Escolher os 100 melhores covers de todos os tempos foi a tarefa assumida por Mary Huhn e Maxine Shen, repórteres do The New York Times, em julho de 2007.
Segundo a reportagem, estas são versões que fazem você esquecer que havia uma música original (como a versão de Janis Joplin para "Me and Bobby McGee" ou do Soft Cell para "Tainted Love"), ou ainda, músicas que foram tão brilhantemente reinterpretadas em outros estilos que encontraram toda uma nova geração de fãs (como a versão do Cake para o hit disco "I Will Survive").
Sem uma ordem particular, segue a lista do New York Times.
1. "Stairway to Heaven," Dolly Parton (Led Zeppelin)
2. "Baby Got Back," Jonathan Coulton (Sir Mix-A-Lot)
3. "Hazy Shade of Winter," the Bangles (Simon and Garfunkel)
4. "Nothing Compares 2 U," Sinead O'Connor (Prince)
5. "Showroom Dummies," Señor Coconut & His Orchestra (Kraftwerk)
6. "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm (Michael Jackson)
7. "Personal Jesus," Johnny Cash (Depeche Mode)
8. "Against All Odds," the Postal Service (Phil Collins)
9. "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)," Faith No More (the Commodores)
10. "Tainted Love," Soft Cell (Gloria Jones)
11. "Tainted Love," Marilyn Manson (Gloria Jones)
12. "Under Pressure," My Chemical Romance e The Used (Queen and David Bowie)
13. "Mah Na Mah Na," Cake (Piero Umiliani)
14. "Wicked Game," H.I.M. (Chris Isaak)
15. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," Muse (the Smiths)
16. "Blue Monday," Orgy (New Order)
17. "Satisfaction," Devo (the Rolling Stones)
18. "I Want Candy," Good Charlotte (the Strangeloves)
19. "How Soon Is Now," Love Spit Love (the Smiths)
20. "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Paul Anka (Nirvana)
21. "Walk," Avenged Sevenfold (Pantera)
22. "Let Down," Radiodread (Radiohead)
23. "Crazy Train," Bullet for My Valentine (Ozzy Osbourne)
24. "All Along the Watchtower," Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)
25. "Helpless," k.d. lang (Neil Young)
26. "Louie Louie," the Kingsmen (Richard Berry)
27. "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)," The Doors (Weill/Brecht)
28. "Wonderwall," Ryan Adams (Oasis)
29. "Take Me to the River," Talking Heads (Al Green)
30. "Walk This Way," Run DMC (Aerosmith)
31. "Me and Bobby McGee," Janis Joplin (Kris Kristofferson)
32. "Gloria," Patti Smith (Van Morrison's Them)
33. "I Fought the Law," the Clash (Bobby Fuller Four)
34. "Star-Spangled Banner," Jimi Hendrix (Francis Scott Key)
35. "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," Saint Etienne (Neil Young)
36. "Bring Tha Noize," Anthrax (Public Enemy)
37. "Satisfaction," Cat Power (Rolling Stones)
38. "You're No Good," Linda Ronstadt (Betty Everett)
39. "Another Brick in the Wall Parts 1, 2, 3," Korn (Pink Floyd)
40. "Hallelujah," Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
41. "My Way," Sid Vicious (Frank Sinatra)
42. "Always on My Mind," Pet Shop Boys (Brenda Lee)
43. "Oh, Pretty Woman," Van Halen (Roy Orbison)
44. ". . . Baby One More Time," Travis (Britney Spears)
45. "Boys of Summer," the Ataris (Don Henley)
46. "Eight Miles High," Roxy Music (the Byrds)
47. "Superstar," Sonic Youth (the Carpenters)
48. "John the Revelator," Depeche Mode (spiritual)
49. "My Favorite Things," John Coltrane (Mary Martin)
50. "If You Leave," Nada Surf (OMD)
51. "Everybody's Talking," Harry Nilsson (Fred Neil)
52. "Respect," Aretha Franklin (Otis Redding)
53. "Crazy Mary," Pearl Jam (Victoria Williams)
54. "Working Class Hero," Green Day (John Lennon)
55. "Comfortably Numb," Scissor Sisters (Pink Floyd)
56. "Jolene," the White Stripes (Dolly Parton)
57. "Darling Nikki," Foo Fighters (Prince)
58. "Spider-Man," the Ramones (for 1967 TV cartoon series)
59. "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston (Dolly Parton)
60. "It Was A Very Good Year," William Shatner (Frank Sinatra)
61. "Sweet Child O' Mine," Luna (Guns N' Roses)
62. "Landslide," Dixie Chicks (Fleetwood Mac)
63. "King of the Road," R.E.M. (Roger Miller)
64. "Nobody Does It Better," Radiohead (Carly Simon)
65. "Peace, Love & Understanding," Elvis Costello (Nick Lowe)
66. "Stop Your Sobbing," the Pretenders (the Kinks)
67. "I Shall Be Released," The Band (Bob Dylan)
68 . "Chelsea Hotel," Lloyd Cole (Leonard Cohen)
69. "Proud Mary," Ike and Tina Turner (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
70. "Just," Mark Ronson with Alex Greenwald (Radiohead)
71. "Jimmy Loves MaryAnn," Josie Cotton (Looking Glass)
72. "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," Elton John (The Beatles)
73. "Venus," Bananarama (Shocking Blue)
74. "Jackie Blue," Smashing Pumpkins (Ozark Mountain Daredevils)
75. "Love Hurts," Nazareth (the Everly Brothers)
76. "Blinded by the Light," Manfred Mann's Earth Band (Bruce Springsteen)
77. "Baker Street," Foo Fighters (Gerry Rafferty)
78. "Ain't That a Shame," Cheap Trick (Fats Domino)
79. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," Isaac Hayes (Glen Campbell)
80. "Dear Prudence," Siouxsie and the Banshees (The Beatles)
81. "Twist and Shout," The Beatles (the Isley Brothers)
82. "Helter Skelter," U2 (The Beatles)
83. "Imagine," A Perfect Circle (John Lennon)
84. "Eleanor Rigby," Thrice (The Beatles)
85. "Live and Let Die," Guns N' Roses (Wings)
86. "With a Little Help From My Friends," Joe Cocker (The Beatles)
87. "Hurt," Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
88. "Enjoy the Silence," Lacuna Coil (Depeche Mode)
89. "I Will Survive" Cake (Gloria Gaynor)
90. "Rock el Casbah," Rachid Taha (the Clash)
91. "Sex (I'm A)," Peaches (Berlin)
92. "Caldonia," Mos Def (Cab Calloway)
93. "Wasted," Camper Van Beethoven (Black Flag)
94. "Low Rider," Drunken Boat (War)
95. "Turn, Turn, Turn," the Byrds (Pete Seeger)
96. "Don't Give Up," Willie Nelson & Sinead O'Connor (Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush)
97. "Glamorous Life," the Fever (Sheila E.)
98. "Stairway to Heaven," Rodrigo y Gabriela (Led Zeppelin)
99. "Since U Been Gone," Ted Leo (Kelly Clarkson)
100. "Star Wars" theme, Bill Murray (John Williams)
