That leaves first place, 12 points, and the walrus gold medal to
Johnny Cash - Hurt
When I made this category, I was sort of hoping that no one submitted this song because I knew it would be hard to beat. When I saw it was the very first submission, I just hoped that multiple people hadn’t submitted it. It seems like the submitter agreed with me:
I considered another cover because I assume everyone will pick this, but then I went ahead anyway because there has been no better cover version in the history of music. The first time I saw it I cried like a baby.
Take what I said about Chris Cornell’s Nothing Compares 2 U and then take it up another level for this song because of the weight added by him singing this song, with these lyrics, at the end of his career and towards the end of his life. It just takes on a completely different life than the original version in Cash’s hands.
Great reveal! Now that the category is wrapped, I’ll mention still others that I thought of while racking my brain:
Songs I thought somebody might submit for this category:
Weezer - Africa
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Fugees - Killing Me Softly
Urge Overkill - Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon
Eric Clapton - Cocaine
The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
Dixie Chicks - Landslide
Songs I hoped nobody would submit since they are terrible:
Five Finger Death Punch - Bad Company
Disturbed - The Sound of Silence
I thought people were over the whole minimalist covers thing. I agree the Cash version is better, but only because I detest the preening theatricality of the original’s vocals (come @ me you know I’m right). Shoulda gone with the daddy of the minimalist covers:
Yo, I got your category winner right here. I don’t really like the Arctic Monkeys original, in fact when it comes on the radio or whatever I’m always like “wtf is this? This is some weird version of a song I know. Oh right, it’s the original”.
I would be remiss not to point out that Lauren Mayberry is sexy as hell in this video.
This wouldn’t have been the winner but I do like this version. although I like the original better so I guess we disagree there.
Here’s another pretty good cover of it… RIP Christina Grimmie, I assume a lot of people never heard of her, she was a pretty big YouTube star who was murdered by a fan after a concert.
Stream of consciousness review of Africa by Weezer.
This synthesizer absolutely sucks
Wait, this is Weezer? Why does it sound like a whiny ass 15 year old doing Karaoke?
Oh good, now the instruments are completely drowning out the only part of the song where the lead sounds like he’s even trying.
Seriously, why are the instruments 3 times as loud as they need to be?
Oh good, the unpleasant ear torture finished just in time for the whiny 15 year old to come back.
Oh wait, no, there it is again. It sounds like people just wailing on guitars with no rhyme or reason.
Terrible synth/keytar? combo? Wth is this?
On top of everything, they did absolutely nothing with this song and made it worse than the original.
If you are gonna do a cover, make it different or better.
