10 Greatest Rock Cover Songs Of The 1980s

Rather than a song about Stevie Wonder looking to rent some earth - that would be Hire Ground - Higher Ground is instead a funky-as-you-like little ditty released by the all-time great in 1973.

The song, which is about reincarnation, was a hit for Wonder in his native US, and, 16 years later, became a source of inspiration for a very unlikely group from California.

Red Hot Chili Peppers got hold of the song and put their own spin on it for their 1989 album Mother's Milk. They kept the funk stylings of the original, but put a whole lot more stank on it, from the gnarly bass intro to the heavy guitar chords that drive the action to the layered vocals in the chorus.

There will be some purists who think the Chilis version is an utter abomination, but it's an absolute blast that takes the more streamlined source material and stuffs it full of energy until it's ready to burst.

Also, this version featured in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie and the Stevie one didn't, so who's the real winner?