The CoverUp

Amanda and Rich talk about cover songs. How do they relate to the originals? What's the definitive version of the song? The better version? What makes them interesting musically? Is it a karaoke version? Great but unknown? A horror show? A complete surprise? A Hasselhoff?

436 - Gangnam Style - The CoverUp 05/04/2026

436 - Gangnam Style - The CoverUp The song that brought K-Pop to the rest of the world in spectacular fashion, and a cover that’s totally not punk, but really is underneath it all. Gangnam Style, originally by Psy, covered by The Cleverlys. Outro music is Born To Be Chicken, by Korean bluegrass band Country Gongbang. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/41021855

435 - Only Women Bleed - The CoverUp 04/27/2026

435 - Only Women Bleed - The CoverUp A powerful, insightful, and moving song from someone who, on the surface, is the unlikeliest source, and two covers that drive the point home in an unbelievably compelling way. Only Women Bleed, originally by Ailce Cooper, covered by Etta James, and by Ike Turner featuring Tina Turner. Outro music is Welcome To My Nightmare, also by Alice Coper. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/41014010

434 - Stick Season - The CoverUp 04/20/2026

434 - Stick Season - The CoverUp It’s spring, so we have a song about the impending winter because cover songs don’t exist in a conventional timeline. And not just any winter, but one that completely fails to anticipate Olivia Rodrigo. Stick Season, originally by Noah Kahan, covered by Alex Melton. Outro music is Good 4 U by the aforementioned Olivia Rodrigo, who isn’t heard anywhere else in the episode — just to be clear. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40923520

433 - Keep Me In Your Heart - The CoverUp 04/13/2026

433 - Keep Me In Your Heart - The CoverUp It’s an emotional week at CoverUp HQ. We dig into one of the most profound ways a songwriter had ever decided to say goodbye, and a tribute so moving it couldn’t have hit harder. Keep Me In Your Heart, originally by Warren Zevon, covered by The Wailin’ Jennys. Outro music is Poor Poor Pitiful Me, also by Warren Zevon. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40822500

432 - Keep On Loving You - The CoverUp 04/06/2026

432 - Keep On Loving You - The CoverUp The most lean-into-it power ballad you’ll ever find that’s always working hard at something, and a cool cover about making it work. Keep On Loving You, originally by REO Speedwagon, covered by Cigarettes After Sex. Outro music is Lorelei, by the Cocteau Twins. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40734485

431 - Golden - The CoverUp 03/30/2026

431 - Golden - The CoverUp We always knew music would save the world. This week, we take it a bit more literally as we tackle Golden, originally by Huntrix (yes, we know it’s complicated), covered by Our Last Night. For outro music, we check in with our boy Morten Harket for some vocal range on A-Ha’s Take On Me. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40661960

430 - Jealous Guy - The CoverUp 03/23/2026

430 - Jealous Guy - The CoverUp A legendary musician opens up in a typical yet profound way, and a cover that revives a whole bunch of special things. Jealous Guy, originally by John Lennon, covered by Men Without Hats. Outro music is I Love The 80s, also by Men Without Hats, from that same album, On The Moon. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40578810

429 - Tom Sawyer - The CoverUp 03/16/2026

429 - Tom Sawyer - The CoverUp The defining song for an all-time-great band that defies definition, a cover that reimagines as hard as any cover has, and another that brings its own world to the song. Tom Sawyer, originally by Rush, covered by Emmerson Nogueira, and by The Lost Fingers. Outro music is Owner of a Lonely Heart, another cover by Emmerson Nogueira. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40487925

428 - 9 to 5 - The CoverUp 03/09/2026

428 - 9 to 5 - The CoverUp A song that crushes it across genres, styles, and settings by an artist who of course can pull of something of this scale. And a cover that gives it the old college try. 9 to 5, originally by Dolly Parton, covered by Home Free. Outro music is The Job That Ate My Brain, by The Ramones. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40361865

427 - Still Into You - The CoverUp 03/02/2026

427 - Still Into You - The CoverUp A song-of-the-summer redefines a band through a period of musical maturation, and puts a spotlight on the downfall of MTV. And a cover reveals hidden depths. Still Into You, originally by Paramore, covered by Lewis Capaldi. Outro music is the theme song from Dr. Who, because there’s a Capaldi in this episode, and it may be our only chance to pull that tune out. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40273070

