Just when you thought the 1980s were over, these 1990s bands brought the music of the decade back for another round.
At times, the desire for a ’90s band to turn the clock back 10 or so years has been born out of a need to honor their own musical inspirations. Hearing a band such as the Deftones cover a Duran Duran song from the 1980s kind of makes sense once you start dissecting the alternative metal band’s sound.
There are also plenty of groups that have been able to level up after putting a new spin on a past favorite. Think about what “Faith” did for Limp Bizkit or how Orgy’s cover of “Blue Monday” put that band on the map.
READ MORE: Best Cover Song By 11 Big Nu-Metal Bands
Whether it is a mega-hit off the backs of a band from the past or a one-off tribute that deserved more attention, here are the 11 best covers of ’80s songs by rock and metal bands in the ’90s.
Avail, ‘Pink Houses’ (1994)
Original artist: John Mellencamp (1983)
Why this cover works: There is a certain rural Midwestern grittiness to John Mellencamp’s music. And while the melodies on his 1983 hit “Pink Houses” might not fit that description, his voice on the track certainly does.
Virginia-based melodic hardcore band Avail carried some of that same grit with them in their music. Their uptempo version of “Pink Houses” is rough around the edges but contains the same heart as Mellencamp’s original.
Bracket, ‘867-5309/Jenny’ (1997)
Original artist: Tommy Tutone (1981)
Why this cover works: In the late ’90s, Vagrant Records released a pair of compilation albums featuring punk bands covering hit songs from the ’80s. The Before You Were Punk series helped set the stage for punk bands to find new audiences by covering pop songs from the previous decade. The genre would eventually see popular pop-punk bands put out entire albums with nothing but covers.
Among the best on either of the Before You Were Punk albums is Bracket’s cover of Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309/Jenny.” They keep Tutone’s catchy-as-hell guitar hooks while adding dueling vocals and seemingly more attitude than the ’80s hit.
Cap’n Jazz, ‘Take on Me’ (1998)
Original artist: A-ha (1985)
Why this cover works: A-ha’s “Take on Me” has been covered to death at this point. And while Reel Big Fish’s version is the most well-known, it’s Cap’n Jazz’s 1998 take on the song that may be the better of the two. The emo band takes the cover in an entirely new direction that is chaotic at times.
This isn’t some ska-punk band being all jokey-jokey while covering ’80s pop with a smile. Cap’n Jazz’s Tim Kinsella delivers every line with increasing intensity until his voice is in a near yelp-like state by the song’s final note. It results in a refreshing sense of urgency that wasn’t evident when A-ha debuted “Take on Me” in 1985.
Deftones, ‘The Chauffer’ (1997)
Original artist: Duran Duran (1982)
Why this cover works: One of the things that helped carry Deftones out of the nu-metal boom of the late ’90s and subsequent crash in the early 2000s was their insistence on leaning into their diverse influences. From metal to shoegaze to ’80s rock the Deftones were able to adapt when some of their contemporaries faded.
Their 1997 cover of Duran Duran’s “The Chauffer” ruminates before exploding through the speakers. It’s not quite as brooding as the original, but that’s what makes the back half of this cover so satisfying.
Limp Bizkit, ‘Faith’ (1998)
Original artist: George Michael (1987)
Why this cover works: You probably scrolled to this point to make sure we put Limp Bizkit’s cover of “Faith” on this list. If not, then you probably missed the enormity of this take of a George Michael classic when it was released as a single in 1998.
The cover helped move the nu-metal band from a little-known opening act to being mentioned in the same breath as much larger acts such as Korn and the Deftones, who were well established by that point.
Who knew George Michael needed record scratches in his music?
Metallica, Die, Die My Darling (1998)
Original artist: Misfits (1984)
Why this cover works: No band has been covered more during Metallica shows than the Misfits. Their love of the legendary punk band can be traced back to before the tragic 1986 death of bass player Cliff Burton.
