From sweet to rippin’, these ladies know how to make a song their own.
Here are 15 takes on Beatles classics, plus a laughable hall of shame mention thrown in for good measure.
From rockin’ to sublime, The Beatles are universally appealing, and these covers prove it. Got a favorite I missed? Lemme know!
15. Mae West, “Day Tripper”
Va-va-va-voom like only Ms. West can do. Too funny.
14. Annie Lennox, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Phase-laden and fantastic. Lennox practically whispers on half of it and draws you in with her signature intensity.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
13. The Pixies, “Wild Honey Pie”
Screaming good like only Kim Deal can deliver. Painfully delicious.
12. Pat Benatar, “Helter Skelter”
Awesome. Bitchin’ and sexy with plenty of Benatar growl.
11. Nina Simone, “Here Comes the Sun”
Super laid-back. This could put you in your happy place.
10. Siouxie and the Banshees, “Dear Prudence”
A surprisingly restrained Top of the Pops performance, but still compelling. Well, she is singing about Prudence, so perhaps that’s why!
9. Mamas and the Papas, “I Call Your Name”
Honky-tonk accompaniments and classic harmonies complete with plenty of doot-doots, this appeared on their debut album. For some reason, I only remember this version. Was this a Beatles song?!
8. Chaka Kahn, “We Can Work it Out”
Sultry … and then GROOVY! Maybe even funkalicious. Plus, it’s Chaka KHAN!!!
7. Ella Fitzgerald, “Hey Jude”
No one delivers like Ella. Wow.
6. The Donnas, “Drive My Car”
Straight-up rock 'n' roll complete with tambourine. Some very tasty guitar work going on there, too.
5. Tina Turner, “Come Together”
Legs? Check. Voice? Double check! Tina slaps us upside the head with shameless style, and we say, “Thank you, Tina. May we have another?”
4. Aretha Franklin, “Eleanor Rigby”
Aretha at the piano layin’ it down. Say no more.
3. Emmylou Harris, “For No One”
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Oh, and did I say gorgeous?
2. Sara Bareilles, “Oh! Darling”
Awesome vocals accompanied by a killer guitarist. Who is that guy?! Magic.
1. St. Vincent, “Dig a Pony”
Annie Clark gives a fabulous solo performance. She very coolly has two mics set up for different vocal effects throughout. And some unabashed guitar goodness going on here. My fave of the bunch!
Wait, there's more:: Want a few laughs? Check out this walk-of-shame mention:
Gina X Baby, “Drive My Car”
Sorry, I couldn’t stop laughing after watching this. So affected and so wrong!
Laura B. Whitmore is a singer/songwriter based in the San Francisco bay area. A veteran music industry marketer, she has spent over two decades doing marketing, PR and artist relations for several guitar-related brands including Marshall and VOX. Her company, Mad Sun Marketing, represents 65amps, Acoustic Bass Amps, Agile Partners, Guitar World and many more. Laura was instrumental in the launch of the Guitar World Lick of the Day app. She is the lead singer for the rock band, Summer Music Project. More at mad-sun.com.
Laura B. Whitmore is a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, writing for Parade.com,Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
