Oh, lists, how I love to hate you

[jlh]

Through a string of circumstances I won't go into, I found a list of top 20 cover songs compiled by our Canadian friends at MuchMoreMusic. And honestly? What the shit is this?

bold=I love it too; plain=good but not this good; ital=what the shit is this?

1. I Will Always Love You. Do I even have to say it?
   
2. Killing Me Softly. Oddly, doesn't age that well IMO.
   
3. American Woman. Horrid, and I like Lenny.
   
4. The Man Who Sold The World. Classic.
   
5. Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon. Fantastic moment in film, and the cover is fine, but not amazing.
   
6. Nothing Compares 2 U. Classic. Is there anything she can't sing?
   
7. Lady Marmalade. I like it, but the original is definitely better.
   
8. California Girls. What. The. Fuck.
   
9. Landslide. Lovely.
   
10. You Really Got Me. Okay, I think it's a pretty good cover, and a signature moment in VH history, but of all time? No.
    
11. Hazy Shade Of Winter. I heard this again the other day and it's still so good, and not just because it reminds me of Less Than Zero.
    
12. Hurt. Should have been so much futher up this list. Only one song above it rivals it in any way.
    
13. Dancing In The Streets. The only thing good about this cover is that in the video you can totally tell that they were fucking.
    
14. American Pie. Now I love me some Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Penn Richie, but we had finally gotten people to stop singing this endless fucking song at karaoke and she does this. Never mind that her cover pretty much sucks. The start of her recent sad musical decline.
    
15. Sweet Dreams. Who even did this? And why?
    
16. Smooth Criminal. Cute, clever, definitely. Good? Not particularly.
    
17. Kiss. But if you put it in italics, I wouldn't argue. I love it because it's cheesy and ridiculous and would put it on my list.
    
18. I Drove All Night. Just because y'all are Canadian doesn't mean you have to love Celine. No one has to love Celine. Also it was in a crappy Cadillac ad.
    
19. Crimson And Clover. It's fine. As lillijulianne said, it was really all about Joan's eye makeup.
    
20. My Prerogative. The original isn't even that great but the cover is unlistenable.

Discuss.

Comments

[chromodynamics.livejournal.com]

I agree with most of your comments, but I like the Fugees cover of "Killing Me Softly". And Madonna did "American Pie"? SRSLY?

Where is "Mrs. Robinson" by the Lemonheads? "Bizarre Love Triangle" by Frente? There are so many other good covers out there, so I am right there with you.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Madge released the cover to tie in with that really dumb movie she made with Rupert Everett, The Next Best Thing. But she didn't put it on the next album she released, Music.

SO MANY good covers. And with "Dancing in the Streets" on there, I can't even give them the "maybe they only were doing the last 10 years" gimme.

[alissomora.livejournal.com]

I assume they're talking about the Marilyn Manson cover of "Sweet Dreams", which I actually liked. Tom Jones's version of "Kiss" is awesome, and as much as I like Celine Dion, Cyndi Lauper did "I Drove All Night" so much better :D

[lillijulianne.livejournal.com]

i honestly have nothing to add, because i agree with everything. and really, without "all along the watchtower," you do not have a definitive list, ever.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

I have this Hue & Cry cover of tempted....

Seriously, at least they left off Corey Hart's I Can't Help Falling in Love with You, but they should have included both the Duran cover of White Lines and the George Michael version of Somebody to Love, imho.

[kay-taylor.livejournal.com]

Aw, no, I absolutely love Smooth Criminal. I played that damn cover every single night on repeat during Fresher's Week at uni, until the square boy in the room beneath me came up weeping and complaining of headaches. WUSS.

And I adore the Marilyn Manson cover of Sweet Dreams. In fact, I think everything he covers is just gold. His Tainted Love was awesome, too.

I like both the Nine Inch Nails and the Johnny Cash Hurt, as well. Both amazing.

(in fact, I have a whole CD of other bands covering Leonard Cohen, called I'm Your Fan. It's awesome and funny and just plain cool. I loves me some cover songs)