Shamone back to the beginning.
30. The Replacements — I’ll Be There
The Replacements were infamous for several reasons, and live shows marked by inebriation and half-assed attempts at half-remembered covers is certainly one of them. The ‘Mats were permanently banned from Saturday Night Live for their antics. MJ fans might want to cancel them from the planet for their cover of “I’ll Be There.”
The title of the band’s live album tells you lot: The Shit Hits the Fans. It’s there you can find “I’ll Be There.” Even though the other covers on the album ranged from Black Sabbath to Robyn Hitchcock to Tom Petty to Thin Lizzy to U2, somehow you’d think the Jackson Five would be a bridge too far. Even more surprising than the song choice is the fact that, really, it’s a pretty sweet version of the song—in a Pabst-core punk, only-10-people-showed-up-to-our-show kinda way. — Tom McDonald
29. Billie Eilish — Bad
In 2018, Billie Eilish and Finneas took to Triple J’s Like A Version with the iconic 1987 Michael Jackson song “Bad.” Finneas held down the acoustic guitar and rich backup harmonies, while Billie was front and center with her expressive-yet-uncanny delivery. The texture the siblings achieve here can be described in one word: buttery. This one is a slow burn, with the precipice of the sonic mountain not being reached until the very end of the four-minute performance. This version of “Bad” is soft and whispery, but intense despite its delicate dynamics. — Aleah Fitzwater
28. SONOS — I Want You Back
When you think of an a capella cover of Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” you almost certainly are expecting the bass vocals to hit that iconic bouncing bassline from the original. Not only do SONOS almost completely ignore that iconic melody, instead interpolating the acoustic guitar as the main driver of the song, but in addition they shift to a minor key. It’s a bold move, but in this new context it helps to highlight that the original hides some pretty depressing sentiments behind a happy-go-lucky sound. Add to this some very fun harmony arrangement, including a bridge that finally makes reference to that bass riff, and SONOS puts together a memorable and unique take on a classic. — Mike Misch
27. Tame Impala — Stranger In Moscow
Written in the wake of his 1993 criminal investigation, MJ’s ballad of loneliness and paranoia, 1995’s “Stranger In Moscow” is the darkest and most personal thing he ever recorded. So personal, in fact, that on paper it seems impossible to separate the man from the song, making it a bit of a weird one to cover. Yet somehow lush pop mastermind Kevin Parker aka Tame Impala managed to do just that. This cover is not about a self-declared pariah walking the rainy streets alone. In Parker’s magical hands, the “Stranger” has morphed into a disillusioned astronaut, floating untethered in a psychedelic space galaxy looking for peace of mind. — Hope Silverman
26. Miguel Rivera — Beat It
Michael Jackson wrote “Beat It” for Thriller when Quincy Jones suggested that he try to write a rock song. Jackson completed the assignment, and the song’s rock bona fides were cemented when Jones convinced Eddie Van Halen to contribute a guitar solo (which he agreed to do for free). It was a number one hit, won two Grammys and many other awards.
In 2015, Spanish guitarist Miguel Rivera went viral with his acoustic guitar instrumental version of the song, which includes a short tapping section as an apparent nod to Eddie Van Halen’s electric solo. It is very far from the heavily-produced original, but demonstrates that the song didn’t need all of that (although it never would have topped the charts without it). — Jordan Becker
25. Bad Rabbits — Human Nature
Bad Rabbits’ version of “Human Nature” modernizes the Yacht Rock staple giving it a bunch more punchiness. That starts out of the gates with the unceasing drums; even in the softer verses, the drums never drop from the focus. They’re matched in power only by Fredua Boakye’s vocals, strong, clear, and wide-ranging. The rest of the accompaniment supports the other elements nicely until the coda reveals that Bad Rabbits has a lot more in their arsenal when the mood calls for it. This track made our top Yacht Rock covers list for a reason. — Mike Misch
24. Jasper Steverlinck — She’s Out of My Life
Despite its downbeat lyrical content, “She’s Out of My Life” has historically inspired giggles, thanks in no small part to MJ’s on-the-brink-of-tears vocal delivery, particularly his weepy “mm hmm” at the end of the song. Still, this staggering earnestness is what made the seriously schmaltzy, heart-on-the-sleeve ballad so affecting. It is also why this cover by angelically-voiced Jasper Steverlinck feels as exciting as it does. Steverlinck takes the counterintuitive approach. He forsakes the mewling of the original and goes rogue. Up goes the tempo, in swoop the strings, and, lo and behold, the legendarily heartbreaking ballad becomes absolutely freakin’ joyful. Mm hmm. — Hope Silverman
23. Miles Davis — Human Nature
By the mid-’80s, Miles was relatively clean and doing what he loved doing, seeking out new inspiration and fans and leaving others behind, muttering that he wasn’t as good as he once was. One of the inspirations that he had was sophisticated pop music and engrossing musicians. He was also, apparently, having some fun (which can mark you down in some jazz circles). For the You’re Under Arrest album, he holds a nightstick on the cover and, for one tune, gets, for reasons only known to a genius, Sting to arrest him as a faux-French policeman.
Included on this album was “Human Nature.” Written by Steve Porcaro of Toto, who grow up in a Davis-obsessed household, the song appears to have taken some inspiration from Davis’ own modal period and was a perfect basis for his improvisations for the rest of his career. With the strongest band from his late period, the album version reminds that you can have fun and create great art. — Mike Tobyn
22. Nu Deco Ensemble — Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
Sometimes it feels like all covers can fall into two categories: Straightforward tributes to the song and composer, or something more ironic and winking. The Nu Deco Ensemble leans into the latter. Hearing a group consisting of instruments more associated with an orchestra than rock band is cute. On their EP covering Michael Jackson songs, they keep it brief, before the joke wears off. The entire EP runs only 17 minutes. And on “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” they wisely choose to bypass the song’s breakdown and turn in a fun cover running a tight 2:41. — Luke Poling
21. Handsome Hank and his Lonesome Boys — Thriller
Why do some singers and some songs inspire so much out-of-genre attention? Irrespective any answer to that quandary, even if humor was the intended rationale, when done this well, it is hard to discount from lists such as this. Handsome Hank and crew originally started as purist bluegrass boys from the unlikely setting of Zurich. Before too long, it became apparent there may be more mileage from this sort of affectionate tribute to other music forms. Here, “Thriller” gets a dense dip into Western Swing. — Seuras Og
