Seven Cover Songs That Rock

Cover: Van Halen

I am a fan of both The Kinks and Van Halen. So I really get this song, folks. Perfect for entertainment, dancing and karaoke. What more do I need really?

The Kinks

Van Halen: During the good old David Lee Roth days.

*Song: Wild Thing

Original: The Troggs

Cover: Sam Kinison

You might not know who originally sang it or what year it was made (1965) but you have heard it. It is one of the catchiest songs in rocknroll history.  When Sam Kinison covered it in 1988. Kinison is originally a comedian. The first time I saw him was Bon Jovi’s 1988 video for Bad Medicine. The video for Wild Thing sequel is a riot to watch for a rock fan because it features Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler  from Aerosmith,  Tommy Lee from Motley Crue, Billy Idol, Slash from former Gunsnroses and more.

The Troggs (this is just the song, not the video-sorry):

Sam Kinison: The video with Slash and Idol is without sound on youtube. This is from a Bon Jovi concert:

Song: Jailhouse Rock

Origin: Elvis Presley

Cover of Jailhouse Rock [Blu-ray]

Cover: Motley Crue

Elvis Presley is really the king. I am not trying to be cliché but I really, truly believe the guy deserved all the fame and credit he has got. He has an exceptional voice and he knew how to use it. This is one of his really fast tracks. Singing it at Karaoke gives me a hard time because I can’t stop dancing along at the same time. But as if the original didn’t get you to move, our boys Motley Crue came and sped it up. Consider the first one for exercising at a high level. The second one is for burning more calories. Seriously, dance to these. You’ll love it.

Elvis

Motley Crue

Song: Working class hero

Origin: John Lennon

Cover:  Greenday

This is the slowest of the bunch. While I do have respect for what John Lennon accomplished with and after The Beatles, I am not that big a fan. So I didn’t know about the origin of the song until a music channel finally decided to play something other than his Imagine. The first time I heard the song was from Greenday. This is a great song and I like both versions. Both I prefer the Greenday video. Let me know what you think.

John Lennon

Greenday

Song: Smoking in the Boys’ Room

Origin: Brownsville Station

Cover: Motley Crue

Again, I knew about the Motley Crue version first. It’s my love for glam, can’t help it. I actually hate smoking but this song is so much fun and it represents rebellion so I am all for it.

Brownsville Station

 Motley Crue

If you’d like to read more of my rocknroll articles, you can check out:

9 Def Leppard Facts
7 Interesting Facts About Jon and Bon Jovi10 Interesting Facts About Famous Rock Musicians