Show Notes
Sometimes a cover song is so good, so singular that it completely eclipses the original version. Think Sinéad O'Connor doing The Family's “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Jimmy Hendrix lighting up Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” or, of course, Whitney Houston’s defining take on Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” On this week’s show, we share some of our picks for cover songs that are better than the originals, talk about why, and what, exactly, a cover song needs to become a classic.
NPR Music’s Dora Levite and Lars Gotrich join host Robin Hilton.
Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify wherever you listen to podcasts.
Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: [email protected]
Featured artists and songs:
(00:00) Intro and the G.O.A.T.s
(06:06) Al Green: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”
(09:58) Björk: “It’s Oh So Quiet”
(12:28) Aretha Franklin: “Respect”
(16:22) Low: “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”
(19:45) Andrew Paul Woodworth: “Fight For Your Right to Party”
(25:10) Yaeji: “Passionfruit”
(28:13) Shonen Knife: “Top of the World”
(32:06) Wednesday: “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Double)”
(34:54) Low: “Fearless”
(36:37) Harry Nilsson: “Without You”
(39:57) Beyonce: “Before I Let Go (Homecoming Live Bonus Track)”
(42:35) Gary Jules: “Mad World”
(49:19) Chaka Khan: “I Feel For You”
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
More from All Songs Considered
With the arrival of the first new Olivia Tremor Control album in nearly 30 years, we attempt to make sense of the sprawling, enigmatic collective behind it known as Elephant 6.
Who’s the Mariah Carey of Halloween? Labels and artists are trying to capitalize on spooky season, but these are the songs that belong in the creepy canon, from the truly terrifying to simply seasonal and nostalgic.
A super deluxe box set of The Beatles' legendary 1965 album Rubber Soul has just been released with brand new mixes, demos and outtakes that show The Beatles breaking up with the past, their fans and everything people knew and loved about the band.
We get big and loud this week with a surprise drop from Phoebe Bridgers and her song “On Video,” from the Primetime soundtrack; the monstrously disjointed “Placeholder” from Gilla Band; widescreened shoegaze from the Danish artist Trentemøller and more.
Our latest mix of the week’s best new songs swings from the shoegaze rock of rising LA band untitled (halo) to Bach’s “Air on the G String” performed by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. We’ve also got singer Lizzy McAlpine’s breathtaking ode to her late father, the laid-back grooves of polymath Sen Morimoto, the extraordinary voice of Scottish singer Beth Taylor and more.