Rainbow Albums Ranked

When Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple, he took his guitar and passion for guitar-driven music with him. He founded a band named after the iconic bar in Los Angeles, the Rainbow. He decided to name the band Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow initially, but after one album, changed it to simply Rainbow. They were a successful hard rock band in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. But, with all the changes in lineup, many couldn't keep up with who was in the band. The people at Ultimate Classic Rock came up with a list, ranking worst to best, the albums of Rainbow

You might see me put my opinion on each one, as it would probably differ from the opinions of the people at Ultimate Classic Rock. I firmly believe that while some feel certain albums are good, others might think otherwise. It's all down to personal preference or opinion

1. Rising (1976)

-Their second album, it still featured vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Now there was drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Jimmy Bain. This album was recorded seemingly as quickly as possible, the band did not overthink the songs. They just went in and recorded them as is. This album is almost as close to Deep Purple as you can. It's a mix of hard rock, with softer songs. The lineup on this album didn't last long, as would be a trademark of the band Rainbow-constantly shifting lineups

-I personally like this album. "Starstruck" is my favorite. Sadly, I know all of the words. Every time it comes on in my car, I turn it up and sing it word for word. Overall, the album is very good

2. Long Live Rock 'n' Roll (1978)

-Their third album and last one with vocalist Ronnie James Dio, there is not much difference between this and Rising. Bassist Bob Daisley came in along with keyboardist David Stone midway through recording. The things that make this album successful are the truly impressive yet symphonic guitar solos from Ritchie combined with Ronnie's powerful vocals

-This is another one of my favorites. "Kill the King" has a ridiculously good guitar solo. It shows just how good Ritchie is on his guitar. The whole album is good, every song good. This is one of my most favorite albums of the band. Not only that, but I love the artwork. I laugh a little when looking at it because, as usual, Ritchie has this annoyed look on his face, almost like he does not know how to smile

3. Down to Earth (1979) 

-This album reunited Ritchie with his former Deep Purple band mate Roger Glover on bass. On vocals is vocalist Graham Bonnet. This album was the fourth album for Rainbow and a move towards more streamlined rock, geared towards getting on the radio. This is considered to the only all British lineup for the band

-I like this one too. "All Night Long" has that really good hard rock sound to it. It starts off with an aggressive guitar sound that sure gets your attention. The video for it is a bit goofy, but then again, it's the 1970s. It's still a good video for a good song. The video is worth a look and you'll get a chuckle if you notice Ritchie's eyes are almost constantly diverting to where the blonde dancer is. Overall, I like this album too

4. Stranger in Us All (1995)

-This was the last album for the band. Instead of being a band record, it, more or less, turned into a Blackmore solo record. The lineup on this album were all new. This album failed to chart, and because of one song on the album, that had a slightly medieval sound to it, it planted the seed for the next major project for Blackmore. A medieval band called Blackmore's Night, with his wife Candace Isralow-Blackmore

-This album is okay. It's not really one of my favorites. There are a few good songs here, but not enough to warrant buying on a CD

5. Straight Between the Eyes (1982)

-This became the highest charting album for the band in the US. The single "Stone Cold" was the only US Top 40 hit for the band. David Rosenthal came in to play keyboards to replace Don Airey. This album provided the type of rock music that audiences wanted in the 1980s

-This is one of my favorites. "Death Alley Driver" is a good song. So is "Stone Cold." I like this album a lot

6. Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975)

-This was done while Ritchie was still part of Deep Purple. This debut album was initially created as a collaboration with Ronnie James Dio and the members of his band, a New York-based outfit called Elf. The lineup on this album didn't last long, as would be a consistent pattern with Blackmore. By the time this album was released nine months later, almost everyone was gone, except for Ronnie and Ritchie. The songs are good, but they sound as if they are unfocused, as if they are just trying things to see if they can or will stick. "Man on the Silver Mountain" is a good one

-I like this album. It has that iconic 1970s sound, kind of distorted sound, goofy lyrics and melodies, but overall good. It just sounds like something that was written in the 1970s. "Man on the Silver Mountain" is a good song. For laughs, there's "Black Sheep of the Family." "Catch the Rainbow" is absolutely gorgeous. It's such a beautiful song and allows Ronnie to show what he can truly do with those powerful vocals

7. Bent Out of Shape (1983)

-This is the seventh album released by Rainbow. It was also their final album with vocalist Joe Lynn Turner and bassist Roger Glover. It was said to be "unremarkable" and "another attempt to crack the elusive US market." Many feel more or less it's okay, but nothing to write home about

-I like this one. Not only are the songs good, but it's the album that introduced me to Rainbow. So it has that additional sentimentality to it for me. "Fire Dance" is a great song. I like "Street of Dreams." This song is really good. The video is almost stereotypically 80s, but still good. The album has a lot of good songs.

