What non-cover band is the best cover band?

"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures) 01/09/2019 at 14:10 • Filed to: None

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I ended up getting into a debate with some people at work, and I decided it’s a perfect question for Oppo. What non-cover band, a band known primarily for their original works, is the best cover band.

To start, some standards. A band releasing a cover album but not having any cover releases outside of said album does not a cover band make. To qualify as a cover band they have to have a habit of releasing covers throughout their career.

An example: A few years (2015) back Disturbed garnered fame with their cover of “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .” Ten years before that they were getting regular play with their cover of “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .” Beyond these two hits they’ve released five other covers, with no two covers on the same album, going all the way back to their debut album in 2000, which contained a cover of Tears for Fears’s “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” Other Disturbed covers are Metallica’s “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” (2004), Faith No More’s “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” (2009), Judas Priest’s “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” (2010), and U2's “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” (2010).

Having had some time to think and look into this I think I’ve found the artist who’s at least one of the most prolific cover artists, with 27 covers to date spanning from 1990 to 2018. This artist does tend to be fairly polarizing, so whether he’s the “best” is very much a matter of opinion. And no, I’m not going to say who it is.

So, I put it to you, Oppo. Who is the best non-cover cover band?

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:15

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They don’t have many covers (this might be the only one even) but the Belgian band Triggerfinger did a great cover of ‘I follow rivers’ by Lykke Li

This song actually became more popular than the original here in the Netherlands. Also, bonus points for using whatever they could find in the kitchen to come up with other sounds.

Another suggestion (also from Belgium by coincidence) Laura Crowe:

They have some great System of a Down covers.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:16

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I think this is pretty tough. Most bands will do a cover here or there. So to find some that don’t really do covers is tough. I’ll go with AC/DC I guess.

Edit: Oh wait. Who does good covers that aren’t a cover band?
Foo Fighters.

vicali > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:16

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lone_liberal > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:17

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Having just had a discussion about Van Halen’s 1984 I’d like to nominate them. They did a bunch of Kinks covers plus Dancing in the Streets, You’re No Good, Pretty Woman and some others that don’t spring immediately to mind.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:18

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Relient K is for Karaoke.

Every single song on this album is solid gold; some even transcend their original versions.

Africa by Toto

Everyone Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears

VW Max > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:20

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Not a band, but I think Johhny Cash's versions of non country songs (I won't back down, Hurt, bridge over troubled water etc) are fantastic. 

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:21

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Johnny Cash for the win!  His covers of other genre songs are awesome.  

Urambo Tauro > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:26

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Laibach?

Just Jeepin' > VW Max 01/09/2019 at 14:28

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I think in 10 years more people will associate Hurt with Cash than NIN.

CB > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:29

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There’s only one logical answer.

MattHurting > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:29

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Gonna go with Phish on this. They cover everybody.

Spaceball-Two > VW Max 01/09/2019 at 14:29

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But he died in 2003

Spaceball-Two > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 01/09/2019 at 14:29

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Died in 2003

Pickup_man > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:30

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My vote has got to be for Halestorm. Tons of well known, and very good originals, and they’ve done lots of covers, many of which I think are better than the originals. Examples: Heathens, Bad Romance, Gold Dust Woman, Shoot to Thrill, the list goes on. Hands down one of my favorite bands/singers of all time. 

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:33

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I really don’t know enough to cast a vote... I pretty much just listen and don’t care where it came from unless I’m REALLY into the song... but that Disturbed version of The Sound Of Silence is epic, and based solely on that I vote for them.

Alfalfa > VW Max 01/09/2019 at 14:34

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His covers are pretty much all on one cover album, though.

Alfalfa > Spaceball-Two 01/09/2019 at 14:35

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I feel like that shouldn't matter...

RickSanchez:Fury Road Edition aka Junkrat > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:36

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I have no access to Youtube while at work, so I don’t know if this was posted yet.

Metallica does some pretty good covers.

Die Die My Darling

Stone Cold Crazy

So What?

Turn the Page

Tuesday’s Gone

Breadfan

Am I Evil?

Those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. I am not a huge Metallica fan, but those are some pretty solid songs.

E39, K5. Whatever it takes. > Pickup_man 01/09/2019 at 14:37

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I second this!

Spaceball-Two > Alfalfa 01/09/2019 at 14:39

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I was just looking at the time line and he really didn’t start doing the covers until the end.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:40

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Burn The Priest (aka Lamb of God) Legion: XX is an awesome cover a lbum

Rage Against the Machine has Renegades which is an all time great :

A Perfect Circle has eMOTIVE and their cover of “ Dog Eat Dog” :

I like these cover albums

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > vicali 01/09/2019 at 14:41

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I see what you did there.

PowderHound > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:42

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Lamb of God revived their Burn the Priest moniker for a cover album and it is amazing. So them. Here is the track list.

