10 Wonderfully Wild Covers of The Beatles' “Yesterday”
“Yesterday” by The Beatles is a musical blank canvas, open to interpretation, reinvention, and—sometimes—utter reinvention in genres the Fab Four never saw coming. With over 2,000 known versions out there, here are 10 of the most genre-bending, mood-swinging, mind-tilting covers of “Yesterday” you never knew you needed… until now.
1. Marvin Gaye (1970)
Motown’s smoothest operator took “Yesterday” and wrapped it in satin. His version, from That’s the Way Love Is, lives in a warm, soulful haze—like heartbreak at sunset, with a bassline for a hug.
2. Molly Hatchet (2012)
Southern rock titans Molly Hatchet brought muscle and denim to “Yesterday” on Regrinding the Axes. Imagine a bar fight breaking out in the middle of a memory—that’s how hard this one hits.
3. En Vogue (1992)
If ’60s harmonies got a ’90s R&B glow-up, this is it. En Vogue’s a cappella spin on “Yesterday” doesn’t just cover it—it serenades it with perfect pitch and powerhouse soul.
4. La Lupe (1967)
Known as the Queen of Latin Soul, La Lupe’s fiery version on El Rey y Yo turns “Yesterday” into a dramatic, Havana-flavored rollercoaster. Sad? Maybe. Subtle? Absolutely not.
5. Boyz II Men (1994)
No instruments. No frills. Just four voices, blending like butter. Boyz II Men closed their blockbuster album with an a cappella version that somehow made “Yesterday” feel even more eternal.
6. Count Basie & His Orchestra (1966)
Big band meets Beatle ballad. The Count swung “Yesterday” like it was born for the dance floor, with Bill Henderson on vocals and the horns adding a Gatsby touch to Lennon & McCartney’s melancholy.
7. Dr. John (1975)
Recorded in a studio disguised as a nightclub, Dr. John’s version smokes with New Orleans swagger. It’s voodoo blues for a Sunday hangover, dressed in feathers and funk.
8. Sarah Vaughan (1966)
One of jazz’s greatest voices opened her Pop Artistry album with “Yesterday,” turning it into a smoky lounge confession that sounds like she wrote it herself in another lifetime.
9. Ras Attitude (2013)
Reggae meets Liverpool. Ras Attitude’s take on a tribute compilation gives “Yesterday” an island heartbeat, proving heartbreak feels a little better with a skank rhythm underneath it.
10. Cathy Berberian (1967)
Opera diva meets Beatlemania. Berberian turned “Yesterday” into an avant-garde aria, complete with vibrato and theatrical drama. It’s not background music—it’s a front-row ticket to surrealism.
Source: thatericalper.com/Eric Alper
