Van Halen Makes Gibson.com’s Top 50 Cover Songs of All Time

May 27, 2011 67 Comments

Some of the most famous songs in music history are cover versions – whether it’s The Beatles doing Motown hits, Elvis tackling R&B tunes or just about everyone covering Bob Dylan songs. In honor of the artists who didn’t write the songs, but recorded legendary versions of them, Gibson.com is counting down the Top 50 Cover Songs of All Time.

Gibson.com recently enlisted its editors, writers and you, the readers, to vote for the greatest cover songs ever released. After announcing #50-41, #40-31, #30-21 and #20-11, we’re ready to reveal the Top 10 Cover Songs of All Time – with the original artist, or, in some cases, the most famous previous artist in parentheses.

33. “Oh, Pretty Woman,” Van Halen (Roy Orbison)

The Big O’s 1964 original made #1 on both sides of the Atlantic. Nearly 20 years later, Van Halen decided it was ripe for a party-metal makeover. Hey, why not? They had already mashed The Kinks, to devastating effect. Van Halen’s version walks a fine Spinal Tap line of clever/stupid, but it somehow works. EVH’s riffing sounds super-steely and David Lee Roth adds a comedic “grrrrrrrrr.” A hit was guaranteed. The fact remains, more wannabe bands rock Van Halen’s version than Orbison’s original. Mercy! – Michael Leonard

9. “You Really Got Me,” Van Halen (The Kinks)

Van Halen’s cover of this Kinks classic was the first thing that most of the rock world ever heard of VH. The year was 1978 and the song’s pairing with “Eruption” on the band’s self-titled album of that year was one of the most devastating one-two punches ever delivered by four dudes from Pasadena. Opening with Eddie’s legendary “brown sound” (augmented by washes of reverb on the opposite side of the stereo spectrum), the guitar was right in your face, the energy was cranked up to burning point, and David Lee Roth’s sassy delivery made fans momentarily forget all about The Kinks’ version, much to Dave Davies’ later chagrin. The guitar solo has it all: syrupy phaser tones, two-handed tapping, wide bends and a cool toggle-switch stutter effect, all topped off with a killer pick slide. The breakdown after the solo would set the stage for future classics like “Mean Streets” and “Panama,” and the closing legato and hint of feedback made you hold your breath just in case there was more coming. – Peter Hodgson

Here’s their Top Ten covers:

10. “Respect,” Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding)
9. “You Really Got Me,” Van Halen (The Kinks)
8. “The House of the Rising Sun,” The Animals (Traditional)
7. “Mr. Tambourine Man,” The Byrds (Bob Dylan)
6. “Hallelujah,” Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
5. “Crossroads,” Cream (Robert Johnson)
4. “I Fought the Law,” The Clash (The Crickets, Bobby Fuller Four)
3. “Hurt,” Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
2. “Twist and Shout,” The Beatles (The Top Notes, The Isley Brothers)
1. “All Along the Watchtower,” The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Bob Dylan)

Filed Under: Van Halen

Halen High

Carnal Knowledge says:
“Diamond: Congrats on being one of the few ‘RothWarriors’ on this site to admit that blame lies as much with Eddie as anybody.”

I am on record here as blaming Eddie, more than anyone, for the demise of Van Halen. He hired Sammy (and must have known what he was getting), wrote the music and drove the direction of the band. But Eddie doesn’t cop the same level as criticism as Sammy does because he’s one of the original four.
anythingleftinthatbottle

Well said freddiegirl! I’ve been in bands with buddies I grew up with and some have big ego’s and extreme personalities. It is hard to keep it together and everyone is usually to blame. But it’s like you said the attitude was just gone. They turned into a polished trophy band. Eddies guitar was still interesting for a couple of years but I think he and Dave’s problems pushed him into coming up with way cooler stuff. The band (In those days-pre1985) was more like a bad ass car that was a little dinged up but could race on the track at full speed and could pull into the center of the track and bang it up in the derby. That is why Carnel knowledge doesn’t like it cause Dave forgot lyrics and he feels cheated on his money for the ticket. He wants a replica of the album and doesn’t realize that that was part of Daves show He was the court jester!
Panama Red

