It can be very risky for a newer artist to cover a famous song, let alone one that has become completely ubiquitous in our culture. But Panic! At The Disco was clearly up to that challenge when the emo band covered the Queen classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" during its Gospel tour this year.
I know what you're thinking, "How could this be anything but a complete and utter trainwreck?" Well, much to everyone's surprise, it wasn't.
While nothing can ever top the spectacle, power and grandeur of the original, Panic! At The Disco gave a solid rendition of the 1975 hit. Oftentimes, a band will put its own spin when it decides to cover a song, especially one that is so iconic, but Panic! At The Disco performed the six-minute tune pretty straightforwardly, starting out with its subtle piano-backed intro, followed by its operatic interlude, its head-banging section and fading out again with some soft keys for the outro.
Panic! At the Disco frontman Brendon Urie is no Freddie Mercury (who is, really?), but he's got just the right amount of flamboyance and showmanship to give this song the delivery it deserves.
This Queen cover is just the latest of a string of covers from contemporary artists that have recently put their own mark on songs by some of music's most famous artists. Check out five more recent covers that hold their own against the originals.
1. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by MIley Cyrus (Made famous by Led Zeppelin)
Usually, she's just bein' Miley, but Cyrus decided to use that raspy voice of hers to the fullest by crooning this 1969 Led Zeppelin classic. Love or hate her antics, Cyrus can actually sing when she wants to.
2. "Flashing Lights" by Lorde (Made famous by Kanye West)
Oh, Lorde. Though she's best known for her pop-rock-alternative-goth style, she's proven that she can tackle pretty much any genre, even a R&B/hip-hop track from West. The trippy light show in the above live cover performance is pretty stellar, too.
3. "The Last Time" by Arcade Fire (Made famous by The Rolling Stones)
During Arcade Fire's Reflektor tour, which recently wrapped, the band played 35 different cover songs, according to Consequence of Sound. The list includes "Heart of Glass" by Blondie, "Chiquitita" by ABBA" and this Rolling Stones classic, which helped the band turn it up to 11 and rock out.
4. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Lady Gaga (Made famous by Nancy Sinatra)
Lady Gaga has been all about that jazz lately due to her upcoming album of jazz standards "Cheek To Cheek" with the legendary Tony Bennett. Gaga recently sang the sultry "Bang Bang" (not the new one with Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and Jessie J.), giving it a jazzy twist.
5. "How Will I Know" by Sam Smith (Made famous by Whitney Houston)
Smith took Houston's iconic dance pop song from 1985 and turned it into a subtle and heartwrenching ballad about the fear of uncertainty.
