.” But not surprisingly, he was more partial to the original, stating, “Aretha’s version is tremendous, the best I ever heard except Artie’s.” The original was influenced by the Swan Silvertones’ recording of “Mary Don’t You Weep,” and the arrangement was a cross between gospel and the Wall of Sound. But when Aretha Franklin did the song, its roots were exposed to the world. Sure, the studio version is good, but if you want your mind blown, check out any of the versions Aretha did during her three-night stand at the Fillmore West in 1971. I’m slightly partial to the opening night, but the other two are also pretty amazing. – Jordan Becker

14. James Blake – The Sound of Silence

No one will dare disturb the haunting, engulfing sound of James Blake’s rendition of “Sound of Silence.” While Blake is a master at melancholic echoes, this cover was especially heartfelt, as it was dedicated it to a friend of his who’d passed away. With his signature voice looping, Blake fills the silence with heartbreak. – Maryam Motamedi

13. Erin Bode – How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns

Gorgeous, languorous ballad “How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns” originally appeared on the soundtrack for Simon’s 1980 semi-autobiographical film One Trick Pony (which also featured the greatest Lou Reed cameo in history). The song was also tucked away onto the b-side of the album’s percolating hit single “Late In The Evening,” which is how I first became acquainted with it. Full disclosure; this is my favorite Simon song ever. While there aren’t many covers of “Heart,” the bar has already been set impossibly high by singer Erin Bode. She imbues the song with unspeakable warmth, reshaping it into a rustic and dusty countrified waltz of exceptional beauty. – Hope Silverman

12. Honey Whiskey Trio – Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover

The Honey Whiskey Trio are taking us higher, much higher in this one. Their version starts out a little mysteriously with some simple “ooh”s that are almost ghostly (ghosts of partners past, perhaps?). Then the trio’s only accompaniment kicks in, some lap-patting and foot-stomping percussion – think a mix between the childhood game Miss Mary Mack and Pitch Perfect’s “Cups”. In the chorus, the trio take on very different pitches; the highest line is faint but strong, and the deeper lines provide a solid foundation and contrast to show just how high they can really go. By the time you get to Gus, watch out, we are in a “don’t try this at home” high-note situation. The song ends like it began, fading out the percussion (and the drama) and ending with a final “ooh.” – Sara Stoudt

11. Patti Smith – The Boy in the Bubble

For a poet who has written so many great songs, Patti Smith clearly loves interpreting others’ works, with cover songs featuring consistently in her live shows and recordings from her earliest days as a performer. In the liner notes for her 2007 cover album Twelve, Smith wrote that over the years she made “countless lists for a possible cover album,” before deciding on the songs for Twelve (and the two bonus tracks). She further wrote that she was introduced to “The Boy in the Bubble” when her late husband Fred “Sonic” Smith brought home a copy of Graceland. He and son Jackson enjoyed “You Can Call Me Al,” while Patti only paid attention to “The Boy in the Bubble” because of “its strong, enviable lyrics.” Smith recalled that she was sitting in a café thinking how to approach the song when she was approached by Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes, who she did not know. Upon determining that Robinson was a musician, she asked his advice, and he suggested using a dulcimer, which Robinson ended up playing on the track. To my ears, the dulcimer and other strings give Smith’s version a more West African sound that Simon’s South African-influenced original. – Jordan Becker

The list finishes on Page 6.

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