From Gibson.com:
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)
