The SFC has compiled a list of what they consider the 10 best cover tunes ever performed by Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters’ with YouTube links for each are included.
They did leave one out that I think is better than the original; Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street.
When all is said and done, the Foo Fighters’ will be considered one of the all-time greats. They are an amazingly talented group.
While Foo Fighters’ by-the-numbers arena rock has mostly made us shrug over the past decade, there’s no knocking the band’s favorite source material. We hunted high and low (OK, mostly low) and came up with what we consider the 10 best cover tunes Dave Grohl and his ever-evolving cast of band mates, who play Saturday at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, have knocked out over the years. If you care to disagree, you know where to reach us.
Here’s the list:
Born on the Bayou (Originally performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival.) Not everyone can chase down the hoodoo like John Fogerty. But Grohl gave it his all when Foo Fighters covered this classic 1969 CCR jam at the Hurricane Katrina benefit “Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast” and later released it as a B-side on the “Resolve” CD single. (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCCW.)
Band on the Run (Originally performed by Paul McCartney and Wings.) Foo Fighters bravely face down the multi-part Wings epic and dutifully rock its world. Look for it on the BBC Radio 1 anniversary compilation “Established in 1967.” (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCCY.)
Holiday in Cambodia (Originally performed by the Dead Kennedys.) With System of a Down’s Serj Tankian sitting in with the band, Foo Fighters detonated their hotel room at last year’s MTV Video Music Awards with this primitive punk throwback. Kanye? 50? Grohl was the clear-cut winner. (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCCZ.)
Never Talking to You Again (Originally performed by Husker Du.) It’s no secret that Grohl is a huge Husker Du fan. In the Foo Fighters song “Times Like These,” he sang, “I’m a new day rising,” slyly referencing the seminal Minneapolis punk band’s album “New Day Rising.” Here, armed with just an acoustic guitar, Grohl strips one of the Du’s best-known songs down to its emotional core. (Listen to it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDA.)
Keep the Car Running (Originally performed by the Arcade Fire.) Talk about dedication. Foo Fighters had to recruit an actual accordion to pull off this faithful cover of the propulsive Arcade Fire anthem during an appearance on the BBC’s “Live Lounge.” “I chose this song ’cause I listen to it every morning when I wake up and I figured it’d be a great song to do here ’cause I’m still waking and I figure can’t wake up till I listen to this song, so I might as well play it,” Grohl said. (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDB.)
Stairway to Heaven (Originally performed by Led Zeppelin.) After years of abuse at the hands of first-year guitar students, this song is not easy to play with a straight face. So Grohl doesn’t even try. Despite a few flubbed notes, lyrical blanks and four-letter words uttered under his breath, he still manages to make it sound respectfully tender. Well, almost. (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDC.)
Darling Nikki (Originally performed by Prince.) This was another cover the Foos trotted out at the Video Music Awards but have been playing for years (it was originally released as the B-side to the Australian edition of 2003’s “Have It All” single). Even without Cee-Lo on the vocals, it’s incredible to hear the rock heroes so effectively sex up this old-school Prince jam. Naturally, the Purple One returned the favor when he unexpectedly covered Foo Fighters’ “Best of You” at last year’s Super Bowl. (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDD.)
Tiny Dancer (Originally performed by Elton John.) “A song I don’t think I’d ever heard until I saw ‘Almost Famous,’ ” Grohl jokes in the long-winded spoken-word intro to this acoustic cover performed on “The Late, Late Show With Craig Kilborn.” It’s tagged as a comedy clip on YouTube, but when he’s not yapping away, the Foo Fighters front man shows that he is truly the most versatile man in rock, brilliantly updating the old John staple and leading the studio audience in a touching sing-along. (Watch it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDE.)
Blackbird (Originally performed by the Beatles.) Foo Fighters work their magic on another McCartney gem, transforming it with manic drums and an improvised acoustic guitar flight. “How does it go again?” someone asks after they’ve completely reinvented the tune as an acoustic punk masterpiece. Who cares? (Listen to it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDF.)
Have a Cigar (Originally performed by Pink Floyd.) The Foo Fighters took on this Floyd epic from “Wish You Were Here” not once, but twice. The second time they brought in Queen’s Brian May to help them out. The result? A dependable rocker that wound up on the B-side of “Learn to Fly” and wouldn’t have sounded entirely out of place on Nirvana’s “In Utero.” (Listen to it here: links.sfgate.com/ZCDH.)