Welcome to the “Best Covers for Songs” category on Nextbop.com
Here, we spotlight the most remarkable song covers that transform and elevate the originals. Delve into articles discussing these creative renditions across various genres. From iconic classics reimagined to innovative takes on modern hits, our collection celebrates the art of musical reinterpretation. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or simply love great music, our curated content promises to enrich your listening experience. Stay tuned for regular updates and discover why these covers rank among the best!
The 10 Best Everybody Loves the Sunshine Covers
Stream the 10 best Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” covers by Robert Glasper, D’Angelo, Kiefer, Jamie Cullum and Seu Jorge and more!
Best Everybody Wants to Rule the World Covers
Listen to the best covers of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by the likes of Robert Glasper, Lettuce, Scary Pockets ft. Cory Henry and more!
Red Clay: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Stream five versions of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” including jazz covers by Jose James, The V.S.O.P. Quintet, and Soil & Pimp Sessions!
Isn’t She Lovely: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Stream Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely” plus four other notable jazz covers of the song by Sonny Rollins, Arturo Sandoval, Aaron Golberg and Jacky Terrasson!
Butterfly: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” composition, including notable versions Robert Glasper, Norman Connors, Gretchen Parlato and more!
Equipoise: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Stanley Cowell’s “Equipoise” composition, including notable versions by Willie Jones III, Max Roach, Jack DeJohnette and more!
Wayne Shorter’s “Fall”: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Wayne Shorter’s “Fall” composition, including notable versions by Miles Davis, Gilad Hekselman and Jesse Fischer!
Crepuscule with Nellie: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Thelonious Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie” composition, including notable versions by Jason Moran, Greg Lewis and more!
Con Alma: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma” composition, including notable versions by Stan Getz, Gerald Clayton, Aaron Parks, Ben Wendel, and more!
Black Narcissus: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Joe Henderson’s “Black Narcissus” composition, including notable versions by Stanley Clarke, Renee Rosnes, Dayna Stephens, Helen Sung, Kevin Hays and more!
Syeeda’s Song Flute: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of John Coltrane’s “Syeeda’s Song Flute” composition, including notable versions by Tommy Flanagan, James Carter, Medeski Martin & Wood, Matt Wilson and more!
Lonely Woman: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” composition, including notable versions by Branford Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, and more!
Nardis: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Read Ben Gray’s critical analysis of jazz covers of Miles Davis’ “Nardis” composition, including notable versions by Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Haden, Joe Henderson and more!
Watch the Video for ChimyTina’s Cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas”
ChimyTina, the duo of vocalist Martina DaSilva, leader of the jazz vocal harmony group The Ladybugs, and bassist Dan “Chimy” Chmielinski (Wynton Marsalis, Marc Cary, Brad Mehldau, and Joey Alexander) …
Stream Vocalist Emma Frank’s Cover of Aaron Park’s “Lilac” From Her New Album ‘Come Back’ (Premiere)
Vocalist Emma Frank has made the move to Montreal-based label Justin Time with her fourth album, Come Back, scheduled for a September 6th release. The record sees Frank deepening her …
Supergroup New Masters Drops Cover of Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams” (Stream)
Sony Music Masterworks is taking aim at the younger generation of music listeners. In an attempt to make jazz relevant again, it has assembled “a rotating ensemble of today’s leading, …
Butcher Brown Cover Andre 3000’s “Prototype” (Video)
Early this morning, the guys of Butcher Brown just dropped a video of their take on OutKast’s “Prototype” to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the legendary double album, Speakerboxxx/The Love …
The Mattson 2 Cover John Coltrane’s “Resolution” (Video)
Identical twins Jonathan and Jared Mattson have been playing expressive, stripped down jazz for a little while now, gaining plaudits and attention from unconventional corners (their last album was alongside …
