10 Most Underrated Cover Songs In Hard Rock
The greatest hard rock tributes by major bands...
Covers are a bit of a tricky concept in rock music. Since the genre has a reputation of having a somewhat DIY aesthetic, how do you bring your own unique spin to something someone has already written? Though it's a daunting prospect, many great artists have tried their hand at making fantastic new versions of older songs.
While many people focus on tracks like "Hurt" by Johnny Cash or "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix, there are also plenty of covers through the years that haven't been praised for the brilliant reinventions that they are. Not only do these songs beautifully pay tribute to the original artists, but they also put these songs in a different context for another generation of fans.
The best of these covers are when artists take songs that didn't see very much success in their heyday and bring them to light as something special with their own version. These not only give fans a nice slice of hard rock to listen to, but also an opportunity to discover a new band that they wouldn't have sought out otherwise. It may not be the most original idea for a band to release covers, but the artistic care put into these tunes are something to behold.
10. Hey Bulldog - Dave Grohl And Jeff Lynne
It was a great day for Fab fans around the world when the Grammys Salute to the Beatles aired on NBC. Commemorating the band's first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, the entire night was a touching tribute to the band who made many of us love rock and roll. Nothing too spectacular came out of the star-studded covers, but Dave Grohl strapped on his guitar and gave us one of the best renditions of the group's "Hey Bulldog."
Originally taken from the band's soundtrack to their animated feature Yellow Submarine, the Beatles' version is by far one of the greatest pieces of hard rock they laid down during their classic period. Given his more energetic stage charisma, Grohl's performance of this song might not have as much swagger as John Lennon, but it sure as hell packs a punch. Right by his side is Jeff Lynne, whose work with ELO in the 70's gave the right sonic foil for Dave's raucous style.
Whereas most of the other covers of the night were either more subdued or extremely faithful renditions, this is what it would sound if the Beatles morphed into a punk band for a few minutes. It's probably not as grimy as something like the Sex Pistols, but a tune that goes this hard will make any hard rocker proud.