While surveying the ferociously fun punk covers landscape to compile a proper best-of list, there are a few things that become immediately apparent. First, the 1980s seem to be the decade that is most ripe for the original source material to be covered. If Martha Quinn announced a songâs MTV video premiereâno matter the original genreâthereâs a good chance that a punk band has taken a sonic swing at it. Second, punk bands love covering The Beach Boys. Punk mainstays like the Ramones, Pennywise, the Descendents, the Queers, Shonen Knife, the Vandals and more have all rammed (some more than once) the sun-kissed sounds of the quintessential â60s rock band through an amped-up, down-stroked punk filter. Third, in some exceptional cases, the cover versions unquestionably eclipse the original, as with The Clashâs âI Fought The Law,â Social Dâs âRing of Fireâ and pretty much every Ramones cover.
With those things in mind, there are many punk covers that just didnât make this list due to there already being adequate representation from a similar pick. They may still be fun to sing along to and they do their part to make a long drive more bearable when they come up on a playlist, but there are only so many tongue-in-cheek covers of â80s new wave songs or snotty early punk bands that were trying to do nothing more than wink at their audiences by turning in a version of a well-known ditty thatâs unruly, but nothing special. (Hereâs looking at you, Sex Pistols). We also self-imposed a rule of only including one cover per band, just to keep this from being unequally overrun by prolific punk cover pros like the Ramones, Dropkick Murphys, MxPx and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
If full-length covers albums are your preferred jam, weâve already got you covered (so to speak) with 10 of the Best Punk Cover Albums of All Time. But if youâd rather keep your rowdy and raucous reworkings to singles, please find the 30 best punk rock cover songs below.
30. The Donnas, âDancing With Myselfâ
While The Donnas flirted with classic rock and heavy metal in their later albums, the Palo Alto foursome always built their sound and ethos on good old-fashioned punk music. To that extent, theyâve ceremoniously covered artists like MĂśtley CrĂźe, KISS, Judas Priest and Alice Cooper, but itâs their strutting cover of Generation Xâs âDancing with Myselfâ that most adequately captures The Donnasâ musical moxie. Recorded for the 2004 movie Mean Girls, the song appears over the filmâs closing credits and kicks off the hit-or-miss soundtrack in style. âDancing with Myselfâ features The Donnas lead singer Brett Anderson (aka Donna A) channeling Billy Idolâs agitated snarl and swagger with aplomb, while the band follows suit with a straightforward-yet-energized performance. The Donnas have always seemed to be equal parts Runaways and Ramones and their cover of âDancing With Myselfâ blends the best of both influences with their own tough-girl twist.
29. Mad Caddies, âS.O.S.â
Throughout their six albums and various EPs, singles and compilations, Mad Caddies have continuously augmented their punk approach by fearlessly mixing in multiple other genres to create their distinct-yet-divergent sound (polka and sea shanties included). For example, their five-track EP The Holiday Has Been Cancelled contains elements of wah-wah horn lounge rock, ska-tinged hardcore, twangy alt-country cowpunk and an ABBA cover. Their take on the Swedish pop quartetâs 1975 single âS.O.S.â retains the originalâs minor-key intro and verses while bolstering the major key chorus blasts with additional horn and guitar work. You can certainly try to listen and do your best to not sing along, but resistance is futile when the Mad Caddies meet mid-â70s disco.
28. The Dollyrots, âDa Doo Ron Ron/I Wanna be Sedatedâ
The Dollyrots have recorded quite a few remarkable punk covers in their career with some of them like Joan Jettâs âBad Reputationâ and Melanieâs âBrand New Keyâ even appearing in film and television shows. However, their Crystals/Ramones mash-up of âDa Doo Ron Ron/I Wanna Be Sedatedâ serves the dual purpose of highlighting the bandâs best selling points (lead singer Kelly Ogdenâs charmingly plucky vocal delivery and Luis Cabezasâ lock-step rhythm guitar playing) while also framing their sonic influences in a cleverly meta way. By seamlessly fusing the two songs together, The Dollyrots play off their melodic similarities and pay tribute to the Ramones influence on them and The Crystalsâ influence on the Ramones. Itâs an ingenious sonic smirk to the genreâs lineage thatâs also just a really entertaining listen.
27. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, âAinât Talkinâ âBout Loveâ
When The Mighty Mighty Bosstones released Whereâd You Go? in 1991, the five-track EP included a trio of coversâAerosmithâs âSweet Emotion,â Metallicaâs âEnter Sandmanâ and Van Halenâs âAinât Talkinâ âBout Love.â âSweet Emotionâ and âEnter Sandmanâ are both fast-and-sloppy also-rans, but âAinât Talkinâ âBout Loveâ stands out as a really solid example of early Bosstones magic. Masterfully driven along by the bandâs ska-core boom and Dicky Barrettâs instantly recognizable bark, their cover of âAinât Talkinâ âBout Loveâ is made exceptional by the quick snippet of The Specialsâ âNite Klubâ they throw into the coverâs bridge. Years before the platinum-selling polish they showed on 1997âs Letâs Face It, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones showed a spunky pioneering spirit on tracks like âAinât Talkinâ âBout Love.â
26. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, âLeaving On A Jet Planeâ
How do you pick the best punk cover from a band whoâs made an impressive two-decade career out of just that? Punk cover supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes released their very first 7â single in 1995 and it contained a John Denver cover on each side: âCountry Roadsâ on the A and âLeaving On A Jet Planeâ on the B. While âCountry Roadsâ is a fun pedal-to-the-metal barnburner, âLeaving On A Jet Planeâ earns extra points for Spike Slawsonâs theatrical howl and Fat Mikeâs beautifully rumbling bass tone. After multiple cover albums and almost 20 artist-dedicated singles, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes have perfected the art of the punk cover and you really canât go wrong in picking any of their tracks. If youâre looking for a good place to start with the band, they just released their first âgreatestest hitsâ album Rake It In this past May. You can also check out their recent live session in the Paste Studio in New York.
25. The Ataris, âBoys of Summerâ
When The Ataris released their fourth album So Long, Astoria in 2003, âIn This Diaryâ was tagged as the albumâs lead single. However, radio stations gravitated so hard to the albumâs driving cover of Don Henleyâs âBoys of Summerâ that the band decided to quickly release it as an official single. The surprise success of âBoys of Summerâ resulted in The Ataris earning their highest chart rankings (No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts and No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100) and scoring their only gold record as well. For their cover, The Ataris managed to recapture Henleyâs wistfully reminiscent tone while revamping the songâs sonic palette and cleverly swapping out the lyricâs Grateful Dead reference for a more relevant punk-themed update: âOut on the road today I saw a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac.â Within the glut of early-â00s pop-punk covers, The Atarisâ âBoys of Summerâ remains one of the eraâs top-shelf standouts.
24. The Damned, âHelp!â
While the Sex Pistols and The Clash usually dominate any discussion about late-â70s U.K. punk bands, The Damned actually hold the distinction of releasing the first U.K. punk single (âNew Roseâ) and full length album (Damned Damned Damned), as well as being the first U.K. punk band to do a proper U.S. tour. The Damned released their âNew Roseâ 7â single five weeks before the Sex Pistols released âAnarchy in the U.K.â and they included a breakneck cover of The Beatles âHelp!â as the non-album B-side. Clocking in at under a minute and a half and intentionally irreverent, The Damnedâs version of âHelp!â was clearly meant to take the piss out of The Beatlesâwho had only been broken up for six years at the timeâin the same way that The Clashâs song â1977â did (âNo Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones in 1977â). What more appropriate way to mark the first U.K. punk single than by thumbing your nose at the biggest band in the world on your B-side?
23. Dropkick Murphys, âTessieâ
With its roots stretching as far back as a 1902 Broadway musical, Dropkick Murphysâ interpolation of âTessieâ earns the distinction of being the oldest original on this punk covers list (although itâs certainly not the oldest original in the Celtic punk bandâs catalog of covers thatâs rich with Irish folk traditionals). The storied tale of âTessieâ involves its use as a rallying anthem for the Boston Americans (later to become the Red Sox) during the 1903 World Series, which they went on to win in dramatic fashion by taking the last four games after being down three-to-one in a best-of-five series. Dropkick Murphys recorded their uproarious version of âTessieâ for their 2004 EP of the same name. Released during the late summer of that yearâs baseball season, the song went on to gain a second life as a Boston baseball anthem as the Red Sox went on to âreverse the curseâ and win their first World Series in 86 years. After the Red Sox World Series win, Dropkick Murphys included âTessieâ as a bonus track to their Warriorâs Code album released the following summer and added famed Boston sports broadcaster Joe Castiglioneâs âCan you believe it?â call of the final play as the songâs intro.
