No matter the wave or subgenre, most emo bands seem to have a knack for covering songs from the ’80s and ’90s.
Maybe it’s the unexpectedness of hearing a screaming version of a-ha’s “Take on Me” or an emo take on an R&B classic such as Ginuwine’s “Pony” that helps us better appreciate what we had all of those years ago.
READ MORE: 10 Times Emo Bands Crushed Covers of Pop Songs Everyone Knows
From the emo superduo of My Chemical Romance and the Used teaming up to fresh looks at tired one-hit wonders, here are 11 of the best emo covers of big songs that were everywhere in the ’80s and ’90s.
1980s
My Chemical Romance/The Used, ‘Under Pressure’
Original artists: David Bowie and Queen (1981)
Why this cover works: If you are even going to think about attempting to cover “Under Pressure,” the very first thing you need to do is find two big-name singers who have complementary voices and are beloved within your chosen genre. In the world of emo in 2005, that meant My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way and the Used’s Bert McCracken.
The two play off each other well as the cover begins with the immediately recognizable bassline from the 1981 original (and Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” even though he denies the sample). The track builds to an all-out emo fest as MCR and the Used shed their tribute band personas to reveal who they really are.
They neatly tie it all together at the end by returning to that familiar bassline. It’s a wild ride that’s certainly worth taking if you are an emo fan who also digs Bowie and Queen.
Braid, ‘This Charming Man’
Original artist: The Smiths (1984)
Why this cover works: “This Charming Man” is one of the snappier tunes in the Smiths’ catalog. That’s due entirely to the melody of the song, because the lyrics aren’t exactly cheerful (it is the Smiths, after all).
Midwest emo pioneers Braid further quicken the pace on their cover of “This Charming Man.” Vocalist Bob Nanna keeps up with the band while still maintaining the smooth delivery Morrissey had on the original.
Of course, there’s only one Morrissey. And this song is better for Nanna realizing that and not trying to replicate him.
The Get Up Kids, ‘Close to Me’
Original artist: The Cure (1985)
Why this cover works: The Cure had, for the most part, fully embraced slick studio production by the time they released “Close to Me” in 1985. This helped them form a song that is effortlessly carried by multiple standout elements upfront, including synth and a poppy drum beat, that never overtake Robert Smith’s vocals.
It’s a solid recording with a ton going on all at the same time.
The Get Up Kids were in a much different spot when their cover of “Close to Me” was included in the 2001 rarities and B-sides album Eudora. The band had not yet leaned as heavily into the studio production found on their later releases.
The result is a grittier version of “Close to Me” that is compelling from start to finish.
Cap’n Jazz, ‘Take on Me’
Original artist: a-ha (1985)
Why this cover works: “Take On Me” has been covered to death over the years, but no version of the song captured the current state of emo upon its release like this one from Cap’n Jazz.
Emo was a little less polished when this cover arrived at the tail end of the ’90s. The influential (and short-lived) Cap’n Jazz took this slick ’80s pop hit and roughed it up a bit.
Unpredictable frontman Tim Kinsella sounds like he is barely hanging on at times during this song. By the end of it, he is taking us all down with him as he screams out the closing lines.
It’s a hard right turn for a cover of a song you probably last heard sitting in the dentist chair, but maybe it’s what we really needed all along.
Anberlin, ‘True Faith’
Original artist: New Order (1987)
Why this cover works: We’ll be honest here: This cover only “works” if you hate the electronic drums and synth that dominated a good portion of the ’80s. The combo makes any song sound dated today but tends to spark some sense of nostalgia for that decade.
Anberlin are not here to replicate a sound from a bygone era. Instead, they offer an updated take that is more rock-oriented. It’s a version of “True Faith” for the kids of the people who couldn’t get enough of this New Order classic in the ’80s.
The Promise Ring, ‘Gouge Away’
Original artist: Pixies (1989)
Why this cover works: There is something unsettling about the Pixies’ “Gouge Away.” Some of it lies in how the song slowly creeps up before jumping out from the shadows.
