Well a good number of you guys fell in love with Cornell’s Billie Jean; sorry if we were too judgmental! We just have such fond Badmotorfinger memories. Maybe it takes a sensitive rocker dude for us to realize that MJ turned out some amazing pop compositions (’cause that’s what Chris Cornell has become). Sensitive rocker dude covers like this one:
And one night at Roseland we saw David Mead open for Joe Jackson (hipster cred!), and he offered up an incredible take on another Jacko classico.
You can watch him do it live at a show in Nashville here (YouTube). Betcha didn’t know that “Human Nature” was co-written by the dude from Toto!
Anyway, how would you rate these two MJ covers? Anyone have others? (Alien Ant Farm is not an acceptable answer.) Colin Meloy should totally do “Smooth Criminal.” Wouldn’t that be a fine fit for The Crane Wife?
UPDATE Here’s a reader-submitted cover, by Neil Finn (who’s also working on his third solo studio effort). More info at HisSpace.
You Might Also Like
 Death Cab For Cutie – “Underneath The Sycamore” Video |  Ben Gibbard Profiled In Runners World |  Watch Death Cab Play The Brooklyn Museum For Live From The… |  Death Cab For Cutie Do Kimmel |
 |
 |
Alex Chilton sometimes performs a terrific cover of “Rock With You,” live, though I don’t think he’s recorded it.
Petra Haden did a dynamite a capella cover of “Thriller.”
That Human Nature cover is horrible!
miles davis did a great cover of ‘human nature’ on from around the world (think that’s the album name)
I really like the Human Nature cover!
Ha. You’d like it if it was Chris Cornell.
Ian Brown’s cover of “Billie Jean” may be the highlight of his solo career.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/ram/billiejean_ibrown_ra.ram
I’ve heard Neil Finn do “Billie Jean” solo acoustic, on some limey radio show. I’ve got an MP3 around here somewhere… The quality is so-so, but it’s still cool as balls. Lemme know if y’all want it and maybe Stereogum will post that shnizz.
> Lemme know if y’all want and maybe
> Stereogum will post that shnizz.
Yes! Send ‘em on in and we’ll update the post.
Doy. Everyone who has seen Yacht Rock (which I assume is most of the people who read Stereogum) know that Steve Porcaro helped write that song.
senor coconut does an amusing cover of beat it. There are also covers on youtube of beat it by emm gryner and menudo, even though that last one isn’t good. There’s also the shinehead version of billie jean, and crispin glover doing ben.
Robbie Fulks does a mean “Billie Jean” and there are rumors that he’s got an entire tribute album of MJ covers in the can:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030409074618/http://www.suntimes.com/output/music/cst-ftr-fulks25.html
Shamone!
don’t know much about them, but The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers did the best version of Billie Jean I have ever heard.
Caetano Veloso does an awesome take on “Billie Jean,” mashed with “Eleanor Rigby,” on his album “A Bossa de Caetano.”
Yes! Finally you post Ben’s cover. He really makes the song milder.
ask and you will recieve. thank you for posting the Thriller cover.
The Contortions covered “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough”. That would be one to fry your iPod.