Lend me your ear and I’ll sing you a song — or rather a few — our favorite cover songs from 2010!
2010 is nearly retired. However, in the spirit of Limelight helping artists create their own renditions of songs they love, we decided to create our year-end list with “a little help from our friends”, our super-talented Limelight users.
We were ecstatic by the overwhelming number of contributions to the list — artists chimed in about their own favorite tunes and creations, while fans sang the praise of others and the Limelight staff added a few of our own personal favorites. Submissions ran the gamut from jazz standards to classic rock and roll cuts to obscure punk b-sides to recent pop hits.
Without further adieu, here are the Favorite Cover Songs from 2010 as chosen by our Limelight users (alphabetically by the Original/Covered Artist):
| Original Recording Artist | Track | Covered By | Link |
| AC/DC | Highway To Hell | Marshall O’Boy & The Rock & Roll Drag Bar Band | http://www.cdbaby.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?AlbumID=marshalloboysrockrolldra |
| AC/DC | Live Wire | Riff/Raff Chicago | http://www.riffraffchicago.com |
| Adele | Hometown Glory | Honey Mahogany | http://www.myspace.com/honeymahogany |
| Aerosmith | Dream On | Taryn | http://www.reverbnation.com/DocTaryn |
| Al Jolson | Blue Skies | Dannielle Gaha DeAndrea | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/blue-skies/id387631391 |
| Antonio Carlos Jobim | How Insensitive | Laurie Dameron | http://www.SonicBids.com/LaurieDameron |
| Aretha Franklin | I Will Survive | Drunk N Stupid | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dns |
| Astor Piazzolla | Verano Porteno | Sebastian See-Schierenberg and Alfredo Oyaguez | http://www.galvanseeschierenberg.com/ |
| Bananarama | Venus | Crazed Outlook | http://www.facebook.com/crazedoutlook |
| Barbara Streisand | The Way We Were | OC Times | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-way-we-were/id388500349?i=388500832 |
| Beyonce | Single Ladies | Zoe Boekbinder | http://www.zoeboekbinder.com |
| Big Star | Thirteen | Ari Shine | http://arishine.bandcamp.com/track/thirteen-big-star-cover |
| Billy Idol | Dancing With Myself | Tribrix | http://tribrix.bandcamp.com/track/dancing-with-myself |
| Billy Squier | The Stroke | Fantasizer | http://www.thefantasizerlives.com |
| Bing Crosby | Swinging On A Star | Kiddie Karoo | http://www.Sonicbids.com/KiddleKaroo |
| Bing Crosby | White Christmas | Karly and Kyle | http://www.karlyandkyle.com |
| Bob Dylan | Rocks and Gravel | Ray Ganucheau | http://www.amazon.com/Rocks-and-Gravel/dp/B004BCKTKE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1293466950&sr=1-6 |
| Bob Dylan | One More Cup of Coffee | BJ Cooper | http://www.cdbaby.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?AlbumID=bjcooper6 |
| Bob Dylan | Let Me Die In My Footsteps | Jason Bennett | http://www.bennettfolk.com |
| Bob Marley | No Woman No Cry | Holly Villeneuve | http://www.fluxmobb.com |
| Bobby Darin | Beyond the Sea | Discohymns | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/discohymns9 |
| Bobby Day | Rockin Robin | Julie K | http://www.myspace.com/musicbyjuliek |
| Bright Eyes | Lua | Seven Second Chance | http://www.myspace.com/sevensecondchance |
| Bruce Springsteen | Youngstown | Stairwell Sisters | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stairwellsisters |
| Chaka Khan | Ain’t Nobody | Julian Vilante | http://www.kick-o-namic.com/ |
| Chris Isaak | Yellow Bird | Ukulele Jim | http://music.ukulelejim.net/track/yellow-bird |
| Coldplay | Fix You | Deb Montgomery | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/debmontgomery3 |
| Coldplay | In My Place | Keith Randall | http://www.keithrandall.net |
| Cyndi Lauper | Time After Time | Shea-Van Winkle | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/time-after-time-single/id399109985 |
| Cyndi Lauper | Time After Time | Jeannine Haffner | http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/JeannineHaffner |
