7 Songs Adam Lambert Should Cover and Why

Adam Lambert Can Take These Former Hit Songs and Make Them Hits Again

Sherri Thornhill
Adam Lambert may have only been the runner up on Season 8 of American Idol, but he is number one in the hearts of his passionate fans. "Glambert" as he is affectionately called for his sometimes outrageous outfits and make-up, is doing extremely well in the music industry these days. Lambert has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his song "Whataya Want from Me".

I've been an Adam Lambert fan since I first saw him audition for the American Idol judges, and some of my favorite Lambert performances were of cover songs. I've picked 7 other songs I would love to hear Adam Lambert cover. All of these songs were hits for the original artists and I believe Adam Lambert could make them hits again!

"Rebel Rebel"

A hit in 1974 for glam rocker David Bowie, "Rebel Rebel" is the perfect song for Adam Lambert to cover. Lambert enjoys the glam rocker persona that both he and David Bowie are known for having. "You've got your mother in a whirl. She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl" are some of the lyrics in "Rebel Rebel". This song deserves to have new generations of music fans discover it all over again, Glambert style.

"Hot Legs"

Rod Stewart rocked out "Hot Legs" in 1977 but I think Adam Lambert should rock it out now. It's a fun song and with just a little change up, it could be a hit for Lambert. "Hot Legs" is full of attitude, and when I watch old videos of Rod Stewart performing it, I immediately picture Adam Lambert glammed up on stage and bringing the song to life again.

"You Better Run"

This song was originally released as a single by a band called The Rascals in 1968. Their version was pretty good, but Pat Benatar covered the song in 1980 and knocked it out of the park. It's time for Adam Lambert to make this cover and put his own spin on it. It's a chance to get a good rock song back on the radio.

"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"

It was originally done by Culture Club in 1982, the year Adam Lambert was born. Adam Lambert is a Boy George fan and Boy George is an Adam Lambert fan. There are certainly similarities in there styles. I loved this 80s hit song and I think Adam Lambert could cover it, bring it to a whole new level and make it a hit again.

"Rock Me Tonite"

Rocker Billy Squier sang "Rock Me Tonite in 1984. Now is the time for Adam Lambert to cover it and make it even better than the original. He has the voice for it and the ability to make the song edgier and relevant once again. Billy Squier would probably warn Adam not to make a really lame video with this song; Billy did and that was the end of his popularity. Maybe Adam can remind people why they loved Billy Squier in the first place?

"So Alive"

This song was a hit by a little known band called Love and Rockets in 1989. It was one of my favorite songs of the late 80s. It can be a number one song if Adam Lambert were to lend his vocal talents to it and cover it. It was originally sung low and sultry, but I'm sure Lambert could throw in some of his incredible falsettos and make the song his own.

"Joey"

Concrete Blonde sang this song on their 1990 album, Bloodletting. The lead singer, Johnette Napolitano sings the tune in a way that makes you live it with her. Her vocal range in "Joey" is similar to Lambert's, though Adam can go farther with it. It's a powerful song about a broken relationship with an alcoholic boyfriend. Since Adam Lambert is an out and proud gay man, I think singing about Joey would be a good move for this bold singer.

So, do you agree with my choices of cover songs that Adam Lambert should sing? If you think you have other songs Adam should sing, feel free to share in the comment box below.

Related Music Articles By Sherri Thornhill:

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Bruno Mars Doo-Wops and Hooligans CD Review

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Source: Authors opinion, adamlambert.com, lyrics.com, metrolyrics.com, 80musicvids.com, youtube.com

Published by Sherri Thornhill

I am a retired Police Officer and a professional freelance writer. I enjoy writing about a variety of topics. In addition to Yahoo Voices, I write for Examiner.com as the National Generation X Examiner, the...  View profile

28 Comments

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  • clancy1/30/2011

    Oops! Too chatty for the comment box so it cut off the last bit of my comment. Here 'tis:

    Personally I don't think he should be doing ANY covers at this stage of his career and should stick to releasing originals - preferably written by him. The long list of songs written by Adam in the past shows he has the talent and skill to write his own music. And he has the cred to attract decent material from established contemporary artists. He doesn't need to delve into past hits and certainly not past failures

  • clancy1/30/2011

    Not sure how anyone could think Adam has done nothing lately, successful debut album, several hit singles in charts worldwide and a 6 month, 100+ sellout world concert tour just ended. Hmmm not sure what else he could do LMAO Also, I dont think Adam is always bringing up being gay in interviews - pretty sure it's the other way round. He doesnt shove it down people's throats and has said he wished people would stop asking him about it.

    Having said that, I don't think he should be doing songs about looking like a girl or that are expressly associated with being gay. He needs to appeal to a broader audience and also move away from his sexual preference being the focus. That rules out Boy George and probably Hot Legs in a way too (not fond of that song anyway) I hate that Billy Squiers song LMAO sorry - and most of the others I've never heard of either. Joey is an interesting suggestion tho.

    Personally I don't think he should be doing ANY covers at this stage of h

  • Sandra Essary1/24/2011

    Interesting ideas about these songs and Adam. I've been an avid fan of his, too, from the early days on Idol.

  • Nancy P. Goodman, in Tennessee1/16/2011

    good work!

  • Dan Reveal1/14/2011

    Great work, Sherri!!! I like him.

  • Britte1/12/2011

    Fame by Bowie!

  • tomitweets1/11/2011

    I have been an Adam fan as long as you have Sherri. I'm a diehard. I am also a 34+ year Queen fan.

    I would love to hear Adam sing Queen's Don't Stop Me Now. Its not one of the megahits but the lyrics fit Adam to a tee:

    "Im a rocketship on my way to mars, I am a satellite, I'm outta control. I'm a sex machine ready to reload, like an atom bomb, about to oh-oh-oh EXPLODE!"

    I think Adam would have a lot of fun with Killer Queen, one of Queen's campier songs.

    There is nothing wrong with covers. Pink did three in the Funhouse Show:
    Bohemian Rhapsody (brought down the house!), a Led Zep (I'm Gonna Leave You? I think is the name) and the DiVinyls I Touch Myself. It didn't label her anything more than even more spectacular!

  • Jennifer Wagner1/10/2011

    I noticed that the website that took this from you is no longer in operation! Way to shut 'em down Sherri! LMAO--

  • Sherri Thornhill1/7/2011

    Michael, Adam has many fans..like me. He's been touring, he is nominated for a Grammy and he will have a new album out later this year. Adam is viable, relevant and doing well:) Thanks for the comment.

  • Michael Segers1/7/2011

    Is he still a viable performer? I haven't heard anything about him in ages.

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