22. The 5.6.7.8âs, âWoo Hooâ
While The 5.6.7.8âs kinetically bouncy cover of the 1950s rockabilly quasi-instrumental âWoo Hooâ was originally released on the Japanese trioâs 1996 album Bomb the Twist, it gained a significant amount of popularity in the early 2000s thanks to its in inclusion in Quentin Tarantinoâs Kill Bill: Volume 1. Tarantino not only featured the song on the filmâs soundtrack, but he also included multiple scenes of the band performing a few different songs, including an extended sequence where almost the entirety of âWoo Hooâ ran over multiple shots of The 5.6.7.8âs playing along. Furthering the songâs serendipitous success, the bandâs cover of âWoo Hooâ also popped up in quite a few commercials around that time period as well. Who knew a Japanese garage punk girl group could cover an American rockabilly song so well that it could help sell Canadian beer.
21. The Offspring, âSmash It Upâ
Putting aside the Kilmer-replaces-Keaton, Jones-hates-Carrey debacle that was 1995âs Batman Forever, the filmâs soundtrack was actually pretty fantastic (even if only five of the soundtrackâs 15 songs actually appeared in the film). U2âs âHold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Meâ scored a hit single and a memorable MTV video and Sealâs âKiss From A Roseâ hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy awards, but it was the soundtrackâs trio of cover songsâMichael Hutchence covering Iggy Popâs âThe Passengerâ, Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn covering Smokey Robinsonâs âThe Hunter Gets Captured by the Gameâ and The Offspring covering The Damnedâs âSmash It Upââ that proved to be its most interesting component. While itâs always a respectable move for a younger punk band to pay homage to an older one, it was especially meaningful during the punk upswell of the mid-â90s when bands like The Offspring, Rancid and Green Day were getting recognition and achieving success at a level that older punk bands like The Damned never did. Batman Forever may have its share of questionable moments (nipples on the batsuit?), but its soundtrack introduced a new generation to The Damned via The Offspring, so itâs a win overall.
20. L7, âHanging on the Telephoneâ
While 1995âs The Jerky Boys isnât an especially memorable film, itâs soundtrack remains one of the more interesting and enjoyable movie-themed entries of the decade. The rewardingly diverse tracklisting placed alt-rock radio acts (Collective Soul, Green Day, Helmet) alongside hip-hop collectives (Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, House of Pain, Coolio and 40 Thevz) and even sprinkled in some surprises like Tom Jones covering Lenny Kravitzâs âAre You Gonna Go My Way?â and indie darlings Superchunk appearing on a major movie soundtrack. However, the albumâs most pleasant surprise is L7âs roaring (and thematically on-the-nose) cover of âHanging on the Telephoneâ that opens Parallel Lines. Although originally released by The Nerves in 1976, Blondieâs cover became a hit two years later. While The Jerky Boys was unilaterally panned, the filmâs soundtrack is an incredibly entertaining listen and L7âs cover of âHanging on the Telephoneâ is almost worth the price of admission on its own.
19. Minor Threat, âStepping Stoneâ
Minor Threat accomplished a lot in their all-too-short career, including spearheading hardcore punk, revolutionizing the DIY work ethic, popularizing the straight edge movement and capturing one of the most iconic) (and most copied) punk photos of all time for their self-titled EP cover. When they released In My Eyes at the tail end of 1981, they closed out the seven-and-a-half minute four-track EP with an aggressively furious cover of the 1960s pop single âSteppinâ Stoneâ made popular by bands like The Monkees and Paul Revere & The Raiders. Originally called â(Iâm Not Your) Steppinâ Stoneâ for all of its â60s renditions, Ian MacKeye and company shaved down the title and ramped up the tempo for Minor Threatâs assaulting cover. While it feels like a tongue-in-cheek goof to say that Minor Threat covered The Monkees, the songâs lyrics actually contain the same themes of assertiveness and self-empowerment that can be found in many Minor Threat songs.
