The most covered song ever?

[davywavy]

Standing on a windy hillside on Saturday listening to a band, they announced that for their last song they'd play a 'popular classic' before launching into Europe's The Final Countdown.It struck me how many bands I've heard cover this song live - Faith no More, VNV Nation (as "the Swedish National Anthem"), Apocalyptica and the Cudworth Colliery brass band, amongst others, have all done versions when I've been there.

Which song have you heard covered more than any other?

Comments

[raggedyman.livejournal.com]

Ace of spades springs to mind

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Don't forget Laibach in your list. ;o)

The most covered song in history is allegedly Yesterday.

A lot of Soul classics have been done by many people, "Midnight Hour" and such.

The song I have the most versions of is "Saltarello" (an Italian dance) which pretty much every medieval inspired band has recorded. I think I have about 12 versions, incl. remixes.

[caseytalk.livejournal.com]

I thought of Yesterday and Imagine. Like Ozzy, I think it's Yesterday.

[hiromasaki.livejournal.com]

I likewise have been told that Yesterday is the most covered song in the world. I know in the US Registered Copyright database there are over 1200 versions, including the original.

However, the WORST (with Radio Airplay) cover is easily the Duff sisters' cover of Material Girl... Ick. Just, Ick.

[godzuki.livejournal.com]

Hmm I seem to keep coming across covers of Hotel California by the Eagles, covered by The Alabama 3 (country acid house version), Gypsy Kings (Spanish Version), Some punk band i cant remember, MAshed up with the Streets of San Francisco by Aggro 1, and many others i dont want to know about.

BTW Final Countdown is fucking awful music, and your liking of it is frighteningly true to form.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

The Final Countdown is ROCK distilled to its purest essence.

[godzuki.livejournal.com]

Delete R replace with C

You got it right now, Redneck!

Its fucking maufactured hair metal pap with no soul and a fucking annoying sound!

Wait...ok..that is Cock metal distilled to its purest putressense.

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Are you saying that Joey Tempest didn't write all his own songs?

[godzuki.livejournal.com]

I have no clue, but I would say he wrote derivative cliched works of valueless....ok ill stop now.

Meh, i guess lots of people liked it, who am I to judge, its just that song got on my tits as being particularly atrocious and a flagpole on the musical mausoleum that was Hair Metal.

Im sure there are many who would disagree with me =p

[godzuki.livejournal.com]

I also blame that genre for Dragonforce.

[applez.livejournal.com]

If Muzack counts, probably some Bach minuet or other...

[hiromasaki.livejournal.com]

Either that or Pachabel's Canon.

[nicnac.livejournal.com]

Has to be Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

[fonnparr.livejournal.com]

It's a toss up between Angels (usually done very badly) or Under the Bridge(usually done well)