What about “Boyz in the Hood” by Dynamite Hack

Everyone should check out the youtube video of VH in the studio playing “Won’t Get Fooled Again” if you haven’t already watched it. I didn’t know about it until someone here at VHND mentioned it a while back. Check it out, here’s the link, it rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wb7Wyh9Xr8

I think most people feel song lists ranked in a specific order can be irritating more than anything else but this one is pretty damn good. I’m sure mine and everybody else’s would be different, and it would probably be too hard for me to only list 10.
I like Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt” even more than NIN’s. It’s like Cash was meant to do that song, and the video for Cash’s version…my God. That’s one of the best videos in existence.
Leonard Cohen is greatness too. I get tired of people redoing his songs though. I feel that some songs just shouldn’t ever be covered by anyone. The same way I feel about some classic Horror movies that should never be re-made. Some things are perfect and should be left alone.
A couple examples of songs that I think should be left alone are John Lennon’s “Imagine” and The Beatles “Across the Universe.” I also think Green Day butchered Lennon’s “Working Class Hero.”
Another disgrace inflicted on an awesone song was that cheeseball James Blunt doing The Pixies “Where is My Mind” UGH!! I detest that D-bag James Blunt. I don’t even like knowing he exists

I don’t agree with people when the say The Kinks original version of “You Really Got Me” was weak or it sucked or whatever. “You Really Got Me” was on their debut album in 1964 and I think that song has held up well. I think The Kinks version still sounds cool. Obviously the Van Halen version Rocks about a million times harder, it’s like what Mical Vee posted – “Like Mr. Edward Van Halen said…We took a hot tune and turned it into a jet plane!”. It’s like VAN HALEN took the KINKS tune and injected the VENOM!!”

I kind of think of The Kinks songs like “You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of The Night” as the Very earliest incarnation of Punk. I mean, I don’t really consider them a punk band, I just mean for the 60′a they seemed to possess some of that attitude and sound and I think they inspired some Punk bands that came onto the scene later on.
Diamond Dean

F.U.C.K is a great album , yes i think theres a lot of Ted Templeman in that album , he seemed to bring the best out of VH , it wasnt just a coincidence.

ou812 is just so directionless ? from the production to the lack of bass, its so not a cool album too, it wld be embaressing to be drivin along with that blaring out the window . It had a few good songs though.

Yes ive always blamed ED just as much as Sammy . Ed changed his whole writing style after 5150 , maybe to accomadate Sammy?

See im a VAN ROTH fan who loves 5150, its a brilliant album , i dont understand why people dislike the production? its a million times better then ou812, maybe the worst produced album of any band
Diamond Dean

yes! just bought my VH soundwave revolution tix sept 25th!
Diamond Dean

No “I CANT DRIVE 55″ ever heard on the radio.

See i cant say that about sammy , i look at it this way though.

5150 and LIVE WITHOUT A NET = BRILLIANT

OU812 AND LIVE IN JAPAN = Dreadfull , those yellow tights!

F.U.C.K= BRILLIANT!! RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW, maybe the worst setlist possible ????? from a band that only released 1 live album , AND HAD 9 ALBUMS!!!.GOOD but cld of been sooooo much better .

BALANCE and LIVE in TORONTO , extremely avg at best
Carnal Knowledge

Deano: I’m with you on everything you just said. Live Without a Net should’ve been the Live CD. It was phenomenal, except for Eddie’s pink parachute pants! There never should’ve been Live Right Here Right Now. The best thing about that CD was hearing Eddie rip up One Way To Rock.

And, Dean, please don’t complain about yellow tights……ever heard of David Lee Roth wearing yellow tights, assless chaps, furry boots, and 5 million bandanas hanging off of everything? Maybe you could say the guys were too old, at that point, to be wearing tights anymore…..

