It’s an age old saying “They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” but what better example of that than the rise of “the cover song.” Artists have continued to reinterpret and breathe life and vibrancy into older songs previously written across different eras for different generations. It doesn’t always work, make no mistake there have been some truly horrendous covers (Alien Ant Farm we’re looking at you) but by and large cover songs give you that warm fuzzy predictability and familiarity – with a slightly different and novel twist. It’s also a major risk for any artist / band to take as they’ll always be compared critically to the original. Music wizards Sonos have created a cool infographic highlighting some of the best cover songs of all time and how other artists have fared in their attempts at covering them. But before we do, here’s Johnny Cash’s unique and emotional version Nine Inch Nails ‘Hurt’ – a cover which many regard as being even better than the original song.
