The Best Cover Songs of June & July 2026

Alexis Taylor & Mike Simonetti — I See a Darkness (Bonnie “Prince” Billy cover)

Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip released an amazing electropop cover of “Wild Horses” earlier this year, and now he’s back with a similar take on Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s most-covered song. He writes, of the mesmerizing music video, “I saw the room that we see in the film — the scene, the two men facing each other and getting closer in their armchairs as the intensity of what they sing to each other increases. I saw the lady at the centre and back of the same space, illuminated by lamp light for the choruses, and the red balloon hovering over the 4 people in the scene. I wanted this to be like a televised Samuel Beckett play, and to be surreal, simple, and emotionally direct.”

Bandit Voyage — Hotel California (The Eagles cover)

It’s hard to do a fresh version of “Hotel California,” but Swiss duo Bandit Voyage pull it off on their new EP. They ditch many of the theatrics, stripping it down to sound more like a DIY indie-rock song. It’s The Eagles if they played a basement show. Eventually a hyper-distorted guitar does come in to play the closing solo, but even that feels done with a bit of a wink.

Bon Iver — Meet Me in the Morning (Bob Dylan cover)

Months ago, Bon Iver’s Wisconsin musical festival announced the headliner “Bon Dylan.” It was, as many guessed, Bon Iver covering Bob Dylan. Justin Vernon and a cast of collaborators tackled 16 Dylan songs, hits and deeper cuts (love the Christian era segue of “Shot of Love” into “When He Returns”). I haven’t made it through the entire tape yet, but I’m digging this harmonica-laced version of “Meet Me in the Morning.”

Johnny Blue Skies — Party All the Time (Eddie Murphy cover)

Sturgill Simpson—sorry, “Johnny Blue Skies”—has been playing this on tour for a while. Now, finally, there’s a proper studio version on YouTube, a bonus track to his acclaimed new album Mutiny After Midnight. Simpson always confounds, and never more so than by doing a swampy country-soul take on this novelty hit by Eddie Murphy. Yes, that Eddie Murphy.

Monda — Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’) (T-Pain cover)

New Jersey lo-fi bedroom artist Monda covers four tunes on his new EP Toll Plaza 1/2 Mile. Guided By Voices and The Descendents are natural fits. Bo Diddley is close enough. But then, the wild card: AutoTune pioneer T-Pain’s ridiculously-named hit “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’).” Done as a garage-punk banger, it sounds, needless to say, nothing like the original.

Nuno Freitas — West Coast (Lana Del Rey cover)

Portuguese-London singer Nuno Freitas gives a beachy surf twist to Lana Del Rey’s early hit “West Coast.” It’s one of four Lana covers on his excellently-titled new EP Born to Surf.

The Offspring — Love Story (Taylor Swift cover)

“We’re gonna have the biggest mosh pit to a Taylor Swift song ever,” Offspring frontman Dexter Holland says before their live cover of “Love Story.” From the visuals that ensue, I think they succeeded. Though how big was the previous record, like two people?

The Rolling Stones — You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse cover)

The new Rolling Stones album Foreign Tongues features a few covers alongside their originals. One of those is Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.” Winehouse herself actually performed alongside the Stones in 2007 at the Isle of Wight Festival, where they played The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

Sleep Theory — Bye Bye Bye (N Sync cover)

You might think Memphis hard-rockers Sleep Theory are taking the piss covering N Sync, but, from the joy in the video, I think they’re serious. It blasts forth heavier than ever, but without losing that pristine pop precision.

250cc — Beautiful Stranger (Madonna cover)

Austin Powers was a psychedelic movie, and 250cc take Madonna’s song from the soundtrack and make it truly psychedelic. It sounds like a song you’d hear performed at Bill Graham’s original Fillmore by Jefferson Airplane, or the early Pigpin-era Grateful Dead.

The Best of the Rest

Bright Eyes — Wonderful Life (The Felice Brothers cover)

Brittney Spencer — The House That Built Me (Miranda Lambert cover)

Death Cab for Cutie — Green Eyes (Husker Du cover)

Dropkick Murphys — The Body of an American (The Pogues cover)

Grace Potter — Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover)

Izzy Mahoubi — Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine cover)

Memorials — Just a Moon (Bill Fay cover)

Olivia Rodrigo – When A Good Man Cries (CMAT cover)

Paris Paloma — Maneater (Nelly Furtado cover)

Paul Collins — Stuck in Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (Bob Dylan cover)

Rachael Sage & The Sequins — Everyday (Buddy Holly cover)

Robyn – Always (Erasure cover)

Swamp Dogg — Please Don’t Bury Me (John Prine cover)

Tame Impala — Hummer (Smashing Pumpkins cover)

The Weeklings — Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Bob Dylan cover)

Check out previous months’ best covers lists.

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