Worst Cover verisons

Worst-ever cover versions 1-5
Mary J Blige has gone there – she's recorded a cover of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven. It has Steve Vai and Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker on it... but will that stop it appearing on our top ten of worst-ever cover versions?

They're in no particular order. That would be like deciding which lump of doggy-doo in the street is the ugliest. Instead, we present our first five scrapings from the barrell base, along with links to experience them for yourself, if you must.

Worst covers Nos 1-5
Celine Dion: You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)

The single worst thing about working in the rock music industry is having to deal with people who think they 'get it'. Here's Celine thinking she 'gets it' (we thought better of Anastasia) and instead proving if it was that easy to be AC/DC everyone would be doing it. Okay, it's by no means their best track, so perhaps she can be forgiven for popping-up an already poppy composition. Not so below...

Shakira: Back in Black (AC/DC)

Right, just: no. This song is about Bon Scott, about how his band will miss him now he's dead, and about how difficult it's been to find a way forward. Having said that, it's an upbeat celebration. Having said THAT, it's no reason for the woman who sang "Lucky that my breasts are small and humble so you don't confuse them with mountains " to get away with this.

All Saints: Under the Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Anthony Kiedis' troubled ode to loneliness and drug addiction is reduced to, well, just a troubled ode. The Chili Peps' deliberately stressed falsetto vocals add tension. All Saint's inability to sing add the wrong kind of tension. The current usage of the word 'fail' wasn't in use when this was released, but the track probably began the fermantation process.

Madonna: American Pie (Don McLean)

No! She didn't! She only bloody well did - and badly too. Some people believe you can't remove the careful emotional observations of how an international tragedy changes lives, and replace them with a limp-wristed keyboard effect. And some people are Madonna - and should be ashamed of themselves.

Britney Spears: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)

And you don't effing deserve any after this. Run along. Just run along. It boggles.

Worst-ever cover versions 6-10

Sheryl Crow: Sweet Child o'Mine (Guns n'Roses)

I know! Why don't we take away that great guitar intro and do an acoustic-led version of a rock classic, complete with country drawl replacing a legendary vocal performance? Better still, why don't we drink this bleach? It doesn't matter how much cash you make, Sher, you just can't buy cred. Although you can clearly sell it...

Michael Bolton: Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding)

Hideous - and for once we don't mean the hair. Get further than "Sittin' in the morn--" and you'll be a man my son. Lighters will have exploded in an attempt not to be held up during this slice of sonic evil. And they'll have been right too.

Macy Gray: Walk This Way (Aerosmith / RUN DMC)

You can see the thinking here. "Yeah, we've got this lady, right? Got one helluva voice on her. Larger than life, yeah? We need to get her up there with a larger-than-life kinna vibe, you know? What's that you say? Airy Smith? Well, okay, ah'll check that out..." Unfortunately he should just have checked out. What's that, Macy? You try to say goodbye and you choke, you try to walk away and you stumble? That's because you've been shot by divine intervention.

Tori Amos: Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

Don't believe a word Tori tells you. Life does have bright moments. Some experiences between the cradle and the grave can be enjoyable. Every now and again things go right. It takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to go, "What the f'k is this crock of fetid gut-wrenching elephant dung?" Tori once had a CD recorder removed from her studio because it had a "bad spirit". Sounds like it actually had "teen spirit" but she didn't recognise it.

Westlife: More Than Words (Extreme)

Some us had to live through it first time. Some of us had to sit on stage while vaguely-competent lead guitarists tried to sing it to impress the female contingent in the crowd, most of whom left right away. Its saving grace, though, is that it's not really a love song: it's about trying to persuade a girl that you'll never really know she loves you unless she gets jiggy, and you really need to know so she'd better get on with it. Until Westlife do it, then it's just whiny-whiny vocals.

Have your say it what's got to be the worst cover version of a rock song.
Do you agree with some of the suggestions that I've added here or what?

Anything from the cast of Glee, their verison of Journey's Don't stop believin' , I heard this being played at high volume in a local supermarket make me cringe just hearing, just awful & also anything by those annoying rodents The Chipmunks, I'd like to set a few mouse traps for them .