10 Amazing Covers By Music Artists You Didn't Expect
3. The Man Who Sold The World - Nirvana
Though the band's three studio albums are littered with iconic tracks and superb musical arrangements, one of the best Nirvana songs was recorded during a live performance, and conceived by the great David Bowie.
Nirvana's cover of 'The Man Who Sold The World' is perhaps the most beloved, despite being written by Bowie and released in 1970. Unfortunately for the latter, the song didn't make any significant impact until Lulu took it and made it her own. Since then Midge Ure added his own flavour (that was featured in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain) before Nirvana truly made the song stand out.
Kurt Cobain's raspy vocals and the band's dense instrumentals made this track shine on their 1994 MTV Unplugged appearance. The original felt like a psychedelic concoction of a number of different musical styles, with Bowie's distinctive voice feeling like the only familiar aspect of the song.
Nirvana's decision to cover it acoustically made it feel truly different, and simply exceptional.
The pacific northwest band will forever be known for tracks like 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and 'Lithium', but 'The Man Who Sold The World' may be one of their finest offerings, even if it isn't originally their own.