8. Difficult to Cure (1981)

-The fifth album for the band, this is Joe Lynn Turner's debut on vocals. They also gained a new drummer named Bobby Rondinelli after Cozy Powell left the band. Blackmore had one goal in mind-make the group accessible to charts, make music that will go on charts and get the attention of potential new fans. This inspired the single "I Surrender." This pop song was written by Russ Ballard. Many of the songs had that shiny 80s production sound and as a result, this album became their highest charting album in all of the UK

-This album is good. My favorite song is "Can't Happen Here." I love that song when it comes on in my car. The album has all good songs, but "Can't Happen Here" is my top favorite from this album

The Best Covers by 50 Rock Bands Pt. II

I do apologize for having to scroll down through the article of 55 best metal covers, but Loudwire will often have multiple articles sharing the same space. It's worth a look to see what 50 bands did covers. Listen for yourself and see if you like them

26. Linkin Park "Wish"

-Original artist: Nine Inch Nails

-The band's most performed cover song is "It's Goin' Down", from a side project of Mike Shinoda called The X-ecutioners. Despite being a Nine Inch Nails song, it feels almost perfect for Linkin Park. The high energy and aggressive vibes Trent Reznor gives off when singing feel just perfect coming from vocalist Chester Bennington. When Linkin Park played it live, fans loved it immediately

27. Marilyn Manson "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"

-Original artist: Eurythmics

-He took the 80s-era song by Eurythmics and turned up the sinister level to 100%. He made it slow and creepy, almost perfect for the Halloween season

-This version of the song is a little creepy. It can be heard on the soundtrack for the newer remake of House on Haunted Hill, where the people staying in the house are coming up the drive

28. Motley Crue "Smokin' in the Boys' Room"

-Original artist: Brownsville Station

-This song is one of Motley Crue's biggest hits. They modeled the song to fit their unique brand of 80s metal. They also did a cover of The Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K."

29. My Chemical Romance "Desolation Row"

-Original artist: Bob Dylan

-It's a far cry from the original, folky version of this song. My Chemical Romance injected some high energy, punk attitude and electric guitars into their version of the Bob Dylan song, even keeping the sentiment there. There was even an additional boost to this song. It was featured on the soundtrack for the film Watchmen

30. Nickelback "Sad But True"

-Original artist: Metallica

-Nickelback's most popular cover is their take on the Elton John song "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." When they chose to do a cover of Metallica's "Sad But True", it came very close to the original. Fans loved it immediately because vocalist Chad Kroeger sounds almost identical to James Hetfield's raspy vocals

31. Nine Inch Nails "Dead Souls"

-Original artist: Joy Division

-This was said to be the biggest song of their career. It became even bigger when it was featured on the soundtrack for the film The Crow. With Trent Reznor's vocals, the song got an additional boost of aggression

32. Nirvana "The Man Who Sold the World"

-Original artist: David Bowie

-Despite "Love Buzz" by Shocking Blue being the most heavily performed cover Nirvana did, they also did a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" during their MTV Unplugged session

33. The Offspring "Totalimmortal"

-Original artist: AFI

-The Offspring have done quite a few covers over the course of their career, but nothing gained more radio airplay than their take on the AFI song "Totalimmortal." Some think that The Offspring's version had more appeal than the original. And the cover was even featured on the soundtrack for the film Me, Myself and Irene

34. Papa Roach "Firestarter"

-Original artist: The Prodigy

-This band doesn't normally do covers. They did do something special. At the 2019 Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio, they did a cover of "Firestarter" by The Prodigy to honor Keith Flint. The high energy Jacoby Shaddix brings to Papa Roach concerts went well with the song and gave fans of The Prodigy something to remember. Papa Roach continues to have this in their setlist to this day

35. Paramore "Burning Down the House"

-Original artist: Talking Heads

-On the 2024 album Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense album, singer Hayley Williams of Paramore gets in touch with her 80s pop as she and the band take on "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads. You can feel that, with listening to this version, that the band wanted to ensure they showed they really respected and enjoyed covering this song

36. Pearl Jam "Rockin' in the Free World"

-Original artist: Neil Young

-Pearl Jam have covered many songs, but for some reason, the iconic Neil Young song seems to fit them perfectly. The band and Young have enjoyed a long but good friendship over the years, which makes Pearl Jam's cover of "Rockin' in the Free World" a bit of a sweet and respectful tribute

37. Queens of the Stone Age "Never Say Never"

-Original artist: Romeo Void

-This band has covered Billy Idol's "White Wedding" and Arctic Monkeys "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High." Instead, they looked back at 80s new wave band Romeo Void and chose to cover their song "Never Say Never." This version is close to the original, but in place of the horns, guitars replace them

38. Rage Against the Machine "The Ghost of Tom Joad"

-Original artist: Bruce Springsteen

-It was said that when Rage Against the Machine covered this Bruce Springsteen song, it was so good that guitarist Tom Morello could play it when touring with Springsteen himself. It was a powerful song originally, but when Tom Morello takes the stage and adds his guitar magic, it becomes even more explosive

39. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Higher Ground"

-Original artist: Stevie Wonder

-Red Hot Chili Peppers are known for infusing their brand of rock music with a heavy funk element. So it's no surprise that they chose to cover the song "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder. They infused their brand of high energy funk rock into this Stevie Wonder song and made it their own

40. Seether "Heart Shaped Box"

-Original artist: Nirvana

-Seether has gotten plenty of airplay for their version of the George Michael song "Careless Whisper." When they chose to cover Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", it sounds eerily like the original. Seether vocalist Shaun Morgan nails down that Kurt Cobain vocal line almost perfectly. They have done covers of other Nirvana songs over the years

41. Shinedown "Simple Man"

-Original artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd

-On their debut album Leave a Whisper, they covered Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man." It's been a favorite of the fans ever since. Brent Smith, the vocalist for Shinedown, decided to take out the song for a setlist in 2018. Godsmack vocalist Sully Erna called him out for removing the song. "He was making the point about it's not about the painter, it's about the painting, and that stuck with me for a long time. The following night we put the song back in the set." said Smith