| Dave Matthew Band | Crash Into Me | My Dearest Vanity | http://www.facebook.com/mydearestvanity |
| Deep Purple | Smoke on the Water | Carla Hassett | http://www.myspace.com/carlahassett/music |
| Deniece Williams | Silly | Ranjini | http://www.myspace.com/ranjinimusic |
| Dire Straits | Sultans of Swing | Others In Arms | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/othersinarms |
| Donnie Iris | Ah! Leah! | The Hairy Hand of Death | http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/ah-leah/id389680902?i=389681012&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 |
| Elvis Presley | Merry Christmas Baby | Donna Loren | http://soundcloud.com/dassi/merry-christmas-baby/s-ohVkv |
| Elvis Presley | I’m Left Your Right She’s Gone | Todd Duffley | http://www.reverbnation.com/toddduffley |
| Failure | Wonderful Life | Draven Midnight Stone | http://www.dravenmidnight.com/ |
| Fleetwood Mac | The Derelict | Miss Kirstin | http://www.thesixtyone.com/song/comments/list/95XLCetw7dU/#/song/comments/list/95XLCetw7dU/ |
| Fleetwood Mac | Gypsy | Russ Aimz | http://www.russaimz.com |
| Florence + The Machine | Dog Days Are Over | Gregory Douglass | http://bit.ly/i4MNuJ |
| Focus | Sylvia | St. Mix | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/StMix |
| Francesca Blumenthal | Queens | Joan Jaffe | http://www.joanjaffe.com |
| Frightened Rabbit | My Backwards Walk | Mr. Acoustic D | http://mracousticd.bandcamp.com/ |
| George Michael | Father Figure | Eddie Lopez | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lopez2 |
| Gloria Lynne | Speaking of Happiness | Rattlin Bone | http://www.myspace.com/rattlinbone |
| Gnarls Barkley | Crazy | Emily Asen | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/to-the-marrow/id394680403 |
| Guns N Roses | Sweet Child O’ Mine | The Dueling Fiddlers | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/duelingfiddlers |
| Guns N Roses | Don’t Cry | Marina V | http://www.marinav.com/ |
| Heads Hands & Feet | Rhyme and Time | Steve Lester & Louise Laing | http://www.stevelester.co.uk |
| Helen Humes | If I Could Be With You | Nancy Harrow | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/an-intimate-evening-with-nancy/id407881222 |
| Helen Reddy | I Am Woman | Denise Rosner | http://deniserosner.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-woman |
| Iggy Pop | Cry For Love | Stephen Cooper | http://www.myspace.com/stephencooper |
| Jackson Browne | Something Fine | Tony Barca | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/breakfast-club-band-sessions/id408964403 |
| James Blunt | 1973 | Carlo Di Filippo | http://itunes.apple.com/it/album/a-forma-di-cuore-ep/id350336560 |
| Jefferson Airplane | White Rabbit | 7envy | http://www.reverbnation.com/7envy |
| Jefferson Airplane | White Rabbit | Nancy Liker | http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_5843253 |
| Jethro Tull | Teacher | Warren Appleby | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/WarrenAppleby6 |
| Jimi Hendrix | Manic Depression | The Delta Project | http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/thedeltaproject |
| Jimmie Davis | You Are My Sunshine | Amanda Grace | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/agrace |
| Jimmie Davis | You Are My Sunshine | Out Of Ether | http://www.myspace.com/outofether |
| Jimmy Webb | The Moon is a Harsh Mistress | Michael Harrison | www.michaelharrisonblues.com |
| John Lennon | Imagine | Jake Jacobson | http://www.cdbaby.com/jakejacobson |
| John Lennon | Bless You | Timo and the White Buffalo | http://www.facebook.com/TIMO |
| John Mayer | Gravity | Will James | http://www.reverbnation.com/willjames |
| John Travolta & Olivia Newton John | You’re The One That I Want | Lennings | http://www.lenningsland.com |
| Johnny Cash | Folsom Prison Blues | Hep Cat Boo Daddies | http://www.boodaddies.com |
| Johnny Cash | Ring of Fire | Samantha Murphy | http://www.thehighwaygirl.com |
| Johnny Paycheck | Take This Job and Shove It | Blue Collar Willy | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bluecollarwilly |
