Shamone back to the beginning.
10. Lake Street Dive — I Want You Back
“I Want You Back” was the very first Jackson 5 single released by Motown, and it set a high bar—hitting Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (as did the next three singles from the band). It was named by Pitchfork as the second best song of the 1960s (behind “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys and ahead of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”). It is, without a doubt, one of the most joyous, riff-filled love songs ever recorded—with lead vocals from a pre-teen Michael Jackson, who, one would believe, had yet to experience love in that way.
Lake Street Dive commendably takes a different approach to this oft-covered classic, slowing it down and turning it into a jazzy pop ballad featuring the bluesy, sexy voice of singer Rachael Price, and the trumpet of Mike “McDuck” Olson and the slinky bass of Bridget Kearney. — Jordan Becker
9. Isaac Hayes — Never Can Say Goodbye
It’s only grandiloquence when you can’t back it up. For his 1971 Black Moses album, Isaac Hayes took on the habit of a prophet and packaged it in one of the most memorable record covers of the age, as the foldout LP sleeve showed Hayes in messianic mode. Hubris? No. From the opening moments of the first track, a cover of a gauche depiction of puppy love, it is clear that a musical giant is in the house, and in the studio. There is initially a delicate arrangement, with vibraphone bringing lightness, before Hayes reminds us that he is on the Stax label, and the rocking begins. This is a master at work. A grown-up who understand the music and life. He has been in relationships where there has been obsession on each side (unlike the originators), and he can build a musical case around this. Not cheesy bedroom soul, the work of a master channeling life through music. Playing many of the instruments, and backing himself on his own smooth vocals, he produces a masterpiece. — Mike Tobyn
8. Alien Ant Farm — Smooth Criminal
Back in 2003, we posted the list of the most popular covers of the 21st century, using Spotify’s play count. At #8 was one of rock’s more unwieldy names, Alien Ant Farm, with their viral cover of “Smooth Criminal.” Full of chunky post-grunge guitars and spot-on MJ-inspired ad libs, there’s no denying the song brings a fun energy. There are lots of little musical choices throughout this riff-fest that keep it interesting, from the drum fills to the unhinged falsetto backing vocals. AAF walks a perfect line between homage and spoof, as well as between raw and polished sound, and the result is unsurprisingly loved by many. — Mike Misch
7. Mariah Carey — I’ll Be There
One of the very best of the Jackson 5 hits, “I’ll Be There” topped the charts in 1970 when MJ was only 12. It reached #1 again in 1992 with an MTV Unplugged performance by Mariah Carey (with R&B singer Trey Lorenz singing Jermaine Jackson’s lines). Every note, every dimension of Carey’s live version is perfection. It’s both faithfully true to the original and so undeniably her own. Carey and Lorenz reprised their version of the song at MJ’s public memorial 17 years later. It was the first piece of music played at the event, and the last, as a recording of the song played again during the closing segment of the ceremony. — Tom McDonald
6. Chris Cornell — Billie Jean
Chris Cornell’s raw, unburnished vocals make “Billie Jean” darker and compelling in a different light. Haunting, rather. This cover was from an unplugged and live performance. While some listeners deem this cover to be too bleak compared to the original, there’s something to be said about the gloom an artist might feel when they are constantly being followed. Cornell’s “Billie Jean” was released in 2007 on his solo album Carry On. — Aleah Fitzwater
5. Ward Thomas — Man in the Mirror
This duo gives us a slower-paced country take on this introspective hit. A dual, or mirrored, nature really comes out as the pair harmonizes. It’s like they are singing through the mirror to one another, urging one another on towards self-improvement. With just a simple guitar and a touch of twang to support their light vocals, the heartfelt message is the star, inspiring us towards making our own change. — Seuras Og
4. Imogen Heap — Thriller
The song “Thriller,” from the album of the same name, was a landmark—maybe more for the extended, horror movie-influenced video than the song itself, which is a disco/dance funk song that leaned into the horror genre, including a spoken word ending voiced by Vincent Price. Imogen Heap, whose career began in alternative rock before moving more towards synth-pop and related genres, has worked with, among others, Taylor Swift, and has even been a pioneer in music technology. Her version of “Thriller,” recorded during a BBC session not long after Jackson died, featured only her voice and piano, and transforms the funk into something angsty, emotional and compelling. — Jordan Becker
3. David Ruffin — I Want You Back
In the golden age of Motown, the line between originals and covers was often blurry. Many artists on the label’s roster would often record the same songs. This formula led to some of the greatest covers of all time, like Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” In other instances, it led to tracks that just sound odd, like the Supremes’ cover of “I Can’t Help Myself” and Debbie Dean’s “Don’t Let Him Shop Around.” After the Jackson Five released “I Want You Back,” Martha Reeves and the Vandellas did their own take and Diana Ross released a live version. David Ruffin, best known as one of the lead singers of the Temptations, recorded the song as well. However, the track went unreleased for several decades. The cover, with its call and response chorus, plays like a lost Temptations hit. It’s upbeat, funky and bittersweet in the same way as the Jacksons’ rendition, but somehow feels entirely different in the hands of the elder Ruffin. It’s a great lost track that has found some new life in the streaming era. — Curtis Zimmermann
2. The Weeknd — D.D. [Dirty Diana]
Way back in December 2011, when The Weeknd was still a mysterious mixtape singer from Canada (we’d only just learned what he even looked like!), he kicked off his third and final mixtape before becoming a pop star, Echoes of Silence, with a song titled “D.D.” It turned out to be a “Dirty Diana” cover, one so good it topped our Best Covers of 2012 list. We wrote then: “The Weeknd’s Abel Tesfaye has done some notable sampling (see his Siouxsie and the Banshees nod on “House of Balloons”), but no one expected the straight-up Michael Jackson cover that opened his free mixtape. With the processed vocals, stuttering drum loops, and tricked-out production, it fits right in with the Weeknd’s swirling body of work without losing the sly wink of the original.”— Ray Padgett
1. The Civil Wars — Billie Jean
The Civil Wars burned hot and bright and burned out quickly, their entire catalogue consisting of only two studio albums. One of the things that stood out about the group within seconds of listening was the intertwining voices of Joy Williams and John Paul White. The duo were also fans of a good cover, which was helped propel them to the heights they reached. Their “Billie Jean” is a great example of this. Their cover, performed in a wide variety of settings, including for an Unplugged On VH1 taping, leans almost more on melody than lyrics. Their voices draw you in and keep you under their spell until the final note rings out. Musical hypnosis at its best. — Luke Poling
