13 Times Grunge-Era Bands Gave Us the Best Cover Songs

It's easy to forget how many great cover songs came from grunge-era bands in the 1990s.

That period was filled with so many massive rock hits that have stood the test of time. Many are still routinely celebrated well into the 2020s.

Among the memorable original material we still appreciate from bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots is a crop of equally fantastic cover songs these acts gave us in the '90s.

READ MORE: 11 Best Covers of Big '80s Songs By '90s Rock + Metal Bands

One of Nirvana's first singles was a cover song. Soundgarden was nominated for a Grammy thanks to one of their covers.

Here is a look back at some of the best cover songs from grunge-era bands.

Bush, 'Come Together' (2012)

Original artist: The Beatles (1969)

Why this cover works: The thing about The Beatles' "Come Together" is they grab you from the get-go with their opening guitar riff. It's instantly recognizable and probably shouldn't be messed with if you're going to cover the song.

Bush toys with the riff by taking a much heavier approach. And it works, too. This is how you pay homage to a classic without making an exact carbon copy of the original with your cover.

Faith No More, 'Easy' (1992)

Original artist: Commodores (1977)

Why this cover works: Let's be honest here, this cover shouldn't work at all. And by all accounts, Faith No More mostly started down this path playing "Easy" during shows as a way to piss people off.

When the cover landed on the re-release of their Angel Dust album in 1993, it undoubtedly wasn't a favorite of every Faith No More fan. But Faith No More's musicianship and Mike Patton's soulful delivery made people who weren't even into the band start to take notice.

Patton isn't Lionel Richie, but he does make a solid case for heavy bands with talented singers to cover more soulful classics.

Hole, 'Credit in the Straight World' (1994)

Original artist: Young Marble Giants (1980)

Why this cover works: Welsh post-punk band Young Marble Giants are a fairly obscure choice to cover since they barely lasted all of three years before initially disbanding in 1981. The original version of "Credit in the Straight World" never really takes off as it rides a steady guitar sound for most of its three-minute runtime.

Hole, however, find a way to build off Young Marble Giant's solid foundation. They give the song teeth in a way that makes it explode out of the speakers.

L7, 'American Society' (1990)

Original artist: Eddie and the Subtitles (1981)

Why this cover works: The '70s and early '80s era of punk really deserved to be better documented than it was at the time. When looking back at punk during that period, it always seems to be the same five or six bands that are mentioned.

The reality is, there were a lot of great bands toiling away in regional punk scenes that probably deserved a lot more credit. You're not going to find a ton of stuff about Eddie and the Subtitles, but at least we have this chugging cover from L7 to keep the band's name in conversations.

Melvins, 'The Green Manalishi (with the Two Prong Crown)' (1999)

Original artist: Fleetwood Mac (1970)

Why this cover works: Any cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) tends to spark curiosity due to the song's somewhat colorful past. The prevailing story is that the track was penned by Paul Green, who was believed to be heavily using LSD when he was in Fleetwood Mac.

Lyrics touch on being driven "mad" while also hinting at being forced to do things for money that you don't want to do. The song has become a favorite cover for several bands, including Judas Priest and the Melvins

The latter offers up a sludgy take that dips and dives in unexpected ways. It's simultaneously creepy and majestic all at the same time.

Mudhoney, 'Hate the Police' (1990)

Original artist: The Dicks (1980)

Why this cover works: Early Mudhoney albums had a punk edge to them that was later refined in a way that Nirvana fans would appreciate. Their 1988 debut EP, Superfuzz Bigmuff, is one blast after another of fuzzy guitars and punk tempos.

Two years later, the EP was given a second life as Superfuzz Bigmuff Early Singles. The expanded track listing featured nods to Mudhoney's influences, including Texas punk band the Dicks with their raucous cover of "Hate the Police."

Nirvana, 'Love Buzz' (1988)

Original artist: Shocking Blue (1969)

Why this cover works: Nirvana covered a TON of bands throughout their existence, but almost exclusively during live performances. There was one band, however, that Nirvana covered the most while also recording one of their songs in the studio.

"Love Buzz" was a somewhat manic track from Dutch rock band Shocking Blue that leaned heavily on a sitar sound of all things in some places. And while a band rocking a sitar isn't that odd for that late '60s, it did make for a curious choice for Nirvana to cover as their first ever single 20 years later.

The cover took off, however, thanks to Kurt Cobain's guitar and Krist Novoselic's bass trading off playing the sitar parts as they snake their way through pounding drumbeats.

Pearl Jam, 'Last Kiss' (1999)

Original artist: Wayne Cochran (1961)

Why this cover works: Eddie Vedder's oft-mumbled vocals were meme-worthy even before memes were a thing. Moments of Vedder's clear vocal delivery were somewhat rare, but that was also part of Pearl Jam's charm in the '90s. It just fit their aesthetic.

But then came their cover of '60s crooner Wayne Cochran's "Last Kiss." Vedder had something that was the farthest thing from a Pearl Jam song and met it halfway. He isn't as buttery smooth as Cochran was on the original, but he does enough to make the listener realize he can meet the challenge when it comes to range and delivery.

Silverchair, 'Minor Threat' (1999)

Original artist: Minor Threat (1981)

Why this cover works: Silverchair's cover of "Minor Threat" went largely unnoticed when it was released in 1999. Not only had Silverchair's buzz died down by this point, but the song had also already been covered to death before their version.

Looking back, maybe the cover deserved more love than it got at the time. Silverchair notches up the intensity compared to Minor Threat's original.

And that is in no way saying Minor Threat was weak. It's just that Silverchair BRINGS IT on their cover as they find an extra gear for the song.

The Smashing Pumpkins, 'Landslide' (1994)

Original artist: Fleetwood Mac (1975)

Why this cover works: Billy Corgan's voice. That's it. His voice was just made to sing a cover of "Landslide."

Soundgarden, 'Into the Void (Sealth)' (1992)

Original artist: Black Sabbath (1971)

Why this cover works: There's not enough space here to properly list all of the things that absolutely rule when it comes to this cover. But we're going to try anyway.

Soundgarden take a Black Sabbath classic and completely replaces the lyrics with a speech written by Chief Sealth (or Chief Seattle). The city's namesake was a pivotal figure in pushing for the rights of Native Americans in the mid-1800s.

Soundgarden's cover pays respect to both Sealth's speech and Black Sabbath's original. The chief's words are given enough space to be appreciated between crunching guitar riffs and mighty solos.

Stone Temple Pilots, 'Dancing Days' (1995)

Original artist: Led Zeppelin (1973)

Why this cover works: Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin was released in 1995 and featured covers by nearly every major alternative rock act on the radio at the time. From Blind Melon to Cracker to 4 Non Blondes, top alt-rock acts tackled some of Zeppelin's biggest songs.

Out of the 12 tracks, it was Stone Temple Pilots' take on "Dancing Days" that stood out the most.

Few can match Robert Plant's voice from the '60s and '70s. Scott Weiland had the foresight not even to try it. Instead, he sounds as chill as can be as bongos and subtle guitars move along in the background. It's truly a masterclass in covering a classic song and knowing your limits as a band.

Want to dive even deeper into the world of grunge? Keep reading for a look back at the best songs off every album from the genre's biggest acts.

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