(Photos by Getty Images | Illustration by Zimbio)These days, a song can't be classified a genuine viral hit until it's spawned a bevy of homemade covers on YouTube. Three of the year's breakout stars, Gotye, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Psy, saw their profiles rise thanks in part to the DIY remakes that popped up on the Internet. Meanwhile, a handful of established artists revealed more about their personalities with expertly executed renditions of their favorite tunes.
Here are the covers that caught our attention in 2012.
Yuna's "Thinkin' Bout You"
Everyone and their mother covered Frank Ocean's "Thinkin' Bout You" in 2012. The most successful covers were those in which the performers made no attempt to replicate Ocean's ineffable delivery. Los Angeles-based artist Yuna's textured version was far and away the most graceful, pieced together layer upon layer to mesmerizing effect.
Usher's "Pumped Up Kicks"Usher attempted to master a wide variety of genres in his 2012 release
Looking 4 Myself, which, despite career-highs like the Diplo-produced slow burner "Climax," lacked overall cohesion. But that doesn't mean we don't love to see Usher rocking out. His guitar-driven cover of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks" was a pure delight.
Kelly Clarkson's "Someone Like You"Kelly Clarkson took fans' cover requests at each of her tour stops in 2012, boldly trying her best at everything from Eminem's "Lose Yourself" to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River." Perhaps the most touching was her version of Adele's "Someone Like You," which happened to be the most popular karaoke song of the year in the United Kingdom. If only we all had the pipes to do it justice.
Avril Lavigne's "You Remind Me"Avril Lavigne and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger have yet to tie the knot, but he's already left his mark on her musical career. Lavigne covered her future husband's breakout song for the
One Piece Film Z original soundtrack, bringing a surprisingly effective moodiness to a song most people thought they'd never want to hear again.
Frank Ocean's "Fake Plastic Trees"It's a massive shame that there's not better quality video of
Frank Ocean's all-too-brief cover of Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees," which went down at a Spotify event in New York. It's an even bigger shame that so many audience members jabbered on through the whole thing, despite the perfection of Ocean's vocals. Sigh.
The Wanted's "Iris"The Wanted have had a couple of years to perfect their cover of the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris," but it'd be unfair and wrong not to include the group's tender acoustic performance for San Diego's Slacker Radio among the best of 2012. It's a nice reminder that beyond all the overproduction and Lindsay Lohan-related antics, this is a group of dudes who can actually sing.
Miley Cyrus' "Lilac Wine"We weren't the only ones completely blown away by
Miley Cyrus' version of "Lilac Wine," a James Shelton-penned tune that's been covered by everyone from Eartha Kitt to Jeff Buckley. Cyrus, who unfortunately never gets the credit she deserves for her impressive pipes, was presented with a gigantic diamond ring by the strapping
Liam Hemsworth shortly after she recorded the song in her backyard. Aww.
Walk Off the Earth's "Somebody That I Used to Know"There were no covers more impressive than Walk Off the Earth's version of "Somebody That I Used to Know," which saw all five members sharing an acoustic guitar at once. A few weeks after an appearance on
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the band had inked a deal with Columbia Records. Behold, the power of a brilliant cover.
Adam Lambert's "Is This Love"Of course someone who rose to fame on a glorified karaoke show like
American Idol would be comfortable with his covers.
Adam Lambert coasted through a number of songs popularized by other people in 2012, including a particularly spirited take on Madonna's "Ray of Light" at the VH1 Divas concert in December. But it was Lambert's effortless version of Bob Marley's "Is This Love" that really won us over.
Nada Surf's "Bizarre Love Triangle"Nada Surf covered New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" as part of the AV Club's Undercover project, giving the tune a swoony, romantic feel with the addition of a trumpeter and... a beatboxer. No, really.
Citizens!'s "Simply the Best"UK five-piece Citizens! pared themselves down to three to perform their pitch perfect cover of Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" on Australia's Triple J radio a few months ago, but their sound swells large just the same. Those who've not yet experienced the band's debut album
Here We Are must check it out immediately.Cookie Monster's "Share It Maybe"While not technically a cover, Cookie Monster's spoof of "Call Me Maybe" deserves a nod for sheer adorability. Every time you get bummed out by the Elmo scandal, just revisit this gem.
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