| Joni Mitchell | Be Cool | Margie Nelson | http://www.hungrygirlcd.com |
| Judy Garland | Get Happy | Denise Ascione | http://www.iacmusic.com/denisecascione |
| Julie Andrews | My Favorite Things | Sarah Ackers | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sarahackers |
| Julie Miller | Out in the Rain | Bridge Construction | http://www.myspace.com/bridgeconstruction |
| Justin Bieber | Baby | Victory of the People | http://kollaborationhouston.org/?p=702 |
| Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris | Baby | Maria McAteer | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MariaMcAteer1 |
| K.C. Douglas and Robert Geddens | Crazy About A Mercury | SharBaby | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chicago-blues-alabama-style/id348672306 |
| Karin Schaupp and Ensemble 24 | Landscape | Brew Guitar Duo | http://www.brewguitarduo.com/cd.html |
| Katherine Davis | Little Drummer Boy | Rush Coil | http://rushcoil.bandcamp.com/track/little-drummer-boy |
| Ke$ha | We R Who We R | Jake Coco | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/we-r-who-we-r-single/id409681153 |
| Kelly Pace | Rock Island Line | Roberson BZ Flores | http://rayroberson.com/discography.html |
| Kenny Rogers | Ruby | Byron Andres | http://byronandres.com/fr_home.cfm |
| Kyu Sakamoto | Sukiyaki | Lee “pLink” Floyd | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nickels-and-diamonds/id389808558 |
| Lady Gaga | Poker Face | The Cookis | http://www.reverbnation.com/cookis |
| Lady Gaga | Poker Face | AKA Sugarlips | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/harmonican-idol/id372283643 |
| Langston Hughes | Juke Box Love Song | Victoria Murphy | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/for-your-love-song/id355785897 |
| Led Zeppelin | Stairway to Heaven | Anne Roos | http://www.amazon.com/Stairway-to-Heaven/dp/B004CE8P5M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1293210827&sr=1-1 |
| Leonard Cohen | Hallelujah | Indie Jones | http://indiejonesmusic.com/?post_id=233 |
| Leonard Cohen | Hallelujah | Winston Apple | http://www.myspace.com/winstonapple |
| Leonard Cohen | Hallelujah | Bob Rowe | http://www.myspace.com/bobrowe2 |
| Lillian Hale | Don’t Boom Boom | Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents | http://q-dee.bandcamp.com/album/big-ol-heart-b-w-dont-boom-boom |
| Little Willie John | Fever | Fishtank Ensemble | http://fishtankensemble.bandcamp.com/track/fever |
| Liz Durrett | We Build Bridges | Chris Hickey and Sally Dworsky | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/we-build-bridges/id391135079 |
| Lynyrd Skynyrd | Simple Man | Eco-Shock | http://ecoshockrocks.com |
| Mariah Carey | Santa Claus Is Coming to Town | 3D Ritmo De Vida | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/santa-claus-is-coming-instrumental/id402431110 |
| Martha & the Muffins | Echo Beach | 22nd Century | http://www.22ndcenturyofficial.com/ |
| Marvin Gaye | Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) | Anthology | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/back-to-the-old-school/id400755151 |
| Mega Man | Dr. Wily Stage 1-2 | The Greatest Bits | http://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/mega-man-2/id405122442 |
| Mega Man | Hard Man Theme | E-Nature | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hard-man-theme-single/id393046055 |
| Mike Oldfield | Tubular Bells | Jason Hagen | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jasonhagen2 |
| Morphine | Thursday | Hymn for Her | http://hymnforher.com/wp/listen/ |
| Mr. Rogers | Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood | Shelby, Tieg, and Tara | http://shelbytiegandtara.bandcamp.com/ |
| My Chemical Romance | I Don’t Love You | Chris Johnson | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cjohnsontunes |
| New Christy Minstrels | Christmas Wishes | Shawn Rae | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-world-christmas-love-has/id338391172 |
| Nightmare Before Christmas | Sally’s Song | ArtemesiaBlack | http://www.artemesiablack.com |