-This version of the song is a far cry from the original. Shinedown's cover is an acoustic guitar version. But, it's still good nonetheless

42. Slash "Oh Well" featuring Chris Stapleton

-Original artist: Fleetwood Mac

-In 2024, Slash decided to do a blues album, and on it is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song "Oh Well." The song is sung in the slightly raspy vocals of country music superstar Chris Stapleton

43. Smashing Pumpkins "Landslide"

-Original artist: Fleetwood Mac

-Their most performed cover is the David Bowie song "Space Oddity" and while they give it all they have, it's said they do a great job at covering the Fleetwood Mac song "Landslide." They stay true to the original, with Billy Corgan's unique vocals leaving him with an almost vulnerable air on this song. It's beautiful, he sings it perfectly and is featured on their Pieces Iscariot collection

44. Staind "Sober"

-Original artist: Tool

-Their most well known cover is the Tool song "Sober." They went full unplugged and acoustic, but it still powerful as vocalist Aaron Lewis steps into the shoes of Maynard James Keenan and takes on that angst-riddled sound. Of course, Staind also did a cover of the classic Bob Seger song "Turn the Page"

45. Stone Sour "Gimme Shelter"

-Original artist: The Rolling Stones

-This is one song that has not been covered by many. It's been said that if "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones is going to be covered, you better have a good vocalist to handle the Merry Clayton vocals. Stone Sour provided a great vocalist for the Merry Clayton role-Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale. Together, both Stone Sour and Lzzy Hale deliver a cover of this song that is a must listen to song

-You have to check this song out! It's great!! Corey Taylor has great vocals on this song!

46. Stone Temple Pilots "Dancing Days"

-Original artist: Led Zeppelin

-Out of all the covers Stone Temple Pilots have done, Led Zeppelin's "Dancing Days" is a must listen to song. Originally featured on the Encomium: Tribute to Led Zeppelin album, Stone Temple Pilot's version really got some attention during their MTV Unplugged session

47. Three Days Grace "I Don't Care"

-Original artist: Apocalyptica

-This sounds like it could have been a Three Days Grace original, despite being a song by Apocalyptica

48. Van Halen "You Really Got Me"

-Original artist: The Kinks

-Van Halen does some impressive covers, including "(Oh) Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison. It's hard to argue against Van Halen's cover of The Kinks "You Really Got Me." This is the song that really introduced many to Van Halen

49. Volbeat "I Only Want to Be With You"

-Original artist: Dusty Springfield

-Volbeat have never played by the rules. They always do the unexpected. It's not remotely shocking to hear that this band have covered the bubbly pop single "I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield. Volbeat does their cover with their usual successful brand of rock and does it better than most

50. Rob Zombie "We're an American Band"

-Original artist: Grand Funk Railroad

-The most performed cover song by the band White Zombie is "We're an American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad. It's almost always featured in the sets he performs

The Best Covers by 50 Rock Bands Pt. I

I do apologize for having to scroll down through the article of 55 best metal covers, but Loudwire will often have multiple articles sharing the same space. It's worth a look to see what 50 bands did covers. Listen for yourself and see if you like them

1. AC/DC "Baby Please Don't Go"

-Original artist: Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers

-This is the most played cover song by AC/DC. Despite being left off of the US edition of High Voltage, it was on the album in Australia. It helped give AC/DC some much needed attention

2. Aerosmith "Come Together"

-Original artist: The Beatles

-Despite the fact that Aerosmith also covered "Train Kept-A-Rollin'" by Tiny Bradshaw, Aerosmith's cover of The Beatles "Come Together" seems to stand out far more. However, their cover of the Tiny Bradshaw song is still good, even though it sounds like it was recorded live from a concert

-This is on the soundtrack for the film Armageddon. It's great. Aerosmith puts their spin on it and gives it a slightly druggy haze-type vibe to it

3. Alice in Chains "Tears"

-Original artist: Rush

-Alice in Chains didn't do a lot of covers, but this one stands out. Even Rush approved of this cover. Rush included this cover on their 40th anniversary edition release of their 2112 album

4. Alter Bridge "Travelling Riverside Blues"

-Original artist: Robert Johnson

-Out of all the cover songs that Alter Bridge has done, the one that gets the most airplay is this classic Robert Johnson hit. Myles Kennedy, being the vocalist, usually takes center stage, and shows off his amazing slide guitar skills and bluesy voice

5. Black Veil Brides "Rebel Yell"

-Original artist: Billy Idol

-Only issued as a single on the Rebels EP in 2011, this is the most frequently played cover by Black Veil Brides

-This is an awesome cover of a Billy Idol song! It's a metal version of the song!!

6. Blink-182 "Boys Don't Cry"

-Original artist: The Cure

-Blink-182 seem to be big fans of The Cure, incorporating songs by the iconic 80s band into their sets. So it's not surprising to see that they did a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry." They have done covers of other Cure songs, such as "A Letter to Elise" and "Just Like Heaven"

7. Breaking Benjamin "Iris"

-Original artist: The Goo Goo Dolls

-Breaking Benjamin took one of the biggest hits to come out of the 1990s and formed it into an emotional duet between vocalist Ben Burnley and singer-songwriter Diamante

8. Buckcherry "I Love It"

-Original artist: Icona Pop

-The resistance was futile. Buckcherry couldn't resist doing a cover of the 2012 pop song. In fact, they altered the lyrics ever so slightly and called their version "Say F--- It". This is their most frequently played cover song

9. Creed "Riders on the Storm"

-Original artist: The Doors

-Creed collaborated in the 1990s with Robby Krieger of The Doors and churned out two amazing covers of songs by The Doors. "Roadhouse Blues" and "Riders on the Storm." They were performed at Woodstock '99. Vocalist Scott Stapp perfectly captures that moody essence of Jim Morrison

-This is a great cover of the song by The Doors. Scott Stapp's voice is amazing!!