Anythingleftinthatbottle: “That is why Carnel knowledge doesn’t like it cause Dave forgot lyrics and he feels cheated on his money for the ticket. He wants a replica of the album and doesn’t realize that that was part of Daves show He was the court jester!”

I don’t feel cheated at all. It just gets annoying after a while. I know it’s part of Dave’s ‘schtick’ to not know the words. Maybe he knows them or maybe he doesn’t. But, I do know this: He doesn’t care. Name another lead singer that gets that kind of hallpass….other than Elvis
Panama Red

I think this list is pretty good but I prefer the original version of “I Fought the Law (and the law won)” by Bobby Fuller. There’s a story that goes along with that song but I won’t get into it.
Speaking of cover songs, I wonder if VH will ever release their version of “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf. I heard they recorded that song during one of the times DLR briefly reunited with VH in the late 90′s. Maybe the rumor isn’t even true about VH doing that song. I hope it is, I think Dave would sound cool singing it and my wife loves that song. I bet she would Love Van Halen’s version even more.

I know this is a VH site but I’m going to list some (not all) of my favorite cover songs that aren’t Van Halen related. Sometimes somebody here will mention a band or song and point me in the direction of something I was unaware of and I appreciate it. Maybe someone will be turned on to a song they didn’t know about that they’ll really dig. These are in no particular order, just wanted to mention some of my personal faves for the hell of it.

First of all, There are so many great covers on Metallica’s “Garage Inc.” it’s easier to just recommend that whole album.
Children of the Grave – White Zombie (Black Sabbath)
Planet Caravan – Pantera (Black Sabbath)
Cat Scratch Fever – Pantera (Ted Nugent)
Run Through the Jungle – The Jeff Healey Band (Credence Clearwater Revival)
Electric Funeral – Pantera (Black Sabbath)
Hole in the Sky – Pantera (Black Sabbath)
Voodoo Child – SRV (Hendrix)
Little Wing / Instrumental version – SRV (Hendrix)
Communication Breakdown / Instrumental version – The Jeff Healey Band (Led Zeppelin)
Rusty Cage – Johnny Cash (Soundgarden)
Hand of Doom – Slayer (Black Sabbath)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – The Jeff Healey Band (The Beatles)
Solitary Man – Johnny Cash (Neil Diamond)
Renegades of Funk – Rage Against the Machine (Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force)
I’m Your Boogie Man – White Zombie (KC and the Sunshine Band)
I See a Darkness – Johnny Cash ( Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy)
Another Brick in the Wall – Class of ‘99 (Pink Floyd)
Another Brick in the Wall Pt .2 – Class of ‘99 (Pink Floyd)
Brick House 2003 – Rob Zombie (Commodores)
How I Could Just Kill a Man – Rage Against the Machine (Cypress Hill)
Stop Breakin’ Down – The Jeff Healey Band (Robert Johnson)
Kick Out the Jams – Rage Against The Machine (MC5)
The Mercy Seat – Johnny Cash (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)
Ring of Fire -Ray Charles (Johnny Cash)
Ring of Fire – Social Distortion (Johnny Cash)
The Badge – Pantera (Poison Idea)
Yer Blues – Jeff Healey Band (The Beatles)
Pistol Grip Pump – Rage Against The Machine (Volume 10)
Sea of Heartbreak – Johnny Cash (Don Gibson)
Street Fighting Man – Rage Against the Machine (The Rolling Stones)
God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash (Traditional)

Also – Check out the Tom Sawyer remix by DJ Z-trip from the “Small Soldiers” soundtrack. It’s pretty damn cool.
I left quite a few songs out but My God I only want to annoy people just enough with my long posts
btw – I prefer the original versions to some (not all) of these songs but I still felt the cover versions were worth mentioning.
Okay, I think I’ve wasted enough time today on VHND
Halen High

Panama Red says:
“I don’t agree with people when the say The Kinks original version of “You Really Got Me” was weak or it sucked or whatever. “You Really Got Me” was on their debut album in 1964 and I think that song has held up well.”

