Beatles Cover Songs That Definitely Don't Suck

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Ever since I can remember, I've been a huge fan of The Beatles. In fact, I remember catching a lot of heat for wearing a "Let it Be" T-shirt to middle school over and over again. I loved them so much, I was willing to put my social reputation on the line and go against the grain of Nirvana era folks. 

While I truly believe that the original versions of The Beatles classics can’t be beat, there have been some covers over the years that do the original’s justice.

You may certainly not agree with my picks (I was wrong once), but here is a list of five cover songs that absolutely rocked my socks off.

With a Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker. The song was originally an upbeat melody written by Lennon and Paul McCartney, and Joe Cocker took the tune and put a classic 1950’s era rock spin on it. Plus, it served as The Wonder Years theme song, and that show was awesome.

Across the Universe by Fiona Apple. I think Apple’s voice is what did it for me. There is a certain austerity to her voice and her piano playing is genuine. 

Eleanor Rigby by Aretha Franklin. Franklin brought soul to a rather odd and quirky original. If you just sit and listen, you’ll feel it’s spirit uplift you and you’ll jive in no time.

Imagine by A Perfect Circle. OK, so any knowledgeable Beatle’s fan just raised a red flag at that pick. While Imagine was actually written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono after "Fab Four" split, I’m going to bend the rules on this. A song by Lennon is kind of like The Beatle’s estranged brother, right? Anyway, A Perfect Circle’s cover of the 1971 peace anthem captured the original core message while introducing a darker rhythm behind it. 

Come Together by Michael Jackson Ike and Tina Turner. I have to give it up to Jackson, he tried and it actually was a successful pop hit in the 1980’s, but it was a little too generic for my taste. The duo flat out rocked the song. There is something about the version that makes you want to sit in the back of a smoky soul club with sunglasses on and bob your head. Did you know there there are 50 or more artists who covered Come Together? Crazy. 

If you are looking for more Beatlemania to quench your thirst for covers and tributes, check out Rain, the ultimate tribute band to The Beatles. 

Unfortunately, I can't produce any audio samples for you without putting my tail on the line, but I can direct you to iTunes for sampling.