Top 10 Worst Live Lounge Covers

by Kate Giff

Throughout September, Radio 1 is putting on thirty days of brand new Live Lounge performances, featuring artists from Foals to Selena Gomez, with specials from Muse and Florence + The Machine. To prepare for the month of new covers, PearShaped looks back at some of the worst Live Lounges to come out of the Radio 1 studio so far (and fear not, we’ve also got a list of the best Live Lounge covers to sooth your bleeding ears).

10.  Bastille – We Can’t Stop

I’m sure Bastille’s Dan Smith thought singing Miley over the top of an Eminem instrumental was completely innovative, but in reality the cover is just boring. The brief snippet of Achy Beaky Heart along with changing the lyrics to “She Can’t Stop” makes this seem like more of an attack on Miley Cyrus than a cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZi7CXE2ac

 

9.  5 Seconds of Summer - I Miss You

Everyone’s favourite One Direction rejects show how they’re not a typical boyband by covering Bink-182, but their voices aren’t quite strong enough to pull it off completely. Plus, they look like they’re in pain for a lot of the performance.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXm-Mxd2ayc[/embed]

 

8.  Charlie XCX – Shake It Off

Charlie XCX takes Taylor Swift’s huge tune and gives it a 90s alternative girl band twist which is slightly manic and not all that great.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJoytOvVAbU[/embed]

 

7.  George Ezra - Counting Stars

George Ezra has a great live voice and is a talented guitar player, but something about this cover of One Republic’s song is slightly off, and George seems to struggle with the pitch of the song.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkXqRUSfYpA[/embed]

 

6.  Alt-J – Latch

Alt-J are usually a great live band, and hopes were high for their cover of Disclosure. The overall outcome of the cover, however, is slightly jarring, with uncomfortable harmonies and awkward production. It just doesn’t quite work.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz2UVt1QSvI[/embed]

 

5.  The 1975 – What Makes You Beautiful

Although this is probably a lot of young girl’s idea of heaven, The 1975 covering early One Direction is a typical case of bad meets worse. The song alone is pretty awful, but performed as a heart wrenching indie ballad with Matt Healey’s whiny vocals takes it to a new level of painful.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEVXmzHY1lU[/embed]

 

4.  3OH!3 – Guns And Horses

Ellie Goulding’s breathy warble is sorely missed in this cover. The band keep the music quite similar to the original, but without much of a tune and lots of talking.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFV-1AgxNJE[/embed]

 

3.  Lady Sovereign – Shake It

This cover is just odd. It’s strangely sinister and shouted rather than sung, making for very uncomfortable listening.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qc4a5h5or4[/embed]

 

2.  Cheryl Cole – Fireflies

Just when you thought this song couldn’t get any worse, Cheryl covered it. Ignoring the fact that she can’t actually sing, this rendition is just boring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O02AdK8r8A

 

1.  Magnetic Man – Whip My Hair

This version would be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. Whether Magnetic Man were making a deep comment on the state of pop music at the time when Willow Smith was popular is unclear, but either way this cover is bizarre, and honestly, just uncomfortable to listen to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k5nWYfLjMw