I agree Red. I believe the original versions should always be respected. And what some people forget to do when listening to a song, is to put it into the context of its time. If you can do that, you can appreciate the really older stuff and have a lot of fun listening to it.
Halen High

Diamond Dean says:
“yes! just bought my VH soundwave revolution tix sept 25th!”

Have an rockin great time mate – I will be at the Adelaide show on October 1.
Panama Red

I have to add one more song to my list that I can’t believe I forgot. I could NOT leave this one out like I did with some others.
“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” – Led Zeppelin (Blind Willie Johnson) One of my favorite Zeppelin songs of all time! It’s weird, I was stuck in traffic earlier and that song came on the radio and the DJ was talking about it being a Blind Willie Johnson song and how Zeppelin took it and changed it up, making it Kick Ass. The DJ also said The Grateful Dead used to play their own version of it a lot, sometimes with vocals and sometimes just with music.
Man, I love Led Zeppelin’s version.
freddiegirl

Panama Red and Halen High…I do put the Kinks’ original version in the context of time and it’s a great song; gotta give em props for writing it but I’ll always favor VH’s version. I hear many VH fans on here say that the VH version is overplayed and that they could be happy never hearing it again. Not me. I still love it; the energy is amazing in that tune; like a lot of early VH stuff is’s borderline punk. Punk music with real muscianship.

I forgot about SRV’s version of “Voodoo Chile”…I love SRV. Willie the Wimp in his Cadillac Coffin! Love Cypress Hill but Rage killed those covers! As far as I’m concerned they did to “Pistol Grip Pump” and “How I Could Just Kill A Man” what VH did to YRGM; put a rocket ship on them! The Rage versions are badass groove machines.

Pantera killed “Cat Scratch Fever” too..not a big Nuge fan and prefer the Pantera version.
freddiegirl

Oh…I can think of another cool but kinda obscure cover….Bulletboys redid Tom Waits’ “Hang On St. Christopher” and made it their own. It might be the coolest thing Bulletboys ever did. Go find it on youtube! Go…go now and listen to it!
Halen High

freddiegirl says:
“Panama Red and Halen High…I do put the Kinks’ original version in the context of time and it’s a great song; gotta give em props for writing it but I’ll always favor VH’s version. I hear many VH fans on here say that the VH version is overplayed and that they could be happy never hearing it again. Not me.”

I definately prefer the VH version, by far, but I do appreciate the original. Then again, I have very broad musical tastes and I also listen to stuff from the 50s and 60s. I was watching Eddie and the Cruisers last night and I love the soundtrack!

Oh and I agree that you can never hear enough of the VH version of YRGM.
Halen High

freddiegirl says:
“Pantera killed “Cat Scratch Fever” too..not a big Nuge fan and prefer the Pantera version.”

Yes! I have that on the Detroit Rock City soundtrack. The Donnas, big fans of CVH, also do a pretty good version of Strutter on that disc.
Carnal Knowledge

Megadeth’s cover of Paranoid kicks pretty hard too.
anythingleftinthatbottle

Carnal Knowledge said.I don’t feel cheated at all. It just gets annoying after a while. I know it’s part of Dave’s ‘schtick’ to not know the words. Maybe he knows them or maybe he doesn’t. But, I do know this: He doesn’t care. Name another lead singer that gets that kind of hallpass….other than Elvis

And that, my friend, in a sentence is the clear line that seperates the 2 camps. If you don’t ‘Get it’ that that is what is great about Dave then you never will. If’ he would’ve done that on the 1st or 2nd tour, he wouldn’t have got away with it.But he let us all get our feet wet over time and get to know him and the band were we felt like we were along for the ride and it became like a funny-ass older brother having a blast on stage where we all could watch and have a blast with him. I really would love to see, just out of curiosity, what personality types are Dave fans and which were sammy fans. It would be curious!