There must be some kind of way out of here

[venta]

Well, today NME has published a chart of the "best cover versions of all time".

It's here: http://www.nme.com/news/muse/53090

Virtually none of them meet my criteria for a good cover. In particular, I don't believe that most people will have had any idea that the songs were covers when they first heard them. If someone had to tell you the song you know is a cover, it doesn't count.


[Poll #1622076]

Other reasons why the NME is wrong: in their corresponding chart of the worst cover versions ever, Madonna's American Pie only makes #8.

Edit The Beatles' song should of course be Twist and Shout. Search and replace error :)

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

The earliest known commercial recording of the song is the late 1965 single by the Los Angeles garage band, The Leaves which predates Hendrix, so IMO Hendrix's version is 'not the original'. Whether it's also 'a cover' is another issue, but I don't think you can successfully argue for his version being the original.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I don't imagine valkyriekaren was arguing that Hendrix's version was the original. The concept of "cover" just doesn't exist with a traditional song, so Hendrix's version can't be considered a cover if the song is traditional.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

No, but then you can legitimately answer the question, at least. I know the traditional folk song, and I know his version, and they are two distinct versions, ergo the traditional is the original, and any other version must be 'the cover' for the purposes of the question. No?

[venta.livejournal.com]

I don't think so, not really. I mean yes, for the purposes of the question Hendrix's version is clearly "the cover", but my argument is that it shouldn't be appearing in the list at all, because it's merely an evolving version of a standard. Not a cover.