18. Goldfinger, â99 Red Balloonsâ
While Goldfingerâs 1998 version of Spiral Staircaseâs âMore Today Than Yesterdayâ from Adam Sandlerâs The Waterboy is certainly a fine and respectable undertaking, their rendition of Nenaâs â99 Red Balloonsâ from their 2000 album Stomping Ground edges out the competition for best Goldfinger cover thanks to lead singer John Feldmannâs impressive use of the originalâs German lyrics in one of the verses. Goldfinger often mixed various ska elements into their punk-fueled catalog, and while that shows up here in the songâs closing moments, their take on â99 Red Balloonsâ mostly roars along on only the purest open-throttled punk muscle. In fact, the songâs escalating groove threatens to hit the sonic stratosphere by the time Feldy hits the Germanic climax, leaving the band no choice but to use its smoothed out ska skills to mirror Nenaâs contemplative ending.
17. Dead Kennedys, âViva Las Vegasâ
When Dead Kennedys released their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables in 1980, songs like âHoliday in Cambodia,â âCalifornia Ăber Allesâ and âKill the Poorâ thrust the feisty foursome (and especially lead singer-songwriter Jello Biafra) into the limelight as a politically charged punk band. However, the album also contained a tongue-in-cheek rave-up of the schmaltzy Elvis classic âViva Las Vegasâ that showed the bandâs irreverent, goofy side, as well. Apart from a couple minor drug-referencing lyric changes, Biafra and company approach the cover in a pretty straightforward punk manner, allowing âViva Las Vegasâ to serve not only as double dueces to one of rock musicâs sacred icons, but it also functions as a fun, easy-access entry point to such a provocative and controversial band.
16. The Plugz, âLa Bambaâ
When the predominantly punk soundtrack to the 1984 movie Repo Man came out, fans of Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies and Iggy Pop (who sang the filmâs title track) may have been surprised to see that three of the albumâs 11 songs were by a semi-obscure band called The Plugz. The Los Angeles-based group started out as a trio around 1977 and (along with The Zeroes) were pioneers in the Chicano punk scene. Their blistering cover of Ritchie Valensâ âLa Bambaâ (the B-side to their âAchinââ 7â single in 1981) was a high-water mark for the group, itself a commentary on their Latino roots that was both celebratory and satirical, though the ratio between those two elements is up for debate. The Plugz frontman Tito Larriva has gone on to score (and appear in) multiple films and original Plugz drummer Charlie Quintana has played with Bob Dylan, Cracker, Izzy Stradlin and Social Distortion.
15. The Suicide Machines, âI Never Promised You A Rose Gardenâ
While the soundtrack to 1998âs SLC Punk is almost entirely anchored by original tracks from prototypical punk bands like the Ramones, Fear, Dead Kennedys and Minor Threat, its pitch-perfect opening track is this impressively polished and aggressive cover of Lynn Andersonâs 1970 country crossover classic âI Never Promised You A Rose Garden.â Recorded specifically for SLC Punk (and appearing on the bandâs self-titled album the following year), The Suicide Machines vacillate between the syrupy sweetness of the originalâs countrypolitan strings and the danceable bombast of their dynamic brand of hardcore ska punk. While most punk covers from this period hovered around the cheesier songs of the 1980s, The Suicide Machinesâ decision to reach a little farther back for their tip-of-the-hat and it certainly paid off with this incredibly fun cover.
14. NOFX, âGo Your Own Wayâ
To close out their second album, 1989âs S&M Airlines, NOFX invited Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin to trade lines with Fat Mike on a rowdy romp through Fleetwood Macâs âGo Your Own Wayâ that features impressive instrumentation (that guitar solo!) and a slightly-less-than-serious approach to the vocals. The result ends up being two great tastes that taste great together as Graffinâs menacing bark plays perfectly off of Fat Mikeâs snotty sneer and the singalong background harmonies are pretty spot-on, especially for a punk record that was recorded and mixed in just six days. S&M Airlines was NOFXâs first album on Epitaph Records and their decision to have Bad Religion guitarist/Epitaph owner Brett Gurewitz return as producer for them seemed like a perfect choice for capturing the bandâs sound and attitude. Having the NOFX-Bad Religion connection on âGo Your Own Wayâ makes the song an incredibly perfect slice of â80s punk nostalgia.
