Apr 242026
 

‘The Best Covers Ever’ series counts down our favorite covers of great artists.

After a long and tortured production process, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael comes out in theaters today. Is the movie any good? Does it matter? It’s enough of an excuse for us to count down covers of his biggest songs!

The legacy of Michael Jackson the person is—to put it mildly—complicated. But the legacy of Jackson’s music is unimpeachable. Dozens of songs that are all-time classics, and that get covered frequently, in every genre imaginable. Here are our favorites:

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Dec 192025
 

Follow all our Best of 2025 coverage (along with previous year-end lists) here.

Last year’s unexpected theme was Tom Petty covers. For no obvious reason, he popped up again and again on our 2024 year-end list. And whaddya know, Tom’s back this year, with two more Petty covers on our list. This year, however, he is not the most-covered artist on our list.

That’s a tie between two artists, one extremely of-the-moment, one timeless. With three covers apiece, Chappell Roan and Neil Young share the most-best-covered crown. (Artists with two covers apiece this year, in addition to Petty, are Gillian Welch, John Prine, and—this one’s surprising—Nelly Furtado!)

Spoiler alert: None of those appears in the number-one position. Number one covers an artist who I don’t think has ever appeared on one of our year-end lists. But don’t skip ahead. There are 49 equally (well, almost) as good covers to get through first, spanning genres and sounds and eras and ages. Here we go.

Cover art by Hope Silverman

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Apr 302025
 
Cover Songs of April
Ben Harper — Ghost Dance (Patti Smith cover)

Hopefully a full recording will be released of the Carnegie Hall tribute to Patti Smith. Until then, there are a number of videos on YouTube. Best I’ve seen is Ben Harper doing “Ghost Dance,” Smith’s mesmerizing mediation from 1978’s Easter. Note Flea on bass and Dylan/Costello sideman Charlie Sexton on guitar. Continue reading »

Apr 142025
 
ball park music

Ball Park Music, an independent rock band, recently took to the Like a Version stage with one of Imogen Heap’s most famous tunes: “Hide and Seek.” The group has performed for the radio station Triple J many times and it’s no wonder. To quote Triple J, “The way this cover unfolded is truly gorgeous, and proves why we just keep asking Ball Park Music to come back to the Like A Version studio again and again.”

“I’ve cherished this song most of my life now,” the band’s Sam Cromack said. “Even though it presents as this really mysterious song, it actually pretty much just has four simple chords underneath it.”

The beginning of this rendition bears little similarity to the original acapella indie-folktronica hit. However, the solo guitar seamlessly fills the space the vocoder had once filled, giving it more of a melancholic indie-rock feeling. As we reach the second verse, the band adds vocal harmonies, a heartbeat-like beat, gentle keys, and bass. At this point, it blossoms into full-on, enriched heartland indie. In the hands of Ball Park Music, we have a lush ballad which ebbs and flows.

May 212019
 

Some covers are more equal than others. Good, Better, Best looks at three covers and decides who takes home the gold, the silver, and the bronze.

Let Go

Frou Frou is officially back! After a fifteen-year hiatus, we can look forward to new music and a tour from Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth. And although true fans may prefer some deeper cuts, we are all united by the nostalgia triggered by the distinctive opening bars of their most popular song, “Let Go.” Whether the song takes you back to the ending scene of Garden State, or you experience it anew in Wiz Khalifa’s “In the Cut,” Frou Frou’s “Let Go” speaks to the overworked, the overwhelmed, and the overcautious.

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Feb 072011
 

Every Wednesday (or Monday), our resident Gleek Eric Garneau gives his take on last night’s Glee covers.


Wow, what a game! Did you see the Green Bay Packers do all those things with the ball? But they just weren’t quite equal to the things which the Pittsburgh Steelers did, or maybe they were! What do you mean you don’t think I watched the Bowl? Those puppies were adorable!

Anyway. That most popular, prolific cover-creating machine in American culture known as Glee has returned with new episodes following a two month break. For their half-season kickoff, they scored the coveted post-Super Bowl timeslot, which has traditionally led already-popular television programs to incredibly high ratings. It’d probably be an exaggeration to suggest that the eyes of the world were on Glee last night, but it’s fair to say that a whole lot of people were watching. Continue reading »