The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Wang Dang Doodle' (original version by Willie Dixon)

The Contestants: Koko Taylor vs. PJ Harvey

In this corner -- Koko Taylor: Willie Dixon's blues classic 'Wang Dang Doodle' was originally intended for Howlin' Wolf but he sure had no complaints when his protege, Koko Taylor, turned the song into a platinum seller, taking it to No. 4 on the R&B charts in 1966 and riding its wails as her first claim to fame. In fact, her version of 'Wang Dang Doodle' has become more than just her greatest hit -- it's become an artifact of American cultural history. It was also, fittingly, the last song Taylor performed publicly before she passed away on June 3rd.

Koko Taylor, 'Wang Dang Doodle'

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!


Leonard Cohen's anthemic and career-defining song 'Hallelujah' has a rather interesting history. We'll get to that. But it wasn't always that way. In fact, 'Hallelujah' was often one of the more overlooked songs in Cohen's canon until troubadour Jeff Buckley included it on his 1994 album 'Grace.' The song is now frequently licensed for film and television although rarely as sung by Cohen. By this point, 'Hallelujah' has been covered by everyone from Bob Dylan to KD Lang, but Jeff Buckley's version has become the gold standard and is frequently mistaken for the original recording itself. In celebration of the release of the new Buckley release, 'Grace Around the World,' we pit five different versions of 'Hallelujah' against one another. You decide the victor.

Jeff Buckley, 'Hallelujah'


Three years before Buckley hijacked 'Hallelujah,' John Cale recorded his take on it for the 1991 Leonard Cohen tribute album 'I'm Your Fan.' Cale's reworking of the song arguably became the blueprint for Buckley's arrangement, which then, in turn, became so definitive of later derivatives.

John Cale, 'Hallelujah'


Although Jeff Buckley's 'Hallelujah' is like a cover version of a cover version, it nonetheless has become the song's barometer. Perhaps nothing will ever quite replicate the gravity of Cohen's authentic original, but if artists attempt to mimicry anybody when recording this song, it's usually Buckley.

Leonard Cohen, 'Hallelujah'

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Poker Face' (original version by Lady Gaga)

The Contestants: Lady Gaga vs. Orba Squara

In This Corner -- Lady Gaga: Bonkers and from Yonkers, Stefani 'Gaga' Germanotta's second single from her debut album, 'The Fame,' is a sexually charged barnstormer of a tune boasting a robotic hook and innuendo-laden lyrics. Gaga's blend of trashy electropop seems to have hit the masses' sweet spot with this track garnering No. 1 placings globally. She regularly performs an acoustic version of the track, which aficionados can sample here.

Lady Gaga, 'Poker Face'

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Hells Bells' (original version by AC/DC)

The Contestants: AC/DC vs. The Dandy Warhols

In This Corner -- AC/DC: In memoriam of vocalist Bon Scott, who died in 1980, band members Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams and Paul Rudd recorded an AC/DC comeback album, 'Back In Black.' As the lead track, 'Hells Bells' is all sinister lyrics and killer riffs, with some eerie church bells added for good measure. The outcome? A classic, menacing hard rock anthem.

AC/DC, 'Hells Bells'

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Heartless' (original version by Kanye West)

The Contestants: Kanye West vs. the Fray

In This Corner -- Kanye West: On last year's '808s and Heartbreak,' listeners heard a new side of the pompous rapper; instead of slick jams, the album found Mr. West, um, singing, about his broken heart. On this song, West croons and laments about a woman as cold as "the winter wind when it breeze." Heartache never sounded so cool.

Kanye West, 'Heartless'

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Graceland' (original version by Paul Simon)

The Contestants: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone vs. Grizzly Bear

In This Corner -- Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: One of four cover versions on the collection of singles and rarities 'Advance Base Battery Life,' this rendition of the Paul Simon song relies on fuzzy instrumentals and monotone vocals. The one-man band -- Owen Ashworth -- deconstructs the tune and cancels out any of the hopefulness present in the original cut. Still, have a listen to see how well his interpretation works in conveying Simon's sorrowful lyrical poetry.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, 'Graceland'

The Rules for Battle: Each week, we pit versions of the same song by two different artists in a head-to-head death match for musical supremacy. (Sometimes it will be the original recording vs. a cover version; other times it will be two different covers.) Then it's up to you to decide: Listen to and vote on which version you think should emerge victorious and which should be sent packing. May the best band win!



The Song: 'Hospital Beds'

The Contestants: Cold War Kids vs. Florence and the Machine

In This Corner -- Cold War Kids: Lead singer Nathan Willett's vocals have been called "dreary," and whether or not you agree, that melancholy state of mind is on perfect display in the Kids' 'Hospital Beds,' the haunting tale of two men who make friends while convalescing in, yes, their hospital beds. No doubt it's depressing subject matter, but thanks to a combination of lilting lyrics, meandering piano and a jaunty drum line, it's easy to find yourself listening to it on repeat -- and even easier to forget that it's all about the "joy and misery" of the ill.

Cold War Kids, 'Hospital Beds'