10. Def Leppard "Rock On"

-Original artist: David Essex

-With there being a three way tie between this song, Badfinger's "No Matter What" and Sweet's "Action", this one came out on top. The other songs were on their album Yeah!, which consists solely of covers. Def Leppard are said to have veered slightly off course with their version, adding string backing and a bit more soul to Joe Elliott's voice

11. Deftones "To Have and To Hold"

-Original artist: Depeche Mode

-This band's most frequently played cover is "To Have and To Hold" by Depeche Mode. This band has done covers of other songs, such as "Drive" by The Cars, "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" by The Smiths, "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "No Ordinary Love" by Sade and "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" by The Cure. But this Depeche Mode song is their most frequently played cover

12. Disturbed "The Sound of Silence"

-Original artist: Simon & Garfunkel

-The orchestral arrangement, the powerful voice of David Draiman combined made this a fan favorite. To this day, the band incorporates this cover into their set. They have also done other cover songs, including "Land of Confusion" from their Ten Thousand Fists album, "Living After Midnight" from their album The Lost Children, Tears for Fears "Shout" and "Walk" by Pantera

-David Draiman's vocals on this song are hauntingly beautiful. It gives me goosebumps to hear how his voice goes from soft and mellow to that loud and thunderous tone he is known best for

13. Falling in Reverse "Last Resort"

-Original artist: Papa Roach

-When Papa Roach wrote this song, it sounded like the type of angsty song you would find coming out of the grunge era. When Ronnie Radke and company decided to write their version of the song, he really tapped the keg of emotions on the song and gave it a boost by adding piano and string background. Surprisingly, Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach offered his full support on this song and he loves it. Beware, though. This song is an emotional powder keg ready to blow

-I honestly thought that it was the other way around. Falling in Reverse originally writing it and Papa Roach covering it. I like the Falling in Reverse version way better. Ronnie Radke's voice and piano playing are absolutely wonderful!

14. Five Finger Death Punch "Bad Company"

-Original artist: Bad Company

-This gives vocalist Ivan Moody a chance to show a more soulful side to him. The band also tapped into the blues rock world with their cover of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd song "Blue on Black." Overall, the band's take on the classic Bad Company hit is impressive to say the least

-Ironically, hearing this version of "Bad Company" is what got me into Five Finger Death Punch. It's great. Obviously a lot more intense than the original, but still good

15. Foo Fighters "Darling Nikki"

-Original artist: Prince

-Foo Fighters love keeping things interesting by putting a cover or two into their sets. "Darling Nikki" is one of them. They even covered "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones and "Under Pressure" by David Bowie and Queen, with Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins singing vocals along with Dave Grohl

16. Godsmack "Good Times Bad Times"

-Original artist: Led Zeppelin

-The band took the original hard rock song by Led Zeppelin and gave it a modern hard rock sound. This band also covered The Beatles "Come Together"

17. Green Day "Knowledge"

-Original artist: Operation Ivy

-This band's most frequently performed cover is "Knowledge" by Operation Ivy. They have also covered the song "Shout" by The Isley Brothers and "We Will Rock You" by Queen

18. Guns N Roses "Live and Let Die"

-Original artist: Wings

-Featured on Use Your Illusion, the band's take on the classic Wings hit is far more successful than their take on the Bob Dylan song "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." Not to say that the Bob Dylan song is bad, it's just "Live and Let Die" happens to be more well known

19. Halestorm "Still of the Night"

-Original artist: Whitesnake

-Halestorm is not a stranger to doing a cover or two. The band covered Judas Priest's "Dissident Aggressor" and Skid Row's "Slave to the Grind." These songs do get some airplay when the band is on stage, but nothing compares to Halestorm covering "Still of the Night" by Whitesnake. Their version is just mind blowing

20. Hellyeah "I Don't Care Anymore"

-Original artist: Phil Collins

-Previously recorded when drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott (yes, he is the brother of late Pantera member "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott) was in the band Damageplan, he did a cover of the Phil Collins song "I Don't Care Anymore." He used some of his brother Darrell's track when doing the song

21. In This Moment "Into Dust"

-Original artist: Mazzy Star

-The most performed cover by this band is Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight." Vocalist Maria Brink gives an amazing performance of the Mazzy Star song "Into Dust." It has a haunting vibe, that would not sound out of place during the Halloween season. It shows a different side to this vocalist. This band also covered Queen's "We Will Rock You" with Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) and Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)

22. Kid Rock "Feel Like Makin' Love"

-Original artist: Bad Company

-Kid Rock is a big fan of 1970s rock. So it should come as no surprise at all to find he's covered a song by Bad Company, "Feel Like Makin' Love." He covered the Bad Company hit on his self-titled debut album. He's also borrowed a few riffs and lines from "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd for a song of his called "All Summer Long" and the same thing for "American Bad A--." He borrowed lines and riffs from the Metallica song "Sad But True" 

