The Chicks Archives

The Chicks Pay Tribute to Olivia Newton-John with “Hopelessly Devoted To You” Cover

Posted by Ben Easton at 9:22 am No Responses »

Aug 162022

Tributes of all kinds have been pouring in to mark the recent passing of pop icon Olivia Newton-John. One of the biggest full-on cover performances to arrive so far comes from The Chicks, who are currently on tour in the United States. At their stop at The Gorge this past Saturday night, the group performed a heartfelt version of “Hopelessly Devoted To You,” Newton-John’s classic ballad from Grease.

For an act of this scale, it’s refreshing to hear a performance that’s so earnest and off-the-cuff. In her on-stage introduction to the song, Natalie Maines describes how the Chicks’ version of “Hopelessly Devoted” was only just worked up that day at soundcheck, lovingly referring to Newton-John as a “worldwide sweetheart” and a lifelong idol. Keeping the original’s signature pedal steel and big choruses in tact, Maines and the Chicks have no trouble filling out the Grease classic as if it’s their own. Check out the cover below.

The 40 Best White Stripes Covers Ever

Posted by Staff at 9:00 am No Responses »

Jul 222022

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

The always prolific Jack White releases his second album of 2022 today. So it felt time to look back at his most iconic musical project: Goober & the Peas.

Okay, okay – we’re of course talking about The White Stripes. Though by this point Jack’s released more solo and side-project music than the Stripes’ entire six-album discography, his and Meg’s music still gets covered far more than the rest. Part of that is because that band had actual hits; I doubt there’s anything on his new album that’s gonna do “Seven Nation Army” numbers. But part of it also reflects the stripped-down nature of that band’s work. With just two pieces, combining rudimentary guitar riffs from Jack and cavewoman drumming from Meg, the band’s output leaves plenty of open space to welcome in other interpretations.

So no surprise our list below includes a wide variety of genres, from orchestral bowers to soul belters, bluegrass pickers to reggae toasters. By the band’s end, the Stripes were bringing in genres beyond their beloved blues and garage-rock (see the cabaret of “The Nurse” or mariachi of their Patti Page cover “Conquest”), but these artists take their songs even further afield. They dig deeper into the catalog than you might expect too. The most-common song on our list won’t surprise you (all together now: dunnn, dun-DUN-dun, dun, dunnn, dunnnnnn), but just how obscure some of the others are might, hits and deep cuts from their first album to their last. Fall in love with a cover, below.

Parker McCollum, Breland, and More Young Artists Cover ‘90s Country Songs

Posted by Curtis Zimmermann at 11:10 am No Responses »

Oct 042021

According to Spotify, ‘90s-era country music has been enjoying a resurgence among fans young fans. Since 2018, streams of the platform’s ‘90s Country playlist have gone up 150%, with a 70% increase among Gen-Z listeners (i.e. people born between the late ‘90s and early 2010s). To them, the music of the ‘90s is a product of a by-gone era.

To celebrate (or capitalize) on this trend, the Spotify Singles series released covers of three of the biggest country hits from the decade, all recorded by artists who were born in the ‘90s. Separately, an American Idol alum released her own cover of a track from the era on Instagram. Here’s a breakdown of the four covers, boots and spurs not included: Continue reading »

The Best Cover Songs of September

Posted by Ray Padgett at 12:00 pm No Responses »

Sep 302021

Beyoncé – Moon River (Mancini/Mercer cover

Any month with a new cover by Beyoncé is a big month. Admittedly, her piano-crooning “Moon River” like so many others have piano-crooned “Moon River” – and for a Tiffany’s ad no less – is slightly underwhelming. But we’ll take what we can get, and, even if the approach is hardly novel, Beyoncé’s got the pipes to deliver. Continue reading »

Under the Radar Supergroups (Supergroups #4)

Posted by Sara Stoudt at 10:00 am No Responses »

Jul 082021

Under the Radar shines a light on lesser-known cover artists. If you’re not listening to these folks, you should. Catch up on past installments here.

Do supergroups still exist these days? Definitely! Fans of these folks might not think they are quite under the radar, but these groups are either generally framed less as supergroups or their prior musical experiences may have been under the radar themselves. There are many more supergroups under the radar to explore. Tell us about your favorites in the comments!