Everyone loves music covers. I love them because I can listen to my favorite song played 20 different ways by 20 different artists. They can turn a song I hate into the song I play on repeat for weeks.
There are covers all over the internet, but I found some of the best on the YouTube page for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Here I’ve ranked five of my favorites:
5. “All My Life” – Frank Turner
“All My Life” is a classic Foo Fighters track, and when you add Frank Turner into the mix it’s bound to be a winner. Frank dabbles more in the folk side of folk-punk anymore, but this track proves he still knows how to rock. He owns the song and makes it sound like something he could’ve written. Once the chorus kicks in, you’ll be hooked.
BBC
This Justin Timberlake song is great, but it reminds me too much of high school dances. Ellie Goulding puts a great twist on it while keeping it familiar. It sounds just like the “Mirrors” we know and love with the added bonus of Ellie Goulding’s angelic voice. It all just seems to fit so perfectly. No offense to JT, but I might like this one more.
3. “Call Me Maybe” – Ben Howard
Ben Howard doesn’t play any songs at a speed faster than crawl. He exclusively plays slow acoustic ballads about love and loss, so this cover was a bit of a strange one. He strips Carly Rae Jensen’s “Call Me Maybe” down and makes it surprisingly emotional. You almost forget that you are, in fact, listening to “Call Me Maybe.”
BBC
This Vance Joy track is my favorite song of the year from my favorite album of the year, so I had high expectations when I found out about this Taylor Swift cover. I was not disappointed. Taylor Swift’s voice sounds fantastic and her slowed down, emotional take on the song comes across perfectly. I’m admittedly not the biggest T-Swift fan, but “Shake It Off” is undeniably catchy and this cover is fantastic, so I might have to convert.
1. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” – Arctic Monkeys
This is one of Drake’s best songs. It’s a simple, airy take with an ‘80s vibe that instantly sticks in your brain. The Artic Monkeys surprisingly knocked this one outta the park. Frontman Alex Turner mimics the style of singing perfectly and the instrumentals sound great. The highlight of the video is Alex Turner awkwardly dancing like a dad chaperoning the aforementioned high school dance. He makes it even better by dressing the part as well. This is easily the most entertaining cover BBC One has to offer.
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