10 Rock Songs You Didn't Know Were Covers
1. Twist and Shout - The Beatles
It's almost inconceivable to think that the Beatles were in danger of being completely forgotten after their first single Love Me Do. As opposed to the rapturous Beatlemania that we have gotten used to nowadays, the original stabs at songwriting from John Lennon and Paul McCartney were still working out the bugs around the time of their debut album Please Please Me. Digging into their covers was pretty much expected at the time, but no one could have imagined something like Twist and Shout.
As the story goes, most of the Fab Four's debut release was done in one day, with this Isley Brothers' song saved for last to not put any more strain on Lennon's voice. After having a sore throat for most of the day, Lennon sounds like he's on the verge of ripping out his vocal cords on this track, as he delivers the most rip-roaring performance of the entire album.
Though Lennon himself has gone on record as saying he isn't particularly a fan of this version, this became one of the lynchpins of Beatlemania, having a permanent fixture in the group's setlist until they eventually quit the road midway through their '60s run. No matter what kind of circumstances led them to it, Twist and Shout remains integral to the Beatles' story and mandatory listening for anyone with an inkling for the classic period of rock and roll.