These Are The 11 Best Cover Versions Your Faves Did In 2016
13 December 2016, 13:01 | Updated: 8 May 2017, 17:09
From Troye to Years & Years, 2016 has seen some serious dedication to the art of the cover...
The only thing better than listening to one of your favourite songs is listening to one of your favourite artists do their own version of one of your favourite songs. And 2016 has been full of HUGE tunes getting the cover treatment by some of our absolute faves.
But which cover was the best? We ranked our top 11 for you to argue over/make a playlist of to listen to at your leisure. So, let's round up the top covers of 2016 shall we?
11) Ashley Tisdale - Still Into You
Probably the most surprising cover of the year, the High School Musical star has begun posting musical performances on YouTube alongside her husband Chris French. Her MT-trained vocals actually suit this classic Hayley Williams jam really well, putting a neat, stripped-back take on a pop punk anthem.
10) Against The Current - Water Under The Bridge
Adele has never sounded so good. Fueled By Ramen's latest signing made their name with inventive YouTube covers and this offering is no different, putting their own spin on one of 25's standout tracks.
9) Halsey - Love Yourself
Paying tribute to her 'The Feeling' collaborator, Halsey is clearly feeling a lot of Justin's latest album, not only gifting us with this fresh take on the well-worn single but also heading out on tour with the pop giant next year.
8) Bastille - Rhythm Of The Night (feat. Craig David)
Um...@CraigDavid just showed up @bastilledan show and we are FREAKING OUT!!! #AMF10 pic.twitter.com/rZ2QJgBd9e
— PopBuzz (@popbuzz) September 26, 2016
Bastille were already storming their Apple Music set in celebration of second album Good Grief when they decided to up the ante even further by bringing out the legendary comeback king of 2016 Mr Craig David. Their joint take on this classic dance tune made our night at the Roundhouse truly LIT.
7) Troye Sivan - Be The One
Dua Lipa has just completed a tour of the US supporting Troye and her influence has clearly been rubbing off on him, Troye delivering this minimalist take on the summer banger during a live show.
6) Vérité - Somebody Else
The original is clearly one of the best songs released this year but hearing this tale of sexual jealousy and loss from a female perspective gives it a fresh new sound that Matty would be proud of.
5) Haim - I Would Die 4 U
Known to be huge Prince fans (they even briefly performed with him at the SNL 40 after-party), Haim chose not to go for a sombre 'Purple Rain'-esque obituary, instead turning up the funk for an energetic blast of '80s synth pop. Plus, those guitar-swinging dance moves are on point!
4) Lorde - Life On Mars
This perfect tribute to her friend, the late David Bowie, saw Lorde gain plaudits worldwide for her understated and emotional performance of what is arguably his best known song. Not an easy task to live up to but she nailed it.
3) Twenty One Pilots - Medley
One of the undoubted highlights of the Emotional Roadshow was Tyler and Josh's pop medley, tackling all manner of songs, from Justin Bieber and Celine Dion to House Of Pain, often with their various support acts in tow. When you are a band unrestricted by genre, there's no limit to the number of artists you can cover.
2) Panic! At The Disco - Bohemian Rhapsody/All You Pretty Things
.@PanicAtTheDisco just paid tribute to #DavidBowie on stage. All merch sales go to cancer research. Amazing. pic.twitter.com/lsaAUEztAK
— PopBuzz (@popbuzz) January 12, 2016
Brendon finally hit the studio to record a version of the longtime set favourite for the soundtrack to the most disappointing movie of 2016, Suicide Squad. However, one of our live highlights of 2016 was seeing the band run through their cover with an added snippet of 'All You Pretty Things' in tribute to David Bowie, made even more poignant by the fact that we were in Brixton, the area of London he long called home.
1) Years & Years - 2 Become 1 (feat. Mel C)/ The Boy Is Mine (feat. MØ)/ Hotline Bling-Dark Horse
These boys clearly deserve an award for services to cover versions. Not content with slaying last year's Jingle Bell Ball with their take on Britney's 'Toxic', Years & Years have upped their game in 2016 to tackle all manner of insane musical tributes.
First up was their R'N'B moment with MØ on 'The Boy Is Mine' at Wembley Arena.
Then they brought the party vibes with their highly skilled mash up of 'Hotline Bling' and 'Dark Horse'.
And finally, just last night (December 12th), the boys brought out actual Spice Girl Mel C for an Xmas singalong to the Number 1 smash '2 Become 1' and the Bryan Adams duet 'When You're Gone'.
Olly's excited fanboy freakout face automatically shot this to the top of our list.
Iconic.
Any other covers you've loved this year? Add them in below.
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