13. X, âSoul Kitchenâ
Thereâs no denying that Xâs 1980 debut album Los Angeles is one of the best and most influential punk albums of all time, thanks in some small part to what they did with their searing cover of âSoul Kitchenâ by The Doors. While The Doors arenât exactly typical punk cover fodder, the fact that Doorsâ keyboardist Ray Manzarek produced_ Los Angeles_ makes that choice a little more understandable. For Xâs part, âSoul Kitchenâ is almost unrecognizable as a Doors original, as Exene Cervenkaâs unmistakable howl, John Doeâs gruff background vocals, Billy Zoomâs vigorous guitar work and D.J. Bonebrakeâs unrelenting drumming all help made âSoul Kitchenâ sound like quintessential X material. This cover is a prime example of a band hitting its stride right out of the gate and it actually serves as a fantastic entry point for getting acquainted with Xâs catalog.
12. Rancid, âIf The Kids Are Unitedâ
The blueprint of a punk band covering a punk song isnât a guaranteed recipe for success, no matter how well-intentioned. Sometimes, however, the formula contains just the right secret ingredient to turn that rule on its head. Such is the case with Rancidâs cover of Sham 69âs âIf The Kids Are Unitedâ from the 1999 Hellcat Records compilation Give âEm the Boot II. In Rancidâs hands, the 1978 punk classic gets new life thanks to the mind-bending bass work of Matt Freeman. From his nimble-fingered intro to his electrifying runs during the songâs chorus, Freemanâs bass line foregoes the standard root-note punctuation for a compelling counter melody that supercharges the song into new sonic spaces. Rancid has always had a fantastic grasp of punkâs most foundational musical elements and Freemanâs jaw-dropping bass talents truly take the bandâs already-excellent combined output to the next level.
11. Riverboat Gamblers, âLetâs Go Crazyâ
When Princeâs Purple Rain turned 25 in 2009, the occasion was widely celebrated in a variety of contexts due to the double media smash success of the 1984 film and album. One of the more clever tributes of 2009 was Purplish Rain, a tribute album compiled by Spin magazine that featured track-by-track Purple Rain covers in the albumâs original running order. While Sharon Jonesâ funk-fueled âTake Me With Uâ and Mariachi El Bronxâs festive waltz through âI Would Die 4 Uâ expertly showcase Princeâs far-reaching sonic imprint, Purplish Rainâs explosive opening trackââLetâs Go Crazyâ by Riverboat Gamblersâshows that The (painfully missed) Purple One translates to punk rock just as comfortably as anything other genre. While the Riverboat Gamblers shave a little of the pop polish off of âLetâs Go Crazyâ by approaching it with a more raw abandon, the fact that they never quite capture the outright fury of Princeâs original guitar work may be the most punk revelation about the whole cover.
10. Shonen Knife, âTop of the Worldâ
No strangers to cover songs, the Japanese all-female pop punk trio often performs as The Osaka Ramones and even released a full-on Ramones cover album in 2011. But even before that, Shonen Knife began their history of important covers when alternative-flavored tribute album to The Carpenters, If I Were A Carpenter, came out in 1994. Their saccharine-and-sake take on âTop of the Worldâ strikes the feel-good â70s nostalgia vibe inherent in a Carpenters song, but their bouncy charisma and subtle phrasing changes go along way in putting their own stamp on the AM radio staple. It appears that Shonen Knifeâs cover has some pop cultural legs as well, as the song appeared a year after its initial release as the closing theme to the 1995 film The Last Supper and has shown up again as recently as last yearâs Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life reboot.
