This edition of The Weekend Playlist continues our series on some of the greatest covers of all time, from rock takes on classic tracks to songs you may have thought were the originals.
Last week our "mixtape" included songs from the likes of Blondie, Toploader and Amy Winehouse, but what about this week?
As with every playlist, we've tried to find a balance, and this week's artists are as diverse as Goldfinger and The Byrds through to Johnny Cash and Westlife.
As always, this week's playlist is available right here (and here if you want the full, 117-track extended version).
1. Uptown Girl - Westlife (originally by Billy Joel)
Westlife recently announced their intention to break up after their Greatest Hits tour, so why not remember them with one of their best-loved covers?
Whilst more could've been done to put their own spin on 'Uptown Girl', it can't be denied that it's a well-done, faithful interpretation of Billy Joel's track.
2. Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds (originally by Bob Dylan)
It's sometimes the case that a cover can surpass the original in quality and popularity, and people forget who the song was actually written by.
That's the case with 'Mr, Tambourine Man', a Bob Dylan track that became a breakthrough hit for The Byrds with this fantastic rendition.
3. Movin' Right Along - Alkaline Trio (originally by Kermit and Fozzie in The Muppet Movie)
From this year's Green Album (a tribute to The Muppets ahead of the new movie), Alkaline Trio sound like their having the time of their lives on this punk cover of Kermit and Fozzie's big opening number from 1979's The Muppet Movie).
The punk edge gives this a nice twist, and you can't help but tap your toes and sing along to this tribute to one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
4. Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys (originally by The Regents)
It's not surprising that The Beach Boys' faithful cover of 'Barbara Ann' surpassed The Regents' original.
The harmonies are glorious, and The Beach Boys had a knack of always sounding like they were having fun on these kinds of songs. That, and they owned the songs so much it's become just as loved as some of their original hits.
5. The Man Who Sold The World (MTV Unplugged) - Nirvana (originally by David Bowie)
In his journals, Kurt Cobain named The Man Who Sold The World as one of his Top 50 favourite albums, and so it wasn't much of a surprise when Nirvana covered the title track for their MTV Unplugged appearance.
The 1993 show is seen as legendary, a huge moment in music history, and this cover of the Bowie track is a highlight and fitting tribute from Cobain to an album he was a huge fan of.
6. Hey Ya! - The Blanks (originally by Outkast!)
The Blanks (AKA Ted's Band From Scrubs) appeared in the sitcom with their trademark a capella style, ususally in a comic fashion.
It was a surprise, then, when they showed fantastic talent with this beautiful rendition of 'Hey Ya!', the wonderful harmonies backed by such innocent and calming instrumentation to completely make the song their own.
7. A New England - The King Blues (originally by Billy Bragg)
As seems to a pattern that The Weekend Playlist each week has some kind of chilled-out section, and here we go.
The King Blues excelled on this ukulele-driven take on Billy Bragg's 'A New England', giving the rough, dark love song a tender, raw edge.
8. Hurt - Johnny Cash (originally by Nine Inch Nails)
There was no way this wasn't going to feature on one of the playlists, so here we have it - Cash's iconic and moving version of 'Hurt'.
It's seen as the definitive version of the songs, and was released around a year before Cash passed away, giving the already-stunning song even more power.
9. Need You Now - Wonderland (originally by Lady Antebellum)
From one Irish pop act breaking up to another, this time girl-band Wonderland, who never saw the success their debut record deserved.
Their sound (heavily influenced by the likes of The Corrs) was something a bit different, and this Lady Antebellum cover was a highlight on a fantastic debut (and disappointingly stand-alone) album.
10. Feeling Good - Muse (originally by Cy Grant in the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd)
It's surprising that the Nina Simone version of this isn't actually the original, but it was originally written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for this musical in 1965.
Muse's take on the song gave it so much power, it becomes a fantastic anthem and phenomenal live song, showcasing their sound's best trademarks.
11. Stacy's Mom - Bowling for Soup (originally by Fountains of Wayne)
In line with Bowling For Soup's sense of humour, this was released a couple of weeks ago, the band explaining on an email announcement: "Everyone thought they did it anyway...so they freakin did it!"
It's a nice nod to frequent mistakes (thinking BFS originally did this, or that Weezer sung 'Teenage Dirtbag'), and is just a faithful, straight-up cover done very well indeed.
