Dec 082010
 

So it begins: Listomania 2010. Like every music blog worth its proverbial salt, Cover Me will be going list-crazy this month. The difference is, our lists will specialize in – you guessed it – cover songs. Take the typical year-end list and insert the word “Cover” between “Best” and “Albums/Songs/etc” and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. First up: The Best Cover Videos of 2010.

Cover songs hit the web faster than ever these days, but well-crafted cover videos remain relatively rare. Sure, YouTube is bursting with webcam performances and DIY concert footage, but bedroom confessions soon grow tiresome. Well-crafted cover music videos (remember those?) come along far less often. A great video can be art on its own, playing with – or against – the audio recording to create a viewer/listener experience greater than the sum of its parts.

Below, we present our top ten cover videos of 2010. In some cases the song’s origins play an essential role in the music video; in others it makes no difference. Each brings new imagery, insight, or, in some cases, lolz to the song it accompanies. A Rastafarian astronaut shoots lasers. Apples float around a Twilight Zone apartment. Pig people fight mummy surgeons in the basement.

Check out our ten favs below, then tell us which you liked best.

10. Shout Out Louds – Spöken [Is There a Ghost?] (Band
of Horses cover)

Directed by Ted Malmros
An abandoned oil drill in Duisberg, Germany plays host to this quiet drama. The Industrial Age never looked so lonely.


9. James Blake – The Limit to Your Love (Feist cover)

Directed by Martin de Thurah
Hovering fruit, a spontaneous sinkhole, and a physics-defying apartment complement this grimy dubstep stomp.


8. Ozzy Osbourne – How? (John Lennon cover)

Directed by Ernie Fritz
Ernie Fritz goes meta, filming Osbourne wandering around NYC while simultaneously filming the ogling crowds. Ozzy looks adorably befuddled, and ends up paying tribute to Lennon at a certain Central Park mosaic.


7. Maria McAteer – Baby (Justin Bieber cover)

Directed by Maria McAteer and Björn Dahlberg
Beach Brits young and old, attractive and not so much, lip-sync (poorly) to this “Baby” cover. The diverse collection approaches Justin Bieber in more ways than you ever thought possible.


6. Mates of State – Love Letter (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover)

Directed by Daniel Garcia
Burning beds provide a not-so-subtle metaphor for a romance that’s seen better days.


5. The Cinematic Orchestra – Lilac Wine (James Shelton cover)

Directed by Blind
Animated calligraphy brings plants and animals to life in this stunning production.


4. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Hombre Sencillo [Simple Man]
(Graham Nash cover)

Directed by Britt Govea and Brian Ziffer
When he finds a costume hidden beneath a tree, Bonnie “Prince” Billy goes from hard-luck troubadour to lady-killing mariachi. Guess the clothes do make the man!


3. Hugo – 99 Problems (Jay-Z cover)

Directed by Colin Tilley
Asylum pigs and mummy surgeons assault Hugo in a Nine Inch Nails-meets-Rocky Horror nightmare.


2. N.A.S.A. – Chase the Devil (Max Romeo cover)

Directed by Don Letts
In this claymation gem, our dreadlocked hero flies his spaceship around the globe, killing dictators with the power of dance. And lasers.


1. Xu Xu Fang – China Girl (David Bowie cover)

Directed by Keith Musil
Keith Musil turns a questionable concept – panning over a horse in slow motion – into a gorgeous masterpiece. The ending will give you chills.


Check back tomorrow for the Best Cover Albums of 2010.

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  10 Responses to “The Best Cover Videos of 2010”

Comments (7) Pingbacks (3)
  1. Love the list. Never heard of the number one video but the song and video are outstanding.

  2. SICK SICK SICK! Xu XU Fang has balls.

  3. Didn’t Iggy Pop do China Girl originally?

  4. wrong. the best cover is the roxette’s one by the pcmicguy..
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxFzFcV4nvU

  5. oh yes! follow the link of the last comment. Great great cover!!

  6. oh yes.. absolutely watch that video they’re talking about. the guy is amazing!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxFzFcV4nvU

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