9. MxPx, âTake On Meâ
Right before the deluge of â80s punk covers that oversaturated the late-â90s and early-â00s, Bremerton, Wash. pop punk trio MxPx beat most bands to the punch with their knockout cover of A-haâs âTake on Meâ from their 1995 On the Cover EP. Still in their late teens at the time, MxPx showed some finesse in their tracklist choices for the all-covers affair, but it was âTake On Meâ that unquestionably proved to be the albumâs standout track. Instead of just seeing how loud and fast they could play âTake On Me,â MxPx really struck the dog-on-a-chain sweet spot of restraining the cranked guitars and accelerated tempo just enough to still let the songâs melody and groove shine through. Although Reel Big Fishâs (three years later) cover of âTake On Meâ got a little more notoriety due to its involvement with the BASEketball film and soundtrack, MxPxâs version has more raw charm to it by foregoing the tongue-in-cheek cheesiness for unfiltered punk spirit.
8. Joey Ramone, âWhat A Wonderful Worldâ
On August 6, 1996, the Ramones played their final show at the Palace in Hollywood. Never one to be away from music for too long, Joey Ramone took the stage two short months later at an Arizona alt-rock festival (as âJoey Ramone and The Resistanceâ) and played his excitable cover of Louis Armstrongâs âWhat A Wonderful Worldâ for the very first time. A studio version of Ramoneâs muscled-up take on the easygoing classic wouldnât become available until almost a year after his 2001 death, showing up as the opening track to his first solo album, 2002âs Donât Worry About Me. Since its release, Ramoneâs version has become a pop culture touchpoint, showing up in a wide variety of films, television shows, and commercials. Itâs easy to see why the cover works so well in so many contexts: hearing such an iconic song filtered through such an iconic voice offers its own immediate accessibility, but having the extra gravitas of it being posthumously released adds an extra layer of celebratory remembrance to the whole experience.
7. Green Day, âKnowledgeâ
During Green Dayâs early pre-Dookie years, the band earned its punk stripes as an integral part of the wildly explosive scene at Berkleyâs 924 Gilman Street club. When the time came for them to record their second EP, Slappy, in 1990, Billie Joe Armstrong decided to pay homage to another Gilman Street mainstay by covering Operation Ivyâs âKnowledgeâ as the closing track. While âKnowledgeâ is one of Operation Ivyâs most well known songs, it has also become one of Green Dayâs most notable and enduring covers. Not only does the band still play it in concert to this day, but itâs also been a longstanding tradition to invite a random audience member or two up on stage to play their instruments (often sending the temporary band member home with a guitar, as well). While the song itself is fine enough, what has made it most significant is the sentimentality of what it has signified for both bandsâa tribute to one band that has turned into an on-stage ritual for the other.
6. The Slits, âI Heard It Through The Grapevineâ
While the mythos of late-â70s U.K. punk bands is storied and rich, any discussion of it that doesnât include The Slits is missing an important piece of the puzzle. Fronted by the talented and flamboyant Ari Up (who was only 14 when the band started and 17 when they released their debut album), The Slits mixed reggae, dub and experimental elements into their irreverent punk ethos to create an eclectic and aggressive sound Ă la The Clash. In 1979, The Slits released âTypical Girlsâ as the lead single from their debut album Cut and used a stutter-and-slink cover of the Motown standard âI Heard It Through the Grapevineâ for the singleâs non-album B-side. While the bass-led pulse of the original was one of its sonic hallmarks, The Slits invert the songâs rhythmic elements via a thumping kick drum and a disco-flavored hi-hat. Ari Up even changes the lyrics to âI heard it through the basslineâ a couple times for good measure. As heard in future live show recordings, The Slits further evolved the song from their studio-recorded B-side to include more jungle tom drumming and to highlight its danceable nature even more.
5. Social Distortion, âRing of Fireâ
Much like The Clashâs âI Fought The Law,â Social Distortionâs fiery cover of Johnny Cashâs âRing of Fireâ is emblematic of the perfect fusion between right band, right cover and right time. After signing to Epic Records on the strength of their second album Prison Bound, Social D frontman Mike Ness dialed up the rockabilly and country elements of their sound for their first major label release, 1990âs Social Distortion. While the band had been covering Johnny Cash songs in concert as far back as 1985, Ness decided to commit his newest eruptive homage to The Man in Black to tape, helping to earn Social D their first gold-selling record and creating a signature song for the band that is still a euphoric cornerstone of their live shows. By swapping out Cashâs mariachi horns and mix-metered groove for down-strummed guitars, growling amps and full-tilt tempo, Ness did to Cash what Cash would do to Trent Reznor years laterâreinvent a song so well that the new version casts it into in an entirely different (and possibly more meaningful) light than the original.
