Cover Songs

[Pontus]

I'm looking for some good cover songs to play with my band(whenever we actually start up...). I want them to be good songs that are not too hard but not too easy. I hate sitting through a song playing an easy as hell guitar part.

I want them to be like modern rock or slightly older rock. I'm looking from about late 70's to now depending on the song. I also don't want to play any heavy stuff like metal or something.

So what covers does your band play, and which ones should mine play?

[AllThingsEqual]

I don't have a band, but definately play some good Rolling Stones covers if you aren't looking for something hard.

[Pontus]

Rolling Stones is a little bit more classic than what I was looking for. I want stuff that modern-day high school kids will enjoy listening too. Since I don't actually listen to or know any of the popular modern music I don't know what songs would be good to play.

[AllThingsEqual]

Well......Maybe a little Led Zeppelin wouldn't hurt though I don't know how hard you want to go. Lynyrd Skynyrd might do it too. Maybe a little Black Sabbath like Iron Man.

[Pontus]

Ok you know what. Forget I said anything about the 70s. Those are the bands I listen to. No one at my school wants to listen to us play that. I need modern songs.

[Forgotten]

Well, current modern day bands topping charts would be Disturbed, System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold, etc. Linkin Park is also up there, but chances are you don't have a DJ.

[Meathos]

Play a Chili Peppers song if you have a good bassist.

[coheed]

Do you have a keyboardist? If so, then you should do a cover of the Wings' "Let Me Roll It." It's a great tune and it provides a lot of opportunity for band members to take solos.

^^Oops, I just noticed your thing about modern songs, instead. Well, the suggestion still stands.

And for a modern song, do some Muse. I'd love to hear someone cover some Muse.

[The Crowing]

Probably anything off of guitar hero would work, Message in a Bottle by the Police, Woman by Wolfmother (probably a good modern tune, although...it's extremely easy, I learned the entire song in all of about six minutes). Or just ask around and find out what kids around your area are listening to, I'm sure there are a few who actually listen to good music...

[Requiem]

Tool. Do it. You know you want to :P

Make sure you have a great bassist before any Tool attempt, though.

[Pontus]

Great bassists are so hard to come by. I can't find anyone who's serious about playing the bass. A lot of times I see bassists that played the guitar, and were fairly decent but not fully devoted to it. Then they become friends with someone who's starting a band and switch to bass to play in said band.

[ATRLOGfan]

Anything by Blink 182 will do (since so many kids now are into emo crap and pop punk), or you could go with the Super Mario Bros. theme.

[~Mobius~]

I agree with Requiem, you should definitely do some Tool. Also, try something by Coheed and Cambria while you're at it.

[mr.rpg king]

Me and a couple of friends covered Bad Brains "Banned in D.C." a few days ago.

If you wanna have an absolutly insane playout then go in that direction :D

[CutUpAngels]

I'd love to see a cover of Handsome Devil by the Smiths. Not too hard, one of my favorite basslines to play.

As far as something more modern...everyone my way has a soft spot for Sublime songs. Why not go that way?

Like The Crowning said, Wolfmother would be ideal, too.

As long as you don't do any 'jamming'. I hate that stuff

[asian jew]

Don't sell out to crowds.

Music is an art, and if your art is motivated by shallow intentions, it will in turn come out very shallow.

[Ihsahn]

Try some Incubus... they've got plenty of crowd-friendly tunes that aren't too easy/hard. Sure, they have a DJ, but a their songs tend to be possible without one...

Also, Jimmy Eat World... any of their "rockier" numbers...


Just avoid Teen Spirit :D

[Streetpunk]

You go try the Foo Fighters, I don't know if they're still big these days (I don't listen to radio anymore). I know that the Chili Peppers are always safe as long as your bassist is somewhat adequate. Bush is fairly easy as well as the White Stripes. Just DO NOT cover Seven Nation Army. Do something a little more challenging than that. Plus you don't need a bassist, the Stripes don't have one, why should you?

[ATRLOGfan]

My band is considering a few covers, if we ever get to play a show (we never get in enough practice time). The ones we're looking at are The Beautiful People by Marylin Manson, Dammit by Blink 182, Drive by Incubus, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Brain Stew, or Basket Case by Greenday. I'm also working on Down With the Sickness by Disturbed.

