Cover Versions

Cover Versions

What follows a list of all of the cover versions which are known to have been recorded or performed live at least once. Collaborations and live guest appearances are generally not included. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, as there were probably other songs performed in the early concerts which have since been 'forgotten'. Also, early concerts featured a 'rock and roll medley', so the versions performed were not always complete.

This list also omits all solo live performances which had guest vocalists - due to the large number and also uncertainty of who sang on which songs. Queen performances with guest vocalists are included however.

For live tracks, the name of the song is given, the years it was performed are in the first brackets, and the original artist and year follow in the second brackets. Some sources also suggest that 'Hangman' and 'See What A Fool I've Been' are also covers, but whether this is true is unknown. These tracks are not included here.

This page includes all live tracks upto the end of 2008.

Queen - Studio Versions

New York, New York (Frank Sinatra, 1986)
Runaway (Del Shannon, 1961)

Queen - Live Versions, With Freddie
(There is little known about which tracks Queen performed between 1970 and 1972. Early concerts are likely to have featured many covers, which may not all be included here. If tracks are known to have been performed regularly from 1973 onwards, I have presumed that they would have featured in earlier concerts as well).

Bama Lama Bama Loo (1970-3) (Little Richard, 1964)
Be Bop A Lula (1970-8) (Gene Vincent, 1956)
Big Spender (1971-7, 1986) (Shirley Bassey, 1967)
Gimme Some Lovin' (1986) (Spencer Davis Group, 1966)
Hello Mary Lou (1986) (Ricky Nelson, 1961)
I'm A Man (1977) (Spencer Davis Group, 1967)
Imagine (two concerts in 1980 and again in 2005) (John Lennon, 1975)
Immigrant Song (1986) (Led Zeppelin, 1970)
Jailhouse Rock (1970-85) (Elvis Presley, 1958)
Johnny B. Goode (1985) (Jimi Hendrix, 1972)
Lucille (1977) (Little Richard, 1957)
Mannish Boy (1977) (Mannish Boy, 1951)
Not Fade Away (1984) (Buddy Holly, 1957)
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (1976-7, 82-6) (Elton John, 1973)
Shake Rattle & Roll (1970-6) (Bill Haley & His Comets, 1954)
Silent Night (1979) (Christmas Carol) (Guitar Solo by Brian)
Stupid Cupid (1970-8) (Connie Francis, 1958)
Tavaszi Szel Vizet Araszt (at one concert in 1986 and two in 2005 and 2008 (performed by Brian)) (traditional Hungarian folk song)
Tutti Frutti (1986) (Little Richard, 1957)
Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On (1985) (Jerry Lee Lewis, 1958)
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care (1986) (Buddy Holly, 1961)

Queen - Live Versions, With Paul Rodgers

A Little Bit Of Love (2005) (Free, 1972)
All Right Now (2004/5) (Free, 1970)
Bad Company (2005) (Bad Company, 1974)
Can't Get Enough (2005) (Bad Company, 1974)
Feel Like Makin' Love (2005) (Bad Company, 1975)
Fire And Water (2005) (Free, 1970)
Imagine (2005) (John Lennon, 1975)
Red House (2006) (Jimi Hendrix, 1967)
Rock And Roll Fantasy (2005) (Bad Company, 1979)
Seagull (2005) (Bad Company, 1974)
Shooting Star (2008) (Bad Company, 1974)
Sunshine Of Your Love (2005) (Cream, 1968)
Wishing Well (2005) (Free, 1972)

Queen - Live Versions, Vocals by original artist

All The Young Dudes (1992) (sung by Ian Hunter) (Mott The Hoople, 1972)
A Whiter Shade Of Pale (2002) (sung by Gary Brooker) (Procol Harum, 1967)
Heroes (1992) (sung by David Bowie) (David Bowie, 1977)
Kashmir (1992) (sung by Robert Plant) (part only) (Led Zeppelin, 1975)
Thank You (1992) (sung by Robert Plant) (part only) (Led Zeppelin, 1969)

Queen - Live Versions, Vocals by other artist

All The Way (2002) (sung by everyone) (Frank Sinatra, 1957 (presumably))
Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime (2003) (sung by Zucchero) (The Korgis, 1980)
Guitar Man (2002) (sung by Ben Elton) (Bread, 1972 (presumably)
Honky Tonk Woman (1998) (unknown vocalist) (The Rolling Stones, 1969)
Johnny B. Goode (2004) (sung by Andrew Swann, Meat Loaf or Brian) (Jimi Hendrix, 1972)
Little Wing (2004) (sung by Brian) (Jimi Hendrix, 1967)
Maybe It's Because I'm A Londoner (2008) (sung by Brian) (traditional)
Rock And Roll (2002-2004) (sung by Roger) (Led Zeppelin, 1971)
Since You've Been Gone (2001) (sung by Brian) (Rainbow, 1979)
Tutti Frutti (2002) (sung by Gary Brooker)
Twist & Shout (1998) (unknown vocalist) (The Isley Brothers, 1962)
Whole Lotta Love (2003) (unknown vocalist) (Led Zeppelin, 1969)
With A Little Help From My Friends (2002-4) (sung by Brian, Sason Wooten, Kate Hoolihan or all-star cast) or 2002 (The Beatles, 1967)

