Songs that would sound good covered in another genre.

The Byrds' Set You Free This Time covered as a chanson.

I got this idea because I found a video of them performing it live and Gene Clark reminded me of Jacques Brel.

God I'd love to hear someone super soft like Sharon Van Etten or S cover Elton John's Cold As Christmas(In The Middle Of The Year). You could weaponize that amount of sad

I would say Sugar Ray's "Fly" as a bluegrass song, but Pinmonkey (one of the best, most underrated, and sadly Too Good to Last country bands ever) already took care of that for me.

I'd to "Die for You" by Otherwise to get the Boyce Avenue treatment. The song is vaguely romantic, but in a soft tone it might be even more.

I'm still holding out for a big, sweeping power metal cover of "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins. Don't speed it up, just change the arrangement and production – make it sound something like this or this.

I can see a crowd of thousands at Wacken/Graspop/Hellfest bellowing along, metal horns raised: "HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHWAAAAAY TOOOOOOOOOO THE DANGER ZONE!"

I don't know why, but a lot of One Direction's songs sound really good as Pop Punk.

Example:

"Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield as a stripped-down garage/blues-rock song - I just realized one day that it has a pretty killer guitar riff and would sound good covered by someone like The White Stripes or (early) The Black Keys.

The Trooper sounds amazing as a bluegrass song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li58voy6xXM

This is a catchy dance track with lyrics that are a (very accurate) parody of old-fashioned German folk music. It would sound awesome covered in a dark industrial style, à la Laibach.

Wrecking Ball, sung by an early 80's David Bowie, in a style similar to "It's No Game (Part 2)". So I guess in a bluesy 80's Bowie style.

And that's Part 2 specifically, Part 1 is... rather different.

edited 15th Nov '14 1:15:23 PM by MrMallard

Speaking of Bowie, "Modern Love" could probably work as a ska-punk song.

edited 15th Nov '14 2:11:01 PM by R79

@ Mike K: What about Fishbone's cover version?

After hearing it on the radio today I was thinking that "I Don't Care (I Love It)" by Icona Pop would work well as a Punk Rock song. The relatively short length, the relatively limited & repeated lyrics, the shout-y singing, the "don't give a fuck" attitude and the overall energy give it a punk vibe. It's like a teen girl version of "I Don't Care About You" by F.E.A.R..