10 Greatest Covers Of Beatles Songs

10. David Bowie - Across The Universe

A highlight of The Beatles’ swansong Let It Be, Across The Universe presents some of Lennon’s sweetest and most spiritually searching lyrics over a layered, predominantly acoustic track. It’s a gently performed, fragile track that stands out among the more schmaltzy ballads on the record.

Being a recording on his often strange blue-eyed soul record Young Americans, Bowie takes a substantially different approach to the tune. He layers his vocals over pounding drums and the piercing guitar work of Earl Slick. He pulls out all his best affectations as a singer, twisting and turning the deep lyrics into a fun showtune.

Giving the performance legitimacy is John Lennon himself, who keeps a piece of the song’s original intent intact with acoustic strumming and backing vocals. They get lost in the maximalist mix somewhat, but it’s comforting to know the songwriter is there, and that he approves of what’s going on (Lennon didn’t like the mix on the album, though he never got to hear the far improved 2003 remaster).

It’s admittedly not as good as The Beatles’ original, but the combination of Bowie in his ludicrous pomp and Lennon near-career best as a songwriter makes for a fun listen.