No band or artist of any genre has been covered by other artists as often as The Beatles. Throughout the 1960s, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, or the Fab Four, released a whole slew of hits, more than any artist before them, and any artist since. When it comes to the Billboard Hot 100, the Beatles hold the record for number one hits, at 20, and that’s just in the US. The British four-piece had talent that spanned continents, genres, and generations.
Among The Beatles’ number one hits was “Come Together,” the lead single and album opener to their 1969 album Abbey Road. The song was released as a double A-side along with the song “Something,” and spent one week in the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Since the song’s release in 1969, it has been widely covered by some legendary musicians across multiple genres—from classic rock to metal to soul to electronic—there doesn’t seem to be a single genre without a cover of “Come Together” to show for itself.
10
Godsmack
Live and Inspired (2012)
On their only live album since their inception in 1995, Godsmack covered “Come Together” and included it on a bonus disc of the album, which featured four covers in total. The album was titled Live and Inspired, with the first disc being the live part, and the bonus disc being the inspired part. They released the cover in 2012 along with a music video, and reached the number 11 spot on the Billboard Hard Rock Chart.
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Godsmack exists at the intersection of ’90s hard rock and nu-metal, which is precisely how they tackled their cover of “Come Together.” The song kicks off with a heavy electric guitar riff and an overarching sense of doom as the introduction builds towards Sully Ema’s throaty metal vocals. Given the ‘inspired’ part of this album only had four covers on it, it’s clear that this song is important to Godsmack, and with their personal spin, they absolutely did it justice.
9
Joe Cocker
Across The Universe Soundtrack (2007)
“Come Together” isn’t the only song by The Beatles that Joe Cocker covered; in fact, if it weren’t for his cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” Cocker would not have become the phenomenon that he is today. That said, his cover of “Come Together” is certainly among his best, and it came surprisingly late in his career. Cocker covered this song in 2007 for the Beatles-centered soundtrack of the film, Across The Universe.
The percussion is unique on this cover, giving the track a natural sound, almost situated in a forest with the shakers which mimic a misty rain.
Cocker’s vocals are as classic as they come on his cover of “Come Together,” his bluesy twang coming through on every word, and especially in the chorus. The percussion is unique on this cover, giving the track a natural sound, almost situated in a forest with the shakers which mimic a misty rain. Cocker appeared in the film to sing the song as well, adding even more to his own personal touch.
8
Arctic Monkeys
Live at the London Summer Olympics (2012)
Though they did not release their cover in any official capacity, the Arctic Monkeys played “Come Together” at the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The performance was so notable that the cover’s lack of a presence on streaming services did nothing to keep it out of the conversation—this is one of the best covers of this song made in the 21st century.
With their signature bass-like guitar riffs, it wasn’t hard for the Arctic Monkeys to pay such a tribute to the Fab Four.
The band clearly draws a fair amount of inspiration from the Beatles, so while they did attempt to make the cover their own, the performance channeled a very similar sound to the original recording, which is actually the best part of this cover; it sounds just like the Beatles intended it to sound. With their signature bass-like guitar riffs, it wasn’t hard for the Arctic Monkeys to pay such a tribute to the Fab Four.
7
Ike & Tina Turner
Come Together (1970)
Ike and Tina Turner first started covering “Come Together” during their live shows in 1969, and from then on, it was like fate was immediately written. Fans fell in love with the cover, leading to the soul duo rushing to record it in the studio, then releasing it both as a single, and on their 1970 album of the same name. The single made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 57.
Ike and Tina Turner’s version had a dominant funk and soul sound, with an eerie drum beat steadily keeping time in the background. Where many covers of the song kept production on par with the original, and others took a whole slew of creative liberties to make their version their own, Ike and Tina Turner’s version sits comfortably in the middle of that spectrum.
6
Diana Ross
Everything Is Everything (1970)
Diana Ross’s version of “Come Together” is unique in more ways than one, all of which stem from her own personal twist. Right off the bat, the introduction is riddled with her velvety-sweet vocals simply repeating the word “Come” instead of the famous “Shoot me” in the Beatles’ original introduction, as well as nearly every other cover version.
