10 Greatest Rock Music Cover Songs Of The 1990s
They didn't write them, but these acts all performed the hell out of other people's songs.
When the 90s got underway, that meant that there was now a whole new decade's worth of music for budding young artists to put their own spin on, and by God is that exactly what they did.
The decade of grunge, indie, and pop punk churned out some amazing cover versions of all varieties, whether it was updated incarnations of famous pieces or reworkings of little-known tracks that were about to become world famous.
The rock world was no stranger to this, as the biggest bands of the day gave it their all to put their own stamp on someone else's work. Mostly as part of film soundtracks for some reason. Maybe the directors didn't want to pay someone to write a new song for their movies.
Opinions vary on what makes a good cover. Is it the overall quality of the song? How well it performs commercially? How different it is to the original song? This list has tried to include all of these factors to create a balanced overview of everything the decade had to offer.
Not that that's going to stop you all from complaining, but never mind.
10. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon - Urge Overkill
Singer and living gemstone Neil Diamond released a torturous love song in 1967 called Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon, about a young lady that Neil urges to make her own decisions in life.
It enjoyed a modest amount of success and got covered by other big names like Cliff Richard and Jackie Edwards, before fading out of the public eye. That was, until it received a boost from a very unlikely source.
A version of the track appeared on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino’s twisty-turny 1994 crime drama Pulp Fiction. Alternative rockers Urge Overkill, who originally put the song out on a 1992 EP, took on the task of putting a modern spin on Neil’s work, which they achieved thanks to some muddy guitar effects and lead singer Nash Kato’s deep, mournful voice.
It’s a really nice take on the song, perfect for the grim atmosphere of Tarantino’s film.
Alongside appearances on charts across the world, this song also drew new eyes to the original, reminding everyone that Neil Diamond was actually a pretty great songwriter and not just the guy who did “Sweet Caroline”.