Whitney Houston had earlier attempts at dance-pop than “How Will I Know,” but none of them took hold of the airwaves like the 1985 smash hit did. While the original is uptempo and undeniably danceable, the lyrics could be interpreted as somewhat sad, with Houston potentially pursuing an unrequited love. Filthy Friends…

For some, Hootie And The Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You” conjures up images of the ’90s—backwards baseball caps, a Miami Dolphins team on the decline, and a full-haired Mike Tirico. For many, it’s also the quintessential Hootie And The Blowfish song, headlining the band’s ridiculously popular debut album, Cracked…

Radiohead’s third studio album OK Computer turned 20 earlier this year. A critical and commercial success, the album is filled with unpredictable, magnificent tracks, and helped define the band’s direction for over a decade. Filling those shoes on the 20th anniversary of the album is indie rock band Pile, who pull off…

“Torn,” like “I Will Always Love You” and “Respect,” is part of a category of cover songs that are arguably more famous than the originals. “Torn” was originally performed by Los Angeles alt-rockers Ednaswap, but Natalie Imbruglia’s version is more widely recognizable, with a generation of listeners being completely…

It’s hard to escape the influence of Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 melancholic power ballad “Total Eclipse Of The Heart.” Even before the recent surge in popularity, its impact was hard to deny. The song (and its video) has been covered and parodied by dozens of artists, with even Warby Parker getting in on the action. Adding…

Sonic Youth’s sound is instantly recognizable—it’s loud, unconventionally melodic, guitar-driven noise rock—and it’s possibly best exemplified by the band’s highest-charting song, “100%” from its 1992 LP Dirty. Fresh off reunion stints at Riot Fest and FYF Fest, Chicago natives Cap’n Jazz decided to take on the Sonic…

There are few songs more quintessentially ’80s than Norwegian band A-ha’s “Take On Me.” It’s a synth-heavy power ballad accompanied by a high-concept music video, checking all the boxes that defined the pop music of the decade. When choosing the song for their cover, Brooklyn-based band Lake Street Dive ditched the…

There is no shortage of pop culture references of Joan Jett’s 1980 punk anthem “Bad Reputation.” The song was used as the opening theme for Freaks And Geeks, during the tournament scene at Farquaad’s Castle in the first Shrek movie, and more recently in the teaser for the first season of Jessica Jones. It’s a classic…

“Young Turks,” Rod Stewart’s anthemic ode to youth rebellion, tells the story of two teenagers running away from home to be together despite their parents’ wishes, and it set the stage for a decade of hits. No strangers to defiance, D.C. punk band Priests chose to tackle the song for their Undercover. The result is a…

To some extent, Beck’s “Debra” is an ode to ’80s funk and soul legends like Prince and Zapp & Roger, playing on those acts’ uninhibited sexuality to create a tongue-in-cheek sex ballad. Taking on the challenge of covering the song is the Louisiana legends Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Best known for its style of New…

Outkast’s roots are planted firmly in the realm of hip-hop, with the duo being largely responsible for the surge in popularity of Atlanta hip-hop in the mid-1990s. But “Hey Ya” is a slightly different story. Written, produced, and performed by André 3000 on the duo’s 2003 double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, “Hey…

Seeing as how Memorial Day was yesterday, we thought it might be a good time to drop Lee Fields’ take on “America.” The soul singer’s stripped-down rendition of Neil Diamond’s The Jazz Singer anthem is both arresting and heartwarming, and serves as a good reminder that, for the most part, we Americans all hail from…

We’re pleased as punch to have Phantogram kick off our eighth season of A.V. Undercover, which has a moody new vibe, with a stellar take on Hole’s “Violet.” The cover finds frontwoman Sarah Barthel doing her best dark Courtney Love, all while the churning band takes full advantage of the new, well-lit Undercover set.…

Back in December, we asked you to vote for your favorite A.V. Undercover of 2016. After some pontificating about whether this was the worst or, like, the second-worst season you’ve ever seen, and how things were cooler when we were all a little younger, you chose… Julien Baker covering Death Cab For Cutie’s…

It’s time for you, the reader, to help us, The A.V. Club staff, pick the 25 songs that will be features in this year’s A.V. Undercover. But instead of voting from a list of pre-determined categories, as we’ve done in past years, we’d like for you to suggest songs in the comments. Here’s how it works: Start a new…

It’s time for you, the reader, to help us, The A.V. Club staff, pick the 25 songs that will be features in this year’s A.V. Undercover. But instead of voting from a list of pre-determined categories, as we’ve done in past years, we’d like for you to suggest songs in the comments. Here’s how it works: Start a new…

A.V. Club reader Ky Christopher Cleveland (we assume that’s his or her name…) has done the lord’s work and compiled not one but two A.V. Undercover related Spotify playlists. First, there’s “AV Undercover Songs,” which is a 183-song mix of nearly every song that’s ever been covered in the series, plus Maritime’s “It’s…

Yes, we’re launching a little bit later than usual this year, but A.V. Undercover season six is already off to a cracking start with two “pre-season” entries from Laura Jane Grace and an Andrew Jackson Jihad/Jeff Rosenstock super mash-up. And tomorrow we’ll start the official 2015 series with a return appearance by a…

It’s here—time to help us pick the 25 songs to be features in this year’s A.V. Undercover. Instead of voting from a list of pre-determined categories, as we’ve done in past years, we’d like for you to suggest songs in the comments. Do it like this: Start a new comment (not a reply) that simply states your song…