Cover song suggestions?

[Len058]

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

I'm in an odd cover band of mostly older weekend warriors, and we're on the hunt for some new covers to work on. Figured I could crowdsource some suggestions. Helpful context: we're a five-piece (two guitars, bass, drums, and a female singer). The lead guitar player can do some rudimentary keyboards where necessary, but we mostly don't. The bass player can do a passable lead vocal, and a pretty excellent harmony vocal. With the exception of that harmony vocal, and our very good lead guitar player, our overall competence level is fairly low. We're bar band bruisers at best.

Currently, our setlist has a lot of older rock n' roll, mostly 12-bar blues and boogie woogie sorta things (Johnny B. Goode, Roll Over Beethoven, Hot Legs, Keep Your Hands to Yourself, One After 909). There are a handful of 90s rock songs as well (Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters; Low by Cracker) and we have a few 2000s pop songs (Valerie, Rolling in the Deep, Watermelon Sugar).

Looking for some suggestions of songs that will be fun to play, and fun to hear for slightly drunk people in a crappy Central Florida bar. TIA

Try this it'll make an impression.
Can go wrong with the magic band.

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

pick anything from the Go Go's

Harden my Heart - Quarterflash

Working in a Coalmine. I heard a band do this with guy vs girl vocals. The guy played the role of the coal miner. The girl played the role of the brothel worker. Each complained how hard their work was. Girl responding to guy, "...You think that's hard... Try doing 14 miners in 15 minutes. You aint got it hard". And then the guy responds.
Banter about hot shafts, going down, etc. Make up a funny routine.

 

[donrichfan]

Drift away is fun to learn. Not too difficult, great guitar parts. And most will probably know it and sing along.

 

[Heartbreaker_Esq]

To the original poster: What is your target audience age? Knowing your audience's average brings a lot of clues of what songs will go over over real well. The venue where you are playing will likely dictate the age of the audience that they generally attract. I have come to realize that we trend towards general audiences aged 45 and up. Our set lists really appeal to the older-ish crowd. We aren't so young either. I am the youngest member in the band at 52.

I wouldn't say we have a target age. The band members range in age from mid-30s to mid-70s. We're not going to be playing retirement homes, and we're not going to be playing ultra-hip places with a lot of 18-24 demographic. So, mostly 40s and 50s, with a scattering of 30s is the best guess for most of our audiences.

 

[cyclopean]

 

[Harry Styron]

Black Velvet, Betty Davis Eyes and The Tide is High

 

[Danb541]

Hell is for Children
Magic Man
Crazy on You
Me and Bobby McGee
Piece of My Heart
One Way or Another
Edge of Seventeen
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
Middle of the Road
Back on the Chain Gang

 

[4pickupguy]

Female singer
Pretenders- Talk of The Town, Middle Of The Road, Brass In Pocket, Back On The Chain Gang, Message Of Love.


Fleetwood Mac
Heart
Til Tuesday
Motels
Janis J
Jefferson Airplane

 

[Heartbreaker_Esq]

This is my cover bands current list. We’re the SweatHogs.

Set 1
I Wanna Be Sedated –Ramones
I’m The Man- Joe Jackson
Jumping Jack Flash-The Rolling Stones
Pump It Up- Elvis Costello
Can’t Stand Losing You –The Police
Welcome To Paradise-Green Day
Leaving Here-The Who
Let’s Shake –Teenage Head
Little Green Bag-George Baker Selection
I’m Down-The Beatles
Should I Stay Or Should I Go-The Clash
Lonely Boy-The Black Keys
Ziggy Stardust-David Bowie
Suffragette City-David Bowie

Set 2
Living Loving Maid-Led Zeppelin
Basket Case-Green Day
You Wreck Me-Tom Petty
Are You Gonna Be My Girl-Jet
Substitute-The Who
All Day And All Night-The Kinks
Have Love Will Travel-The Black Keys
The Kids Are Alright-The Who
Go-The Black Keys
I Can’t Explain-The Who
London Calling -The Clash
Come As You Are-Nirvana

