Another Top 10 Cover Songs Hated By the Original Artist

Another Top 10 Cover Songs Hated By the Original Artist

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at ten more examples of a cover song being publicly denounced or criticized by the original artist.

#10: Ill Still Love You (1976)

Ringo Starr

The Beatles were still fighting long after the band had broken up. In 1970, George Harrison was recording All Things Must Pass when he laid down a piece called Whenever. However, he only went as far as the demo, and the song never made it to the finished album. He then tried giving the song to other artists, and even produced a few versions himself, but nothing was ever released. Fast forward to 1976, when former Beatle Ringo Starr recorded the song for his album Ringos Rotogravure. While details have never been made public, Harrison was reportedly not pleased with Ringos iteration and even took legal action against his former bandmate. So much for that touching tribute.

#9: I Will Survive (1996)

Cake

A staple of late 70s disco, I Will Survive has endured thanks to its empowering lyrics and funky sound. And while Gloria Gaynors version is soulful and powerful, Cakes is dry, sarcastic, almost cynical, featuring frontman John McCreas signature monotone vocals. Cake also replaces the disco instrumentation with a minimalist rock setup, stripping down the production and the bombast. Its a change, to be sure, and while some may like it, Gaynor was not a fan. But not because it sounds so different. No, Cake actually altered some lyrics and even introduced an f-bomb, and it was this profanity that Gaynor did not enjoy.

#8: The Rite of Spring (1940)

Fantasia (1940)

Unlike other covers, orchestral works are often performed verbatim, with virtually zero alterations. That certainly wasnt the case with Fantasia. Disneys team adapted Igor Stravinskys The Rite of Spring, but they rearranged the order of the movements and made substantial cuts to the original work, reducing it from 30+ minutes to about 20. Theres also the visual element to consider, as Disney changed the piece from a primitive and brutal pagan ritual to a story about dinosaurs. Suffice to say, Stravinsky was not a fan, which is especially painful as he was the only composer from the movie that was still alive at the time. He called the new musical arrangement execrable and the accompanying visuals unresisting imbecility. The man has a way with words!

#7: Mrs. Robinson (1992)

The Lemonheads

Its a big ask to cover Mrs. Robinson, one of the most popular and celebrated songs ever made. Its an even bigger ask to make a grungy version of it. The Lemonheads were approached to do a cover of the song to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Graduate, with the band being quite hot at the time thanks to the album Its a Shame About Ray. Paul Simon reportedly hated the cover, as did the Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando. However, Simon later appeared on The Howard Stern Show and claimed that it was so-so. Hes coming around!

#6: No Mans Land (2014)

Joss Stone ft. Jeff Beck

Reportedly a favorite of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, No Mans Land is a powerful anti-war song about a young man who dies in World War I. Though respectful of the dead, the song's message is clear: war is futile, and we shouldnt glorify it. This entire message was altered in Joss Stones cover, which was made as the Official Poppy Appeal Single for The Royal British Legion in 2014. You see, she completely omitted the back half of the song, which contains the core anti-war message. Its a sentimental tribute to war rather than a poignant reflection on its futility. Many people, including original songwriter Eric Bogle, were not happy with the alterations, and the singer even wrote an entire piece in The Guardian expressing his disappointment.

#5: My Little Red Book (1966)

Love

This is one of those cases when a cover becomes even more popular than the original. My Little Red Book was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and recorded by Manfred Mann, but the single did not perform, failing to reach the Hot 100. Enter the band Love, whose cover reached #52. This was a completely different version, transforming the song from Bacharachs jazzy, lounge-pop origins into a raw garage rock anthem. They also altered its signature chord changes, simplifying Bacharachs unusual progressions into a more straightforward rock song. Bacharach reportedly hated these changes, claiming that they [played] the wrong chords. However, he did concede that the song brought him some credibility in the world of rock and roll.

#4: Anarchy in the U.K. (1991)

Mötley Crüe

The Sex Pistols burst onto the scene with Anarchy in the U.K., a ferocious punk song that introduced a harder, faster, and grittier sound to the mainstream. Fifteen years later, it was covered by Mötley Crüe for their compilation album Decade of Decadence 81-91. Its a much glossier production, with a more polished sound and flashy guitar work. The band also altered the lyrics, substituting UK organizations and references for American ones. So, Anarchy in the USA, then? John Lydon, AKA Johnny Rotten, did not like these changes, telling NME, They peppered it with the wrong words cos they didnt know the full montyThey lost the meaning somewhat.

#3: Life on Mars (1974)

Barbra Streisand

Very few want to criticize Barbra Streisand. David Bowie didnt have a problem. Life on Mars is considered one of his most iconic songs, released as a single at the height of his Ziggy Stardust fame. It was also around this time that Barbra Streisand recorded a cover for her album ButterFly. She transforms the song from a glam rock ballad into a more theatrical and lush pop piece with sweeping orchestration. Many people hated Streisands Broadway gloss, believing that it ruined the songs surreal and moody atmosphere. And that includes Bowie himself, who called it both bloody awful and atrocious. Hey, even the legends have a few missteps!

#2: Behind Blue Eyes (2003)

Limp Bizkit

Despite its scathing reviews, Limp Bizkits cover of The Whos Behind Blue Eyes was a commercial success and is one of the bands highest-charting singles on the Hot 100, released at the height of their fame. There was an attempt at vulnerability here, with stripped down instrumentation and melodic vocals that were a far cry from the bands usual efforts. Regardless, the song was not received well by critics - or Pete Townshend. In an interview with Uncut in 2005, Townshend referred to that Durst fellow and called his cover [an] embarrassing effort, and one that discredits a fine song.

#1: These Boots (1985)

Megadeth

The idea of Megadeth covering Nancy Sinatra is just hilarious. They covered her seminal song These Boots Are Made for Walkin for their debut album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, although they intended it more as a parody than a straight cover. As such, they included some, shall we say, raunchier lyrics. The songs writer and producer, Lee Hazlewood, called it a perversion of the original and demanded that the band omit it from future reissues of the album. Frontman Dave Mustaine later called out Hazlewood, saying that he happily collected royalties for a decade before issuing his complaint. Funnily enough, Megadeth later did a proper cover of the song, with the correct lyrics, for the 2018 remaster of the album.

What do you think of these covers? Let us know in the comments below!