Metallica have tackled multiple Glenn Danzig-era Misfits songs over the years, but it’s their 1998 version of “Die, Die My Darling” that might be the best of the bunch. It hits like a flurry of punches out of the gate and rarely lets up. There’s certainly a stark difference between the delivery of Danzig and James Hetfield, but the Metallica frontman sounds right at home on this cover.
Okay, maybe “Die, Die My Darling” wasn’t a commercial smash like the other ’80s songs here. Fight us.
Nada Surf, “Where Is My Mind?’ (1999)
Original artist: Pixies (1988)
Why this cover works: There’s a cover of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” for just about every music preference. You like bluegrass? Check out Minnesota folk band Trampled By Turtles’ version. Is British alternative rock more your thing? Placebo have you covered.
Nada Surf brought an indie rock/power pop vibe to “Where Is My Mind?” when they covered the track for a Pixies tribute album in 1999. It’s a lush take on what is already a somewhat dreamy song. Nada Surf uses layer upon layer of sound, with synth and acoustic guitar steering the ship. If a song can be equal parts chill and frantic, it’s this cover.
Nine Inch Nails, ‘Dead Souls’ (1994)
Original artist: Joy Division (1980)
Why this cover works: There was a time when seemingly every big movie had a loaded soundtrack that would be as desirable as wanting to get to the theater on opening weekend. But instead of lamenting about the disappearance of stacked movie soundtracks, we will use this space to talk about Nine Inch Nails covering Joy Division’s “Dead Souls” for The Crow in 1994.
Out of the gate, Trent Reznor and company bring the rolling drum sound from the original to the forefront. It turns “Dead Souls” into something more grandiose than possibly what Joy Division intended in the ’80s. It’s all a setup, though, as that trademark Nine Inch Nails driving guitar sound joins the fray.
Where Joy Division went late ’70s punk, Nine Inch Nails instead took the industrial route to bring some welcome weight to a classic.
Orgy, ‘Blue Monday’ (1998)
Original artist: New Order (1983)
Why this cover works: It’s difficult to say whether we would know Orgy if it wasn’t for their take on New Order’s “Blue Monday.” But there is no denying the success of the cover, which some may argue is actually better than the original from 1983.
Orgy’s version of “Blue Monday” lies at the crossroads of nu-metal and industrial rock. It proved to be a fair representation of the state of rock and metal when it was released in 1998.
Sometimes timing is everything, even if it means making something old new again.
Save Ferris, ‘Come on Eileen’ (1997)
Original artist: Dexys Midnight Runners (1982)
Why this cover works: If we were to make a list of the best ska covers of ’80s songs, Save Ferris’ version of “Come On Eileen” would be near the top, if not at No. 1. The original from 1982 is somewhat eye-rollingly goofy, but also memorable. Save Ferris could have served up a reheated slice of ’80s nostalgia and been perfectly fine because of that.
But that’s not what happens. Instead, vocalist Monique Powell over-delivers by belting out every word as if her music career is riding on the success of the cover. The horn section is punchy in a way that perfectly accents Powell’s vocals.
The performance moves “Come On Eileen” farther outside of the silly category and more into “you know, that song ain’t half bad.”
Sublime, ‘We’re Only Gonna Die for Our Arrogance’ (1992)
Original artist: Bad Religion (1982)
Why this cover works: The journey from original to cover for this song is rather complicated. Punk band Bad Religion released a song in 1982 called “We’re Only Gonna Die.” Since that time, the song has been covered multiple times.
Hardcore vets Biohazard offered up their take in 1992, but instead had it listed as “We’re Only Gonna Die (From Our Own Arrogance.” Another cover of Bad Religion’s original surfaced that same year from Sublime, who altered the title to be “We’re Only Gonna For Our Arrogance.”
Confused yet? Just know the Sublime one is a blast, and it has a wacky ACME siren whistle in it. Biohazard could never.
If all of that ’90s nostalgia hasn’t been enough, we’ve also rounded up the 75 best rock songs from the decade.
75 Best Rock Songs of the ’90s
You won’t want to miss a thing.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