12. Since U Been Gone - A Day To Remember (originally by Kelly Clarkson)
Taking a power-pop ballad and turning it on its head, A Day To Remember turn Kelly Clarkson's hit into a surprisingly great post-hardcore track.
It's become a rock club anthem, with good reason, and the song lends itself shockingly well to this heavy, riff-soaked style.
13. 99 Red Balloons - Goldfinger (originally by Nina)
Originally released in German by Nina, an English version was penned for the band by Kevin McAlea, which was eventually covered by pop punk/ska band Goldfinger.
It's an excellent interpretation of the track, and pays a nice tribute to the original by singing the final German verse.
14. Come On Eileen - Save Ferris (originally by Dexy's Midnight Runners)
Often wrongly attributed to No Doubt, this third wave ska take on 'Come On Eileen' was actually recorded by now-defunct Save Ferris.
Monique Powell's soaring vocals add a new quality to the song, showcasing it for what it is - much more than a novelty, it's a fantastic, infectious pop tune.
15. Don't Stop Me Now - McFly (originally by Queen)
McFly released this in 2006 as the official song for Sport Relief, and there were many people wondering if they'd pull it off.
Doubters were proven wrong as the pop-rock quartet covered it brilliantly, doing both the vocals and guitar solo justice in fine form.
That's another week done. If you use Spotify, you can check out the playlist here (or the full, extended version here). Got any suggestions? Have we missed out your favourite cover? Let us know and we'll add it to the extended playlist.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
This edition of The Weekend Playlist continues our series on some of the greatest covers of all time, from rock takes on classic tracks to songs you may have thought were the originals.
Last week our "mixtape" included songs from the likes of Blondie, Toploader and Amy Winehouse, but what about this week?
As with every playlist, we've tried to find a balance, and this week's artists are as diverse as Goldfinger and The Byrds through to Johnny Cash and Westlife.
As always, this week's playlist is available right here (and here if you want the full, 117-track extended version).
1. Uptown Girl - Westlife (originally by Billy Joel)
Westlife recently announced their intention to break up after their Greatest Hits tour, so why not remember them with one of their best-loved covers?
Whilst more could've been done to put their own spin on 'Uptown Girl', it can't be denied that it's a well-done, faithful interpretation of Billy Joel's track.
2. Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds (originally by Bob Dylan)
It's sometimes the case that a cover can surpass the original in quality and popularity, and people forget who the song was actually written by.
That's the case with 'Mr, Tambourine Man', a Bob Dylan track that became a breakthrough hit for The Byrds with this fantastic rendition.
3. Movin' Right Along - Alkaline Trio (originally by Kermit and Fozzie in The Muppet Movie)
From this year's Green Album (a tribute to The Muppets ahead of the new movie), Alkaline Trio sound like their having the time of their lives on this punk cover of Kermit and Fozzie's big opening number from 1979's The Muppet Movie).
The punk edge gives this a nice twist, and you can't help but tap your toes and sing along to this tribute to one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
4. Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys (originally by The Regents)
It's not surprising that The Beach Boys' faithful cover of 'Barbara Ann' surpassed The Regents' original.
The harmonies are glorious, and The Beach Boys had a knack of always sounding like they were having fun on these kinds of songs. That, and they owned the songs so much it's become just as loved as some of their original hits.
5. The Man Who Sold The World (MTV Unplugged) - Nirvana (originally by David Bowie)
In his journals, Kurt Cobain named The Man Who Sold The World as one of his Top 50 favourite albums, and so it wasn't much of a surprise when Nirvana covered the title track for their MTV Unplugged appearance.
The 1993 show is seen as legendary, a huge moment in music history, and this cover of the Bowie track is a highlight and fitting tribute from Cobain to an album he was a huge fan of.
6. Hey Ya! - The Blanks (originally by Outkast!)
The Blanks (AKA Ted's Band From Scrubs) appeared in the sitcom with their trademark a capella style, ususally in a comic fashion.
It was a surprise, then, when they showed fantastic talent with this beautiful rendition of 'Hey Ya!', the wonderful harmonies backed by such innocent and calming instrumentation to completely make the song their own.
7. A New England - The King Blues (originally by Billy Bragg)
As seems to a pattern that The Weekend Playlist each week has some kind of chilled-out section, and here we go.
The King Blues excelled on this ukulele-driven take on Billy Bragg's 'A New England', giving the rough, dark love song a tender, raw edge.
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