10 Most Unexpected Classic Rock Covers of All Time, Ranked

Classic rock stretches from the 1940s through the 1980s and even the 1990s, encompassing folk groups, punk bands and grunge icons. Though the label evokes particular sounds and images, artists from reggae, hip hop, R&B, Latin and other genres have continually drawn on its influence and reworked its songs in surprising ways.

Jamaican mento band The Jolly Boys turned Iggy Pop’s spare punk original “The Passenger” into a light, airy reggae-mento take on their 2011 album Great Expectations, adding maracas, banjo, thumb piano and playful backing vocals. Sheryl Crow sidestepped mimicry to shape Led Zeppelin’s “D’yer Maker” around her acoustic, country-tinged alto, producing a playful yet soulful rendition.

Sinéad O’Connor reduced Nirvana’s “All Apologies” to a slow, mournful, stripped-down tribute released months after Kurt Cobain’s death, while Miley Cyrus reimagined Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” at the 2020 iHeart Festival with a gravelly, belting delivery that Debbie Harry praised as uniquely hers.

Jamaica

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