Top 10 Cover Songs of the 1980s by Metal Bands

Original songs don't have to be metal songs but the bands that made the covers must be metal bands/artists.

There are two types of cover versions:
1) renditions that change the original significantly
2) renditions that don't change the original very much. I call these covers "tribute covers" because the new bands don't want to overshadow the originals. It's when new bands appreciate a song and don't think the original needs improvements. In a broader sense all covers are "tributes" but I hope you got my idea here.

The Top Ten

1 Saturday Night's Alright - Flotsam & Jetsam

Elton John thrash cover by Flotsam & Jetsam, Jason Newsted's first band.

2 Antisocial - Anthrax

3 Highway Star - Metal Church

As a massive fan of the original Deep Purple song, I admit I like this cover, too.

4 Set Me Free - Saxon

A great cover of The Sweet song. Saxon made it sound more metal.

5 Massacre - Iron Maiden

A Thin Lizzy cover. Iron Maiden made it faster but I don't mind. The original song has an awesome riff and Iron Maiden didn't "lose" it. Love both original and this cover.

6 Let There Be Rock - Onslaught

7 Difficult to Cure (Beethoven's Ninth) - Rainbow

The origins of neoclassical metal right here...

8 Astronomy Domine - Voivod

A Pink Floyd cover

9 Set Me Free (Sweet Cover) - Heathen

10 Kill the King - Liege Lord

A Rainbow cover, Dio song.

The Contenders

11 Surfin' U.S.A. - Blind Guardian

12 Barbara Ann - Blind Guardian

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