Jazz Group Kneebody Covers Rapper Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” (Video)
You’ve all heard “Bodak Yellow” by now, the 2017 hip-hop anthem that propelled rapper Cardi B to superstardom. With its dark and hypnotic vamp and its aggressive and provocative lyrics …
Kneebody Covers Beck’s “Dear Life” (Video)
Kneebody is continuing their cover series with a new song this week– their take on Beck’s “Dear Life” off his latest album, Colors. Comparing the two songs, Kneebody is definitely …
Kneebody Cover Rihanna’s “Work” (Video)
I wasn’t really asking for this, but I also make it a habit to sleep on Rihanna (hell, I still like Sia’s earlier work), but “Work” is a catchy song …
Stream Saxophonist Mike Casey’s New Cover of “Nature Boy”
Rising saxophonist Mike Casey is all about his online presence. His press releases are chalked up with social media metrics. “West End”, the first single off his upcoming album Stay …
Danny Janklow’s Elevation Band – “Creep” (Radiohead Cover)
Sometimes less is more as demonstrated by LA saxophonist Danny Janklow’s superb rendering of Radiohead’s cult hit “Creep”. Without the zig-zagging and the effervescence of habitual frontmen, Janklow has the …
“And I Love Her”: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Brad Mehldau has a reputation for building beautiful piano trio versions of pop songs, notably including a lot of Beatles material. His trio release from earlier this year, Blues & …
Smells Like Teen Spirit: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Bringing outside influences into jazz and bringing jazz to other genres has been going on probably since there was a concept of jazz as a genre. Witness hip-hop and electronic …
Sidewalk Chalk – “Alright” (Kendrick Lamar Cover) (Video)
A hip-hop group that sounds better live, retains their voice when playing a cover, and still bumps without a bassist or drummer is a rare find. Having known most of …
Brandee Younger’s “Dorothy Jeanne” and Marcus Strickland & Christie Dashiell’s “Let’s Wait Awhile” (Janet Jackson Cover) Off ‘REVIVE Music Presents: Supreme Sonacy (Vol. 1)’ (Audio)
Wow that was a long title… just bear with me for a sec. You’ve already got the bird’s-eye view of REVIVE Music and Blue Note Records’ Supreme Sonacy Vol. 1 …
Robert Glasper Covers Musiq Soulchild’s “So Beautiful” (Video)
Robert Glasper finally released his new trio album earlier this week on Blue Note Records. Also, check out our list of Marvin Gaye’s Most Popular Songs! We’ve been spinning our …
Robert Glasper Covers Jhene Aiko’s “The Worst” (Video)
The second single from Robert Glasper’s much anticipated June 16th Blue Note Records trio album is upon us. We pretty much said all we could about Covered when we posted …
Robert Glasper Covers Radiohead’s “Reckoner” (Stream)
The time we have all been waiting for has come. The illustrious Robert Glasper is set to drop a new album June 16 on the famed Blue Note label, this …
Ben Williams Covers Lianne La Havas’ “Lost & Found” Featuring Christian Scott
A little over a week ago we wrote about Ben Williams’ sophomore album Coming of Age and featured its EPK (read here). We’ve since listened to the album in its …
Spenser Liszt & His Disciples – “Tick, Tick… / On A Limb” (MF DOOM / Samiyam Mashup Cover) (Video)
A little over a week ago we wrote about Ben WilliaIt’s hard for me to explain why I’m so drawn to this performance. Spenser Liszt is a leader in the Denton, Texas, band Sky Window, who headed up the most …ms’ sophomore album Coming of Age and featured its EPK (read here). We’ve since listened to the album in its …
Natalia Mateo Covers “Strange Fruit” (Video)
Thirty-one year old vocalist Natalia Mateo is set to make her ACT debut on March 27th with Heart of Darkness an album comprised of originals but also several covers including …
Lauren Desberg Covers The Whispers “Rock Steady” (Stream)
Vocalist Lauren Desberg is back at it having recently released the first single off her debut album Twenty-First Century Problems, out April 28. It’s a cover of The Whispers 1987 …
Becca Stevens Band Covers Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About You” (Video)
The Becca Stevens Band’s newest album Perfect Animal is now slated for an April 7th release on Universal Music Classics. We did cover the album back when we thought it …
Kevin Olusola Covers Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”
I was just absentmindedly going through my Facebook timeline when I stumbled on this extraordinary gem. Check out Kevin Olusola on cello, loop pedal, beatboxing and vocals cover Sam Smith’s …
Hallucinations/Budo: A Critical Analysis of Covers
“Hallucinations”, or “Budo”, is a Bud Powell composition…er, a Miles Davis composition. As “Hallucinations”, the tune first appeared on Powell’s The Genius of Bud Powell as a solo piano vehicle, …
