Covers of other artists have been going around for ages, and more often than not, once a track or several become massive hits and reach the point of becoming a cult, other bands and musicians tend to have a go at making their versions. On rare occasions, the not-so-popular tracks become the biggest hits via a cover that blows up thanks to the internet.
For instance, since Blondie has put out some iconic tracks that were massive hits and have stood the test of time by making their way into younger generations, they became a band several artists have covered over the years. Regarding the most noticeably well-praised covers, Blondie also did a few, such as their rendition of the Paragons’ ‘The Tide Is High’ and the pop band the Nerves’ ‘Hanging on the Telephone.’ So when Debbie Harry was asked about her top pick of Blondie covers by the Guardian last spring, the singer didn’t hesitate to give her favorites.
Harry’s first pick was Green Day’s cover of ‘Dreaming,’ which was released during the pandemic. Due to the lockdowns and sanitary regulations, the track was recorded separately at each band member’s own home. Although it was pieced together to become a whole track, Debbie was more than impressed by Green Days’ take on the song.
The second track, Harry was obsessed like most of the world was none other than Miley Cyrus’ version of ‘Heart of Glass.’ The frontwoman loved the fact that Cyrus took to the song and made it hers. Some young music lovers were probably even surprised to find out that it was a Blondie cover.
Debbie Harry speaking on her two favorite Blondie covers:
“I like Green Day’s ‘Dreaming,’ and another that was sent to me by an unknown group on a cassette, which was particularly haunting and really took it in a different direction. More recently, I liked what Miley Cyrus did with ‘Heart of Glass.’ She’s made it a bit herself, which is the art of a great cover. When we did Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ in a film called ‘Roadie,’ nobody had done it as a rock song before, and we played it like we were on a fast trip to hell. I’m still really excited and happy about doing that.”
The singer even compared Cyrus’ rendition to the cover they did of Johnny Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ for the movie ‘Roadie.’ Their rendition was much more rock compared to Cash’s original track. So, it was the first of its kind, and she still has so much love for the track after so many years.
Thus, if you ever wondered what Debbie Harry’s picks for her top Blondie covers by other artists would be, this might have given you an insight into her choices and what she likes seeing in covers. Green Day and Miley Cyrus are top-tier for Debbie; which songs would be your top picks?