23. Kiss "New York Groove"

-Original artist: Hello

-In 1978, it was decided that all four members of Kiss would release their own solo albums. This allowed each member to explore the music they loved, each one sounding radically different from the others. Ace Frehley covered the Hello song "New York Groove" and this is the version of the song that gets the most radio airplay. The band would play this song in their set from then on

24. Korn "Another Brick in the Wall"

-Original artist: Pink Floyd

-Korn has done other covers, including Cameo's "Word Up." But it's their cover of the Pink Floyd hit "Another Brick in the Wall" that is considered great. They perform all three acts of the song

25. Limp Bizkit "Faith"

-Original artist: George Michael

-This band attempted to go more in depth with a cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes", but it didn't go over well. When they tried to cover "Faith" by George Michael, this seemed to work out. They took the catchy 80s pop song and gave it a 90s rock overhaul that fans loved almost immediately

My Favorite Cover Songs Pt. II

A cover song is when an artist takes a song by another artist and does it in their way. Does their version of it. Some cover versions are better than the original, some not so much. It's all up to the listener to decide

Eminence Front

-Original artist: The Who

-Covered by: John Wetton (Asia), K.K. Downing (Judas Priest), Derek Sherinian (Alice Cooper, Joe Bonamassa, etc.)

-This is a metal-sounding version of the song by The Who. K.K. Downing gives it a metal-like edge with his guitar and John Wetton comes in with his clean, smooth vocals

Free for All

-Original artist: Ted Nugent

-Covered by: Jani Lane (Warrant), Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osborne)

-I like this version of the song better than the original by Ted Nugent

All Day and All of the Night

-Original artist: The Kinks

-Covered by: Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)

-Former Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner does an impressive cover of the classic Kinks hit along with Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis

All Day and All of the Night

-Original artist: The Kinks

-Covered by: Scorpions

-Featured on their Comeblack album, this band takes the Kinks classic and adds their signature sound to it. It's great

Tie Your Mother Down

-Original artist: Queen

-Covered by: Jani Lane (Warrant), Erik Turner (Warrant), Jerry Dixon (Warrant)

-This version of the song sounds like it was given a Warrant makeover

Won't Get Fooled Again

-Original artist: The Who

-Covered by: Sweet

-Glam band Sweet covers this song and it's actually easier to understand what the lyrics are. It's a good cover

Nights in White Satin

-Original artist: The Moody Blues

-Covered by: Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple)

-It's great. On the original, there is a flute solo. On this version, the flute solo is replaced by a guitar solo

Shoot to Thrill

-Original artist: AC/DC

-Covered by: Halestorm

-Lzzy Hale sings it perfectly. She has that right amount of aggression in her voice to give it a similar sound to Brian Johnson

Gimme Shelter

-Original artist: The Rolling Stones 

-Covered by: Stone Sour feat. Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)

-It's great!! Corey Taylor is amazing!

Rainbow in the Dark

-Original artist: Dio

-Covered by: Corey Taylor (Stone Sour, Slipknot)

-A more modern metal version of the song by Dio

Man on the Silver Mountain

-Original artist: Rainbow

-Covered by: Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

-A slightly more aggressive sounding metal version of the classic Rainbow song

Catch the Rainbow

-Original artist: Rainbow

-Covered by: Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple)

-Glenn Hughes, known as the Voice of Rock, sings this song perfectly. His voice is perfect on this song. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to sing this song, considering Ronnie James Dio was a very close friend of his. He was probably very emotional

Sunday Bloody Sunday

-Original artist: U2

-Covered by: Black Veil Brides

-This is a modern metal makeover for the highly successful U2 hit

Rebel Yell

-Original artist: Billy Idol

-Covered by: Adrenaline Mob

-This is a great metal cover of the Billy Idol classic

Rebel Yell

-Original artist: Billy Idol

-Covered by: Black Veil Brides

-This is the classic Billy Idol song covered by newer metal band Black Veil Brides

Tainted Love

-Original artist: Soft Cell

-Covered by: Scorpions

-A hard rock version of the 80s hit. Instead of the electronic beeping sound of the original, hard hit drums are replacing it in this song. Background choruses from the band members add an additional rhythm to the song. It's great!

The Temple of the King

-Original artist: Rainbow

-Covered by: Scorpions

-Klaus Meine's vocals on this song are absolutely beautiful. He sings it perfectly

Ruby Tuesday

-Original artist: The Rolling Stones

-Covered by: Scorpions

-Klaus Meine's vocals on this song are impressive. He doesn't strain to hit those high notes, he just sings it beautifully

My Favorite Cover Songs Pt. I

A cover song is when an artist takes a song by another artist and does it in their way. Does their version of it. Some cover versions are better than the original, some not so much. It's all up to the listener to decide

Sweet Emotion

-Original artist: Aerosmith

-Covered by: Tommy Shaw (Styx)

-With his slightly gruff singing voice, it sounds like Tommy Shaw is channeling his inner Steven Tyler and he manages to do it better than ever. I honestly didn't know Tommy Shaw could sing

Shot in the Dark

-Original artist: Ozzy Osbourne

-Covered by: Jeff Scott Soto

-I love Jeff Scott Soto's singing on this song. It's perfect. His singing on this song has that perfect 80s metal sound. Also, it's easier to understand the lyrics

Heroes

-Original artist: David Bowie

-Covered by: Motorhead

-I love this version of the song. It's a little hard to understand the lyrics only because of Lemmy Kilmister's raspy voice, but Motorhead's cover of the classic David Bowie hit is amazing!