Woody ‘N You: A Critical Analysis of Covers
“Woody ‘n You” was written in 1943 by Dizzy Gillespie as an homage to Woody Herman (credit where it’s due), a clarinet and sax player and band leader. “Woody ‘n …
Montara: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s 1975 album Montara is named for the town in California where Hutcherson lives just south of San Francisco. That helps to explain the sunny, vibe-y feel of …
Isotope: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Like Stanley Cowell, Joe Henderson is a fantastic musician who is somewhat overshadowed by his peers. The giants of saxophone – Coltrane, Rollins, Shorter – are rightly considered masters of …
Human Nature: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Michael Jackson’s 1982 Thriller album included some pretty amazing jams – “Beat It”, “Wanna Be Starting Something”, “Thriller”, and “Billie Jean”, as well as the Paul McCartney-featuring “The Girl Is …
Gingerbread Boy: A Critical Analysis of Covers
“Gingerbread Boy” is a tune written by saxophone player Jimmy Heath that was played fairly heavily following its first appearance, then underwent some big changes up to the present day. …
Linus and Lucy: A Critical Analysis of Covers
‘Tis the season. You’ve heard it a million times, and damn if it isn’t one of the catchiest jazz melodies out there. Maybe this isn’t the most “sophisticated” or “advanced” …
Jitterbug Waltz: A Critical Analysis of Covers
“Jitterbug Waltz” is a tune from Fats Waller written (I am told by wikipedia) in 1942 and released as a 78 rpm single. On that single, Waller opens the tune …
Speak Like a Child: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Like ”I Have a Dream,” Herbie Hancock brought “Speak Like a Child” to the Miles Davis Quintet, unfortunately without ever recording a finished take. The rehearsals of this tune have …
Masqualero: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Following from my look at Wayne Shorter’s “ESP,” I wanted to look at another Shorter tune because his writing has been an important influence on modern jazz artists. “Masqualero” seemed …
ESP: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Wayne Shorter’s “ESP” is the title track off of the first album from Miles Davis’ quintet with Shorter on sax, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony …
Hey Joe: A Critical Analysis of Covers
This one probably doesn’t need much of an introduction. “Hey Joe” showed up on Hendrix’s 1966 The Jimi Hendrix Experience, though Wikipedia tells us that the song was registered for …
Blue Pepper: A Critical Analysis of Covers
The Far East Suite, recorded in 1966, is a highlight of the latter part of Duke Ellington’s career, written using the… mid-east… as an inspiration (with the exception of “Ad …
Green Chimneys: A Critical Analysis of Covers
After looking at an early Monk composition, ”Shuffle Boil,” and more recently at Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay,” I’ll look at another color-themed song from Monk this time around, Thelonious Monk’s …
Moontrane: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Woody Shaw’s “Moontrane” is a great tune by a great composer and musician. Why isn’t this song and this musician more heralded? I suppose because Shaw is a trumpet player …
“Wig Wise”: A Critical Analysis of Covers
“Wig Wise” first showed up on the amazing 1963 piano trio album Money Jungle, featuring Duke Ellington on piano, Charles Mingus on bass, and Max Roach on drums. To repeat: …
All the Cooks in This “Mystic Brew”: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Although Ronnie Foster’s name may not be brought up very often in straight-ahead jazz circles, he is well-known in sample-based music. His best-known album as a leader is his debut …
The Rare “Shuffle Boil”: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Thelonious Monk is one of the most original pianists to have ever touched the keys. He was capable of making a song his own through his unique approach to the …
Countdown: A Critical Analysis of Covers
The next song I’ll write about is “Countdown,” the shortest song on John Coltrane’s Giant Steps album at just over 2 minutes long. “Countdown” is derived from Miles Davis’ “Tune-Up,” …
“Giant Steps” for Jazz Kind: A Critical Analysis of Covers
For my next essay, I’ll look at John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.” Certainly not an obscure piece from an unknown performer’s catalog, but interesting in that (so far as I know) …
We Have a Dream: A Critical Analysis of Covers
A recent New York Times article by Andrew Bird described the way that a fragment of a melody that came into his head at an airport developed to become a …