We’re still blaming Glee for our current obsession with cover songs, but hey if Beyoncé, The Weeknd and Justin Bieber are all still doing them, then we might as well pick our top ten.
#10“Trust Issues” by Drake ft. The Weeknd / Covered by Justin Bieber
Why we love it: Poor Justin Bieber has been working tirelessly to change his image and make the world a “belieber” again. Maybe if he keeps doing covers like this, the world just might be convinced. What we love about his rendition of Drake and The Weeknd’s “Trust Issues” is that it reminds us of baby Bieber on YouTube, singing covers of Chris Brown and JT. Ah, youth and innocence, how we miss those times Biebs.
#9 “West Coast” by Lana Del Rey / Covered by: James Vincent McMorrow
Why we love it: Born and raised in Ireland, James Vincent McMorrow takes on the iconic voice of Lana Del Rey with “West Coast” and completely transforms it into his own. You almost forget there was an original version (we said almost!), while listening to his melody over and over and over again. We’re big fans of the repeat button.
#8 “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People / Covered by Usher
Why we love it: Usher has dabbled in other musical genres before, from R&B to dance to pop, but seeing him cover “Pumped Up Kicks” means Usher can rock out too! We dig it. After all, how can you call yourself an artist if you’re not reinventing yourself every 15 minutes?
#7Beyoncé’s greatest hits / Covered by Pentatonix
Why we love it: Obviously a group that has built their career on YouTube making cover songs would make it onto our list. Pentatonix is the ultimate Cinderella story, from video making underdog to successful touring band. With so many covers to choose from (i.e. “Royals” and “Radioactive”), we decided to stick with the best of the best, Queen Bey. All hail!
# 6“Bi**ch Better Have My Money” by Rihanna / Covered by Kelly Clarkson
Why we love it: Kelly Clarkson has never shied away from cover songs (her cover of Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake” anyone?), but this one is absolutely amazing. Showing off her vocal range that won her American Idol, Clarkson manages to make the song her own (and replaces Rihanna’s name with her own while doing it). Well played.
Why we love it:Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how talented Miley Cyrus is among all the twerking and bikini selfies. Covering any song by Lana Del Rey is difficult enough (you’ve heard Del Rey’s soulful range right!?), but Miley made “Summertime Sadness” work for her, and in the process, reminds us how beautiful her voice really is.
#4 “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse / Covered by: Beyoncé and Andre 3000
Why we love it: The soundtrack to the iconic novel-turned-film, The Great Gatsby, was nothing short of epic. And while we love the tracks by The XX, Florence and the Machine, and Jay Z, it’s Beyoncé and Andre 3000’s cover of Winehouse’s “Back to Black” that seals the deal for us.
#3 “Wonderwall” by Oasis / Cover by: Ryan Adams
Why we love it: “Wonderwall” was a song that no one ever imagined could be redone. And, dare we say, this version may even be better than the original? Oasis themselves said that Ryan Adams was able to capture something in “Wonderwall” that they never could. High praise.
#2 “Stronger” by Kanye West / Cover by: 30 Seconds to Mars
Why we love it: There’s honestly nothing that Jared Leto can’t do. Academy Award winner? Check. Songwriter? Check. Might as well add sensational vocalist to his resume. “Stronger” may have been the party anthem of 2007, but 30 Seconds to Mars manages to capture a certain type of rawness within the song, making it that much stronger (ha!).
#1 “Dirty Diana” by Michael Jackson / Covered by: The Weeknd
Why we love it: Nothing like some good ol’ fashion Canadian talent to steal our number one spot! The Weeknd (born and raised in Scarborough, ON) steals the show with his rendition of the MJ classic, “Dirty Diana.” He’s often quoted saying that Jackson is his musical icon and the one and only king of pop—we think it’s safe to say he did Jackson justice with this cover.