| Nirvana | In Bloom | Fritz and the Freeloaders | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/fritzthefreeloaders2 |
| Olivia Newton John | Magic | Stimulator | http://www.soundcloud.com/stimulator/magic |
| Paramore | Decode | Sarah McMullen | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/decode/id400277701?i=400277711 |
| Patti LaBelle | Me Gusta Te Baile | Amaryllis Santiago | http://www.myspace.com/amaryllissantiago |
| Paula Abdul | Straight Up | Zaccheri Gray | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/zaccheri-gray/id407829798 |
| Pearl Jam | Indifference | Mike de la Rocha | http://www.rockthevote.com/music/featured-artist/mike-de-la-rocha.html |
| Peter Gabriel | Here Comes The Flood | The Wimhurst’s Machine | http://www.thewimshurstsmachine.com/ |
| Pink Floyd | See Emily Play | TF Harper | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/see-emily-play/id395770995?i=395771054 |
| Procol Harum | A Whiter Shade of Pale | Jeremiah Clauss | http://www.myspace.com/jeremiahclauss |
| R. Dean Taylor | Indiana Wants Me | Artese N Toad and the Radio Pharoahs | http://www.artesentoadmusic.com |
| Radiohead | Motion Picture Soundtrack | Sybarite5 | http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/disturb-the-silence/id410139402 |
| Radiohead | Idioteque | Derek Evry | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/songs/id382652839 |
| Raymond Scott | Powerhouse | Ric Cunningham | http://soundcloud.com/riccunningham |
| REO Speedwagon | Take It On The Run | Lexie Hayden | http://www.lexiehayden.com |
| Richard Marx | Right Here Waiting | Red Lincoln Duo | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/redlincolnduofeataudreys |
| Rickie Lee Jones | The Horses | Daphne Ashbrook | http://www.davigimusic.com/Vito%27s-page2.html |
| Robert Johnson | Crossroads | Coco Robicheaux | http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/CocoRobicheaux |
| Roy Rogers | Happy Trails | Road Trip Relief Squad | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/happy-butt-cheeky-fun-to-help/id401748774 |
| Rush | Red Barchetta | Triangle Exception | http://soundcloud.com/triangleexception/ |
| Sam Cooke | What a Wonderful World | Rothwell and Moffatt | http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/wonder-away/id387786716 |
| Sarah Vaughn | Lazy Afternoon | Lisa Maxwell | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/return-to-jazz-standards/id386722036 |
| Scandal | Goodbye to You | Juha | http://www.reverbnation.com/juha |
| Shirley Bassey | Big Spender | Khristina Joy | http://www.jango.com/music/Khristina+Joy |
| Sinead O’Connor | Black Boys on Mopeds | Craig Cardiff | http://craigcardiff.com/fr_buymothersdaughters.cfm |
| Smokey Robinson | Second That Emotion | Emilie Mover | http://emiliemover.com/ |
| Soft Cell | Tainted Love | Hold Tight | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/holdtight |
| Tears for Fears | Head Over Heels | Arman Bohn | http://www.distropolis.com |
| The Animals | House of the Rising Sun | Duncan Alex | http://www.myspace.com/duncanalex |
| The Beach Boys | In My Room | Serenade | http://www.jasonsjukebox.com |
| The Beatles | Can’t Buy Me Love | Shawn Constantino | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/waltz-for-anne/id408992342 |
| The Beatles | Love Is All You Need (Beatles Tribute) | dwsChorale | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dwschorale4 |
| The Beatles | Across the Universe | James Shepard | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jamesshepard2 |
| The Beatles | Norwegian Wood | Koby Hayon | http://www.kobyhayon.com/press |
| The Beatles | Something | John McCracken | http://www.myspace.com/johnhmccracken/music/songs/Something-75718605 |
| The Beatles | Blackbird | Ramirez Brothers & Callado | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jazzonia/id396595260 |
| The Beatles | Eleanor Rigby | Mitch Moses | http://www.myspace.com/djmaxxscorpio |
| The Cardigans | Erase and Rewind | The Sign | http://www.thesign.com |