Doctor, Doctor

-Original artist: UFO

-Covered by: Jeff Scott Soto

-Jeff Scott Soto's singing on this song is impressive to say the least. He sounds perfect on this song

Black Widow

-Original artist: Alice Cooper

-Covered by: Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)

-Bruce narrates a small story towards the beginning and it leads into the song

Louie, Louie

-Original artist: The Kingsmen

-Covered by: Motorhead

-This version of the song is a far cry from the original. Motorhead took this song and gave it a heavy metal overhaul

Under My Wheels

-Original artist: Alice Cooper

-Covered by: Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Phil Collen (Def Leppard)

-This version sounds more like a Def Leppard cover of the Alice Cooper song than just Joe Elliott and Phil Collen. But isn't that the point of a cover song? To do a song in your own version of it?

Let It Be

-Original artist: The Beatles

-Covered by: Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple)

-This version of the song is beautiful. Glenn not only sings on it, but he also plays keyboard on it (According to his book Glenn Hughes: From Deep Purple to Black Country Communion, he learned to play keyboard while high on cocaine. Not the recommended way to learn). Glenn's singing is absolutely gorgeous

Ticket to Ride

-Original artist: The Beatles

-Covered by: Sweet

-I love Sweet's version of the song. It's a sort of glam rock version of the song

Yesterday

-Original artist: The Beatles

-Covered by: Molly Hatchet

-Just like the original, Molly Hatchet plays this on acoustic guitars. It's great

Here Comes the Sun

-Original artist: The Beatles

-Covered by: Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Steve Morse (Deep Purple)

-I love this version of the song. It's beautiful and upbeat, just like the original

Lunatic Fringe

-Original artist: Red Ryder

-Covered by: Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)

-Honestly, I always thought "Lunatic Fringe" was done by Pink Floyd, because it that slightly space-y sound Pink Floyd is often known for. But when I found out it was a singer named Red Ryder, I was surprised. Joe Lynn Turner's version sounds similar to the original, only he adds a dash of his own unique vocals, meaning he hits a few high notes

Young Lust

-Original artist: Pink Floyd

-Covered by: Glenn Hughes (Trapeze, Deep Purple)

-It's a more modern, hard rock sound to the classic Pink Floyd hit. Of course, Glenn will hit those high notes occasionally, something he is often known for doing. It's good

Cat Scratch Fever

-Original artist: Ted Nugent

-Covered by: DJ Ashba (Guns N Roses, Sixx A.M.)

-This sounds more like an 80s metal or 80s rock version of the song. It's sung by former Guns N Roses member DJ Ashba, who's now part of the band Sixx A.M. He's a very good vocalist and gives it the slightly raspy, aggressive edge that Ted Nugent usually sings with

Cat Scratch Fever

-Original artist: Ted Nugent

-Covered by: Pantera

-If you're familiar with the aggressive sound of Pantera and their vocalist Phil Anselmo, be prepared for a thrash metal version of the classic Ted Nugent song. This version of the song is great!

Dream On

-Original artist: Aerosmith

-Covered by: Ronnie James Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen

-This song is amazing. Ronnie's vocals are just mind boggling on this song

Too Young to Fall in Love

-Original artist: Motley Crue

-Covered by: Gilby Clarke (Guns N Roses)

-Not surprisingly, this cover version sounds similar to the original. The only difference is the singer. Other than that, this version is good

Love Reign O'er Me

-Original artist: The Who

-Covered by: Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Rick Wakeman (Yes)

-Joe Elliott covers this song by The Who and makes for an impressive cover. It's quite good

White Line Fever by Lemmy Kilmister and Janiss Garza

This autobiography allows Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known to the world as "Lemmy", to tell the story of how he came to be the front man for one of the loudest bands in the world, Motorhead. This book is hilarious in some parts, sweet in some parts and he does not mince words-he tells it as it is, no matter who it might offend

-He was born Ian Fraser Kilmister on December 24, 1945 in the city of Burslem, in Stoke-on-Trent, England. He grew up an only child in the city of Colwyn Bay in Wales. As he got older, he often ran into trouble at school, as a result of not wanting to follow orders from the teachers. He states the reason he got into music was to meet girls. Sure enough, when he got old enough, he bought himself a guitar and suddenly girls started noticing him

-Some of the first bands he played in included the Rocking Vicars, Opal Butterfly and Hawkwind. He worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and he firmly states Jimi was one of the nicest guys he's ever met. He talks about seeing The Beatles live and how he was just blown away. He said The Rolling Stones were okay, but for him The Beatles were better

Opal Butterfly

The Rocking Vicars (the internet has the name spelled incorrectly)

-He had a short stint with Hawkwind, and that he was fired from the band for possessing cocaine. He states it was not cocaine, but amphetamine. He was crossing the border into Canada with the band and border patrol caught him. After testing the narcotics found on him, it came up positive for cocaine. He states the members of Hawkwind had been looking to fire him anyway. This now gave him an opportunity to form a new band, which he named Motorhead after the last song he wrote with Hawkwind, which was "Motorhead". He discovered that this was an American slang term for a meth user

