Amazon Music Releases Brand-New Amazon Original Covers of 2020’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
The collection of songs is only available on Amazon Music and features never-before-heard covers from St. Vincent, Real Estate, The Kills, Jehnny Beth, and Eyelids each taking on an iconic song from one of the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Induction Ceremony airs this Saturday, November 7th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max
Listen to the covers on Amazon Music CLICK HERE
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will honor 2020’s new class of inductees, paying tribute to the enduring legacies of musical legends like Depeche Mode, Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Notorious B.I.G., and T. Rex. To honor their historic induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Amazon Music has brought together an all-star collection of musicians, including St. Vincent, Real Estate, The Kills, Jehnny Beth, and Eyelids to cover the inductees’ most iconic songs. In addition, Amazon Music is making additional content available honoring the works of The Notorious B.I.G. and Whitney Houston.
Available now only on Amazon Music, the songs span decades, genres and styles, and find a new class of musical legends paying tribute to the artists who paved the way for their own careers. The full collection of songs can be heard here, and include:
- St. Vincent, a musical legend in her own right, covers Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral classic, “Piggy.”
- Indie rock veterans, Real Estate, deliver a smooth, impressive take of Doobie Brothers’ classic hit, “What a Fool Believes.”
- The Kills deliver a stirring rework of T. Rex’s Electric Warrior anthem, “Cosmic Dancer.”
- Multitalented musician, actor, and frontwoman of Savages, Jehnny Beth, takes on Nine Inch Nails’ career-defining hit, “Closer.”
- Portland’s indie rock supergroup, Eyelids, cover Depeche Mode’s Violator standout “Enjoy the Silence.”
- To honor Whitney Houston, R&B legend Brandy will release a brand-new Amazon Original cover of a Whitney Houston song in 2021.
- To honor Notorious B.I.G., Amazon Music has re-released The Birth of Biggie, an audio-documentary celebrating Ready To Die, the landmark debut album from the Brooklyn rapper.
“Current artists paying tribute to their heroes and influences has long been a staple of the Amazon Originals program and has produced so many great covers,” said Stephen Brower with Artist Relations at Amazon Music. “To honor this year’s wonderfully eclectic list of Rock Hall inductees with an equally distinctive group of some of our favorite artists seemed only natural, and we’re thrilled with the results.”
“[‘Piggy’] remains one of my favorite Nails songs to this day,” said St. Vincent of her Nine Inch Nails cover. “I am obsessed with the slinky tambourine that is just a little lazy in feel. And when I took this song apart to cover it, it took me a long time to really understand the immensity of the groove. It’s a dark, industrial reggae. Muscular, but never as distorted as you imagined it when you think of it in your head… They made a complicated thing seem easy and made big, bold sonic choices.”
In addition to these brand-new Amazon Original covers, Amazon Music is also releasing brand-new [RE]DISCOVER Playlists for each inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. These carefully curated playlists are career-spanning journeys through each inductee’s career — from the early industrial of Nine Inch Nails to deep cuts from Whitney Houston’s celebrated catalog. The playlists are streaming now on Amazon Music and can be heard here.
“The Doobies' hits are ubiquitous as any other music I'd hear playing in the Orthodontist's office in New Jersey while waiting to get my retainer adjusted. They are absolute classics, and deservedly so,” said Alex Bleeker of Real Estate. “We explored the Doobie Brothers catalog pretty thoroughly before finally settling on ‘What a Fool Believes. Of course, it was an obvious choice, but it's also one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded, which was totally intimidating. Once we decided to go for it, it was really fun to get in there and discover each individual part and what makes the song so timeless and incredible.”
“Recording T Rex’s ‘Cosmic Dancer’ during these strange and dark times in lockdown, transported us to, for all intents and purposes, way way way better times,” said The Kills. “It was a joy to explore the guts and heart of this song, pull the curtains on the world outside, and get lost in Marc Bolan’s mind for a day. Music is medicine and this song was a much needed dose.”
Airing this Saturday, November 7th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2020 Induction Ceremony will feature guests including Luke Bryan, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Miley Cyrus, Billy Gibbons, Dave Grohl, Don Henley, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, Chris Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brad Paisley, Bruce Springsteen, St. Vincent, Ringo Starr, Gwen Stefani, Charlize Theron, Nancy Wilson and more, all highlighting the importance and influence of the 2020 Inductees.
Dave Grohl kicks off the show with a heartfelt introduction to this year’s class of inductees, and the special guests will speak further on how the 2020 Inductees impacted their personal and professional careers.
To learn more about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2020 Inductees or step inside the Hall of Fame Gallery and see artifacts and personal items to honor this year’s class, visit rockhall.com/class-2020-inductees.