Top 60 Cover Versions

This one is big – so big that we have decided to let Neil select his 60 – that’s right, 60 – best cover versions. Songs that were previously released by another band or artist, given a second (or third!) life by someone else. In part it’s the quality of the song, but mostly it’s the performance that gives these songs their place in the list.

How many of these would you include in your list?

1. You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling – Long John Baldry (with Kathi Macdonald)
2. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself – Marcia Hines
3. Jealous Guy – Roxy Music
4. Dear Prudence – Doug Parkinson
5. Crying – Don McLean
6. The Sound Of Silence – Disturbed
7. A Song Of Joy – Miguel Rios
8. The Wonder Of You – Elvis Presley
9. Over The Rainbow – Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs
10. Living Next Door To Alice – Smokie
11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – Elton John
12. Superstar – Colleen Hewett
13. Love Hurts – Melinda Schneider & Beccy Cole
14. Hooked On A Feeling – Blue Swede
15. Fire And Rain – Marcia Hines
16. The Great Pretender – Freddie Mercury
17. All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
18. A Groovy Kind Of Love – Phil Collins
19. Blue Bayou – Gina Jeffreys
20. Turn The Page – Jon English
21. You’re My World – Daryl Braithwaite
22. Blue Bayou – Linda Ronstadt
23. I Got You Babe – UB40 & Chrissie Hynde
24. One – Johnny Farnham
25. Knock Knock Who’s There – Liv Maessen
26. Venus – Bananarama
27. Yellow River – Jigsaw
28. California Girls – David Lee Roth
29. Funky Town – Pseudo Echo
30. Just A Gigilo / I Ain’t Got Nobody – David Lee Roth
31. Don’t Be Cruel – Cheap Trick
32. Somethin’ Stupid – Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman
33. When You Walk In The Room – Paul Carrack
34. Angel Of The Morning – Juice Newton
35. Eleanor Rigby – Zoot
36. Macarthur Park – Donna Summer
37. Breaking Up Is hard To Do – The Partridge Family
38. Cherish – David Cassidy
39. With A Little Help From My Friends – Joe Cocker
40. You’re Sixteen, You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine – Ringo Starr
41. Cry – Lisa Edwards
42. We’ve Got Tonight – Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton
43. Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards
44. In The Summertime – The Mixtures
45. He’s Gonna Step On You Again – Party Boys
46. Help – John Farnham
47. I Only Want To Be With You – The Tourists
48. Suspicious Minds – Fine Young Cannibals
49. Ti Amo – Laura Branigan
50. Hazy Shade Of Winter – The bangles
51. Little Sister – Ry Cooder
52. Hole In My Shoe – Nigel Planer (as Neil)
53. On Broadway – George Benson
54. True Love Ways – Peter and Gordon
55. Woodstock – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
56. (Just Like) Romeo & Juliet – Mental As Anything
57. Concrete And Clay – Martin Plaza
58. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me – Elvis Presley
59. Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
60. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor

The next 10 cabs off the rank if we had taken it to number 70 – in chronological order:

• Que Sera Sera – Normie Rowe – 1965
• If Not For You – Olivia Newton-John – 1971
• Please Mr Postman – The Carpenters – 1975
• Black Is Black – La Belle Epoque – 1978
• Love You More Than I Can Say – Leo Sayer – 1980
• You Can’t Hurry love – Phil Collins – 1983
• Always Something There To Remind Me – Naked Eyes – 1983
• The Horses – Daryl Braithwaite – 1991
• American Pie – Madonna – 2000
• Big Yellow Taxi – Counting Crows – 2003