-Some of the earliest members of Motorhead included Larry Wallis, Lucas Fox. He finally settled on Phil Taylor for drums and Eddie Clarke for guitar. They made quite a few albums, including Ace of Spades, Bomber, Iron Fist, Another Perfect Day. When Eddie left the band, according to Lemmy, Eddie left and came back multiple times, Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy joined the band. Lemmy states Brian would dress oddly on stage, dressing in a way that heavily clashed with the look Motorhead was known for. Phil left for a short time in the mid 1980s, which meant a new drummer came in, one named Pete Gill. When Brian Robertson left, in came another guitarist named Michael Burston, who went by the nickname Wurzel. Lemmy often nicknamed Phil Taylor Clumso because he was so uncoordinated. Because of this, Phil ended up in a hospital almost everywhere they went. Lemmy jokes that they should have written a book about all of the hospitals Phil ended up in

Larry Wallis

Lucas Fox

"Philthy" Phil Taylor

"Fast" Eddie Clarke

Put the three together and you get Motorhead

Brian Robertson

Pete Gill

Michael Burson, aka "Wurzel"

-Lemmy is strongly supportive of women in music. He had wanted to make a song with Tina Turner, but never got the chance. Over time, he became good friends with all female hard rock band Girlschool. He states he would go to bat for them. It turned out that Girlschool and Motorhead were on the same label, Bronze Records, so that is how Girlschool ended up opening for and even touring with Motorhead

-He jokingly said one time he was ill and was told that his blood was so toxic that actual human blood would kill him. He was told that because of all the substances in his blood that fresh, pure human blood would actually do more harm than good

-As the 1980s progressed to the 1990s and 2000s, Lemmy would state that he and the band seemed to have issue after issue with management and labels until they found one that finally worked for them. As usual, they would record their albums and the fans would be happy, but the labels they were on were not pushing the album as the band had hoped. The band would also change lineups, bringing in new guitarist Phil Campbell and new drummer Mikkey Dee. Lemmy would see Phil Campbell leave and come back multiple times and Mikkey would be hard to understand when he talked sometimes due to his heavy Swedish accent

Phil Campbell

Mikkey Dee

-Towards the mid to late 2000s, Lemmy's health started declining. People started noticing how painfully thin he was getting. He was diagnosed with diabetes, meaning he had to strongly cut back on his iconic Jack Daniel's and Coke and he had to start taking better care of himself. He was doing good after a while, but he ended up getting diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. He went in to his room at home to lie down for a while and never woke up. When the news of Lemmy's death hit the media, fans all over the world mourned his passing

55 Metal Covers of Classic Rock Songs Pt. I

We all know cover songs tend to be one musician's unique take on a song. With metal artists covering songs, sometimes they're good, better than the original. Sometimes the original is better than the cover. According to Loudwire.com, here are 55 metal cover songs of classic rock songs.

1. Allegaeon. "Subdivisions" by Rush

-This tech-death band also did a cover of the song "Animate" from Rush's 1993 album Counterparts. But this particular song is a bit hit for Allegaeon. It's still similar to the original, but with a few added quirks. That comes thanks to vocalist Riley McShane, who brings his amazing vocal range and tone. This band even does a cover of the Yes song "Roundabout"

2. Amorphis. "Light My Fire" by The Doors

-An odd combination at best, Swedish death metallers Amorphis covering The Doors "Light My Fire" on their album Tales from The Ten Thousand Lakes. Somehow, it worked. The folk-like keyboard worked perfectly with the band's new emerging sound, along with the deathly growls on the singing, rather than try and replicate Jim Morrison's singing

3. Anthrax. "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas

-Certainly an unusual choice. But, Anthrax managed to pull off a successful cover of the classic Kansas hit. They took this song and made it their own. It's featured on their album Leftoverthrax

4. Armored Saint. "Saturday Night Special" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

-Ever since the dawn of time, bands on major labels have been told they need to do at least one cover song. It might be something they like, it might be something they don't like. And later on, bands might choose to cover songs just for the fun of it. Chrysallis Records asked Armored Saint to cover the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Saturday Night Special" on their album Raising Fear

5. Between the Buried and Me. "Bicycle Race" by Queen

-This band has an album called The Anatomy Of, and it's all covers. The most surprising choice on that album is the quirky "Bicycle Race" by Queen. Who knew that vocalist Tommy Rogers could sing like Freddie Mercury? This song might have had the metalcore fans scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong, but it was just the beginning of what was to come with the band's next album, Colors

6. Black Sabbath. "Evil Woman" by Crow

-Crow originally wrote this song in 1969 for their debut album Black Sabbath. It was a massive hit in the US, but was left off of Black Sabbath's debut album, instead replaced with "Wicked World." The Black Sabbath version of this song is dripping with doom and gloom while the original is upbeat

7. Blessthefall. "Dream On" by Aerosmith

-Released in 2010 on an album called Punk Goes Classic Rock, it found artists covering various classic rock songs. The most interesting track here is the cover of "Dream On" by Blessthefall. Instead of the piano on the original, this band uses an electronic synth and made it unique

8. Body Count. "Hey Joe" by Billy Roberts

-Not what you would expect. On the 1994 Body Count album Born Dead is a cover of the song "Hey Joe." Billy Roberts is credited with writing the original while Jimi Hendrix himself covered the song. In terms of lyrics, this song is good for Body Count because it centers around shooting someone

9. Carnivore. "Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix

-The album this is off of, Retaliation, showcased the eclectic taste in music vocalist Peter Steele had. They covered the Jimi Hendrix song "Manic Depression."  Despite the overly psychedelic feel to the original, this cover was redone with the maximum amount of distortion and raw-sounding production