| The Cars | Let’s Go | Who’s Your Daddy | http://www.whosyourdaddymusic.com/ |
| The Cure | Just Like Heaven | The Moores | http://themooresmusic.com/downloads.cfm |
| The Divinyls | I Touch Myself | Jackknife Stiletto | http://www.jackknifestiletto.com/ |
| The Doobie Brothers | China Grove | Little Orphan Andy | http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/little-orphan-andy/id390293234 |
| The Doors | Light My Fire | Aquarela | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/aquarela |
| The Jackson 5 | Never Can Say Goodbye | Jamerican | http://www.jamericanproductions.com/music-2 |
| The Mamas & The Papas | California Dreamin’ | Marie Ann | http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=california+dreamin%2Fmarie+ann |
| The Police | Every Breath You Take | The Indigo Shift | http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CBMDKI/ref=dm_dp_trk1 |
| The Rolling Stones | Out of Time | Side B’s | http://www.sideb60s.com/ |
| The Rolling Stones | Get Off Of My Cloud | R.X. Bertoldi | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rxbertoldi2 |
| The Rolling Stones | Ruby Tuesday | No Victor | http://www.novictor.com |
| The Spinners | How Could I Let You Get Away | Frank Sirius | http://www.dehtyme.com/ |
| The Supremes | My World Is Empty Without You | The Histrioniks | http://www.myspace.com/thehistrioniks |
| The Swell Season | Falling Slowly | David Ullman | http://www.davidullman.net |
| The Testors | Let’s Get Zooed Out | Jukebox Zeros | http://www.songclearance.com/blog/?p=639 |
| The Veronicas | Everything I’m Not | The A Cappella Group | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/acappellagroup3 |
| The Verve | Sit and Wonder | Scott Lanaway | http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sit-and-wonder-single/id395724264?uo=4 |
| The Who | The Real Me | Razorbliss | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/razorbliss2 |
| Tom Waits | Jockey Full of Bourbon | The DoneFors | http://www.thedonefors.com |
| Tony Bennett | Isn’t It Romantic? | John O’Keefe | http://www.okeefemusic.com/ |
| Tracy Chapman | Give Me One Reason | Kathy Frank | http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathy-Frank/7335873897?v=app_178091127385&ref=ts#%21/video/video.php?v=10150112389071287 |
| Traffic | Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys | Aeth3r | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/aeth3r2 |
| U2 | Bad | Outrageous Thoughts | http://www.facebook.com/outrageousthoughts |
| U2 | Running to Stand Still | Todd Koal | http://www.toddkoal.com |
| Violeta Parra | Gracias A La Vida | Vanessa Lively | http://www.vanessalively.com |
| Waylon Jennings | Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way | Jim Reeves | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jimreeves5 |
| Wayne Shorter | Footprints | Tai Cheri | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/taicheri |
| Who’s The Boss | Theme from Who’s The Boss | Stay Tuned | http://soundcloud.com/stay-tuned-the-band/whos-the-boss |
| Will Oldham | You Will Miss Me When I Burn | Rivulets | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Rivulets1 |
| William Garvey | Goodbye Horses | Human Aftertaste | http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/HumanAftertaste1 |
In addition, we also wanted to make mention of several cool blogs/online entities who have also taken up the quest to find the top cover song of 2010. We hope you’ll enjoy the following for more great insight:
- Surviving the Golden Age blog – http://survivingthegoldenage.com/top-ten-covers-of-2010/
- Last.fm – part one: http://trends.last.fm/2010/12/27/top-10-cover-songs-of-2010-part-one/
- Last.fm – part two: http://trends.last.fm/2010/12/28/top-10-cover-songs-of-2010-part-two/
- LA Weekly http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2010/12/top_10_cover_songs_of_2010.php
- Cover Me Blog – Cover Me blog
- Paste Online – Paste
- National Public Radio – NPR
- Tale of the Tape blog – Tale of the Tape