426 - Groove Is In The Heart - The CoverUp 02/23/2026

426 - Groove Is In The Heart - The CoverUp A breakthrough mega hit that defied the odds and stood the test of time, and a band that might not have. Or maybe they did. Honestly, it’s not obvious. Groove Is In The Heart, originally by Deee-Lite, covered by Blues Traveler. Outro music is the theme song from Green Acres, sung by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40187615

425 - Rasputin - The CoverUp 02/16/2026

425 - Rasputin - The CoverUp An influential band’s signature song that found its place for multiple generations, and a cover by an artist who seems to look into our world through her own special lens. Rasputin, originally by Boney M, covered by AURORA. Outro music is In The Dark Of The Night, which is Rasputin’s villain song in Anastasia. Even better, it’s sung for the film by Jim Cummings, who is also the voice of Winnie the Pooh. Take a moment to collect your thoughts. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40119295

424 - Beautiful Strangers - The CoverUp 02/09/2026

424 - Beautiful Strangers - The CoverUp A modern and compelling take on protest songs that doesn’t lean on outrage so much as “there but for the grace of God”, and a cover by an artist who redefined what this kind of song can do in the world. Beautiful Strangers, originally by Kevin Morby, covered by Mavis Staples. Outro music is I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore by Woody Guthrie. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/40039620

423 - Baby Can I Hold You - The CoverUp 02/02/2026

423 - Baby Can I Hold You - The CoverUp We look at one of the best songs from one of the best debut albums ever, and follow with a pair of covers that teach us a lot about how music works and what it really means in the world. Honestly, we didn’t see this one coming. Baby Can I Hold You, originally by Tracy Chapman, covered by Luciano Pavarotti, and by Billy Ocean. Outro music is The Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner, as performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39957165

422 - Sweet Emotion - The CoverUp 01/26/2026

422 - Sweet Emotion - The CoverUp A song that defined a band, in spite of their many successful reinventions, and a cover by two unlikely artists — or at least ones we thought were unlikely. Sweet Emotion, originally by Aerosmith, covered by Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon. Outro music is Jack Fig by Leo Kottke, because you need to hear what he’s about. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39874370

421 - Delta Dawn - The CoverUp 01/19/2026

421 - Delta Dawn - The CoverUp Lots of country music is sad stories. This is that, and there’s a sad story under it, but it has way more at work than you might think — and it launched one of the most important careers in the history of country music. Delta Dawn, originally by Alex Harvey, covered by Tanya Tucker. Outro music is Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses by Kathy Mattea. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39779090

420 - Like A Prayer - TheCoverUp 01/12/2026

420 - Like A Prayer - TheCoverUp The song that redefined out popular music shapes culture, and a cover that soothes your mind. Like A Prayer, originally by Madonna, covered by Sarah Menescal. Outro music is Here Comes The Sun, also by Sarah Menescal. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39689155

419 - Anxiety - The CoverUp 01/05/2026

419 - Anxiety - The CoverUp A song that hit its stride in a big way with online success by an artist who has a knack for that, and a cover that keeps the soul and impact of the song while still reinventing it. Anxiety, originally by Doechii, covered by Nova Twins. Outro music is Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon. Or is that Kid Rock? No, we’d never do that to you. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39605340

418 - I'm Shipping Up To Boston - The CoverUp 12/29/2025

418 - I'm Shipping Up To Boston - The CoverUp We wrap up 2025 with what may be our greatest ever listener request, the unlikeliest cover we’ve ever tackled, and a couple of brilliant songs. I’m Shipping Up To Boston, originally by The Dropkick Murphys, covered by The Wiggles. Outro music is She’s A Rainbow, also by The Wiggles, and we couldn’t be happier. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39550535

417 - Play A Train Song - The CoverUp 12/22/2025

417 - Play A Train Song - The CoverUp We sneak up on the end of 2025 with a tribute episode for someone who was a great talent and a musician’s musician, and a cover that aces the hard job of doing the song justice. Play A Train Song, originally by Todd Snider, covered by Jason Isbell. Outro music is Beer Run, also by Todd Snider. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39491995

