10 Best Hard Rock Cover Songs

Coming onto the scene in the mid-90's, Marilyn Manson's combination of theatrical horror and occultist leanings was the worst nightmare for any parent. So many people were focused on Manson's image that they didn't realize his penchant for writing some of the best industrial metal the 90's had to offer. That didn't necessarily mean Manson's love of music stopped at disturbing alt-metal though.

After his debut, Manson released his EP Smells Like Children with a cover of the Eurythmics hit "Sweet Dreams," with an arrangement that was far from the 80's synth-pop of the original. In place of the bright keyboard line was a sharp guitar riff, as Manson seems to be on the edge of sanity as he veers from whispering to singing to screaming across the track's runtime.

What could have been a disaster for Manson's career ended up becoming one of the shock rockers's biggest hits. Even with the same song structure, "Sweet Dreams" is pure 80's pop taken to its most unsettling limit, as if you're hearing the track being chanted by some Satanic order. By using someone else's material, Manson started to come into his own as one of the most horrific musical oddities in the rock scene.