10 Rock Covers That Improved Classic Songs

When The Red Hot Chili Peppers first burst onto the California rock scene, there was no real definitive genre to categorize them in. Though they did have the same type of funk chops of their heroes like George Clinton, you also had Anthony Kiedis' pseudo rapping style of lyrics and even a punk edge with the speed and intensity behind the rhythm section. All roads led back to the funk though, and the Peppers managed to take on one of the greatest R&B singers of all time in the process.

Looking back to the original version, Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground is an unstoppable piece of '70s funk, with a groove that is airtight from the moment you hear it. Without a keyboard in the mix, all of those amazing runs are now substituted with Flea's bass playing, which locks in with Chad Smith's drumming from the moment things get going.

And even though Anthony Kiedis is definitely no match for Stevie's impressive raspy tone of voice, his unique style of vocals fits in a lot better than you would probably think, turning this nice funk song into one of the grooviest things to have the word rock associated with it. The Peppers may have taken a few cues from Stevie around this time as well, since their next few albums would see them going in a much more melodic direction than where they had started. Change was definitely in the air, and The Peppers covering a song like this was more than just a throwaway thing. It was a sign of great things to come, and we had better be along for the ride.