Although Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" video crushed Vevo's record for most views in an initial 24-hour period, The Gregory Brothers may have topped her — at least in terms of song quality.
Coming hard on the heels of Cyrus' video debut, The Gregory Brothers — known best for their "Songify the News" viral series — have released a country-western cover of the singer's song.
See also: Twerk-Free Doo Wop Cover of Miley Cyrus Bests the Original
In the clip, above, the band trades in Miley's pop-ballad sound for a twangier feel. While the video itself has an unfortunate lack of sledgehammer-licking, we'll admit the banjo, acoustic guitar and soft harmonies have us sold.
Who knew the guys behind "The Bed Intruder Song" had so much soul?
BONUS: 14 Most Entertaining YouTube Cover Songs
Take five indie performers from Ontario, then combine with one smash hit that the radio stations just won't stop playing, and you get Walk off the Earth's (WOTE) cover of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know."
WOTE performed the entire song with five people using one guitar, an incredibly creative performance that scored them a ton of views, a spot on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and even praise from the original artist himself.
While you might not have been gripping the edge of your seat, dying to hear a Coldplay cover, the Australian group Aston manages to breathe fascinating new life into the song. Using classical techniques and a surprisingly classy sound, this version of "Viva La Vida" is actually a lot of fun.
Violinist Lindsey Stirling went to Kenya to cover Rihanna's "We Found Love." Most of the people she encountered had never heard or even seen a violin before her performance. After returning to the United States, Stirling said, "We couldn't understand each other's language but that is why it was so powerful. Two completely different cultures were able to connect as we shared our form of music..."
Fourteen performers created this video for Scot Alan in thanks for his "I am a star" contest, an American Idol competition for YouTube singers. Whether you're familiar with the song or not, the performance is powerful and moving. You don't often get to hear vocals like this, let alone on YouTube.
Whether or not you're a fan of One Direction's original song, this team brings a whole new zeal to the performance by putting the whole team around a single piano to create all the sound effects. That's the way you make an otherwise standard song absolutely enthralling.
Karise Eden covered Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for The Voice Australia. It seems like every singer needs to cover this song some time in their career, which is why it's a pleasure to hear Eden bring so much emotion and strength to the song.
In another gem from ThePianoGuys, Steven Sharp Nelson has a cello duel with himself in this Star Wars parody. With an accordion-toting Darth Vader, there's a lot to love about this video. If you're so inclined, "Cello Wars" is available on iTunes.
You couldn't step into a coffee shop or mall anytime during the late '90s without hearing "Wonderwall," making it one heck of a song to cover. Jake Coco pulls it off by somehow adding more moodiness and emotion to the tune, no mean feat by any standard. If you want a soundtrack while you're crying into your java, this should definitely be your go-to cover.
When you first see 18-year-old Noah in this video, you could not possibly predict the voice coming from this guy. But as soon as he picks up his rendition of "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO, you'll be hooked. That voice landed him a guest spot on NBC's Today Show for very good reason. And yes, he covers "Somebody That I Used To Know," just like everybody else.
Sam Tsui is a bit of YouTube legend. He teamed up with Christina Grimmie to cover Nelly's "Just a Dream." With mind-blowing vocals, Tsui and Grimmie create one of the most impressive performance covers you will see on YouTube. The astounding part isn't a technical trick or clever method; it's just the raw beauty of their voices.
Igor Presnyakov presents something a little different by covering Michael Jackson's classic "Beat It" on acoustic guitar. It's a skillful cover that reinterprets Jackon's original, which is a refreshing change from just "new people singing the same song."
We watched this video, and then we watched it again to understand what we had just seen. Amy of Karmin rips through the raps in "Look at Me Now" by Chris Brown with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes. Nick works the keyboard, and you really just need to see the video to believe it.
Bruno Mars's "The Lazy Song" was already a little crazy, so how do you up the ante on that? Megan Nicole did it by putting her dancers in simian masks and pajamas. It's a little nuts, but that's what you get with "The Lazy Song."
We close up this round-up of incredible covers with this little guy tackling Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" on his ukelele. It's a classic video at this point, having first made its rounds in 2009, but it still holds a special place in our hearts. We think you'll agree it's adorable. (He's also mastered "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," if you need just a little more.)
Homepage image: YouTube, thegregorybrothers