Worst Cover Songs: Maim That Tune : "Beat It" by "Fall Out Boy"

A nomination:

"Shawn Wed, Jul 9, 2008 at 09:05 AM EST

Another travesty was Judas Priest remake of the classic, "Johnny Be Good"."

 

I cannot believe no one has mentioned this piece of magic.

"Hooked on a Feeling" covered by David Hasselhoff. The video makes it even 10 times worse.

 

One of the worst in my view:

Britney Spears' "My Perogative" originally sung by Bobby Brown.

 

Any version of Baby I Love Your Way. The Frampton original is vomitously bads to begin with. Why anyone would chose to cover it is beyond me.

 

Another one that springs to mine (since the original is playing on my ipod at the moment) is the cover of "One" by the cover-king himself, Joe Cocker. Some of his covers really aren't bad, and his version of "With A Little Help from my Friends" is really quite good. I saw him perform his cover of "One" on a German TV show, though, it was about the worst thing I've ever seen.

 

EW asked for votes for the worst cover tunes ever...

"Maim That Tune! You Pick the 20 Worst Cover Songs Ever"

"We asked PopWatch readers to tell us what re-recordings of other people's hits most memorably missed the mark. Madonna, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston all grab a place in your Hall of Shame"

I will insist that Jessica Simpson's rendition of ''Take My Breath Away'' was far worse than ''These Boots Are Made for Walking.'' She took a classic '80s song that is still a staple at high school dances and screeched it to death. Not only do I hate her version, I can barely listen to Berlin's version without thoughts of her creeping in my head. ?Allison

I vote Jessica Simpson, ''Take My Breath Away''! I so wish her breath would be taken away when she sings this god-awful, breathy, painful-to-listen-to cover of this song. Do record execs have a CLUE on how most of the public think she's a horrible singer???! Guess they are blinded by her, um, assets. ?Bandit"

Jessica Simpson's ''Take My Breath Away.'' Reminds of that scene in Jaws when the drunk sea captain gets the town's attention by scratching his nails down the blackboard ? which sounds 1000 percent more pleasant than this cover. Jessica Simpson must be stopped before she kills another great song again! ?Danielle

 

There are far worse covers than Jessica Simpson. Marilyn Manson's version of the Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" comes to mind.

 

But I think that Manson's overwrought cover of "Sweet Dreams" was the whole point. He later did a cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" in the same vein. It's more like a case of "so bad it's good". Another example: Dinosaur Jr covering "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure.

 

Manson's cover of Personal Jesus was so awful that I actually laughed out loud with pure joy when I heard his drummer fell down and broke his wrist playing the song.

 

Next:

"Jessica Simpson ? ''Angels.'' Dire ? poor Robbie. He must cringe when anyone tries to sing that particular song, but most people who butcher it that badly don't have record contracts. Definitely a travesty. Make the memories of her killing it go away. She just didn't ''get'' that song, did she? ?Aussie Ally

Yeah, Jessica Simpson covering ''Angels'' is a crime against music. Though I would pay good money to hear her take on ''Mr. Roboto,'' purely for the train wreck factor. Tell me that wouldn't work. Come on. ?Celimene

Another vote for Jessica Simpson, but it's for the way she shrieked her way through Robbie Williams' ''Angels.'' That was a travesty. ?Jennifer"

Angels

 

I thought Robbie Williams covered Jessica?

 

I'm a Cure fan and Dinosaur Jr. fan but I can't bring myself to like that version.

 

Next on the voter's list:

WORST: Definitely Madonna's ''American Pie'' ? unlistenable. ?Jeff

Madonna's ''American Pie'' The Brady Bunch kids' cover of that song was better. Seriously. ?wg

I don't care how many people already said it.... Madonna's ''American Pie'' [originally performed by Don McLean, inset] is so awful it should be a war crime. ?dan jones

Madonna's cover of "American Pie"



I don't particularly like the original, but it does have some decent imagery, which this version homogenizes into pap.

 

Next vote:

"The most painful and cringe-worthy remake I have ever heard has to be ''Sweet Child O' Mine'' by Sheryl Crow [originally performed by Guns N' Roses, inset]. Aaaccckkk! What was she thinking? ?Emily"

Sweet Child o' Mine

 

Sheryl Crowe covered SCoM? And I thought my dislike for her could rise no higher...

 

This is terrible. They play it over the PA at work. Truly atrocious.

 

She also did a cover of "D'Yer Mak'er" by Led Zeppelin, on the Led Zep Encomium tribute album.

Not much better than "Sweet Child" though.

 

They played this on the radio here today. I've grown tired of the original, but the Madonna cover is just absolutely heinous.

Has anyone heard the new Kid Rock song, "All Summer Long"? It's on the radio non-stop here. Not realy a cover, takes the melodies of Werewolves of London and Sweet Home Alabama, throws in his lyrics reminiscing about him and an old flame getting it on to the later song. Vomitous.

Amazing how often I use that non-word in this thread, btw.

 

I actually liked Rock's current single. I think it's one of his better efforts.

And to be fair to Crow: I doubt anybody could cover a Guns and Roses song.

 

Sheryl Crow's version is the worst version of any song ever

 

Another voter:

"Guns N' Roses did a version of ''Sympathy for the Devil'' [originally performed by the Rolling Stones] that I absolutely hate. They took a great song and stripped it of all things well and good. â??BH"

 

Another vote:

"The first song that comes to mind is the Jonas Brothers version of a-ha's ''Take On Me.'' I only heard it because they ''sang'' it on Dancing with the Stars. Otherwise I might have been spared the total annihilation of an iconic '80s song by those super sappy tween brother nightmares. â??Amy"

 

So that's what that crap is. If I'm feeling nostalgiac about Sweet Home Alabama and also want to hear the music from Sweet Home Alabama, I'll listen to Sweet Home Alabama.

 

Another blogger votes:

"Let's not disregard the horrifying screech of Michael Bolton covering practically every song ever written. â??Em

Michael Bolton â?? ''When a Man Loves a Woman'' [originally performed by Percy Sledge, inset]. Way to turn one of the single best, authentic, raw, and spontaneously created pieces of heartfelt music out there into a studio created, schmaltzy piece of garbage. Worst of all, many younger people believe it's the ''real'' version!! Ugh. â??Melissa M"

 

"Going back a few years, MC Hammer did a half-sung, half-rapped remake of ''Have You Seen Her'' [originally performed by the Chi-Lites]. As a bonus, it had maybe the single worst lyric I've ever heard ? ''The girl is hard to see, like an unseen VJ.'' I'm queasy just thinking about it..." ?James