Queen - Live Versions, Instrumental tracks

Heaven & Hell (1992) (instrumental only) (Black Sabbath, 1980)
Let There Be Drums (2005) (an instrumental drum solo by Roger) (Sandy Nelson, 1961)
Pinball Wizard (1992) (instrumental intro only) (The Who, 1969)

Roger Taylor - Studio Versions

I Wanna Testify (Parliament, 1967)
Keep A Knockin' (Little Richard, 1957)
Masters Of War (Bob Dylan, 1963)
Racing In The Street (Bruce Springsteen, 1978)
Working Class Hero (John Lennon, 1970)

Roger Taylor - Live Versions

A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall (1994) (Bob Dylan, 1963)
Rock And Roll (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003) (Led Zeppelin, 1971)
Twist And Shout (1994-5, 1999) (The Beatles, 1963)
Voodoo Chile (1994) (Jimi Hendrix, 1968)

Brian May - Studio Versions

All The Way From Memphis (Mott The Hoople, 1973)
FBI (The Shadows, 1961)
Hot Patootie (from the 'Rocky Horror Picture Show', sung by Meat Loaf)
(I Don't Want Nobody) Teasing Around (With Me) (Unknown)
Maybe Baby (The Crickets, 1958)
One Rainy Wish (Jimi Hendrix, 1968)
Only Make Believe (Conway Twitty, 1958)
Rolling Over (The Small Faces, 1968)
Slow Down (Larry Williams, 1957 or 1958)

Brian May - Live Versions
(This list includes 'Maybe Baby' and 'That'll Be The Day' which aren't really Brian's own live tracks, but he does sing lead vocals)

All The Way From Memphis (1998) (Mott The Hoople, 1973)
Big Spender (1993) (Shirley Bassey, 1967)
Dancing Queen (1998) (Abba, 1976)
God (The Dream Is Over) (1993) (John Lennon, 1970
I Don't Want Nobody (Teasing Around With Me) (2001) (Unknown)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1993) (The Beatles, 1963)
Maybe Baby (2004) (The Crickets, 1958)
Only Make Believe (1994 1998/9) (Conway Twitty, 1958)
Rolling Over (1992) (The Small Faces, 1968)
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1999) (Christmas song)
Since You've Been Gone (1992-3 1998-9) (Rainbow, 1979)
Slow Down (1998) (Larry Williams, 1957 or 1958)
That'll Be The Day (2004) (The Crickets, 1957)
With A Little Help From My Friends (1998-9) (The Beatles, 1967)
You're The Voice (1999) (John Farnham, 1987 ??)
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care (1999) (Buddy Holly, 1961)

Freddie Mercury - Studio Versions

The Great Pretender (The Platters, 1956)

The Cross - Studio Versions

Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix, 1967)

The Cross - Live Versions

All The Young Dudes (1993) (Mott The Hoople, 1972)
Dust My Broom (1988) (unknown)
Early Morning Blues (1988) (unknown)
Foxy Lady (1990, 1999) (Jimi Hendrix, 1967)
I'm A Man (1992 with Roger Taylor or Roger Daltrey on vocals) (Spencer Davis Group, 1967)
Kansas City (1993) (The Beatles, 1964)
Let's Get Drunk (1988) (unknown)
Lucille (1990) (Little Richard, 1957)
Merry Christmas (War Is Over) (1992) (John Lennon, 1975)
Money (1992) (The Beatles, 1963)
Mr Tambourine Man (1992) (Bob Dylan, 1965)
Revolution (1992) (The Beatles, 1968)
Rip It Up (1988) (Little Richard, 1956)
Rock And Roll (1992, or with an unknown vocalist in 1999) (Led Zeppelin, 1971)
Summertime Blues (1992) (Eddie Cochran, 1958)
Tutti Frutti (1992, or with an unknown vocalist in 1999) (Little Richard, 1957)
Twist And Shout (1992) (The Beatles, 1963)
Whole Lotta Shaking Going On (1988) (Jerry Lee Lewis, 1958)

Miscellaneous - Studio Versions

Going Back (Dusty Springfield, 1966)
I Can Hear Music (The Beach Boys, 1969)

(More cover versions were performed in pre-Queen days, such as Ibex's Beatles' cover 'Rain', but too little is known about which songs were performed so they will not be included here)