22 of the best Beatles covers

Soul singer P.P. Arnold utterly transforms Paul McCartney’s familiar musical fable in this 1968 recording, replacing the original version’s meditative introspection with grand operatic pathos and full-scale drama. 

The Afro-rock band Assagai, featuring members from Nigeria and South Africa, was ensconced in London’s prog-rock scene in the early 1970s, but never had any mainstream success. It’s too bad – the group’s infectious, playful reimagining of Paul McCartney’s earnest masterpiece is a winner.

Bad Brains uncovered the rasta spirit buried deep inside this mid-period John Lennon pop gem during their late ’80s tours. The Washington, D.C., hardcore band released two versions of their iconoclastic Beatles/Rolling Stones medley in 1990 and ’91.  

Recorded during the "Licensed to Ill" sessions in 1986, the Beastie Boys’ version of “I’m Down” is part faithful cover, part hip-hop homage, and part radical reinvention of the Beatles’ rip-roaring 1965 B-side. The song was dropped from the Beasties’ debut at the last minute when rights to the sample couldn’t be cleared.

The Godfather of Soul funks up George Harrison’s lilting ballad from "Abbey Road" on this hard-charging, horn-drenched 1973 B-side, which was one of Harrison’s favorite versions of the song.

Ray Charles uncovered startling new depths in the Beatles’ most familiar material – “Yesterday,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “The Long and Winding Road,” “Something,” and “Let It Be” (plus John Lennon’s “Imagine”). His gritty, soulful version of Paul McCartney’s sugary epic from 1967, is unparalleled.

Tjinder Singh and company brought the Indian raga-inspired “Norwegian Wood” full circle in 1997, when Cornershop recorded a version of the song in Punjabi for their third album, "When I Was Born for the 7th Time."

“Yesterday” is one of the most covered songs of all time, but the 1990s R&B quartet made it their own with this version, from their 1992 album "Funky Divas" – En Vogue’s swinging rhythms and impeccable harmonies make a familiar standard sound fresh and exciting.

The Feelies, mascots of New York’s late ’70s and early ’80s post-punk and underground scene, delivered a nervy, high-voltage rendition of this hard-edged Lennon-penned oddity on their debut album, "Crazy Rhythms."

The Queen of Soul recorded a handful of Beatles songs in the early 1970s – “Let It Be,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and this rollicking epic recording of Paul McCartney’s soppy benediction from "Let It Be." In her towering recording from the landmark 1972 album "Young, Gifted and Black," Franklin infuses the song with gospel power and blues swagger.

Paul McCartney’s heavy rocker from "The Beatles" got the real blues treatment in this scorching 1970 recording by California guitarist and singer Lowell Fulson, with a gut-busting vocal performance and some blistering guitar pyrotechnics. 

A rousing Southern soul version of the Beatles “Get Back” appeared on the original version of Al Green’s 1969 album Green Is Blues. It was eclipsed by his joyous, masterful rendition of “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” included as a bonus track on the 40th anniversary reissue in 2009.

Parliament-Funkadelic guitar wizard Eddie Hazel took one of the Beatles’ wildest psychedelic explorations into even more mind-melting uncharted territory on his 1977 solo album, "Game, Dames, and Guitar Thangs."

The Beatles’ funkiest song – by far – lends itself perfectly to the King of Pop, who was still near his peak when he recorded “Come Together” for the "Moonwalker" video anthology in 1988. The song eventually appeared on the weird and grandiose "HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I" in 1995.

On their fourth album, "The Kingsmen on Campus," the Portland, Ore., garage-rock combo best known for “Louie Louie” recorded a pummeling, sax-soaked instrumental version of one of the Fab Four’s hardest-hitting early singles.

Brazilian superstar Sergio Mendes made one of the Beatles’ least-appreciated songs, from "Magical Mystery Tour," into a bossa nova standard with their smooth 1968 orchestral pop version.

The legendary New Orleans R&B combo recorded a handful of country and rock classics in the mid-1970s, including this stinging and strutting version of “Come Together.” But the songs remained unreleased until 2001, when they appeared on the "Kickback" anthology.

A tour de force of Southern soul from 1969, with one of Pickett’s most energetic performances and a memorable guitar solo from Duane Allman.

The pop-culture-obsessed California weirdos nearly outdo the Beatles with their 1994 version of this early Fab Four rocker. The Redd Kross take, released as the B-side of the “Visionary” single, unveils the song’s power-pop potential with hammering keyboards and fuzzed-out guitar licks.

Simone departed from the visceral civil-rights anthems she’d become known for in the mid to late 1960s on her 1971 album of rock and pop covers, "Here Comes the Sun." The title track is a subtle but deeply felt – and immensely rewarding – take on George Harrison’s blissed-out folk-rock classic.

Early in their career, the shambolic Scottish indie rockers Teenage Fanclub paid tribute to one of their biggest influences with this righteously ragged version of the Beatles’ controversial 1969 single. 

A propulsive funk-rock roadhouse workout, “Get Back” is a highlight of the 1971 album "Workin’ Together," Ike and Tina’s best-selling record together – and the highlight of their handful of Beatles covers, which includes memorable versions of “Come Together” and “Let It Be.”