1. Inherit The Earth (originally performed by The Accused)
2. Honey Bucket (originally performed by Melvins)
3. Kerosene (originally performed by Big Black)
4. Kill Yourself (originally performed by S.O.D.)
5. I Against I (originally performed by Bad Brains)
6. Axis Rot (originally performed by Sliang Laos)
7. Jesus Built My Hotrod (originally performed by Ministry)
8. One Voice (originally performed by Agnostic Front)
9. Dine Alone (originally performed by Quicksand)
10. We Gotta Know (originally performed by Cro-Mags)

VW Max > Spaceball-Two 01/09/2019 at 14:47

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But does that matter?

interstate366, now In The Industry > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:47

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The Smashing Pumpkins.

They have many, many more, both live and studio.

brianbrannon > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 14:54

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Janis Joplin’s hits were all covers

Spaceball-Two > VW Max 01/09/2019 at 14:55

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Given the time line and that he was really only doing covers towards the end. Then maybe.

Cash Rewards > Just Jeepin' 01/09/2019 at 15:05

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I think they already do

Cash Rewards > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 15:07

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Not an all-time great, but GnR doesn’t get enough love. Their cover of live and let die is superior to the original, and that was by McCartney and wings.

But your lead image us the correct answer. Billy Jean is awesome. I will always love you is amazing.

Tareim - V8 powered > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 15:12

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Reel Big Fish, so many covers and they’re all decent

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Cash Rewards 01/09/2019 at 15:14

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“ Their cover of live and let die is superior to the original”

AestheticsInMotion > Just Jeepin' 01/09/2019 at 15:18

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10 years? Most people already think NIN was the cover

AestheticsInMotion > PowderHound 01/09/2019 at 15:20

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My answer too.

If you haven’t already, check out Mark Morton’s solo stuff. He’s got an album releasing March 1st, but there’s already a song with Chester Bennington, and another with Randy Blythe and the Arch Enemy vocalist

Dusty Ventures > PowderHound 01/09/2019 at 15:44

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“ A band releasing a cover album but not having any cover releases outside of said album does not a cover band make.”

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 15:45

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Haley Reinhart.

/endthread

Dusty Ventures > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/09/2019 at 15:50

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C’mon, Dukes, you know you gotta  read the post first. Or at least make it through the second paragraph.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 15:52

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Darkbrador > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 15:57

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CCR.

Too bad you youthsters never heard of them ... get off my lawn now.

Monkey B > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 16:01

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Metallica, long history of B-Sides, Garage days et c. etc. Most of their covers are great and from a wide range of bands...but always sound like Metallica. The cover of Bob Segar’s On the Road Again is probably my least favorite of all their covers.

Fu Manchu’s cover of Godzilla is, IMO, better than the original as is their version of Van Halen’s D.O.A . Their Slow Ride cover I liked, but not better than the original.

Cash Rewards > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/09/2019 at 16:06

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Its a bond song, and wing's version is boring. You're wrong!

Monkey B > Just Jeepin' 01/09/2019 at 16:07

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already IMO.

That Cash stuff was great, but sad at the same time because we were listening to him die.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 16:09

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Less than Jake or me first and the gimme gimmes

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Cash Rewards 01/09/2019 at 16:12

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It’s perfect the way it is. Axl Rose songs like a dying goose in his cover.

Monkey B > MattHurting 01/09/2019 at 16:12

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but they stink...zzzzzzzz

PowderHound > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 16:12

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Lol. Rules. Get out of here with those. I honestly don’t know if they have done other covers or not.

Monkey B > RickSanchez:Fury Road Edition aka Junkrat 01/09/2019 at 16:12

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They’ve got many more...

PowderHound > AestheticsInMotion 01/09/2019 at 16:13

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Yes! I heard the one with Randy. I’ll go check out the newest one they released

Alfalfa > Spaceball-Two 01/09/2019 at 16:46

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I thought it was a response to the general question of non-cov er artists, not specifically the one stated to have done a lot between 1990 and 2018.

Shift24 > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 16:57

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Sorry but I cant hear you over Weezer blessing the rains down in Africa

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/09/2019 at 17:20

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I really like eMOTIVE. It’s a great album.

Cash Rewards > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/09/2019 at 17:35

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Its a menacing song, and McCartney has zero menace.

Axel always sounds like a dying goose.

f86sabre > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/09/2019 at 17:41

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This. The Foos do covers during every concert. Grohl refers to the band as the worlds greatest cover band. I’d pay money to see them do just covers.

Cash Rewards > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/09/2019 at 17:47

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Next you’re going to try to tell me that their version of knocking on heaven's door isn't better then the original. Unbelievable

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 18:34

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But Muse is a good cover band if we must go by your “rules. ”

Dusty Ventures > Shift24 01/09/2019 at 19:41

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I should ban you for this

Dusty Ventures > Pickup_man 01/09/2019 at 19:43

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I almost used them as one of the images but wanted someone to come up with them organically.

Wurrwulf > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 20:23

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Do The Animals count? They did -a ton- of covers, but I don’t think any of their albums contained a tracklist of  100% covers. Although, I guess they would be disqualified because their most popular songs were covers...

Shift24 > Dusty Ventures 01/09/2019 at 22:47

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We are all equal opportunity shit posters here.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin' 01/10/2019 at 10:09

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They already do.