Within the space of 10 minutes my morning radio channel was
haunted by two cover songs: Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and John Lennon’s
“Imagine”. Not before this I saw everyone go crazy on social media about Disturb's cover Simon and Garfunkle's The Sound of Silence. These classic songs are so well-known they are almost the equivalent
of hymns in the history of popular music. They have been covered so many times
that there are even lists of the top 60 (!) “best ever” versions of these
songs. I write this in 2016, the year
saw the unexpected deaths of David Bowie and then Prince. Both these trailblazing
musicians were undeniable critical and commercial auteurs. They achieved the
elite distinction of being known for their creative integrity and yet could
also reach a wide range of people.