416 - Seasons In The Sun - The CoverUp 12/15/2025

416 - Seasons In The Sun - The CoverUp The foundations of modern American folk music, one of the biggest Canadian songs ever, and a possibly misplaced application of Christmas cheer. Seasons In The Sun, originally by The Kingston Trio, covered by Terry Jacks, and by Westlife. Outro music is M.T.A., also by The Kingston Trio, because we can’t get enough of them — it’s a family tradition. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39404420

415 - All The Small Things - The CoverUp 12/08/2025

415 - All The Small Things - The CoverUp A perfectly executed song that utterly defines a genre — for good or ill — and a cover that takes a simple start and uses a lot of musical smarts to recontextualize it. All The Small Things, originally by Blink-182, covered by City Mouth. We’ve used this outro music before, but it’s time to restore the ear worm. The Bumblebee Tuna song by Mephiskapheles. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39318475

414 - Tell Me Something Good - The CoverUp 12/01/2025

414 - Tell Me Something Good - The CoverUp A brilliant song that couldn’t have been anything else with the level of talent behind it, and a cover that probably took its job a little too seriously. Tell Me Something Good, originally by Rufus, covered by Pink. Outro music is Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi, and you can totally hear that thing we talk about in the episode. It’s unmistakeable. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39205460

413 - Your Love Is My Drug - The CoverUp 11/24/2025

413 - Your Love Is My Drug - The CoverUp A huge hit at the start of a really complicated career, and a band who knows where to take their inspiration. Your Love Is My Drug, originally by Kesha, covered by Blusher. Outro music is Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39145450

412 - The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald - The CoverUp 11/17/2025

412 - The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald - The CoverUp One of the great folk songs of the modern era captures the spirit — and the historical record — of maritime tragedy, and the cover that knows it stuff as well as the original. The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald, originally by Gordon Lightfoot, covered by Simon Barr Sinister. Outro music is the theme from Underdog, because how could it not be. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/39056085

411 - (191) The Book Of Love - The CoverUp 11/10/2025

411 - (191) The Book Of Love - The CoverUp The knives come out over whether we’ve found the perfect love song as we look at another classic episode. The Book Of Love, originally by The Magnetic Fields, covered by Peter Gabriel, and by Gavin James. Outro music is In Spite Of Ourselves, by John Prine with iris DeMent. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/38972180

410 - (53) Hound Dog - The CoverUp 11/03/2025

410 - (53) Hound Dog - The CoverUp We revisit episode 53, with one of the most important songs in the history of rock and roll, an incredible original, a hugely successful but also problematic cover, and … well, a great artist who stepped outside of his comfort zone. Hound Dog, originally by Big Momma Thornton, covered by Elvis Presley, and by James Taylor. Newly added outro music is Ball ’n Chain, also by Big Momma Thornton. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/38884190

409 - (41) People Get Ready - The CoverUp 10/27/2025

409 - (41) People Get Ready - The CoverUp Another archive episode revisited, with a classic song that’s been covered countless times, and it just so happens that three of them are brilliant in their own way. People Get Ready, originally by The Impressions, covered by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart, and by Alicia Keys. Outro music (newly added) is It’s All Right, also by The Impressions. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/38628070

408 - (20) 911 Is A Joke - The CoverUp 10/20/2025

408 - (20) 911 Is A Joke - The CoverUp We pull a classic episode from the archives, back to episode 20, where we take a look at one of the most important bands in Hip Hop, and a cover that couldn’t possibly work, but does. 911 Is A Joke, originally by Public Enemy, covered by Duran Duran. Outro music (which is new to the episode) is Eve of Destruction, a rare cover by Public Enemy. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/38627965

407 - 32 I Feel Pretty - TheCoverUp 10/13/2025

407 - 32 I Feel Pretty - TheCoverUp We pull a classic episode from the archives, one of our longtime favorites from episode 32. A musical theater classic and cover you’d never think to ask for, but once you know about it, you understand the treat you’re in for. I Feel Pretty, originally by Marni Nixon, covered by Little Richard. Outro music is Keep A Knockin’, also by Little Richard. /episode/index/show/thecoverupcast/id/38553765

The CoverUp

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