10. Celtic Frost. "Heroes" by David Bowie

-This band's version of the David Bowie classic bears little to no similarity to the original. It's featured on the album Vanity / Nemesis. If you want a good cover of David Bowie's "Heroes", check out Motorhead's cover of the song. Lemmy's raspy vocals lend it a metal hand and it's surprisingly good

11. Children of Bodom. "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" by The Ramones

-Joey Ramone had raspy vocals, and on this song, he sounds as if he gargled with gravel. This made it the perfect song for Children of Bodom to cover. This band always seems to put a fun feeling into their songwriting. It's featured on their album Skeletons in the Closet

12. Cirith Ungol. "Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

-These progressive / power metallers take on the iconic "Fire" on Paradise Lost

13. Crowbar. "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin

-Led Zeppelin is one of those bands that have a major reputation. And it's hard to successfully cover one of their songs. If a band does choose to cover one of their songs, it must be done without fear and with respect. New Orleans sludge metal band Crowbar successfully covered the song "No Quarter" in 1993. They took the Led Zeppelin song, which was about an army taking no prisoners and showing no mercy, and turned it into a trip into the land of despair

14. Dark Angel. "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin

-This was one of the heaviest songs Led Zeppelin had written, telling of the Norse invasion of England. This made it one of the first Viking Metal songs. It was a good choice for Los Angeles thrashers Dark Angel. The original song, running at two minutes, was reduced to one and a half minutes by the impatient hands of the band, starring on Dark Angel's Leave Scars album

15. Death. "God of Thunder" by KISS

-Written originally by Paul Stanley, it was tailor made for Gene Simmons and his raspy vocals. It became the staple by which Gene Simmons would start to spit fake blood on the stage. Death metal band Death and vocalist Chuck Schuldiner gave this mighty Kiss classic a death metal overhaul. It's featured on their album Human

16. Destruction. "My Sharona" by The Knack

-Thrash metal band Destruction took the 1979 song "My Sharona" and gave it a thrash metal makeover on their album Cracked Brain

17. Disturbed. "The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel

-Featured on the 2015 album Immortalized, vocalist David Draiman took the classic Simon and Garfunkel hit and made it hauntingly beautiful. Starting out singing slow and rising in pitch to his screaming / singing voice, accompanied by orchestral instruments, it became hauntingly beautiful. The fans quickly embraced the song and so did Paul Simon himself

18. Dream Theater. "Funeral for a Friend" by Elton John

-This band happens to be fans of all things progressive rock, 1970s. When they decided to do songs for their 1995 A Change of Seasons EP, not surprisingly, the prog rock legends they chose to cover included Genesis, Pink Floyd, along with Kansas. Elton John was even in there. The song of choice was "Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding."

19. Exodus. "Low Rider" by War

-Appearing on the album Fabulous Disaster, Exodus covered the classic War hit. Instead of the saxophone parts, the band harmonized together, making for a surprisingly good rendition of the song. It's essentially a thrash metal makeover of a song that appeared on Soul Train

20. Flotsam and Jetsam. "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" by Elton John

-This band had to work with the loss of their bass player, Jason Newstead, in 1988 when he joined Metallica's ranks. Flotsam and Jetsam, however, had to contend with one request from their label, Elektra Records. To do a cover. The band chose to cover the classic Elton John hit "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting." It's featured on their album No Place for Disgrace

21. Fu Manchu. "Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult

-Blue Oyster Cult were a much heavier band than people give them credit for. They were almost heavy metal with out actually being metal. Their song "Godzilla" had a sort of marching along, chugging feel to it, and when stoner metal band Fu Manchu gets to cover it, it gets heavier. They turn the BOC hit into something that sounds like Black Sabbath on their Eatin' Dust album

22. Ghost. "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles

-Most metalheads were in for the shock of their lives when Swedish metal band Ghost chose to cover The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun." It, strangely, worked out. With the band's featured church organ and incredibly clean vocals thanks to Tobias Forge, the song is incredibly good. The song's sunny feeling merges well with the soft-metal sound

23. GWAR. "School's Out" by Alice Cooper

-This band puts extra aggression into their cover of the Alice Cooper song "School's Out." It's a lot more aggressive than the original. It's featured on their album Beyond Hell

24. Helloween. "White Room" by Cream

-When people aspire to play guitar, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple is their first song they want to master. They figure, if they can master that, anything else will come easily. German metal band Helloween have taken the classic Cream hit and given it a heavy metal makeover. Featured on the 1999 album Metal Jukebox, it sounds like the original with a dash of power metal thrown in for good measure

25. HIM. "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult

-HIM took the classic song by Blue Oyster Cult and put a dash of Black Sabbath into it, turning into something eerie and spooky. Vocalist June Hyde provides an almost spooky sound to the song, along with the eerie organs, making it perfect for the Halloween season

26. Iron Maiden. "Cross Eyed Mary" by Jethro Tull

-Jethro Tull and Iron Maiden have more in common than one would think. They both tell stories through their songs. But with Tull, they have a more mystical, almost fantasy-based approach with lyrics and sound than the dueling twin (or in modern days) triple guitar attack that Maiden performs. Iron Maiden's cover of the classic Jethro Tull and it works surprisingly well. This cover ended up as the B-Side to the band's single "The Trooper"