Top Seven Overplayed Songs by Local Cover Bands
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, many Chucktown musicians are occasionally forced to swallow their artistic pride and combine their underappreciated talents in a cover band solely for the purpose of making rent, appealing to heat-dazed tourists, men displaying the full-on-white-man overbite at wedding receptions, and obscenely drunk sorority girls who “just wanna dance!”
Some Lowcountry bands have successfully broken away from the stereotypical cover band box, such as local favorite Dante’s Camaro, who hilariously present wrestling-style smack-talk bravado before busting out into a riff-heavy version of Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface” or a loose rendition of the Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” However, for the majority of cover bands out there, it’s a monotonous humdrum following a playlist designed to keep everyone at the corporate function, sports bar, or bar mitzvah happy.
So, in honor of these unsung heroes, Metronome presents the seven most overplayed songs by local cover bands. Why seven? Because seven eight nine. That’s why.
7. “Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes
It has been long argued that this song is either about heroin or masturbation. Whichever way it swings, it’s probably inappropriate to play it at a Quinceañera.
6. “Brown-Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
This is usually the mainstream jam that brings late-night sloppy shaggers to the dance floor. We’ve seen more than our fair share of crotch shots during wobbly dips that went on a tad too long, and let’s just say, the title has taken on a new meaning more than once.
5. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Even the people of Alabama are, like, “Jesus, enough already.”
4. “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band
This simple, three-chord song just drags on and on. Even the dirty Weird Al–esque lyric-swap of some local cover bands can’t save this stale classic rock radio staple.
3. “What I Got” by Sublime
This was a popular answer when we casually surveyed our friends on what they consider to be the most overplayed tunes. A hit with hairy pot enthusiasts and the Corona-drinking college sect, this rock/reggae/rap hybrid spits out lyrics proclaiming to not worry about money, the fact that his mom’s an addict, or paying his bills, because he’s got him some “lovin’.” This song was also released after the lead singer died from a heroin overdose in 1996, so let’s all drop what we’re doing and listen to that dead guy’s awesome advice on life.
2. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Why no “American Girl?” Or “I Need to Know?” How about “Won’t Back Down” or “Refugee” or any number of kick-ass songs they’ve put out over the last 30-plus years? “Mary Jane” is a B-side track that landed on a greatest hits album, and it’s just okay in comparison to the band’s impressive body of work. Also, in the music video for the song, Petty plays a necrophiliac to the lifeless body of Kim Basinger. Gross.
1. “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show
We really liked “Wagon Wheel” the first time we heard it. We still liked it around the 20th time, even when we heard a set of bongos keep time along with the tune. But around the 40th time, it took its rightful place on the throne as the most overplayed earworm of 2012. It’s become so standard and expected, it’s rare to go see a cover band and not hear it. A friend of our claims that it actually gets requested but we call shenanigans on that. We’ve never heard anyone request “Wagon Wheel;” however, we have heard short-skirted gaggles of women request that bands play “something from the ‘80s,” which is ridiculous. If the band were to break out a cover of “Divide and Conquer” by Hüsker Dü or “9th and Hennepin” by Tom Waits, the girls would frown and give them the stink eye. No, when people want something from the 1980s, they don’t mean the Ramones, they mean Madonna, Bon Jovi, or Michael Jackson. Isn’t it sad that commercial pop is what defines the music of the 1980s for most people, yet so much diversified and great stuff came out of that decade? Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, “Wagon Wheel.” Fuck that noise.
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About the Author
Jessica Mickey has considered Charleston home since she first moved here in 2001. She regularly performs improv at Theatre 99 and dabbles in stand-up comedy in various venues around the Lowcountry. Jessica has also cohosted morning radio shows on 96Wave and 98X, as well as wrote the weekly column "The Chase is On" for the Charleston City Paper. She can barely play the ukulele Ballard bought her for Christmas last year, but after a couple of drinks, she can sing the shit out of some karaoke.
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