From Gene Krupa stretching a Benny Goodman arrangement across both sides of a 78 to John Bonham dropping the sticks and playing with his hands, ten performances where the band stopped and one person carried the record.
From Bon Scott to Brian Johnson to a roaring Buenos Aires stadium in 2009, AC/DC’s live “Thunderstruck” at River Plate is the blueprint for how a rock show should feel.
In 2020, Andrea Bocelli sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” with his 8-year-old daughter, Virginia, and the result rivals even Jeff Buckley’s famous version.
After the St. Anger years, Metallica took the Live Earth stage at Wembley in 2007 and turned “Nothing Else Matters” into a stadium-wide singalong that proved they still had it.
“Hotel California” may be the most overplayed song on classic rock radio, but the Eagles’ 1977 Capital Centre performance, with Henley singing from behind the kit and that dual guitar solo, is a different story.
A hand-rubbing, finger-snapping rainstorm opens Angel City Chorale’s take on Toto’s “Africa,” and once the full choir harmonizes on the chorus, the overplayed ’80s hit lands all over again.
Postmodern Jukebox and Puddles the sad clown flip the pop-punk cover formula, giving Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” a smooth, speakeasy-style makeover.
On the Howard Stern Show in 2021, Miley Cyrus fronted Metallica for “Nothing Else Matters,” and her raspy, powerful take, plus a bridge shared with James Hetfield, steals the show.
A lawnmower, an accordion, spoons and an anvil: Finnish band Steve’n’Seagulls turn AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” into a bluegrass romp that’s silly, skilled and a lot of fun.
Disguised as a drunk burnout bartender, Jon Bon Jovi crashes a karaoke night, and it’s a reminder that pranks can be fun without being cruel, all for a good cause.
Backed by piano, harp and strings, Jonathan Antoine takes “Unchained Melody” from a warm, low baritone to a show-stopping high note in a 2018 live performance.
Yes, Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury really did record together. The story behind “There Must Be More to Life Than This” involves a chimp, a blowup and a Brian May guitar finale.