Explore every episode of the podcast The CoverUp

A huge song that marked the beginning of an incredibly impactful collaboration, the fingerprints of a remarkably influential writer/producer, and an example of being on the right side of 'go big or go home'. Teenage Dream, originally by Katy Perry, covered by Jenny Owen Youngs. 

Outro music is Pirates, also by Jenny Owen Youngs. 

A huge song with an odd origin based in an odder movie that makes some -- you guessed it -- odd musical choices. Iris, originally by the Goo Goo Dolls, covered by Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers. 

Outro music is Red House by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, from that same odd movie. 

One of the most important songs in the history of blues isn't what you expect -- or really what anyone else expected either. We get to see not just the history of the blues, but a lot of what makes Americana something that speaks to us. The Thrill Is Gone, originally by Roy Hawkins, covered by B. B. King, and by Joy Oladokun. 

Outro music is Why Do Thinks Happen To Me, also by Roy Hawkins. We touch on the story behind that one, too, and it helps everything make even more sense. 

One of the most enduring and powerful songs in rock and roll, and a cover that does _almost_ everything we love. Thunderstruck, originally by AC/DC, covered by Steve n Seagulls. 

Outro music is Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants, because we needed to keep the accordion thing going. 

Someone far too young to have so much skill and perspective shows up out of nowhere with one of the biggest songs ever recorded, and a cover by a genuinely huge singer. Royals, originally by Lorde, covered by Puddles Pity Party with Post Modern Jukebox. 

Outro music is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. 

A bizarrely polarizing song that fittingly took over the world, and a cover with an of-its-time point of view. Everybody Wants To Rule The World, originally by Tears For Fears, covered by Moreland and Arbuckle.

Outro music is Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2, so that you have a chance to check your notes.

A viral sensation that's also so packed with musical brilliance it's hard to keep up, and a cover that picks up its mail in the same zip code. WHERE IS MY HUSBAND, originally by Raye, covered by UMC.

Outro music is If This Isn't Love by Jennifer Hudson.

We mourn the passing of a a legend who inspired the world with a remarkable talent and heart to match. Hard Candy Christmas, originally by Dolly Parton, covered by Kelly Clarkson.

Outro music is Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That, also by Dolly Parton.

It's another Maneater Monday! This week we take a look at a totally different Maneater — or maybe totally different. This one originally by Nelly Furtado, covered by Meg Pfeiffer.

Outro music is I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Mark Chestnut, because sometimes Nashville artists make odd choices and they work out just fine.

It's Maneater Monday! We look at one of the biggest songs of the 80s that felt like a time capsule but still fit perfectly in any era. Maneater, originally by Daryl Hall and John Oates, covered by Pomplamoose, and by Callum J. Wright.

Outro music is Bridge Over Troubled Water by Pomplamoose's Nataly Dawn and her mother Dawn Kallevig.

A rock solid song that knew its place in the world and always brightened up a room, and a cover that understood the possibilities and really stuck the dismount. You Were On My Mind, originally by Ian and Sylvia, covered by Lucius.

Outro music is Turn It Around, also by Lucius, because we all need more of them in our lives.

A song so transgressively powerful it made way for a whole new kind of rock and roll, and a cover that makes something old new again in the best possible way. Heart of Glass, originally by Blondie, covered by Nick Shoulders.

Outro music is Will Ye Go, Lassie Go/Wild Mountain Thyme from the Sinners soundtrack by Lola Kirke, Jack O'Connell, and Peter Dreimanis.

A song from a band that knows how to deliver on expectations, even when they're in an experimental period, and a cover from an artist whose hallmark is subverting expectations to brilliant effect. Sad But True, originally by Metallica, covered by St. Vincent.

Outro music is We All Die Young by Steel Dragons, in case you'd forgotten about the movie that captured the spirit of power metal.

A brilliant and beloved song from a band that had the right mix of magic to get it right, and a cover that provides a wild backstory. Build Me Up Buttercup, originally by The Foundations, covered by The Valentines.

Outro music is Baby, Now That I've Found You, also by The Foundations, because how could we not.

If you're going to have one hit on top of a prolific career, it's hard to do better. This week's song is unique and fascinating. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) originally by The Proclaimers, covered by Alejandra Ribera. You know you want to sign along.

Outro music is (Don't Fear) The Reaper, by Blue Oyster Cult.

A breakthrough moment in the history of Rock Steady puts us on a musical path that's both familiar and incredibly unfamiliar. A Message To You Rudy, originally by Dandy Livingstone, covered by The Specials, and by Skatune Network.

Outro music is Your Horoscope For Today, by Weird Al Yankovic, which lets us wrap the episode firmly back in Ska-Land.

