The 50 Best Indie Covers Of Classic Rock Songs

Bon Iver covers Peter Gabriel, The Black Keys cover The Beatles, and many more.

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There’s no formula for a great cover. Sometimes it’s about faithfully sticking to the script written by a master and other times it’s all about making the song “your own.” In between those two extremes is room for subtle touches, genre flips, restoration, and personal flair.

Classic rock earned it’s name, and it certainly doesn’t need any fixing. But over the years music has evolved and new styles are constantly morphing, building on each other, blending together, and trudging forward. Every now and then it’s good to take a time out and look back. With that in mind, here are The 50 Best Indie Covers Of Classic Rock Songs.

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50. Andrew Bird – “Oh Sister” (Bob Dylan Cover)

It’s easy to imagine this one starting off with Andrew Bird whistling away some dewy morning. Patch in the signature string arrangements and gentle voice and this idea bloomed nicely into the Bird’s very own version of Dylan’s “Oh Sister.”

8. The White Stripes – “Party of Special Things to Do” (Captain Beefheart cover)

The White Stripes never shied away from surrealism or the hard charging blues rock so important to their canon. Both rear their heads in this stomping cover of Captain Beefheart’s already unhinged “Party of Special Things to Do,” as Jack’s cunning wail and searing guitar and Meg’s lockstep drums crystallize the magic of the Stripes at their most powerful.

7. TV On The Radio – “Heroes” (David Bowie Cover)

David Bowie’s “Heroes” has lent itself to covers before–the Wallflowers cover most publicly notable among them. TV On The Radio eschew straightforward rock sensibilities for a skittering anthemic sound that will be immediately familiar to fans, rising from a slow build and hitting towering heights before fading back into the ether. Heroes indeed.

6. Lykke Li – “Silver Springs” (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

When talking about covers, the goal is often to “make the song your own.” It’s a simple and obvious goal, but harder than you’d think, especially when it comes to classic rock. “Silver Spring” is the perfect example of metting this goal. For those unfamiliar with the original, Lykke’s take on “Silver Spring” could pass as simply another great Lykke Li track.

5. Chromatics -“Into The Black” (Neil Young Cover)

Polished to a sharp point, Chromatics kicked off Kill For Love in style with their take on the Neil Young classic. The smoky guitars and boldly melancholic air sell the iconic”It’s better to burn out than to fade away” maxim in a new light that’s just as romantic as it ever was.

4. Elliott Smith – “Jealous Guy (John Lennon Cover)”

Elliott Smith has countless covers that wouldn’t be out of place on this list, including plenty from The Beatles’ arsenal. But this take on John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” is simply gut-wrenching. The already beautiful song takes a tragic, desperate tone with Elliott on the microphone.

3. The Kills – “Pale Blue Eyes (Velvet Underground)”

Not just anyone can pull off a Lou Reed cover. Lou fucking Reed could school any of these rappers claiming “swag” with his effortless cool that exudes from every vocal delivery he lays down. There aren’t too many rockers around today that can match that level of nonchalant style, but Allison Mosshart is certainly one who can. The Kills’ version of “Pale Blue Eyes” is less sedated than the original, but manages to capture that druggy, head-in-the-clouds vibe in its own way.

2. The White Stripes – “One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)” (Bob Dylan Cover)

If the White Stripes knew how to do one thing, it was rock. On “One More Cup of Coffee,” the duo takes a moderately rockin’ Bob Dylan song and slams it with their signature bluesy inflection, imbuing it with an evocativeness that suggests both source material and the influences that swirl around their music. And when that organ hits? Things get positively religious–adding very real weight to the dark promise of heading to the valley below. A very intriguing reinvention.

1. The Breeders – “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” (The Beatles Cover)

“Happiness Is A Warm Gun” is one of The Beatles’ sharpest, most mischievous tracks. There’s a badass-ness about it that lends an even more formidable quality to it, as if being a Beatles song didn’t already command respect. If there’s one person to tackle a song like this, it’s Kim Deal, and that’s what she did on The Breeders’ 1990 debut album, Pod. Deal balances the natural sweetness of her voice with an almost malicious intent evident from the very beginning.

The Breeders didn’t just do Lennon and McCartney’s classic song justice with this cover—they gave it a new life with an indie attitude that only the ’90s could supply.

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