From Muse to Daughter - 12 more artists who should cover albums in full
Alexandra Pollard

15:07 21st September 2015

This morning, Ryan Adams' 1989 covers album went online. The response to his take on Taylor Swift's LP were, to say the least, mixed.

Some felt that it was the unexpected, but hugely welcome, meeting of two very different musical minds. Others felt exasperated by the idea that pop must be legitimised by male rock musicians before it's deemed acceptable to enjoy.

Whichever argument may be more compelling, the whole thing got us thinking - who else would we like to see take on an entire album that's a completely different genre to their own? Arctic Monkeys covering Girls Aloud's Sound Of The Underground, for example. Or Sufjan Stevens tackling Miley Cyrus' Bangerz.

Here's what we'd like to see next. 

  • Arctic Monkeys covering Girls Aloud's Sound Of The Underground: Alex Turner and his band already covered 'Love Machine' in the Live Lounge a few years back. Now their sound is less 'laddy', more polished and laced with a hint of R&B and hip hop, they could probably tackle pop covers with even more tenacity. Plus, Girls Aloud's debut has some undeniable bangers.

  • Sufjan Stevens covering Miley Cyrus' Bangerz: We know Sufjan is a fan of Miley - he wrote a viral open letter to her about the track '#GetItRight', which included a helpful grammar lesson to boot. Adding his characteristically heartbreaking falsetto to the likes of 'Wrecking Ball' would be, surely, a match made in heaven.

  • St. Vincent covering Dolly Parton's Jolene: Annie Clark has already covered the album's title track on-stage with Bon Iver, but it's really quite important that we hear her take on 'I Will Always Love You'. Very, very important.

  • Muse covering Florence + The Machine's Lungs: This would surely be a match made in melodramatic orchestral rock heaven. Matt Bellamy's take on tracks such as 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) and 'Dog Days Are Over' would, if humanly possible, probably make the songs even more anthemic.

  • Daughter covering Daft Punk's Random Access Memories: The band's cover of 'Get Lucky' was one of the best Live Lounge covers in recent years, and we'd love to see their beautiful acoustic minimalism throughout Daft Punk's entire album.

  • Little Mix covering Nirvana's Nevermind: They've already covered part of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', so there's a precedent here. And who's to say it always has to be rock bands covering pop albums, as a way of 'legitimising' them? How about one of the most successful and, yes, talented pop bands around take on one of the most iconic grunge albums of all time?

  • James Blake covering Sia's 1000 Forms Of Fear: With his cover of Joni Mitchell's 'A Case Of You', Blake has proved his ability to take on melodies intended for a female vocalist. With his effortless falsetto, Blake is one of the few people who could tackle the formidable range of Sia's 1000 Forms Of Fear.

  • Taylor Swift covering Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker: It seems only right that she should return the favour. Especially given that Swift has cited Adams as a huge influence over her own music.

  • Coldplay covering Avril Lavigne's Let Go: Let Go is one of the seminal albums of the 21st century, and we will fight anyone who disagrees. Or, at least, write them a strongly worded letter. Given that Avril Lavigne has covered 'The Scientist' in the past, it seems prudent that Chris Martin should give 'Complicated' a go.

  • Ezra Furman covering Pink's Missundaztood: There's something about Furman's vocals, which are somehow both brash and vulnerable, and his refusal to adhere to gender norms, that seems perfectly suited to one of the great pop albums of this century.

  • Marilyn Manson covering Lady Gaga's The Fame: Manson has already proven himself a fan of stomping, anthemic pop songs, with covers of 'Tainted Love' and 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)' under his belt. We'd love to see his take on Gaga's debut album - especially given Gaga's own fondness for dark themes and genre-melding.

  • Florence + The Machine covering Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid M.A.A.D. City: Welch has made no secret of her passion for hip hop in the past. She's covered Drake's 'Take Care', and - though there's sadly no video footage of this - performed Kendrick's 'Backseat Freestyle' on a London tube. The world needs to hear that cover, and she might as well take on the rest of the album while we're at it. Though we'd suggest she puts a melody to the raps, or it might be somewhat painful.


Photo: WENN / Artwork