A listener request brings us one of the classic songs of Rock and Roll with the most unlikely origin story, and we get to call out a music recognition organization that isn't the Grammys. The Twist, originally by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, covered by Chubby Checker.

Outro music is Back In The Saddle Again, by Gene Autry, though Zach's suggestion would have been right on as well.

An early song that could have easily defined a band's career, but instead just gave us a glimpse of what was to come, and a cover by a great band that was out in the wilderness making some bad choices. My Generation, originally by The Who, covered by Iron Maiden.

Outro music is Roll Away The Stone, by Mott The Hoople.

A song that reestablishes a seasoned and successful artist as a new kind of force, and a cover that embraces musical complexity in a brilliant but subtle way. Heaven Is A Place On Earth, originally by Belinda Carlisle, covered by The Mayries.

Outro music is I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), by Whitney Houston, because this song is inevitable.

Great lessons to learn from one of the all-time road songs, a cover that understands the assignment more than the song — oh, and Rich flubs his kids' birthdays, but that's OK, because we only recorded this on Father's Day. Life Is A Highway, originally by Tom Cochrane, covered by Rascal Flatts.

Outro music is Another One Rides The Bus by Weird Al Yankovic.

A classic that somehow remains a secret, and a listener leads us to a great musical discovery. The Ghost In You originally by The Psychedelic Furs, covered by Robyn Hitchcock.

Outro music is Love My Way, also by the Furs.

A listener prods us to dive into one of the great songs in American music, and in the process we flirt with musical diabetes. Lean On Me, originally by Bill Withers, covered by Club Nouveau.

Outro music is The Candy Man by Sammy Davis Jr.

An impossibly compelling songs from one of the most important writers and performers in American music, and a great band tries something different. Dancing Barefoot, originally by the Patti Smith Group, covered by U2.

Outro music is Desire, also by U2.

Absolute pop genius from a song that wasn't supposed to be pop at all, and a cover that's a terrible fit which helps to make it even more awesome. Call Me Maybe, originally by Carly Rae Jepsen, covered by Leo Moraccioli.

Outro music is We Are Young, by Fun, just to remind you that the bar was high in 2012.

A brilliant debut single that defied genre, expectation, and the industry it was breaking into, and a cover that takes it a bit literally, but nails it anyway. Sultans of Swing, originally by Dire Straits, covered by Pink Turtle.

Outro music is Brothers in Arms, also by Dire Straits.

A massively popular yet still underrated song by an incredibly talented yet still underrated artist, and a cover that takes on an impossible task and winds up still on their feet. Wrecking Ball, originally by Miley Cyrus, covered by Abandoning Sunday.

Outro music is Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin.

The song that brought K-Pop to the rest of the world in spectacular fashion, and a cover that's totally not punk, but really is underneath it all. Gangnam Style, originally by Psy, covered by The Cleverlys.

Outro music is Born To Be Chicken, by Korean bluegrass band Country Gongbang.

A powerful, insightful, and moving song from someone who, on the surface, is the unlikeliest source, and two covers that drive the point home in an unbelievably compelling way. Only Women Bleed, originally by Ailce Cooper, covered by Etta James, and by Ike Turner featuring Tina Turner.

Outro music is Welcome To My Nightmare, also by Alice Coper.

It's spring, so we have a song about the impending winter because cover songs don't exist in a conventional timeline. And not just any winter, but one that completely fails to anticipate Olivia Rodrigo. Stick Season, originally by Noah Kahan, covered by Alex Melton.

Outro music is Good 4 U by the aforementioned Olivia Rodrigo, who isn't heard anywhere else in the episode — just to be clear.

It's an emotional week at CoverUp HQ. We dig into one of the most profound ways a songwriter had ever decided to say goodbye, and a tribute so moving it couldn't have hit harder. Keep Me In Your Heart, originally by Warren Zevon, covered by The Wailin' Jennys.

Outro music is Poor Poor Pitiful Me, also by Warren Zevon.

The most lean-into-it power ballad you'll ever find that's always working hard at something, and a cool cover about making it work. Keep On Loving You, originally by REO Speedwagon, covered by Cigarettes After Sex.

Outro music is Lorelei, by the Cocteau Twins.

We always knew music would save the world. This week, we take it a bit more literally as we tackle Golden, originally by Huntrix (yes, we know it's complicated), covered by Our Last Night.

For outro music, we check in with our boy Morten Harket for some vocal range on A-Ha's Take On Me.

A legendary musician opens up in a typical yet profound way, and a cover that revives a whole bunch of special things. Jealous Guy, originally by John Lennon, covered by Men Without Hats.

Outro music is I Love The 80s, also by Men Without Hats, from that same album, On The Moon.