“Unsettling” is a word seldom associated with the Promise Ring, who are known for their own brand of emo with a power-pop edge. “Gouge Away” was a curious choice for the band when they participated in the 1999 compilation Where Is My Mind: A Tribute to the Pixies.
The result is a cover that may be just as good, if not better than, the original. The plodding parts from the 1989 original move along at a faster pace here, leading to a heavier (and more satisfying) payoff once the song kicks into overdrive.
1990s
Anberlin, ‘Enjoy the Silence’
Original artist: Depeche Mode (1990)
Why this cover works: There is a glut of “Enjoy the Silence” covers out there. The fatal flaw in most of them is an unwillingness to stray too far from what Depeche Mode presented in 1990.
It’s a tall order to cover Depeche Mode, but Anberlin nail the mesmerizing intro to “Enjoy the Silence” and then mold it into something a little more original, successfully updating the song for an emo audience.
It’s one of the better “Enjoy the Silence” covers out there, and it certainly tops among those from bands who were willing to go outside of their comfort zone.
American Football, ‘Fade Into You’
Original artist: Mazzy Star (1993)
Why this cover works: American Football tend to get filed under the Midwest emo banner. Doing so doesn’t take into account how the band has evolved since releasing their landmark debut album in 1999. They’re older, wiser and dabbling more with elements typically prevalent in dream pop songs (check out their excellent recently released fourth LP to hear it in action).
The atmospheric dream pop stuff is what makes American Football a compelling choice to cover “Fade Into You.” Mazzy Star’s delicate approach to the song in 1993 created a soundscape that, while light, could still lift you off your feet and into the air.
American Football know a thing or two about crafting a sound that slowly floats away. Not only do they nail this cover, but they also add extra layers of complex drum beats and light horns to complement the already dreamy sound of “Fade Into You.”
Michael Cera Palin, ‘If It Makes You Happy’
Original artist: Sheryl Crow (1996)
Why this cover works: Sheryl Crow may have unintentionally written some of the best emo lyrics of all time when she asked, “If it makes you happy / Then why the hell are you so sad?” Fast-forward 30 years, and those lines still sound right at home on Michael Cera Palin’s cover.
The Atlanta-based band fuses elements of Midwest emo with a pop-punk sound. That is to say, they know how to let a song breathe when it’s time to zero in on the lyrics.
The formula proves to be the perfect fit for this cover, given the pure unexpected emo-ness of Crow’s words.
Far, ‘Pony’
Original artist: Ginuwine (1996)
Why this cover works: Look, if you can’t appreciate Ginuwine’s “Pony” in any form, we don’t know what to tell you. The song can still pack a dance floor within seconds of the first beat hitting.
But an emo version of “Pony?” Hey, even scene kids deserve to dance.
Weakened Friends, ‘Torn’
Original artist: Ednaswap (1991); popularized by Natalie Imbruglia (1997)
Why this cover works: You probably know the words to “Torn” without even knowing the original artist behind it. Hell, you might be able to recite every lyric without even liking this type of music.
“Torn” was an earworm stuck in the heads of anyone near a radio in the late ’90s thanks to Australian singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia. But the song’s story began well before Imbruglia turned it into an inescapable hit.
Members of the now-defunct American rock band Ednaswap are credited with writing “Torn,” but they didn’t immediately release it as a single. The first recorded version came from Danish singer Lis Sorensen two years later. That prompted Ednaswap to release an English-language version of the rock song shortly after that.
Then came 1997, when Imbruglia sent “Torn” into the stratosphere with her pop-rock rendition.
The Weakened Friends’ cover is probably closest to Ednaswap’s 1995 rock take on the song. Their post-pop-punk sound breathes new life into “Torn” decades after its storied origins.
Do you have the sudden urge for even more emo nostalgia in your life? Keep scrolling for throwback photos of your favorite emo artists.
Photos: 2000s Emo Stars, Then + Now
Was it just a phase? The music endures though the looks might have changed.
Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
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