The CoverUp

One of the most important songs in the history of blues isn't what you expect -- or really what anyone else expected either. We get to see not just the history of the blues, but a lot of what makes Americana something that speaks to us. The Thrill Is Gone, originally by Roy Hawkins, covered by B. B. King, and by Joy Oladokun.  Outro music is Why Do Thinks Happen To Me, also by Roy Hawkins. We touc...

One of the most enduring and powerful songs in rock and roll, and a cover that does _almost_ everything we love. Thunderstruck, originally by AC/DC, covered by Steve n Seagulls.  Outro music is Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants, because we needed to keep the accordion thing going. 

Someone far too young to have so much skill and perspective shows up out of nowhere with one of the biggest songs ever recorded, and a cover by a genuinely huge singer. Royals, originally by Lorde, covered by Puddles Pity Party with Post Modern Jukebox.  Outro music is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. 

A bizarrely polarizing song that fittingly took over the world, and a cover with an of-its-time point of view. Everybody Wants To Rule The World, originally by Tears For Fears, covered by Moreland and Arbuckle. Outro music is Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2, so that you have a chance to check your notes.

A viral sensation that's also so packed with musical brilliance it's hard to keep up, and a cover that picks up its mail in the same zip code. WHERE IS MY HUSBAND, originally by Raye, covered by UMC.  Outro music is If This Isn't Love by Jennifer Hudson. 

We mourn the passing of a a legend who inspired the world with a remarkable talent and heart to match. Hard Candy Christmas, originally by Dolly Parton, covered by Kelly Clarkson.  Outro music is Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That, also by Dolly Parton. 

It's another Maneater Monday! This week we take a look at a totally different Maneater — or maybe totally different. This one originally by Nelly Furtado, covered by Meg Pfeiffer.  Outro music is I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Mark Chestnut, because sometimes Nashville artists make odd choices and they work out just fine. 

It's Maneater Monday! We look at one of the biggest songs of the 80s that felt like a time capsule but still fit perfectly in any era. Maneater, originally by Daryl Hall and John Oates, covered by Pomplamoose, and by Callum J. Wright. Outro music is Bridge Over Troubled Water by Pomplamoose's Nataly Dawn and her mother Dawn Kallevig.

A rock solid song that knew its place in the world and always brightened up a room, and a cover that understood the possibilities and really stuck the dismount. You Were On My Mind, originally by Ian and Sylvia, covered by Lucius.  Outro music is Turn It Around, also by Lucius, because we all need more of them in our lives. 

A song so transgressively powerful it made way for a whole new kind of rock and roll, and a cover that makes something old new again in the best possible way. Heart of Glass, originally by Blondie, covered by Nick Shoulders.  Outro music is Will Ye Go, Lassie Go/Wild Mountain Thyme from the Sinners soundtrack by Lola Kirke, Jack O'Connell, and Peter Dreimanis.

A song from a band that knows how to deliver on expectations, even when they're in an experimental period, and a cover from an artist whose hallmark is subverting expectations to brilliant effect. Sad But True, originally by Metallica, covered by St. Vincent.  Outro music is We All Die Young by Steel Dragons, in case you'd forgotten about the movie that captured the spirit of power metal. 

A brilliant and beloved song from a band that had the right mix of magic to get it right, and a cover that provides a wild backstory. Build Me Up Buttercup, originally by The Foundations, covered by The Valentines.  Outro music is Baby, Now That I've Found You, also by The Foundations, because how could we not. 

If you're going to have one hit on top of a prolific career, it's hard to do better. This week's song is unique and fascinating. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) originally by The Proclaimers, covered by Alejandra Ribera. You know you want to sign along.  Outro music is (Don't Fear) The Reaper, by Blue Oyster Cult. 

A breakthrough moment in the history of Rock Steady puts us on a musical path that's both familiar and incredibly unfamiliar. A Message To You Rudy, originally by Dandy Livingstone, covered by The Specials, and by Skatune Network.  Outro music is Your Horoscope For Today, by Weird Al Yankovic, which lets us wrap the episode firmly back in Ska-Land. 

A listener request brings us one of the classic songs of Rock and Roll with the most unlikely origin story, and we get to call out a music recognition organization that isn't the Grammys. The Twist, originally by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, covered by Chubby Checker.  Outro music is Back In The Saddle Again, by Gene Autry, though Zach's suggestion would have been right on as well. 

An early song that could have easily defined a band's career, but instead just gave us a glimpse of what was to come, and a cover by a great band that was out in the wilderness making some bad choices. My Generation, originally by The Who, covered by Iron Maiden.  Outro music is Roll Away The Stone, by Mott The Hoople. 

A song that reestablishes a seasoned and successful artist as a new kind of force, and a cover that embraces musical complexity in a brilliant but subtle way. Heaven Is A Place On Earth, originally by Belinda Carlisle, covered by The Mayries.  Outro music is I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), by Whitney Houston, because this song is inevitable. 

Great lessons to learn from one of the all-time road songs, a cover that understands the assignment more than the song — oh, and Rich flubs his kids' birthdays, but that's OK, because we only recorded this on Father's Day. Life Is A Highway, originally by Tom Cochrane, covered by Rascal Flatts.  Outro music is Another One Rides The Bus by Weird Al Yankovic. 

A classic that somehow remains a secret, and a listener leads us to a great musical discovery. The Ghost In You originally by The Psychedelic Furs, covered by Robyn Hitchcock.  Outro music is Love My Way, also by the Furs. 

A listener prods us to dive into one of the great songs in American music, and in the process we flirt with musical diabetes. Lean On Me, originally by Bill Withers, covered by Club Nouveau.  Outro music is The Candy Man by Sammy Davis Jr. 

An impossibly compelling songs from one of the most important writers and performers in American music, and a great band tries something different. Dancing Barefoot, originally by the Patti Smith Group, covered by U2.  Outro music is Desire, also by U2. 

Absolute pop genius from a song that wasn't supposed to be pop at all, and a cover that's a terrible fit which helps to make it even more awesome. Call Me Maybe, originally by Carly Rae Jepsen, covered by Leo Moraccioli. Outro music is We Are Young, by Fun, just to remind you that the bar was high in 2012.

A brilliant debut single that defied genre, expectation, and the industry it was breaking into, and a cover that takes it a bit literally, but nails it anyway. Sultans of Swing, originally by Dire Straits, covered by Pink Turtle.  Outro music is Brothers in Arms, also by Dire Straits. 

A massively popular yet still underrated song by an incredibly talented yet still underrated artist, and a cover that takes on an impossible task and winds up still on their feet. Wrecking Ball, originally by Miley Cyrus, covered by Abandoning Sunday.  Outro music is Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin. 

The song that brought K-Pop to the rest of the world in spectacular fashion, and a cover that's totally not punk, but really is underneath it all. Gangnam Style, originally by Psy, covered by The Cleverlys.  Outro music is Born To Be Chicken, by Korean bluegrass band Country Gongbang.