So, we’ve gone through all of our favorite original songs of 2010 already. Now, it’s time to pay attention to the non-originals: the covers we enjoyed most this year. Dagnabbit, cover songs are squirrely; they are very hard to do well. Even we four at Speakers in Code know that, and all we can do is karaoke to Meatloaf and play the treble clef notes of “The Entertainer” on the piano. So, we appreciate an innovative rework of a great song as much as anyone.
Here are the top 20 that blew us away.
If we missed something, leave us a comment and let us know.
The Bird and The Bee – Rich Girl (Hall and Oates)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
Jonsi – Time to Pretend (MGMT)
Mumford and Sons – Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show)
Mumford and Sons – Cousins (Vampire Weekend)
Hurricane Bells – Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Hit ‘Em Up Style (Blu Cantrell)
Ryan Bingham – That’s How Strong My Love Is (O.V. Wright)
Clare Burson – We Used To Wait (Arcade Fire)
Ted Leo – So it Goes (Nick Lowe)
Cowboy Junkies – Supernatural (Vic Chesnutt)
Laura Marling – The Needle and the Damage Done (Neil Young)
Brooke Fraser – The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)
Local Natives – Warning Sign (Talking Heads)
Apache Relay – State Trooper (Bruce Springsteen)
Jill Andrews & Josh Oliver – Electric Sky (Eleanor Murray)
Beck’s Record Club – Never Tear Us Apart (INXS)
Neon Indian – Children of the Revolution (T.Rex)
The Tallest Man on Earth – Graceland (Paul Simon)
Lissie – Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)