The defining song for an all-time-great band that defies definition, a cover that reimagines as hard as any cover has, and another that brings its own world to the song. Tom Sawyer, originally by Rush, covered by Emmerson Nogueira, and by The Lost Fingers.

Outro music is Owner of a Lonely Heart, another cover by Emmerson Nogueira.

A song that crushes it across genres, styles, and settings by an artist who of course can pull of something of this scale. And a cover that gives it the old college try. 9 to 5, originally by Dolly Parton, covered by Home Free.

Outro music is The Job That Ate My Brain, by The Ramones.

A song-of-the-summer redefines a band through a period of musical maturation, and puts a spotlight on the downfall of MTV. And a cover reveals hidden depths. Still Into You, originally by Paramore, covered by Lewis Capaldi.

Outro music is the theme song from Dr. Who, because there's a Capaldi in this episode, and it may be our only chance to pull that tune out.

A breakthrough mega hit that defied the odds and stood the test of time, and a band that might not have. Or maybe they did. Honestly, it's not obvious. Groove Is In The Heart, originally by Deee-Lite, covered by Blues Traveler.

Outro music is the theme song from Green Acres, sung by Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.

An influential band's signature song that found its place for multiple generations, and a cover by an artist who seems to look into our world through her own special lens. Rasputin, originally by Boney M, covered by AURORA.

Outro music is In The Dark Of The Night, which is Rasputin's villain song in Anastasia. Even better, it's sung for the film by Jim Cummings, who is also the voice of Winnie the Pooh. Take a moment to collect your thoughts.

A modern and compelling take on protest songs that doesn't lean on outrage so much as "there but for the grace of God", and a cover by an artist who redefined what this kind of song can do in the world. Beautiful Strangers, originally by Kevin Morby, covered by Mavis Staples.

Outro music is I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore by Woody Guthrie.

We look at one of the best songs from one of the best debut albums ever, and follow with a pair of covers that teach us a lot about how music works and what it really means in the world. Honestly, we didn't see this one coming. Baby Can I Hold You, originally by Tracy Chapman, covered by Luciano Pavarotti, and by Billy Ocean.

Outro music is The Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner, as performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

A song that defined a band, in spite of their many successful reinventions, and a cover by two unlikely artists — or at least ones we thought were unlikely. Sweet Emotion, originally by Aerosmith, covered by Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon.

Outro music is Jack Fig by Leo Kottke, because you need to hear what he's about.

Lots of country music is sad stories. This is that, and there's a sad story under it, but it has way more at work than you might think — and it launched one of the most important careers in the history of country music. Delta Dawn, originally by Alex Harvey, covered by Tanya Tucker.

Outro music is Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses by Kathy Mattea.

The song that redefined out popular music shapes culture, and a cover that soothes your mind. Like A Prayer, originally by Madonna, covered by Sarah Menescal.

Outro music is Here Comes The Sun, also by Sarah Menescal.

A song that hit its stride in a big way with online success by an artist who has a knack for that, and a cover that keeps the soul and impact of the song while still reinventing it. Anxiety, originally by Doechii, covered by Nova Twins.

Outro music is Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon. Or is that Kid Rock? No, we'd never do that to you.

We wrap up 2025 with what may be our greatest ever listener request, the unlikeliest cover we've ever tackled, and a couple of brilliant songs. I'm Shipping Up To Boston, originally by The Dropkick Murphys, covered by The Wiggles.

Outro music is She's A Rainbow, also by The Wiggles, and we couldn't be happier.

We sneak up on the end of 2025 with a tribute episode for someone who was a great talent and a musician's musician, and a cover that aces the hard job of doing the song justice. Play A Train Song, originally by Todd Snider, covered by Jason Isbell.

Outro music is Beer Run, also by Todd Snider.

The foundations of modern American folk music, one of the biggest Canadian songs ever, and a possibly misplaced application of Christmas cheer. Seasons In The Sun, originally by The Kingston Trio, covered by Terry Jacks, and by Westlife.

Outro music is M.T.A., also by The Kingston Trio, because we can't get enough of them — it's a family tradition.

A perfectly executed song that utterly defines a genre — for good or ill — and a cover that takes a simple start and uses a lot of musical smarts to recontextualize it. All The Small Things, originally by Blink-182, covered by City Mouth.

We've used this outro music before, but it's time to restore the ear worm. The Bumblebee Tuna song by Mephiskapheles.

A brilliant song that couldn't have been anything else with the level of talent behind it, and a cover that probably took its job a little too seriously. Tell Me Something Good, originally by Rufus, covered by Pink.

Outro music is Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi, and you can totally hear that thing we talk about in the episode. It's unmistakeable.

A huge hit at the start of a really complicated career, and a band who knows where to take their inspiration. Your Love Is My Drug, originally by Kesha, covered by Blusher.

Outro music is Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2.