She sticks with her typical vocal quality, not bending at all to sound more like John Lennon did in the original, the way many other vocalists did when covering this song.
Ross makes it clear from the jump that this cover is going to be her version of the song. She sticks with her typical vocal quality, not bending at all to sound more like John Lennon did in the original, the way many other vocalists did when covering this song. The musical backing takes on more of a soulful sound, and the tempo is slightly faster than The Beatles’ version, making this cover one of the most unique, and certainly one of the greatest.
5
The Eurythmics
Savage (2005)
Everything that made Diana Ross’s version of “Come Together” so unique can also be said of The Eurythmics’ version, except through the lens of, well, The Eurythmics. The electronic dance synth sound that Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart have cultivated over the years is so distinct, so unmistakable, that any cover by them that did sound like the original would frankly be jarring.
The Eurythmics released the track on a 2005 extended bonus version of their 1987 album Savage. Lennox and Stewart created a funky synth-driven dance jam out of “Come Together,” speeding up the tempo, and stripping away any semblance of traditional rock sound. It is an ensemble of electronic instruments, with Lennox’s quick and smug vocals perfectly complimenting the warped sound effect production.
4
Soundgarden
Loudest Love (1990)
Chris Cornell’s voice was an absolute gift to the world, so him singing “Here come old flat-top, he come groovin’ up slowly,” feels like a perfect way to sum up the transformation of rock music from the 1960s to the 1990s. Instead of the typical riff that plays throughout “Come Together” in the original, as well as most of the covers (although the instrument used on each cover version does vary), Soundgarden’s version features a wailing guitar line with far fewer notes than Paul McCartney plays on his bass.
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Soundgarden’s cover of “Come Together” was initially released as a B-side to “Hands All Over,” the second single from their second album, Louder Than Love. Still in the early stages of their career in 1990, Soundgarden put a classic grunge spin on the song, thus making their cover of “Come Together” one of the first true grunge covers of the movement.
3
Michael Jackson
HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)
Michael Jackson was actually Paul McCartney’s biggest collaborator outside of those he was actually in a band with, so it only makes sense that Jackson covered this Beatles’ hit and absolutely nailed it. Jackson’s take on “Come Together” is flat out funky, with a groovier sound on the iconic intro riff. His high-pitched vocals alone make the song sound like his own, and there is a heavier focus on the percussion than The Beatles’ original as well.
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Jackson initially recorded the cover for his 1987 album, Bad, but decided to release it on his 1995 double album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. In 1985, Michael Jackson purchased the publishing rights to The Beatles’ catalog, so he actually owned the rights to the song at the time he released his cover version.
2
Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL
Come Together (2017)
Gary Clark Jr. along with Dutch composer Junkie XL recorded a cover version of “Come Together” for the soundtrack to the 2017 film Justice League. Clark both played guitar and sang vocals on the smash-hit cover of the song, which, at first, sounds more like a heavy metal cover with rather ominous sound effects, leading to the hardcore strumming of the first chord.
Once the lyrics begin, the overall sound starts to evolve into more of a hardcore ’90s rock sound, with the wailing electric guitar playing off of his soulful vocals.
Clark takes some creative liberties in the iconic intro riff, including finger-picking between measures. Once the lyrics begin, the overall sound starts to evolve into more of a hardcore ’90s rock sound, with the wailing electric guitar playing off of his soulful vocals. Given the context of the recording being for a superhero movie, Clark’s version of “Come Together” is one of the hardest, most dynamic covers of any Beatles song.
1
Aerosmith
Live! Bootleg (1978)
The best cover of “Come Together” goes to Aerosmith, who first played the song for the soundtrack of the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and simultaneously made the song their own, while still paying sufficient homage to the four who made the song such a hit. In the live recording, the intro is speckled with a groovy keyboard line to compliment that legendary riff, but from the jump, you can tell this version is an Aerosmith song through and through.
Steven Tyler’s distinct rock vocals helped take their version of the song to number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest any cover version of the song has reached on that chart. The cover has since become a staple in their discography, appearing on the band’s first Greatest Hits compilation in 1980, as well as a handful of other compilations and live albums throughout the band’s tenure.