4. Joan Jett, âLove Is All Aroundâ
Although sheâs often associated more heavily with rock circles, Joan Jett unquestionably earned legit punk cred early on in her career. After singing and playing guitar in The Runaways throughout the latter half of the â70s and then producing the only studio album the Germs ever made in 1979, Jett went on to start a trailblazing solo career that is still going strong to this day. Throughout the years, sheâs chalked up an extremely successful track record of channeling other artists and their songs, but her decision to cover a television theme song in a non-ironic, straight ahead way was an incredibly bold move. Jettâs version of âLove Is All Aroundâ from The Mary Tyler Moore Show (which, by the way, is No. 10 in our list of Best TV Theme Songs) struts in a way that is pitch perfect in tempo, delivery and snarl, while the dual liberated feminist icon symbolism adds an additional layer to her quintessential sonic swagger. Fun fact: This is the second song on this list (after âI Fought The Lawâ) originally written by Sonny Curtis, the singer-guitarist who fronted The Crickets after Buddy Hollyâs death.
3. Patti Smith, âMy Generationâ
Patti Smith is sometimes pegged as more poet than punk, but thereâs no doubt that her otherworldly creative output has always been informed by her early punk influences. When she released her adaptation of Themâs âGloria; as a single from her landmark debut album Horses, she used a scathing live cover of The Whoâs âMy Generationâ as the singleâs B-side. The chaotic rave-up was recorded during a 1976 Cleveland Agora show and it captured Smith and her band at their most frenzied and free. With punk still in its cultural infancy at the timeâit had been less than a year and a half since the Ramones had made their CBGBâs debut and the Sex Pistolsâ âAnarchy in The U.K.â hadnât even been recorded, yetâSmithâs rebellious confiscation of the previous eraâs youth anthem perfectly contextualized the attitude and energy of the burgeoning scene on the cusp of its fullest explosion.
2. The Ramones, âCalifornia Sunâ
To say that the Ramones knew how to pick good cover songs is like saying that they knew how to write good âI Wanna/I Donât Wannaâ songs, as their genre-defining catalog was filled to the brim with both. However, whatâs notable about their cover song choicesâapart from the fact that they literally made each one sound like a Ramones original-is how many of them were of the sun-and-surf variety. One might expect a no-frills punk band comprised of four tough guys from Queens clad in black leather jackets, tight jeans, and low-slung instruments to not have such an affinity for the beach (Rockaway or otherwise), but their covers of The Beach Boysâ âSurfinâ Safari,â Jan and Deanâs âSurf Cityâ and The Trashmenâs âSurfinâ Birdâ say otherwise. While âCalifornia Sunâ from their third album (1977âs Leave Home) fits easily into this odd segment of their covers oeuvre, it also contains a certain spark that elevates it into being one of the bandâs more celebrated covers, as evidenced by its resurfacing in their 1979 film Rock ânâ Roll High School and on a wide variety of their compilations and live albums.
1. The Clash, âI Fought The Lawâ
While The Clashâs explosive take on the Sonny Curtis/Bobby Fuller Four classic âI Fought The Lawâ may not have been the first punk rock cover song ever recorded, it is arguably the finest. So much so that anytime the term âpunk coverâ is uttered into the ether, Topper Headonâs rumbling drum intro starts thundering somewhere in the distance. Released in 1979 (first on The Cost of Living EP in the U.K. and soon after on the U.S. version of their self-titled debut album), the song was responsible for breaking the band here in the States, due in large part to the way it encapsulates all of The Clashâs signature elements-iconic vocal interplay between Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, the duoâs dynamic push-pull guitar work, Paul Simononâs dancing bassline and Headonâs unbridled drumming. The perfect amalgamation of song choice, band performance, and fortuitous timing, The Clashâs âI Fought The Lawâ set the high-water mark for just how impactful the right cover song can be for a band (and even an entire genre).