The Best Cover Songs of 1996

 Posted by at 12:00 pm  10 Responses »
Sep 302016
 
Fugees

They say nostalgia works in 20-year cycles, and this year the music of 1996 has been in the media a lot. And if you believe the music blogs, it turns out 1996 was a truly groundbreaking year for every possible genre. Over at SPIN: “The 96 Best Alternative Rock Songs Of 1996.” Complex: “Best Rap Songs of 1996.” Junkee: “Ten reasons 1996 was a great year for dance music”. Loudwire: “10 Best Metal Albums of 1996.” Red Bull Music: “1996: Why it was a great year for pop”. Suck it, 1995! (Kidding; similar articles were of course written last year too.)

We’ll be honest: 1996 was not some magical, pioneering year for cover songs. It was also not a terrible year. It was just, you know, another year. There’s no overarching theorem of 1996’s cover songs that wasn’t true in ’95 or ’97. But even so, Cover Me wasn’t around in 1996, so we never made a Best Cover Songs of 1996 list (our first year-end list came in 2009, with the Kings of Convenience’s “It’s My Party” topping it, and you can catch up on all the lists here). So we decided, before the year ends and we take our look at the best covers songs this year, why not take a nostalgic rewind and do 1996 just for fun, twenty years too late. Continue reading »

Nobody Does It Better: The 24 Best Covers of James Bond Theme Songs, Part 1

 Posted by at 10:00 am  4 Responses »
Nov 052015
 
Bond Week

For a musician, the honor getting to sing the James Bond theme song is in its own category. Many movies need songs, but you never see articles wondering who will do the next Fast and the Furious song (even though more people would likely hear your song there than in Bond). Giving their music to sell a product is something musicians regularly do, but rarely take as a career honor.

But given the track record Bond theme songs have had, the appeal makes sense. James Bond songs might even have a higher batting average than James Bond movies (and certainly higher than James Bond actors). And there’s a prevailing sense artists are chosen for abilities beyond just star-power, despite plenty of counterexamples over the years. Some of the most iconic songs were sung by singers who rarely topped the charts elsewhere – three by Shirley Bassey alone – whereas attempts to grab zeitgiesty performers have flopped. Continue reading »

In Memoriam: Hal David

 Posted by at 10:00 am  6 Responses »
Sep 032012
 

Lyricist Hal David, best known for his songwriting partnership with Burt Bacharach, died of a stroke this past Saturday. He was 91 years old.

Bacharach was always the one who got the attention – debonair, handsome, jet-setter, married to Angie Dickinson, writer of melodic lines that were intricate yet hummable. But David was the one who provided the words that brought the melodies home. Without him, nobody could have asked Alfie what’s it all about, or asked a pussycat what’s new, or asked a Californian if they know the way to San Jose, or made any of those questions a part of our national fabric. David may never have been one to perform in an Austin Powers movie – it was rare enough that he performed on any stage – but he left an indelible mark on the industry, and it’s safe to ask how we could forget him when there is always something there to remind us of his accomplishments. Continue reading »

Five Good Covers: “Crazy Train” (Ozzy Osbourne)

 Posted by at 5:00 pm  6 Responses »
Nov 222010
 

Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.

crazy train covers

When Ozzy Osbourne released “Crazy Train” in 1980 he sent a message to the rock music world. No longer did he need ’70s metal juggernauts Black Sabbath behind him. He could make music his own way, unencumbered by the democratic process of a group with which he had ceased to see eye-to-eye. If people thought he was foolish to leave Sabbath behind, they soon learned otherwise; “Crazy Train” quickly made itself a hit on the Billboard charts and has since become one of heavy metal’s signature songs.

It’s no surprise, then, that scads of metal singers and bar bands have paid tribute to this ’80s classic. However, at Cover Me we strive to find takes on popular songs that are a little more off-the-beaten-path. With that in mind, here are five versions of “Crazy Train” that rock’s Prince of Darkness might not have anticipated. Continue reading »