Im starting a cover band this summer and am curious as to what you all would like to hear from a cover band.... I am looking for a good mix between classic rock and 80s, 90's, and 00's alternative rock... I started a list which I will post below, but any further input would be appreciated. Thanks


(Classic Rock)

1 "Folsom Prison Blues"- by Johnny Cash
2 "Mary Jane’s Last Dance”- by Tom Petty
3 “Roadhouse Blues”- by The Doors
4 “Jumping Jack Flash”- by The Rolling Stones
5 “Good Times, Bad Times” by- Led Zeppelin
6 “Helter Skelter”-by The Beatles
7 “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”- by The Clash
8 “Proud Mary”- by Creedence Clearwater Revival
9 “The Weight”-by The Band
10 “Baba O’Riley”-by The Who
11 “Rocking in the Free World” by Neil Young
12 “Hard To Handle”- by The Black Crowes


(90’s Alternative Rock)_

13 “Everlong" by Foo Fighters
14 “Nearly Lost You”-by Screaming Trees
15 “About a Girl”- by Nirvana
16 “Corduroy”-by Pearl Jam
17 “Backwater”-by Meat Puppets
18 “Interstate Love Song”-by Stone Temple Pilots
19 “Gel”- by Collective Soul
20 "Song 2"- by Blur

(Modern Rock/ 00’s)

21 “Island in the Sun”- by Weezer
22 “Mistake Pageant”- by Idlewild
23 “Seven Nation Army”- by The White Stripes
24 “Mistaken for Strangers”- by The National
25 One Big Holiday”- by My Morning Jacket
26 “Last Night”- by The Strokes
27 “Lightning Blue Eyes”- by Secret Machines
28 “Ain’t No Easy Way”-by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
29 “Your Touch”- by The Black Keys

(80’s Alternative)

30 “Blister in the Sun”- by Violent Femmes
31 “I Will Dare”- by The Replacements

This reads a list of Guitar Hero levels.

Never played guitar hero, and not sure if that comment is supposed to be taken as a compliment or not but either way I guess its ok since I can play the songs on an actual guitar...

If you enjoy these songs you should play them just don't expect anyone to be there. If you are in a cover band and want an audience you have to play Top 40. You'll want a female singer too. You'll need to be prepared to sell out completely or play to empty room with 5 or 6 people with as many teeth.

I know 80s and 90s only and classic rock only cover bands that get really big crowds and have followings so I don't see where the have to play top 40 logic applies...

Did you ever record a full-band version of this tune? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dgyE2ZVjgQ

I really liked it. I generally find cover bands to be a bit of a bummer.

Not yet... But I plan on throwing some original material into the mix as well, which means it will be predominately covers and several original songs. I just think the place Ill be living this summer really dictates what Ill be playing a lot... I will be in Hilton Head SC which is a mix of tourists, retired people, and bar regulars... I feel like I can only get by with so many originals in that type of environment... But over the last 12 years I have accumulated a lot of material and while I lived in Nashville I picked up some recording skills at SAE. So I will eventually be releasing at least an albums worth of material recorded with a band... Whether or not its the band I play with this summer remains to be seen. But I am really glad you enjoyed that song. Its one of my favorites because of how easily it came to me and the guitar parts just kind of flow together in a natural way...

This is a song the last band I was in recorded... I just played guitar-
https://soundcloud.com/highdivedarling/days-of-old

Good luck

Thanks Stip

Maybe it's regional. In my area it's Top 40.

Yeah bada, I can definitely see that being a factor. It really depends on where you live as to what you can and can't get away with playing. If I was a DJ in a club there I could see having to play top 40. But the thought I have on it is, people hear top 40 in their car, at the mall, on their iPods, at dance clubs... I want to give them a little variety and something different while they are kicking back a few beers with their friends at the bar... a little rock and roll... Plus I don't want to be like every other cover band on earth that is constricted by playing the same songs as every other cover band... Id rather split the difference and play a few classic rock numbers that everyone knows along with some nostalgic 90's songs and some newer tunes that people may be less familiar with but find a new appreciation for after we play them...

Play some James Gang. That's good beer drinking music. Some Stones too. While you're at it, may as well throw some Tom Petty in there. CCR too.

or you could create new songs instead.....

We have both around here, but I know for a fact that cover band members get more pussy if they throw in the random top 40 hit into their set.

Haha yeah I can see that, but we're like the PJ of cover bands... More concerned with the integrity of the band than the chicks... If your good enough at what you do and your having a good time why do something you don't want to do? If the tang runs dry though maybe ill throw in a top 40 song even though I have no idea who the people are that sing top 40 or what the songs are... I really try as hard as I can to avoid the radio or popular music like the plague...

I totally fucking knew that you were gonna say "Blister In The Sun". Why does everybody want to cover that shitty song?

Because it beats the shit out of playing Creed and its not a "shitty song". What would you cover?

I've seen some local indie bands cover Crazy by Gnarls Barkley and it always goes over really well. People love it!

i live in an area where if youre a band or dj and arent all about the top 40 then youre completely fucked for the most part

altho.. buddies of mine have a band that plays almost all classic rock n 90s rock.. theyre very successful n popular.. i think most of their crowd started as being people they grew up n drank with that listen to the same stuff.. they would have a decent crowd and this brought in others.. brought in people who like good music and were sick of top 40 bullshit.. helps that they are really good musicians too and can pull off playing zep n floyd