Set 3
Destroyer-The Kinks
In Bloom-Nirvana
The Seeker-The Who
Sympathy For The Devil-The Rolling Stones
The Real Me-The Who
What I like About You-The Romantics
Play With Fire-The Rolling Stones
Running Down A Dream-Tom Petty
Yer So Bad-Tom Petty
Gold On The Ceiling-The Black Keys
Listen To Her Heart –Tom Petty
Plush-Stone Temple Pilots
Interstate Love Song-Stone Temple Pilots
Higher Ground-Stevie Wonder

Encore
Sweet Leaf-Black Sabbath
Jailbreak-Thin Lizzy
Hash Pipe-Weezer
Killing In The Name-Rage Against The Machine

Tell you what, this is a helluva setlist. If I saw this in a bar somewhere, I would stick around till the end.

 

[dh]

Lots of people singing & dancing in bars -- that's what we do! We have drums, keys, guitar, a guy who plays guitar/keys/harmonica and I play bass/mandolin/lap steel

Here is the probable set list for a gig in 2 weeks:

Set 1

• American Girl
• +Pretty Flamingo / Nick
• Wild Horses / Ezra [Deke welcome rap]
• Sunny Afternoon / Nick
• Lay Lady Lay / Don
• +I’ll Follow the Sun / Deke
• +California Stars /All
• Tequila Sunrise / Deke
• *Time is on My Side / Ezra
• Handle with Care / Ezra
• Stand By Me / Nick
• *Beginnings / Deke
• Just the Two of Us / Deke
• *And Your Bird Can Sing / Ezra
• I’ve Got A Rock n’ Roll Heart / Deke
• *Maggie May / Deke
• Hungry Heart / Deke
• *D’yer Mak’er / Deke
• Red Red Wine / Nick
• +Diamonds Soles of her Shoes / Ezra

Set 2

• *And She Was / Ezra
• +Me and Julio / Deke [Deke welcome rap]
• +No Matter What / Nick
• *Don’t let me Down / Ezra
• Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More / Deke
• *Everlasting Love / Nick
• +Good Lovin’ / Ezra
• Honky Tonk Woman / Nick
• *The Chain / Deke
• Gimme Little Sign / Nick
• Feelin’ Alright / Ezra
• +Do You Know What I Mean / Deke
• Wild Night / Ezra
• I Second That Emotion / Nick
• Ain’t Too Proud To Beg / Ezra
• Twistin’ The Night Away / Nick
• Knock on Wood / Deke
• In The Midnight Hour / Nick
• *All Right Now / Deke

Encores
Signed Sealed Delivered
The Letter

 

[northernguitar]

Tell you what, this is a helluva setlist. If I saw this in a bar somewhere, I would stick around till the end.

Thanks, man! We have fun with this list!

 

[northernguitar]

Female singer
Pretenders- Talk of The Town, Middle Of The Road, Brass In Pocket, Back On The Chain Gang, Message Of Love.


Fleetwood Mac
Heart
Til Tuesday
Motels
Janis J
Jefferson Airplane

I would LOVE to cover Message of Love....drums sound amazing on that!

 

[4pickupguy]

I would LOVE to cover Message of Love....drums sound amazing on that!

Kid, Lovers Of Today are also good good tunes. You have two guitars and JHS was a master of writing complimentary twin guitar parts. They are easy to play and make the band sound very full. Kid has a simple chord progression that modulates at the to EM7, Dm, F#m, BM all played with a open B&E string paired with a walking descending bass line that just sounds so good live. Also the very simple lead to that tune is absolute genius.

Lovers Of Today has a pretty dramatic finish (if you end with the ascending bass/guitar line) with some great guitar by JHS:

 

[pbenn]

Pandora's Box, here, I see.
Jimmy Loves Mary-Ann by Looking Glass. Capo if necessary.