10 Greatest Forgotten Songs Of The 2000s

10. The Ataris – The Boys Of Summer

Punk cover songs are a dime a dozen; indeed there are bands set up solely to illustrate that old tunes sound different when played faster and more distorted. Emo-punk also-rans The Ataris took a slightly different direction in cutting their version of Don Henley’s Boys of Summer, recording a surprisingly faithful rendition that became their most famous track.

It’s a rendition you may well have heard, but most would struggle to name the artist. The Ataris do just enough to update the sound, ditching the spooky keyboards and abbreviating Henley’s lengthy intro. They replace the Grateful Dead reference with one to Black Flag. Other than that, they rely on the fundamentals of a well written pop song.

Strangely, this song has dated more than Henley’s ‘84 original. The Ataris’ cover sounds so perfectly early ‘00s, from the strained vocals to the performatively aggressive guitars. It’s a tune that seldom makes its way onto ‘00s alt-playlists, but it deserves a lot more affection.

It’s never a great sign when a semi-novelty cover becomes your runaway biggest hit, but it should be seen as an indication of a great performance, rather than the anonymity of much of the rest of the record.