Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

Has anyone noticed that all the greatest bands seem to have one song that people just wont stop trying to play covers and make remixes for? It seems like some bands would have more than one, but this is a rarity. It's usually the most mainstream song, that's easiest to play or mix... simple logic, and an understandable conclusion for any performing artist to reach. Zeppelin had one, in 'Stairway to Heaven', Pantera had 'Walk', Metallica too, with 'seek and destroy', just to name a few... But what is the most over-covered song? It should be a question on all artist's minds, because surely, you would want to distance yourselves from the mundane, and overdone. It does keep me awake at night... that, and those damn room-mates... so who, among the illustrious minds collected here can help ease my frustrations and finally, let me get some sleep? That is, after I change the locks on the doors... So in conclusion, I ask this... the most over-covered song, which are YOU tired of hearing? Your thoughts...

Pachelbel's Canon in D.

Dev,

It's been pretty well established over the years that a list of totally overplayed songs would have to include the aforementioned "Stairway to heaven" Most would add "Freebird"and "Sweat home Alabama".

I can tell ya' from first hand experiance that back in the 60's it was "Louie Louie", "Hey Joe" and "Wipe Out!".

I took the liberty of checkin' out some of your stuff . Good Playing! I can't imagine that you will be band-less for very long.

Welcome to the forum,
HowlinJ

no so much ONE song as a running list of cliche` songs that I pretty much refuse to play in a band:

Hotel California
Iron Man
Tom Sawyer
Rock n Roll
You got another thing coming
You really got me

..so many more

Hey I just noticed you are in Springfield VA. God I miss those Tippy's Tacos!

I'm gonna head down there soon for lunch!

Hey Gang,

Yeah, If your a free agent kinda musician where ya play in several bands OR just fill in occasionally it can drive ya nuts wonderin WHO's arr. your gonna cover...Ill name a couple from my gen. Proud Mary, and the dreaded Mustang Sally..But, as with any tune, a new fresh arr. with different motifs can at least make it fun (for a while.. )
Yeah , Howlin , in the 60s', ya had alot of that ..American vrs British kinda thing goin.. Beach boys, Surfaris, Jan and Dean etc. had recordingsof the same tune and of course the Ventures would cover it instrumentally...We liked it back then ...BUT, 40's later sittin behind the kit and blazin wipe out is not QUITE as much fun now...hmmm...


John

As far as blues is concerned these are some of the most over-played tunes: Stormy Monday, Sweet Home Chicago, Mustang Sally, and Pride and Joy. The band I'm in does Pride and Joy and Mustang Sally, we still get requests occasionally for these. Later...

I've heard "Land of Confusion" covered a bunch of times. The most famous covers at that song were by "Disturbed" and "In Flames".

I shot the sheriff

terrable song should never have been done once much less multiple times. Love Eric but hate that song.

Yeah, I gotta add my votes for "Proud Mary", "Wipeout", and "Sweet Home Alabama." I even watched a band that played mostly Tool type stuff play SHA. A fellow musician friend of mine told me once that he had his equipment set to shut down if he ever started playing it! I love SKynyrd, and I love the song, but that doesn't mean that I want to hear EVERYONE play it...

I would have to agree with the running list above. I'm a street musician in the summer months and I swear to god I will kill at the very mention of any one of these from a crowd of direspectful drunk people:

Stair way
Free Bird
Every Rose has it's Thorn
ANY Nirvana...(don't get me wrong, I love to hear THEM play...not me)
ANY Metalica ...ug
Wish You Were Here
Crash into me (Dave Mathews)

and the list goes on...and on...and on...

Oh yeah, I forgot Smoke on the Water...

joseph6 wrote:Yeah, I gotta add my votes for "Proud Mary", "Wipeout", and "Sweet Home Alabama." I even watched a band that played mostly Tool type stuff play SHA. A fellow musician friend of mine told me once that he had his equipment set to shut down if he ever started playing it! I love SKynyrd, and I love the song, but that doesn't mean that I want to hear EVERYONE play it...

I was in a punk band during my first year of university, and my major was Poli-Sci and Russian language. One night we were playing some smelly bar and they kept yelling "SKYNYRRRRRD!" at us , so we did a version of Sweet Home Alabama, sung in Russian. It was hilarious to see those chuckleheads start bobbing their heads to the first few chords of the song, and then when I started belting out the verses in Russian, the look on their faces like "what the FUUUUUUUUUU".

We made it a short night.

maybe KICK OUT THE JAMS.. i don't even know who did the original, sooo many bands have done this one

G L O R I A - jeez I hate that song!

Most of the blues stuff's been done to death around here...I'm just plain tired of the ol' 1-4-5 & 12-bar patterns.

When I 1st heard Skynrd & Eagles & Marshall Tucker & CCR, et al, I thought "country" & avoided the stuff like the plague...& guess what? This IS country now. And it's all been done to death. I'm not saying the music is bad...it just isn't my thing, & it gets tired quick for me.

(Irm...I always wanted to do SWH with a Japanese accent - "Shwee home Arabama")