[Silverbolt]

Alien Ant Farm's version of Smooth Criminal. Everyone will love that. And by "love it" I mean go completely insane :D. "Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World will get the crowd going, too.

Also try some newer AFI songs or Thrice pre-Vheissu songs.

The only thing I would advise is to stay away from over-covered bands like Green Day and Nirvana. Everyone's heard those songs more times than they can count, and are never surprised to hear a high school/college band cover stuff like that.

[Requiem]

Creedence Clearwater Revival. Always fun to cover their songs. Such a great selection too.

Heard it Through the Grape Vine, Proud Mary, Bad Moon Risin', Fortunate Son (always monster cheers when my band plays that), Travelin' Band....the list goes on.

[coheed]

Creedence Clearwater Revival. Always fun to cover their songs. Such a great selection too.

Heard it Through the Grape Vine, Proud Mary, Bad Moon Risin', Fortunate Son (always monster cheers when my band plays that), Travelin' Band....the list goes on.
Yeah, CCR songs are perfect. Everyone knows all the words to at least four of their songs without even realizing it.

[Spiner202]

Alice Cooper is always a good time, especially playing something like School's Out.

ACDC is good too, Aerosmith, anything that people know. Like from those bands I would just stick with things like School's Out, Back in Black, and Walk this Way.

[Kansas]

Me and one of my buddies just did a bunch of popular Kansas cover songs like:
-"Carry On Wayward Son"
-"Dust In The Wind"
-"Fight Fire With Fire"
-"No One Together"
-"Hold On"
-"Song For America"
-"Point Of Know Return"
-"Play The Game Tonight"
-"The Wall" (Not Pink Floyd or Johnny Cash)
-"The Pinnacle"
-"The Devil Game"
-"Closet Chronicles"

[Typhon]

All I can suggest is Pink Floyd (Another Brick in the Wall is a good one) and do NOT attempt a Tool cover...

Not only do you need a bassist that knows what he is doing, but said bassist would also need a wide array of effects along with the guitarist having the same... and on top of that, one VERY talented vocalist... stick with the strait of the road rock out theme... you know the type...

[mr.rpg king]

All I can suggest is Pink Floyd (Another Brick in the Wall is a good one) and do NOT attempt a Tool cover...

Not only do you need a bassist that knows what he is doing, but said bassist would also need a wide array of effects along with the guitarist having the same... and on top of that, one VERY talented vocalist... stick with the strait of the road rock out theme... you know the type...

And ON TOP OF THAT! One of the best drummers in the entire three hundred mile surronding area. Danny Carey is ridiculous. Anyone that says he is overrated, I want to see a video of you on youtube playing Third Eye or Ticks and Leeches or Reflection or Aenima. Do it.

[Typhon]

Oh yes! My mistake, in my rush I had forgotten the key element to any Tool sound...

[Day Man]

My band is considering a few covers, if we ever get to play a show (we never get in enough practice time). The ones we're looking at are The Beautiful People by Marylin Manson, Dammit by Blink 182, Drive by Incubus, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), Brain Stew, or Basket Case by Greenday. I'm also working on Down With the Sickness by Disturbed.
Just play songs people know. Play a song 80% of the crowd knows and likes, than a song 80% of the crowd doesn't even know enough to dislike it.

[Requiem]

Introduce the crowd to new things. Don't specifically cater to them. There are keys songs that no one can dislike. Find those songs and play them. Everyones happy then :P

[The_virus]

I've always enjoyed covers the most when they are appropriated. A rock band might cover a classic pop song (I've heard a hard rock version of "When Doves Cry"), or a country song.

Covering a song outside of your genre allows you to play a bit with how you're going to carry the melody. You could probably pull off some Bob Marley fairly easily. Maybe look into some 80's pop that everyone knows? "Always Something There To Remind Me"?
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"?

Just rework the vocals as appropriate, and beef up the melody to use guitars instead of synth or whatever was used in the original.

[Kid_A]

It's hard to suggest cover songs without knowing what kind of talent your band has or what your singers voice sounds like. That being said...
I've always enjoyed hearing Jane's Addiction (Just Because, Been Caught Stealing, Jane Says), Pearl Jam, Collective Soul (Shine), etc. Older songs but really good ones.